Apr 14 2010
Exhibit “A”: Meet Shari
Meet Shari. She's a real person with a degree in veterinary technology. Shari lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. We're not going to report her last name.
Shari is a married mother of "one child, two dogs, one cat" (at least according to her Twitter feed). All her pets are rescue animals, and her Cafe Press store is a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to buy pictures of them on t-shirts.
On Squidoo, you can read her expert opinion about how to make a great "bacon-cheddar chicken filet melt." She also writes passionately about why breed-specific legislation (BSL), laws aimed at just one or two breeds of dogs, are wrong-headed. ("It's like 'racial profiling' in people," she writes.)
Shari, despite all her apparent levelheadedness, is also using Squidoo to raise money for the Humane Society of the United States. Here's how she explains her decision to sponsor HSUS. We're not making this up (emphasis added).
I chose the Humane Society because 2 of my 3 pets came from there. I believe in what they do, and they are a non-profit organization. Almost all the workers are volunteers, and on top of that, they have this Mobile Animal Hospital thing that they drive around in. They find feral animals, spay and neuter them, then set them free again. Keeps the feral population down, as well as reducing the number of animals that get dropped off with them.
In the old days, The Humane Society would destroy animals after a certain amount of time. Nowadays, though, unless there's some serious health issues (the 120 cats euthanised recently in MN), the animals stay there until they find a home, or they die. With people dropping off their pets at an alarming rate, they need our help more than ever.
In Minnesota, there are three Humane Society Shelters. One in Coon Rapids, one in Golden Valley, and one in Eagan. The Coon Rapids one was just recently redecorated. In May, they sponsor the "Walk For Animals." That day people come from all over and walk with their pets to collect money for the shelters. I've never actually participated in it, but hope to some day.Please make donations to this worthy cause. They need help now! Every purchase you make from this page will go to The Humane Society of the United States. You can't beat that!
Wow. Just wow.
Shari clearly has HSUS confused with her local humane societies, the real-life pet shelters whose volunteers do the heavy lifting.
The shelters in Coon Rapids and Golden Valley are part of the Animal Humane Society, and the Eagan facility is most likely the Minnesota Valley Humane Society. Neither organization is affiliated in any way with HSUS. So of all the money this well-meaning animal lover raises, not a penny will flow back to the organizations she actually intends to support.
Why doesn't Shari understand that Job #1 for HSUS is to phase out her beloved bacon-cheddar chicken sandwich? Is there an entree that HSUS's vegans hate more? Maybe a "turducken," but Shari encourages people to try that recipe too. Complete with a de-boning video.
Then there's the matter of breed-specific legislation related to pit bull terriers and other dog breeds. HSUS claims it's opposed to the concept, but saying that dog breeders and fanciers are skeptical would be an understatement. HSUS quietly pushed an Indianapolis ordinance aiming to label all “Pit Bull-type dogs” as “potentially dangerous," and promoted a Louisville law requiring the sterilization of pit bulls only—while offering the thinnest of excuses.
To quote an old movie, what we have here is a failure to communicate. How many more Sharis are out there? How many like her are easily misled celebrities or well-meaning corporate PR officers?
If you didn't already understand the enormity of the public misperception at work, there it is in all its pernicious splendor.
It's time to get to work.
Posted on 04/14/2010 at 08:35 AM by the HumaneWatch Team
Fundraising & Money • Gov't, Lobbying, Politics • Meat • Pets • (18) CommentsComments
has anyone sat her straight yet ?
Animal Humane Society does great work! They are an amazing shelter. As usual her heart is in the right place, but she has been mis led. Just think what AHS could do with the money being shifted to h$U$ :o(
I meant to say has anyone explained to her HSUS’s real goals?
I also left a comment, hopefully she will go to Humanewatch and get the real story.
I don’t think this is actually a failure to communicate. I think we agree that this misunderstanding is intentional from HSUS. It’s a shame those local shelters don’t have the funds to advertise like HSUS does; they might be able to help people learn the truth. It’s almost cruel to tell Shari (who seems to really care about animals) that her donations aren’t really helping those shelters or the animals in their care.
