Our charter firmly rests on an ethic of compassion for all sentient beings, with a general focus on companion animals. Our mission is to assuage suffering on the individual level while reducing it in the aggregate. Although domesticated animals, like us, suffer from natural misfortune, most of their suffering is caused by human negligence and, far worse, simple malice. We believe that a more enlightened relationship with animals lies with humane education. Towards that end, we support, and actively lobby for, NYS legislation designed to either strengthen existing statutes or create new critical safeguards.

Since publishing the very first state-wide manual on investigating animal cruelty in 1996, NYSHA has actively worked with law enforcement agencies and conducts several seminars for police personnel each year.