Talkback: L.A. Times Ads

We recently placed two ads in the Los Angeles Times: One during the Memorial Day weekend, and anther a week later. The ads, along with the buzz surrounding the Sunday Times editorial about them, attracted a lot of new visitors to HumaneWatch–and many of them offered praise for our work educating Americans about the Humane Society of the United States. (Many were shocked to learn HSUS isn’t related to their local humane society, and that HSUS shares just 1 percent of donations with hands-on pet shelters.)

Here’s what some readers wrote to us:

Good for you for standing up for local shelters! I had no idea that HSUS *didn’t* fund local shelters to help save dogs and cats. –Kat

I find it odd that HSUS claims HumaneWatch is dragging animal shelters into the debate. After all, HW has the decency to openly declare (and in multiple locations throughout its media) that it is not related to any animal shelters. Actually, HW probably does more than HSUS to promote the needs of local animal shelters by publicizing a shelter-of-the-day through its Daily Bites and Facebook updates. –Linn

Good work. You must be hitting a very big nerve. Oh, that’s right—HSUS has a very big nerve to trick people out of their money using pictures of sad animals. –Maggie

I’m so glad the Times brought this issue to the attention of the people of California. That gives us the opportunity to have an honest and open discussion of the little-known facts regarding HSUS. There are a lot of good people in California who probably never gave it a thought until now. –Gayla

I couldn’t have been happier to see your ad on the back of yesterday’s L.A. Times. You made Memorial Day all the more memorable! Thank you! –Florence

No more to The Humane Society of the United States. Thank you for informing us! –Greta

I consistently send them donations. Thanks for the information. I appreciate it and will stop further monies to them. –Tallie

Thank you, HumaneWatch, for shedding light on the HSUS and their devious ways. I am happy that an organization like HumaneWatch exists to educate the public on the lack of support HSUS (and other animal “charities”) gives to local chapters.–Megan

Keep the comments coming, everyone! And don’t forget to register your thoughts on our Facebook page, where you can meet more than a quarter-million savvy animal lovers just like you.

Talkback: Reflections on a Birthday

We marked the beginning of HumaneWatch’s second year a few weeks ago; quite a few of you took notice. The well-wishes have been pouring in from animal lovers everywhere, and some of our favorites are below.

Without your efforts to spread the word about the Humane Society of the United States’s shortcomings—and the thousands of deserving pet shelters that HSUS simply doesn’t support—HumaneWatch wouldn’t be very effective at all.

We’re gathering and nurturing fertile seeds here every week, but it’s up to you to plant the seedlings and educate animal-lovers in your own community.

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:

People Are Starting to Get It

When we launched HumaneWatch 9 months ago, we didn’t know how long it would take to re-shape the conventional wisdom about the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). As anyone who’s ever tried to change “common knowledge” about anything will tell you, these things take time.

What we didn’t anticipate, though, is the sheer number of people who already believed HSUS had evolved into a scam. We’re not changing their minds, per se—just giving them the courage to say that the proverbial Emperor has no clothes.

From time to time, HumaneWatch articles are re-published by a website called Opposing Views. (We recommend exploring the site and commenting on the HumaneWatch articles there, since HSUS regularly dispatches its paid hacks to push back.) The latest example came last weekend.

One comment left on that article provided a fantastic example of one train of thought about HSUS which is becoming fashionable to express. We didn’t write it, and we haven’t a clue who did.

Humane Society Veterinary Misdirection Association

Daring to say that the vegan emperor has no clothes can be pretty rewarding. As HumaneWatch Nation grows, we've emboldened countless Americans to articulate their fears, doubts, and (sometimes) anger about the Humane Society of the United States. Last week we heard from a pet shelter director. And today's feedback comes from a veterinary student who is asking some tough questions about the "Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association."

It would be interesting to learn whether her concerns represent the thoughts of most U.S. veterinary students, or of just a handful of alert doctors-to-be. We're withholding the author's name at her request.

One Brave Voice

The relationship between the super-rich Humane Society of the United States and the thousands of (often very poor) U.S. pet shelters is the stuff of legend in the animal rights movement. We’ve heard stories about HSUS using its checkbook as both carrot and stick, and a large number of pet sheltering professionals—the folks who do all the heavy lifting—have come to resent it.

One such shelter director from the American Midwest wrote us on Friday, daring to pour her frustrations into her keyboard.

Talkback: HumaneWatch Reactions

We get a lot of e-mailed comments about HumaneWatch. A few are decidedly "NSFW" (you know who you are...), but most are complimentary, or at least contain constructive criticism. For those many hundreds of messages, we are eternally grateful.

Today we'd like to share just a few of them, with the permission of the writers. Not because we think this blog is any great shakes, but because we hope it's giving voice to sentiments and suspicions that countless Americans have kept to themselves for years—if not decades.

Take heart: It's okay to say that the emperor has no clothes. And to say it with a loud voice.