The local groups don’t help any by not speaking up. They seem to enjoy being exploited.
I was talking with the leader of a local Humane Society group. The locals had just finished raising $150,000.00 to help build a local animal shelter. (HSUS slipped in, hyped it up in the press and left the impression that THEY had raised the money.) I asked, “do you know that HSUS took credit for raising the money”? Her reply, “I don’t care who gets the credit, as long as the job gets done”.
In the process, HSUS duped local officials into hiring a “HSUS PUP” as animal control director of the new shelter. He misused a sheriff’s badge to raid local kennels and shut down what he called “puppy mills”.
Sad, sad, sad. There is a lot of educating to be done.
Their employees and volunteers are programmed to spread the misinformation. Many of them started as volunteers for local shelters or humane societies. When HSUS gets critical press, out they come to post the comments, “As a shelter volunteer, I can tell you that HSUS provided a great deal of support to local shelters. Not all of it was cash, but we were grateful to get all the support we could get…”
I always reply, “And where do you work/volunteer NOW?”
They never answer.
They are the Ministry of Propaganda.
Hey, guess what? You can love animals without being a vegan.
Nowayne says it best. Obviously Shari didn’t know the difference between HSUS and their local humane society. That’s the problem everywhere. By having “humane society” in its name, people assume it is affiliated with or has the same purpose and goals of their local humane society. You’re doing a great job with humanewatch.org. We need to inform and educate, and your blog is a great way to do that.
I’m sorry that you all feel like I’m misled. If my local shelters were options as charities, I would use them instead of the HSUS, but them, the ASPCA, and various other animal charities are what I have to choose from.
Shari - can’t you give straight to AHS (Coon Rapids, MNPLS)? http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/help/waystogive Donations are tax deductible!!!
They can really use it. It is awesome that you got your pets from them. Their behavior group for training is great! I have worked at their shelter and have nothing but the utmost respect for the work they do there.
The challenge is differentiating between real shelters /animal welfare organizations and those that seek to end all animal use (including as pets). This is where Humane Society of the US is an issue. They do not do what most people think they do. They do not run shelters and most of the money goes to legislation, lobbyists and pension plans.
NAIA is also a reasonable place to donate if you want a national group that works for animal welfare. Anytime you go beyond local shelters a lot of your money goes to things with which you may or may not agree.
h$U$ is about getting people’s money. They allow animals to actually SUFFER for their own gain. It is sickening.
I know your heart is in the right place. I’d love to see your resume come across my desk someday- it means you have passion. My hope is that I can help point you to places where you can focus your passion and make a real difference!
But, Shari, by donating to HSUS you will NOT be helping your local shelters at all! That’s the point! Surely there is another cause you can donate to that is worthy of your efforts.
Shari, I can’t believe that any of the local shelters would not accept your money. I’m sorry that you felt like you were being stalked on your page, that was certainly not what we wanted. It just is frustrating when people just don’t understand that less than 1% of the money they send to HSUS goes to the hands on care of the sad cats and dogs on the commercials. Most of the money is used in lobbying efforts to end animal agriculture, end rodeos, end circus and even pet owners and you, Shari, as a vet tech, should be concerned as this is your living. We have cattle and spend quite a bit every year keeping our herd healthy and that money turns over 7 times in our communities. We know how to take care of our animals, we don’t need someone in a suit and an office trying to dictate how we care for them.
Just wanted to hear everyone’s opinion on this HSUS group.
Some say they are just like PETA but with a different name.
Some say that we should donate to this group,
I say to donate to your local humane society instead.
.
I’m glad I made a point of checking out whether the Animal Humane Society was affiliated with HSUS. I would have been devastated because we love the boarding provided by AHS’s Now Boarding. The Minnesota Valley Humane Society, sadly, had to close due to funding.
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