SHOCK POLL: 90 Percent of HSUS Donors Are in the Dark

We’ve already established through public polling that the vast majority of Americans—you know, the regular folks who are the targets of HSUS’s disclaimer-less, deceptive TV ads—mistakenly believe that HSUS is a pet shelter umbrella group.

HSUS has replied by trying to draw a distinction between its members and the average American. Wayne Pacelle recently told the Associated Press that “HSUS donors understand its role" (reporter's paraphrase).

It turns out Pacelle could hardly be more wrong.

We conducted an online survey of HSUS supporters and received some shocking results. Here’s the bottom line, from a survey of 1,010 self-identified HSUS donors, who answered "yes" to the question "Have you ever donated to the Humane Society of the United States?":

• Just 1 percent of HSUS's donors list "farm animal protection" as their primary reason for supporting the group.
• Seventy-four percent of donors give to HSUS to either help pet shelters or reduce the number of animals euthanized each year.
• Ninety—yes, 90—percent of HSUS's donors were unaware that it gives just 1 percent of its budget to local pet shelters.
• Knowing HSUS's non-support of shelters, 80 percent of HSUS's own donors think the group “misleads people into thinking that it supports local humane societies and pet shelters.”
• Nearly 50 percent of HSUS's donors say they are less likely to support the group now that they know HSUS gives so little to local pet shelters.

This evidence should leave no doubt that HSUS relies on misconception—the notion that it’s a real “humane society.” Most Americans—and we can now say most HSUS donors—believe that HSUS is mostly about supporting pet shelters.

HSUS needs this false perception to raise the hundreds of millions it collects. The poll clearly shows that half of donors would be less likely to give now that they know how little of their donations goes to local pet shelters. HSUS must hope they stay in the dark.

Wayne Pacelle can no longer claim that HSUS donors “understand” what HSUS is up to. And all the rhetoric about how HSUS is clear about what it does not only seems like a cop-out, but it comes across as blaming the victim. After all, more than 85 percent of the animals in HSUS’s manipulative ads are cats and dogs.

There are a few reform options. HSUS could prominently put a large-print disclaimer on all of its ads that it is independent of local humane societies. (Right now, less than 1 percent of HSUS’s TV ads have a disclaimer—and it’s in small font.) HSUS could stop manipulating viewers with a disproportionate amount of pets. And HSUS could simply change its name, replacing “Humane Society” with something more appropriate. (The “Vegan Lawyers and Lobbyists Society”?)

HSUS won’t, of course. As regular readers already know well, HSUS wants to get rid most human uses of animals—most notably in agriculture. That’s not the goal of a cat-and-dog group—that’s the goal of a PETA-type group. It’s no surprise then that HSUS leaders cut their teeth in radical animal rights/liberation groups.

And that’s certainly not the goal of HSUS’s supporters. Which is why we’re going to make sure they find out the truth.

Full results (PDF):

1. What is the primary reason you support the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)?

• 40%     To help HSUS care for homeless dogs and cats in animal shelters and humane socities.
• 3%       To help HSUS's animal rescue team.
• 15%     To raise awareness about animal cruelty.
• 34%     To reduce the number of animals put down in shelters each year.
• 1%       To support HSUS's farm animal protection programs.
• 6%       To support HSUS's political lobbying for anti-animal cruelty legislation.

2. Were you aware that HSUS gives just 1 percent of its budget to local pet shelters?

• 90%    No
• 10%    Yes

3. Now that you know that HSUS gives just one percent of its budget to local pet shelters, do you think the HSUS misleads people into thinking that it supports local humane societies and pet shelters?

• 6%     Not at all
• 13%   Not really
• 28%   Somewhat
• 52%   Very Much

4. Now that you know that HSUS gives just one percent of its budget to local pet shelters, are you more or less likely to support HSUS?

• 21%    Much Less Likely
• 26%    Less Likely
• 8%      More Likely
• 6%      Much More Likely
• 38%    Neither

Survey Methodology

HumaneWatch conducted a nationally representative online survey of 1,010 Humane Society of the United States donors from April 21 - 25, 2012. The survey's margin of error is ±3.1%.

