HumaneWatch

Congratulations on getting the site up and running. Glad there is now a place where those who have been scammed by the HSUS can go and get the whole story. Keep up the good work.

I heard you on Agritalk this morning and cheered. I tell everyone I know, the truth about HSUS and will welcome more information. Fighting back is long overdue, thanks for your help!

Thank You! It is well past time for such a site.

Kudos to all involved in getting this site up and running. As you said it was long overdue. I know I will do everything I can to spread the word about the site and assisting in whatever way I can. I would love to see their (HSUS) account in the red and then dry up and burn!

Mr. Martosko, you obviously are not aligned with the mission of the HSUS. So, I have to ask myself, if there are already charity watchdog groups out there like Charity Navigator and Guidestar, why don’t you just let them do their job?

Jenelle, So the ‘mission’ of HSUS is to actually use less than 1% of the money raised to help abused and abandoned animals??

David, I am so glad that you have taken the role of watchdog for HSUS. I just hope they don’t try and rescue our Pitbull!!

David -
Let me preface this by saying I’m an Advocate for Wild Equines. Hope that doesn’t rate an immediate dismissal. BUT…
I wanted to say thanks; I had hoped it wasn’t simple paranoia on my part that caused me to question the motives & methods of this organization.

I was glad to read of your efforts to expose HSUS for what they have become - a money grabbing monster that I believe is perpetrating a fraud on the donating public. Thanks to hurricane Katrina they have learned that a huge disaster is simply a marvelous fund-raising opportunity.

Ask me about New Orleans. We were there 9 months until June of 2006. HSUS = about 3 or 4 weeks

The planet is imploding because of power and money. There’s more suffering than happiness. Thank you on behalf of those who have no voice and who have no choice for being on top of this, and for keeping us informed.

You can spin you opinion just as other groups spin theirs. I haven’t donated to HSUS but I have — and will — continue to donate to the ASPCA and the American Humane Society.

Animals don’t deserve to be shot, trapped, clubbed, tortured, etc. for needless reasons anymore than humans.

I’m so glad there is someone to watch the genocide machine known as the h$u$.. They have killed far to many dogs and other animals over false allegations.  Thanks

The commercial from HSUS with all the pictures of suffering, hurt & abused animals is played over and over and over.  It’s heart wrenching. 

I love animals and have rescued dozens of dogs & cats in my lifetime.  When I considered making a donation, I wondered how much money actually goes to the animals if HSUS can afford so much airtime. 

I know that sometimes networks will donate airtime, but not for the same commercial 4 times in one hour!

Just great to find this site and all the people you influence.

I was astonished at a simple Google query for “HSUS scam” and see the tons of data that came up.

Since these people are targeting any form of animal husbandry, you have my complete and utter support - because I farm and I care for all the animals I raise.

But if they ever get “rights” you know that someone will be registering them to vote…

I have found the information available here to be a valuable source on the practices and un-charitable actions of the HSUS (among other groups..) Now if I could just get them to stop playing the HSUS commercials every time there’s a commercial break all day and night, I’d be a happy woman.

I think those of us who have volunteered in projects in which the HSUS was providing leaderhsip (and money) have an entirely different take on the HSUS than the majority of those who have posted comments on this site.  Might I suggest that readers take a serious look at the website of the HSUS and also look up news reports of major rescues in which they have participated - dog fight busts and puppy mill busts particularly.  Do note that the HSUS is not a law enforcement agency.  They just help law enforcement on these raids when asked. I think it was last year that they dispatched their rescue team 40 times during the year.  Very expensive. Also please note that they contributed greatly to efforts to make cockfighting illegal in states, which only banned it in recent years- also expensive.

Those of us who have participated in Task Forces with HSUS state reps have witnessed their attempts to force their agenda on responsible pet owners.  For instance, the Illinois HSUS rep, who doesn’t foster at all, announced that no one could possibly foster more than 4 dogs properly.  Just because he can’t walk and chew gum at the same time doesn’t mean the rest of us are as inept as he is.  I know plenty of good rescuers who foster more than 4 dogs, and do a great job!  He also said that some dogs from a breeding facility had cardiacs in their eyes.  With that kind of “expertise???????”, we can only hope HSUS keeps their hands off our pets!

