Nov 29 2011
The Pied Piper Changes His Tune
We recently wrote two pieces (here and here) calling out HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle for making a blatantly ridiculous and false assertion that his group “saves more animals than any other animal protection organization in the country.” In fact, we found several examples of local pet shelters caring for more animals than HSUS. And it looks like Pacelle took note: He’s now singing a slightly different song.
On his blog last week, Pacelle wrote that HSUS is “consistently at the top among hands-on services provided by any humane organization.”
Notice two key changes: HSUS is now “consistently at the top”—which we read as among the best—and “saves” has now become “hands-on services.” Small changes, big difference.
First, when you’re the richest animal rights group, sitting on a $200 million nest egg, the least you can do is be merely among the top.
Second, what exactly does “hands-on services” mean? Hint: It doesn’t entail much actual sheltering of animals. And it can be quite fleeting.
Pacelle wrote last week that HSUS had provided care for about 57,000 animals through September. And he helpfully broke it out categorically. These categories are:
- 27,200 “pets and other animals” received vet care “or other assistance” from Humane Society International
- 12,500 animals at HSUS’s horse and wildlife sanctuaries
- 5,900 pets and other animals helped through HSUS’s animal rescue team
- 4,900 pets and other animals assisted by Pets for Life wellness clinics
- 4,800 pets and other animals received free vet care thought HSUS’s veterinary arm
- 1,600 animals were helped through HSUS’s wildlife services
- 400 prairie dogs relocated
It's good that HSUS cared for that many animals, but there's still a little bit of spin that we should slice through.
First, Humane Society International is not HSUS. These are legally distinct organizations. It would be a stretch for Pacelle to count animals cared for in, say, Asia while HSUS raises money off of domestic issues.
Maybe it shows that Pacelle’s desperate to inflate the numbers as much as possible. The Humane Society International animals account for nearly half of the total number of animals that HSUS claims it cared for.
If we count up the other categories that have the word “pet” in them, the figure adds up to about 16,000 animals. That’s without knowing how many “other animals” make up that category. And a good chunk of this care could simply be one-off spay/neuter procedures.
In the end, there’s not a lot of hands-on pet work at HSUS—mainly because HSUS’s doesn’t run a single pet shelter. (Most Americans mistakenly think HSUS spends most of its money on shelters.) And frankly, there’s not a lot of overall direct care at HSUS given its mammoth budget of $126 million.
And it’s arguable that HSUS has contributed to a decrease in animal welfare. For example, why don’t we subtract out all of the horses whose welfare has declined in the past few years since the HSUS-backed end to domestic horse slaughter?
Suddenly, HSUS’s self-promotion isn’t looking so solid. It’s easy to talk the talk. Can’t it do more?
Comments
With such little actually being done for animals you could almost make the arguement they spend more on their advertisement for MORE money than they do on actually making a difference with pets around the US.
Good for you! So glad to see someone finally taking HSUS to task. They seem to only show up with the cameras are rolling and people should know where their donation dollars are being spent/or not. There are wonderful real rescues out there with much more traction that HSUS. Since they’ve backed Michael Vick they lost what little respect I had for them.
Keep up the great work!
Which just goes to show - contrary to Whiney Wayne’s claims that HumaneWatch is merely a distraction - that you are having a REAL impact. Keep holding his feet to the fire!
I was shocked and angry when I read your article and other’s regarding HSUS as I have contributed money to them on a regular basis believing they truly helped animals but no more…....and their stance on slaughter of domestic horses is sickening. Keep putting the word out so that people life me who “believed” will know the truth and donate monies to shelter’s etc. which truly help the animals.
Karen B, I have seen that episode of Animal Hoarders, along with many others. Yes, HSUS does ride in with vets and provides an initial assessment of the animals and some treatment. BUT, what the cameras do not show is that when HSUS leaves town they drop those animals off at shelters that they do not run - and they don’t give those shelters any money to help care for the animals either.
what is their stand on domestic horse slaughter. i thought they were against it.please let me know. i also went to a couple of rescues to see if they did get any money and theythought i was joking. i did donate for 2 years faithfully . i donate to locally now. keep up the good work let people know.