The Murky World of Charity Fundraising

A hard-hitting CNN report this week exposes a veterans charity called Disabled Veterans National Foundation for, well, not doing all that much for veterans. According to CNN, DVNF has raised $55.9 million since 2007—yet spent $61 million from 2008 to 2010 with a for-profit fundraising firm called Quadriga Art and one of its subsidiaries. It’s no surprise that DVNF gets an “F” grade from the American Institute of Philanthropy.

And what kind of aid did DVNF provide? Apparently the charity sent useless gifts of 2,600 bags of cough drops and 2,200 little bottles of sanitizer, and 11,520 bags of coconut M&M's to a veterans center in Alabama. Talk about making a difference.

That’s certainly a questionable arrangement—and probably one not made clear to DVNF’s presumably many donors. Apparently, Quadriga owns two subsidiaries that spun off from a different veterans charity called Paralyzed Veterans of America—another F-rated charity. (PVA also has had questionable spending issues.) And it turns out that Quadriga also has provided services to the F-rated charity SPCA International—with 99 percent of SPCAI’s debt owed to Quadriga as of 2010.

And guess who another Quadriga client is? That’s right: The Humane Society of the United States. According to HSUS’s tax returns, it paid Quadriga $8.2 million in 2009 and $9.6 million in 2010.

Of course, considering HSUS’s fundraising track record, we can’t say we’re surprised they’ve shacked up with this firm. We don’t know for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise us if Quadriga is behind a lot of those HSUS doodads, tchotchkes, and other junk HSUS gifts. If HSUS keeps this up, maybe its charity grade will drop from a “D” to an “F.”

To be fair—what does Quadriga have to offer in rebuttal? Why, threat of legal action. From CNN:

When asked about Quadriga's relationship with DVNF, spokesman Ron Torossian told CNN in an e-mail that the company is privately owned and "we do not discuss specific client relationships." But according to IRS filings, Quadriga has been paid for direct-mail services by DVNF since the charity was founded in 2007.

Torossian did say in his e-mail, "At times, Quadriga chooses to invest money in partnerships with non-profit organizations. Sometimes it is a successful business venture, while others it is not."

In a subsequent e-mail, Torossian said Quadriga had lost $7 million investing in veterans nonprofit organizations.

When CNN asked whether that included the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, he said "your facts remain woefully inadequate," but he declined to elaborate in a later e-mail exchange. He also threatened to sue CNN on behalf of Quadriga.

Uh-huh.

Starting to get the picture? The only real question is what’s worse: Using veterans to scam Americans, or using cats and dogs?

Millions of doggie dollars that go to the Humane Society of the United States have wound up with Quadriga. This is just one more reason people who want to help shelter pets should give directly to their local shelters, and not to HSUS.

Penguin Replies to HSUS Concerns

Well, that didn’t take long. Yesterday we reported that book publisher Penguin Group USA is giving $25,000 to HSUS. We asked you to contact Penguin and register your discontent with its funding of a radical, PETA-like animal rights group.

It appears many people took action—and thanks to all who did. Unfortunately, here’s the response a reader received from Penguin USA’s publicity manager:

After much consideration, Penguin USA chose The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) as the charity partner for Read Humane. 

Please know, the funds donated as part of Read Humane are restricted to the Animal Rescue Team.  Funding from Read Humane cannot be used for lobbying purposes or any purpose other than the Animal Rescue Team. The Animal Rescue Team works directly with pets in need in several ways.

The HSUS's Animal Rescue Team works with law enforcement to investigate illegal animal cruelty, targeting the worst cases of animal abuse nationwide. Every year the Team rescues thousands of animals from puppy mills, animal fighting operations, hoarders, and other situations where animals suffer from life-threatening cruelty. They also provide expert animal rescue response at natural disasters.

We recognize there are many worthy organizations dedicated to animal welfare.  At Penguin, we love our pets and by partnering with the Animal Rescue Team, we wanted to make a small contribution to creating a world free of animal cruelty. 

This is woefully inadequate. While Penguin’s heart is in the right place in earmarking the money for the animal rescue team, that still frees up $25,000 for HSUS to use in attacking farmers. Money is fungible; HSUS can just take out $25,000 it had already allocated to the team’s budget.

Yellow Tail wines, which also had earmarked money for HSUS’s animal rescue team, had the courage to issue a mea culpa and pledge not to give to HSUS in the future. Even if Penguin is mum on its future plans, hopefully it learned enough so that it won’t make the same mistake twice.