for elected officials, a ‘constituent’ is anyone that person is supposed to represent- whether or not he received each and every person;s vote is besides the point. So, who knows how HSUS is defining the word ‘constituent’  I just hope they are NOT including me…..

It just occurred to me that a “constituent” could be an animal.  Maybe HSUS counts the cats, dogs and other pets of their “members”?  I bet they would like having those “non-human” animal members.

Congratulations, HumaneWatch! Honesty pays. Can’t argue with your statistics . . . as opposed to the numbers HSUS just can’t seem to put a finger on. You’d think, with their budget, they could hire someone who can do math.

HSUS counts not only those who have taken a positive action toward HSUS, but also those who have taken an opposite action. For example, I’ve used HSUS tell-so-and-so-what-you-think pages to tell so-and-so the opposite of what HSUS wanted me to say. (I just hope the recipient actually reads the message so they realize I am not supporting the HSUS position.) As soon as you use those HSUS forms to send messages, you get a thank-you email message from Wayne Pacelle with a link to a video of him welcoming you to the organization and thanking you for being “one of more than 10.5 million Americans who support our mission.”

So HSUS counts me as one of its supporters. I’m not.

The more people Wayne Pacelle can claim to represent, the greater his political clout. Just as HSUS uses deception to get donations, Pacelle misleads politicians by pledging hundreds of thousands or even millions of “HSUS supporter” votes to candidates who do his bidding. 

Constituents…Supporters…Backed by…this is the language of politics, not charity. Additional evidence that HSUS’s dominant purpose is lobbying.

Perhaps the fluctuation correlates with whether the tide is in or out?

I’ve been getting copies of their publication “All Animals” for several years now despite the fact that I don’t - nor have I ever - contributed to HSUS. I think they purchase mailing lists from other organizations and just automatically subscribe people who look promising form other demographic information that’s collected from marketing groups.
Actually I’m quite grateful for my free “subscription” - as AKC Legislative Liaison for several dog clubs, it gives me a “heads up” in the directions HSUS is moving into (“wildlife conservation” is the their latest adventure into soliciting contributions through public deception) - and a big opportunity to head them off at the pass wherever possible. Which is why I’m using an alias here, so I can keep receiving their magazine.
In any case, it appears that their true membership - since it includes me, of all people -is much less than the 450,000 “All Animals” subscribers they claim!

I’m pretty sure HSUS is NOT including me since I began to post on here. They removed me from their mailing list very soon after I began posting here. Of the people I have forwarded Humanewatch information to, I know of at least 20 who no longer donate to them. I am fairly active in Dog rescue and transporting and wish I could claim more for our side but the numbers keep growing. There are so many more members on here than there were when I joined and if each of them have been able to reach 10 or 20, it must be a significant number of donors they have lost. How that translates to dollars is anyone’s guess but it has to be hurting them. Keep up the good work Humanewatch. None of this would be happening w/o you.

@Dog Ownership Defender - thank you for all you do for people and dogs! I follow a similar plan. It is important that we know everything HSUS is up to - although my blood boils when I open up some of the junk (HSUS) mail in my inbox. I recently read this on a legislative analyst’s blog: ” . . . NPR’s chief executive views the need of his organization to serve younger audiences by moving further into digital media with, of all things, a quote from hockey great Wayne Gretzky: “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it’s been.”

I have already posted Gretsky’s line on my computer screen. This advice is golden.

The H$U$ and other animal rihgts groups pushed for closing of the US horse processing houses with the argument that the practice of horse harvest would end.  It has not and has only resulted in these animals having to endure longer trailer rides and to meet their deaths in less regulated and sometimes unregulated facilities.  Approximately 160,000 horses were shipped to Canada and Mexico last year for food consumption.  That is even more than was being harvested in the last few years before the US closures.  The closing of US horse processing plants coupled with the downed economy has led to a depression of the horse industry and to the neglect and abandonment of animals.  Horses are now being given away like unwanted kittens.  Horses are livestock and this is what happens when the salvage value of an animal is removed.  As for the remark that this being about money, you are certainly right about that!  The H$U$, rescues and other organizations use this issue to raise millions of dollars to put in their coffers.  The animal rihgts activists keep talking about over breeding.  The public and horse owners need to full y realize that what they actually mean is “any breeding”.  These people are out to eradicate domestic animals.I do not know of any horse breeder that is operating at the capacity that they were 10 years ago.  There is not a horse registry that has not shown at least small decrease in numbers, and with the larger popular breeds, the drop is breath taking.  The overall horse population is down.  We will not know how far it has fallen until the next horse census, but there are fewer horse sales, many boarding stables are closing or operating at below capacity, there are fewer horse shows and suppliers have seen a dramatic drop in feed and other supplies being bought.  Horse shoers now pursue new clients when they use to have an established client base and many young horse trainers are leaving the field because of the drop in young horses being produced.But this is not really about slaughter.  This is about the animal rihgts activists attack on horse owners and the horse industry.  Slaughter is the easy target and as our personal property rihgts to our livestock are stripped away they will attempt to stop racing, jumping, futurities, rodeo and other forms of equine competitions.  And the trail riders should not think that they will be exempt.Horse owners should also be concerned about the efforts of animal rihgts activists to change the classification of horses from livestock to companion animal.  Some of these people believe that horse owners should be taxed to support the rescues and that legislation should be passed to regulate breeding thus requiring licensing and permits.  I have been told by some of these activists that horses should not be bought and sold but adopted for life and that breeders should be willing to take an animal back at any time during its life time.  What a pleasant thought, 25 years after you raised a foal that you would be responsible for that animal’s retirement.