Feb 25 2010
UPDATE: Changes to HSUS “Featured Corporate Supporters”
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Google's "cache" feature is really neat. It's like a time machine that can only travel backwards a week, maybe less. But sometimes a week is enough.
Yesterday I posted the list of HSUS's "corporate supporters" (as reported on HSUS's own website), and their contact information.
But thanks to a tipster tonight, I learned that Google grabbed a snapshot of HSUS's web page last Friday.
And one of these things is not like the other.
Using another neat tool, I archived the "cached" version from February 19, 2010. Click here to see it.
Here's what disappeared at some point in the last five days:
Can somebody out there tell me what happened?
The fact that Schering-Plough's pet microchip service has dropped out could mean that HSUS corporate sponsors are beginning to re-evaluate their relationships with the group. For what it's worth, I can't find any evidence that Schering-Plough's main competitor in this field has ever cozied up to Wayne Pacelle. So this may be a PR move.
Who's going to cut the cord next? Stay tuned.
Image: "Doodle 4 Google" Australia 2009 winners
Comments
Have you checked out Avid?
I know the story here. HomeAgain, as well as most other chip companies, does participate in the Animal Care Expo which HSUS sponsors. However, HSUS had them listed as a “featured sponsor,” which they were not. When one of their distributors expressed major concern about this, HomeAgain asked HSUS to remove them from that list “to avoid misunderstandings.”
Last year, with every registration, Avid was distributing flyers for PetPlan insurance, which gives HSUS a cut for every sign-up. (http://www.hsus.org/shops/petplan_pet_health_insurance.html)
One of Avid’s major distributors withdrew and went with another chip company because of Avid’s refusal to address the issue. I don’t know if Avid is still sending out those flyers but I changed all our chip registrations to HomeAgain and AKC.
The quick answer is that Schering-Plough was bought by Merck last year. The deal was finalized in November 2009. It will be interesting to see if Merck signs on as a sponsor in the future.
My rescue Vizsla has Avid which is evidently implanted by the pet store where she was purchased, but my new puppy has Home Again because that’s the one my vet uses. Even disliking HSUS does not justify removing and reinserting a microchip after the fact, no matter how much one might want to.
Glad to know about the Avid stuff, though, and grateful for further info re Home Again.
Oh lord, no, I wouldn’t remove a chip! But you can register any chip with any registry. We just started registering ours with Home Again and AKC CAR. It’s still the Avid chip. Thanks for bringing that up—I didn’t realize that was unclear and it was!
I wouldn’t remove an existing chip but I simply will NOT implant one in my pets nor carry pet insurance. These companies will have ZERO qualms with mining those databases and sharing our information with… well we all know…
i have my dogs microchipped with avid. does avid belong to merck and if so what are the dangers that my dogs may be facing. thank you for your time, sabrina connelly
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There are a lot of us with these Home Again microchips so it would not be difficult to convey our disgust to the company should they reappear on the HSUS list.