HSUS trolled for donations for Michael Vick’s dogs, and then “advocated” that they be destroyed.

HSUS trolled for donations to help a dog named Fay, when another group was taking care of her.  Of course, they didn’t even consider helping with the expenses incurred by the rescue group, until they were exposed for what they were doing.  Unfortunately, Fay did not survive, but HSUS is still trolling for donations, as they did with Fay, only now they are saying “for dogs LIKE Fay”.

Next, HSUS started soliciting donations to help the animals of Haiti, after the earthquake.  Unfortunately, the people of Haiti are VERY poor, aand cannot afford pets, but that didn’t stop HSUS from promoting their misleading agenda.

Dagney,

Your comments are filled with half truths - HSUS did advocate for funds when they helped pick up Vick’s dogs - and they did advocate that the dogs be put to sleep - which at the time was “conventional wisdom” with respect to fighting dogs.  That thinking has changed - for many and with the effort that was made for those dogs primarily by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Have we forgotten that Vick was convicted under a federal law for which the HSUS was the leading lobbying force for 6 long years?  You don’t keep lobbyists on Capitol Hill free.  About Fay, the dog - the HSUS used her picture on a fundraiser - just a general fundraiser for continuing their work against dog fighting.  They had been one of the agencies that picked up dogs during the raid when Fay was picked up.  Their work in behalf of fighting dogs did not stop when Fay died.  They have an ongoing program against dogfighting - it includes offering rewards for tips leading to arrest and conviction and conducting training sessions for law enforcement on animal fighting - a topic not otherwise covered in a lot of enforcement training programs.  Again, this ongoing program costs money.  Haiti - aren’t there other animals than pets - food animals, for example?  No doubt about it, the HSUS fundraises, just like all other humane societies , from the smallest rescue on up.  More funds mean more action - from the HSUS down to the smallest rescue group.

Rose,

You just don’t get it! Yes fund raising costs money and that is where most of HSUS funds are directed, to raise money, lobby and pad their pockets. You have to read and listen to what they say to find out what their intent is. Like PETA their intent is to do away with pet ownership and animal agriculture.

Do you have a pet?
Do you eat meat?
Do you drink milk?
Do you eat eggs?
Have you ever enjoyed a day at a zoo?
Do you think stray animals should be put up for adoption?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions then you are a target of HSUS and PETA. Do you realize that those poor abused animals that HSUS uses in their commercials must be killed in order for them to accomplish their goal? HSUS is as they say “is the most effective” at raising money and doing the killing. When they were forced to use some funds in Louisiana after Katrina they funded a very “effective” euthanasia facility.

“You have to read and listen to what they say to find out what their intent is. Like PETA their intent is to do away with pet ownership and animal agriculture.”

Wilben—My dog and I think that’s quite a disturbing claim.  When the larger picture seems so urgent, I can understand why you might forget to support your claim.  I do it all the time.  What you’re saying is that we should “read and listen” to what they say.  Could you provide a link or a specific quote or an anecdote? 

I don’t doubt your sincerity but we need to see more proof than theory and emotional reasoning.

Leah,

Do you really want me to start listing everything that is already available on this and other sites on the Internet and through other media? I think everyone should do some research on their own when giving to any charity. See where their funds are focused and how efficiently they are distributed and definitely know what their real intentions are.

Since you are a dog owner I will give you a sample of what HSUS and PETA think about pets:

“We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.” Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People, May, 1993

When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.” Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 266.

“In a perfect world, all other than human animals would be free of human interference, and dogs and cats would be part of the ecological scheme.” PeTA’s Statement on Companion Animals.

“Let us allow the dog to disappear from our brick and concrete jungles—from our firesides, from the leather nooses and chains by which we enslave it.” John Bryant, Fettered Kingdoms: An Examination of A Changing Ethic Washington, DC: (PeTA), 1982, p. 15.

I for one believe you should have the right to enjoy the companionship of your dog.

