H$U$’s New Global Amba$$ador

Interesting news came across our monitor the other day: HSUS announced that music artist Ke$ha—yes, she actually has a dollar sign in her name—is the group’s first “global ambassador.”

We’ll let you decide what to make of Ke$ha’s suitability as an ambassador. Her views on humans and animals are somewhat unorthodox. Her Twitter feed probably fits the dictionary definition of “NSFW.” And with lyrics such as “brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack [Daniels],” the message of caring for yourself (much less animals) isn’t always visible.

But that’s neither here nor there. Music is all about showmanship, and the flashiest acts often sell the best. And that seems to be just what’s going on here—on both sides.

In its press release, HSUS invites people to check out Ke$ha’s Tickets-for-Charity entry. Essentially, Tickets-for-Charity sells tickets to concerts and other venues with a surcharge that is donated to the artist’s charity of choice. In this case, $10 from every purchase goes to HSUS’s international arm, Humane Society International.

$o Ke$ha $ell$ ticket$, and H$U$ get$ $ome dough a$ well. Ea$y to $ee the up$ide.

But as anybody who’s familiar with HSUS’s fundraising record knows, the money HSUS raises often goes right back out the door—to pay off fundraisers, or to simply raise more money. HSUS isn’t known as a “factory fundraiser” for nothing. In fact, very little of the money HSUS raises actually goes to pet shelters. And if the ticket donations go to Humane Society International, then the money may not even help a single pet in America.

At face value, it might make “cents” to join up with HSUS and get your picture taken with cute animals while softening the “bad-girl” image. But considering that HSUS is facing a racketeering lawsuit, multiple calls for federal investigations (including one from six sitting Congressmen), and a growing public backlash as people realize what a scam this so-called “Humane Society” is, it might not make sense to partner with a group whose public-image “stock” should be shorted.

Do Ke$ha’s PR handlers know this? Why don’t you ask them? There are loads of other, more deserving charities that she could promote to benefit animal welfare.

More Dogfighting in Philly? More Questions for HSUS

Early last week the Pennsylvania SPCA and Philadelphia police conducted three separate raids to bust up what officials called “the largest dogfighting ring they’ve ever seen.”

Watch a brief segment from the news coverage here, and then ask yourself a question: Has Michael Vick’s return to professional football as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback made dogfighting “cool” in Philly?

The evidence suggests an unflattering picture for the Humane Society of the United States (not affiliated with “humane society” pet shelters) and its CEO Wayne Pacelle, whose effort to rehabilitate Michael Vick’s public image following his prison term has been controversial (to put it mildly).

After Vick’s release, he partnered with HSUS for a speaking tour to criticize dogfighting, which—in Pacelle’s defense—may have seemed like a good idea at the time.

But the consequences speak for themselves. Compared with 2008, Pennsylvania SPCA animal fighting investigations tripled in 2009, the year Vick signed with the Eagles. Most of these were dogfighting-related cases in Philadelphia.

Trotting Michael Vick out like a trained pony is a far cry from actually doing something for the hands-on groups (like the Pennsylvania SPCA) that have to deal with the fallout from Vick’s public re-branding.

Perhaps “Bonding” with a dogfighting kingpin wasn’t such a humane idea.

Dharma Passes the Hat

On December 7 of last year, “Dharma and Greg” co-star Jenna Elfman “tweeted” a photo taken after she taped a new "give $19 a month" TV ad for the Humane Society of the United States. Elfman made a radio PSA for HSUS in 2001 and lent an image of her lips to an HSUS-branded postage stamp in 2008, but this was her first on-camera work for the animal rights organization. It reportedly began airing late last week.

Last night the video production company that shot this fundraising ad posted a press release about it, but the release was removed early this morning. (Here’s Google’s cache, and our screen-grab for posterity.) In addition to the Jenna Elfman ad, the release also linked to videos of two more spots that may or may not be running nationally: one narrated by Wayne Pacelle, and another showcasing three children. (Note: We can’t control how long these movie files will be available for viewing.)

The Jenna Elfman fundraising ad is the most interesting of three to us. Not because it’s fronted by an actress, but because we counted 44 live animals in this ad, and all but two are dogs and cats:

More after the jump.

Quote of the Year

Last week, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) CEO Wayne Pacelle said that dog-fighting kingpin Michael Vick “would do a good job as a pet owner.” We’ve done our level best since then to make sure as many people as possible know about Pacelle's horrible lapse of judgment, and about his ensuing attempt to weasel his way back toward respectability.

But Vick isn’t doing himself any favors by perpetuating the fantasy that the football world will look kindly on him if he wants to put more helpless pets in harm’s way.

Today Fox Sports columnist Alex Marvez lists what he thinks would be the ideal Christmas gift for each National Football League team. Here’s what he says the Philadelphia Eagles need most:

An electric shock collar for Michael Vick that goes off any time the quarterback speaks about wanting to own another dog in the future. This would serve as a painful reminder of how Vick should have felt when torturing animals for his own sadistic pleasure.

How about two matching collars? One for Michael Vick, and the other for his cheerleader in the executive office of what used to be America’s most respected mainstream animal charity. The next time Humane Wayne spouts off about giving a violent felon with a history of organizing and funding dogfights another pet to abuse ... ZAP.

Come to think of it, if HSUS’s Board of Directors wants to raise a little extra holiday cash, offering a “Wayne Pacelle chew toy” in the Humane Domain store might be a smart way to go. We’ll take a hundred.

Talkback: The Michael Vick Ad

If you’re not a New Yorker or a frequent visitor to this blog, you may be unaware that we ran a full-page ad in yesterday’s New York Times, blowing the lid off of a scandal involving convicted dog-fighting kingpin Michael Vick, a $50,000 check from the Philadelphia Eagles, and Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle.

In short, if you’re wondering why Pacelle would suddenly become an apologist for Vick’s future pet-ownership plans, follow the money.

HSUS’s willingness to trade its principles for money is disturbing news, and hundreds of you were outraged enough to e-mail us your thoughts. Many of your e-mails contained language (directed at Pacelle and Vick) that’s not exactly “family-friendly,” but here’s a sampling of some of your more polite reactions:

The Weekly Watch #41: The Michael Vick Edition

If you were reading HumaneWatch last week, you learned ...

• HSUS CEO and Michael Vick apologist Wayne Pacelle thinks the dog-fighting kingpin “would do a good job as a pet owner.” (Will these words live in infamy?)
• Pacelle naturally tried to backtrack, and is in full damage-control mode following our ad in The New York Times.
• HSUS is under increasing scrutiny from charity watchdogs, and its defense to this criticism isn’t exactly convincing.
• HSUS released (another) undercover video. But its tactics in rolling footage are becoming increasingly transparent.
• Pacelle appeared on the radio last week to repeat the “11 million members” shtick and other myths. Here are the highlights.

Stay tuned this week for more truth-telling, research-sharing, and analysis of America's richest animal rights group! (If you need your up-to-the-minute HumaneWatch fix, there's always Facebook.)

Press Release: NYT Ad Slams HSUS Prez for Saying Michael Vick Should Be Permitted to Have More Dogs