The HumaneWatch Interview: Dr. Jeff Ondrak, DVM, MS

Dr. Jeff Ondrak is part of a disappearing breed: the beef cattle veterinarian. Demand is up for livestock docs, but the supply is short and getting shorter by the year.

He’s also one of the more outspoken vets. Dr. Ondrak is a clearly not afraid to speak truth to—or about—power. During a February speech in his native Nebraska, he advised a group of women in agriculture: “If you get a letter from HSUS, please don’t send them money.”

It’s no surprise that someone who depends on animal agriculture for his customer base would have a problem with the Humane Society of the United States. There’s a growing national awareness of HSUS’s affinity with the animal “rights” philosophy, and we’ve come to understand that this includes a desire for farm animals to exit the human food chain.

But veterinarians have sworn to work for (among other things) “the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering … [and] the promotion of public health.” So any time a vet is willing to sit with us for an interview, we’re eager to learn what he or she thinks about the animal rights movement and the Humane Society of the United States —and about whether those institutions are working toward the same goals.

Take It From a Veterinarian

Dr. Roger Welton is a Florida veterinarian and author of Canine and Feline 101. He also founded Web-DVM, an innovative veterinary advice website supplemented by a video blog that has been pumping out pet-doc advice since 2007.

On Saturday Dr. Welton fired up his video camera to describe a “humane conflict” about the Humane Society of the United States that’s beginning to percolate into the public consciousness.

“Even local animal shelters and humane groups,” he notes, “are often left wondering about the motives of HSUS. Some small shelters have been overwhelmed with animals after well-publicized raids by the HSUS and feel that the Humane Society should offer more financial support.”

Dr. Welton is worth watching—not because he has clearly been reading HumaneWatch, but because he understands the problem. 

Click here for a transcript and to see more video presentations from this knowledgeable doc.

HSUS’s “Spay Day”: Half the Results, and Lots More Fundraising!

The Humane Society of the United States is running one of its annual fundraising promotions for the next few weeks: a “Spay Day” photo contest.

Spay Day was created by the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) in 1995; HSUS absorbed the program, along with the rest of that organization, in 2006.

Here’s how it works this year: You submit a cute picture of your pet, you add your contact info to HSUS's gargantuan mailing list, and then you encourage your friends and family to “vote” for your photo. 

But unlike with American Idol voting, it’s not free. (Naturally.) HSUS is charging $1 per vote, with a minimum of five votes per voter.

The contest’s “official rules” state that “Any donation or purchase made by you will not increase your chances of winning.” Which seems like a sneaky way of saying that only contributions by your family and friends can buy you a prize.