May God bless you both.

To ROSE and all others that think we are being unfair to HSUS.

It is easy to get sucked into their appeals because they actually have done good things in several areas. But they have become a very large corporation that is vulnerable to preocupation with the “bottom line”.
Getting more and more money becomes more important than what they are supposed to do with the money. They own 50 other companies. They have a huge executive overhead cost. Huge fundraising costs and a separate reserve set aside to pay for defending themselves against detractors like a few of us.
I am not just a casual observer with an opinion. I can speak first hand having worked side by side with hsus in such places as Louisiana where they really bombed out. I have a file an inch thick of complaints from volunteers in New Orleans and Mississippi about their lack of concern for the animals and their air conditioned motorhomes and trailers that the almost heat-stroked volunteers were not allowed to enter.

They stayed just a few weeks, long enough to collect their 10 or 12 million dollars (they avoid saying how much) and then left the rest of the cash-strapped volunteers and rescue groups to clean up the mess. We were there until the following June (9 months) and still had to leave animals in distress. The Attorney General of Louisiana sued them to make them spend the donations and not bank them but hsus has this large well funded (by donations) legal department that can withstand any attack.

Capt Ron
Humane Law Enforcement - Florida

HSUS comes into MOST situations like the month of March - in like a lion, out like a lamb.
I got captured Wild Horses in Nevada dying in a holding facility on an almost daily basis with no public oversight allowed. HSUS did some of their blustery posturings a while ago, but either the Wild Horse issues are unglamorous or unprofitable and the blustering fell silent.
This is just one Horse Huggin’ opinion - I don’t speak for all of Horse Huggers - but I’d rather HSUS stayed silent than offer lip service worth nothing.

I applaud your efforts to provide transparency to the HSUS and I am sure that there are legitimate issues with their organization. However, I believe that transparency should be applied equally. Your site is funded by the Center for Consumer Freedom, an organization funded by the business lobby. As one can see below, they are fundamentally opposed to the animal rights agenda. Certainly your discussion of opensecrets.org, etc. and the source of HSUS funding is a bit ironic given that CFCF’s funding of our site and their agenda is not prominently mentioned on your site.

David,

I think you should do a story on the Better Buisness Bureau here in Missouri. They are running all sorts of bad publicity in the newspapers right now about dog breeders here in our state, and are even telling everyone not to buy a MO puppy!! I know they are not the HSUS, but they are adopting the same policies as HSUS, plus they got their info from the HSUS, and animal rights groups with the same agenda! I am so upset that they are not putting in any effort to uncover the true story, and condemming every dog breeder whether they are excellent or horrible! I always thought BBB was a very reliable organization, but not anymore! Apparently someone from HSUS works in their office perhaps?? Hmmmm…  They are also totally for this Puppy Mill Initiative deal that HSUS is trying to gather enough signatures to get on the Ballot this fall here in MO.

I love your website, and is was high time someone did something like this, as you have already opened up a lot of peoples eyes!  Thanks so much!!

Wilben,

Thanks for those great quotes! You really gave some proof to the so-called “theory and emotional reasoning”. There are some people that think the HSUS is the same as their local shelter, while those of us who do our research know that that is untrue.

As a 20 year old 3rd generation farmer, I find it so frustrating when people want to argue that the HSUS is a hero and some great organization. I love being able to calmly say, “well here is some information that states otherwise!” We cannot sit back any longer, and Humanewatch.org has become my favorite source for information.

For those who are speaking against this site, my first instinct is to say to leave us alone and to read the facts. To stop trying to protect the HSUS and to support the people who are putting meat on your plate and actually taking care of their animals! But on the other hand, I like when people speak out because it gives us a chance to really show what we are talking about, and that we have our facts straight. Thanks to this site, and people like Wilken, those of us doing the RIGHT THING will actually have a chance to keep doing what we do: Loving our animals and protecting OUR rights.

Thanks,
Kelly

Thank you for this website and your work!  I found it from your USA ad that was posted on a yahoo group I’m on.  I’d love to see you set up a fund on your website that people can contribute to for more ads!

