The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) wants your money. Although its television commercials promise to save sad puppies and kitties, HSUS doesn’t operate a single animal shelter and spends less than ½ of 1% of its funds to support local shelters. If, after watching those heart-wrenching commercials of abused animals, you feel inclined to send a check to HSUS, be aware that your funds will be spent bullying ranchers, not saving abandoned pets.
Don’t believe me? Read this letter by former HSUS director Diana Culp published in the Waco Tribune. Concerned about the lack of funding for the Waco Humane Society, Culp admits that HSUS doesn’t spend any money on shelters and urges community members to spend money locally.
Culp, director of the Humane Society for Shelter Pets, Frederick, MD, writes, “I was sorry to hear that funding issues have forced the Humane Society of Central Texas to end its contract with the city of Waco to operate the city’s shelter. Sadly, funding shortages are forcing nonprofits all across the country to make these types of decisions. Problems stem from all-too-common misconceptions. As a former director of HSUS with 30 years in the animal sheltering community, I know that a common misconception is that national animal groups are umbrella groups for pet shelters. People believe these groups spend most of their resources to help care for these animals. After all, that’s what the commercials full of needy dogs and cats imply.”
Instead of helping animals, HSUS is using its contributions from well-intentioned contributors to bully agriculture; currently, the organization is attacking the beef and pork checkoff programs.
A Closer Look: OCM, HSUS Team Up To Attack Checkoff
On Texas Ag Talks, Gene Hall, Texas Farm Bureau public relations director, explains the situation, “The animal shelter here in Waco, TX, is in trouble. Donations are down and more pets are abandoned in this bad economy. Many people think the bulging war chest of the wealthy HSUS might ease these situations, which are occurring all over the nation. Not likely.
“HSUS is busy suing the daylights out of animal agriculture. Many of us believe this is a part of a long-range effort to end animal farming. HSUS encourages this already confusing situation, and they are already in the early stages of a new strategy. That is to tie up the resources of those organizations that represent the interests of animal farmers with lawsuits. Two of these are now pending and, again, it gets confusing. USDA is involved in both, along with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council. One suit would cripple the highly successful and self-funded beef research and promotion checkoff program. The other challenges pork marketing slogans and activities. Obviously, HSUS’ idea of a perfect world is one in which animal farming is stripped of its advocates and without the means to resist the onslaught animal rights groups believe will curtail and finally end meat diets.”
If you want more statistics on HSUS to see how determined it is to abolish animal agriculture and promote a vegan lifestyle, check out humanewatch.org.
Do you think the pork and beef checkoff programs are in trouble? Is your local animal shelter struggling to stay open? Come on, HSUS, why not put your money where your mouth is and actually do what your commercials imply you do instead of bullying farm and ranch families?