Thank you for your interest and fine investigation. More folks should check things out before they support any group.
Karen B.:
If you are talking about the rescue of cats in NC. The cats were dropped off at the local animal shelter and over a hundred were put down upon arrival, claiming bad health. The owners said they had paid for all the cats to be spayed and neutered. The real problem was probably a lack of space at the local shelter
I too had contributed to HSUS for many years. Then you made aware of the farce I was paying into. I have stopped contributing to all “mail” charities and I now proudly support 2 rescue shelters in my community.
It has been awhile since I saw that episode of Hoarders. While the HSUS was there and made sure they were prominently shown,I thought it was said somewhere during the show that a local rat rescue was taking the rats and placing them. At the end it showed some of the rats still waiting for homes, none of the people had HSUS shirts on then.
With the current wave of calling HSUS to the mat on these issues, has anyone even roughly calculated how much HSUS pays in advertizing costs to counter Humanewatch’s observations?
Hi Karen B -
I saw those shows on hoarders too. The rats were fostered with a local rat rescue group and I think at some pet stores. The HSUS does not have ANY pet shelters and it usually just shows up for the publicity, gets the credit for the “rescue” and then dumps the animals at local shelters or rescues. They (HSUS) then leaves town, providing no funding for the animals it leaves behind. In a way you could say animals they “save” need to be saved, as many end up in kill shelters and are put to sleep due to over crowding, especially when a large number is dropped off at once.
Thank you Humane Watch for getting the truth out there! It is spreading like wildfire!
Okay, found your site via facebook, and I’m interested in what you have to say if it’s legitimate. I’m certain that some of these claims are likely to be true, and I think holding large organizations of any type accountable is a good thing. However, I’m not exactly sure what your goal is. What do you hope to accomplish? The cessation of HSUS? HSUS run by someone different and with most of its proceeds going to directly help animals? It’s easy to tear something down, but it’s much more difficult to build something. Also, it does make me trust you less that you are unwilling to list your names, experience and agenda. It’s easy to set up shop on the internet to go after anyone or organization if you hide behind the mantle of anonymity. If what you are saying is true, I want to help you succeed, but I need to know you are a fair dealer and have a goal in mind.
Thank you.
FACT-CHECKING WAYNE’S (STILL) BOGUS NUMBERS
According to its own IRS 990’s(separate from HSUS’s tax forms) Humane Society International spends far more money campaigning against confinement agriculture, the seal hunt, whaling and the wildlife trade than directly caring for animals. Their work with cats and dogs is mostly indirect care - organizing conferences, training vets, and providing modest grants to overseas groups to perform the actual work that HSUS takes credit for.
I have received fundraising solicitations touting their work abroad from both HSI and HSUS. Donations to the 2-star Charity Navigator rated HSI go to HSUS in DC. This is comparable to the questionable Fund for Animals/HSUS arrangement, where both groups claim credit and raise funds for the same horse and wildlife sanctuaries. Caring for the 12,500 sanctuary animals is the work of the Fund for Animals - not HSUS - and should not be included in the 57,000 number.
Pacelle has been boasting about the Humane Society’s rescue, sheltering and disaster work more than ever in the past two years, in large part because of a letter-writing campaign asking the IRS to investigate HSUS’s excessive lobbying, and revoke its tax exempt privileges. Before 2009, Pacelle’s letter to his 45,000 members in the bimonthly “All Animals” magazine focused on legislative victories and the political battles ahead. That changed to shrill denouncements of critics and unconvincing claims about all the dogs and cats his organization saves.
The number of animals that HSUS (not the Fund for Animals and not HSI) provides meaningful direct care to is around 10,000. Or less.
I’ll try to put this to good use immediaetly.
Comments are moderated, and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. Extremely lengthy comments and those that contain obscenities may be edited before they are posted.
Add a comment:
I recently watched a program about “Hoarders” where a group of HSUS workers did come in and rescue hundreds of domestic (?) rats as well as hundreds of
cats from two persons. They were very reassuring to the former owners that the animals were to be given good care at their shelters, and that healthy animals would be rehomed. Does anyone have any real information on where these shelters are and how they are staffed?