Whenever the HSUS commercials come on, I make a note of the station, network, program, date and time.  I then turn the channel, and send a letter to the president of the station and network, letting them know that I will turn off any program I am watching when HSUS commercials are aired.  Now, I will also be able to send them the link to this website in the letter.  If enough people do so, the HSUS will find they can’t/have trouble with commercial time purchases.

There are many things wrong with the HSUS - my top pet peeves that I know of - before finding this website:

When HSUS is awarded animals from a seizure (usually hoarders, or abuse situations of large numbers of animals), they do not have the facilities to keep the animals themselves, and most - if not all - are put down.  Rescue groups always have a battle when they go to court to try to get awarded some/all of the dogs.

Why is there such a HUGE money surplus each year?  Shouldn’t most of the money be put into what they are “supposed” to be doing for animals?  There should not be such an amount available for investing.

They target hobby breeders and people who own multiple dogs.  They petitioned a northern MI county in 2009 for kennel licenses.  Once they have those records, they start hounding those people.  Shouldn’t they take their money and go after the puppy mills that produce “designer dogs” that ignorant buyers spend twice as much for a mixed breed dog as a purebred dog, or hundreds/thousands of dollars more than a rescue dog.  NOTE: ethical hobby breeders have a take back policy in their puppy contract that at any time in the dog’s life, if the owner must give it up, they will take it back.

From what I’ve read on this site so far, I have some new ones: Salaries are too high, too many people are employed by them for what they “don’t do”, the info about retirement dollars - it sounds like they will get more money when they retire than when working!

Keep up the great work!

Anne

I give to my local shelters, but would also like to support a national organization that does advocacy work promoting the humane treatment of animals.

No, I don’t think everyone should go vegan, or that we should outlaw pet ownership, but someone has to fight against abuses, etc.

Is there an organization that has a better track record of spending its donations directly on this work?

I volunteer 20 hours a week to the humane society, a no kill shelter.  I see their struggles.  I sure would like to know where the donated money goes.

I became aware of your website via a USA Today ad on April 1, 2010.  I am just now creeping over to your site (4/20/10).  I have been donating to the HSUS as well as other large national animal welfare/charities for years——and if your information is accurate, yes, I guess I am surprised.  But, then again, I guess I should have known more about the spending habits (or lack thereof) of the non-profit organizations I donate to.  I will stay in touch with your website.

I wish to state here that I have been actively involved in the humane society here in Idaho for years, as have my parents, and EVERY CENT goes to the animals. A message to anyone viewing this website; do your OWN research. Do not allow the views espoused here taint your ability to think for yourself.

Lizzyb,
I believe that you are confusing your local Humane Society with the HSUS. The HSUS spends more on their pension funds, fund raising and lobbying than they do on actual animal care (1/2 of one percent). I am able to do the research and can read a tax return.  Your local shelter may spend most of it’s money on animal care but the HSUS does not.

LizzyB, you make a very good point that folks need to do their homework and think for themselves.  I take it you work for a local Humane Society?  If so, the HSUS is making it very difficult for you to get those cents that go to the animals.

HSUS’s name confuses folks by making it seem like an umbrella group for local shelters.  And they raise funds with ads that make it appear that they are.  It’s confusing enough to even catch well-informed intelligent folks like you.

So, if HSUS called me and I gave them $200, I would expect that $199 of those dollars would go to the local shelters, starting with those most in need.  If the local shelter then called, I’d tell them “I gave at the office.”  But I didn’t.

Of the $200 I gave, only $1 would go to animal shelters.  The rest going to politics, lawyers, enriching the folks at the top of the organization, etc.  It’s all spelled out in black and white in their tax returns.

So, it’s in their name?!?

If the HSUS isn’t involved or responsible at all for the animals that go to these shelters then they’re name shouldn’t be used.  Not only that ... why has it been used? 

I’ve adopted 3 cats in the past 4 years from a shelter that uses the name Humane Society.
I’ve gotten “vouchers” in another state where you call a “local” Humane Society, and then write a check to the Humane Society…

Each time I was standing in a shelter!  But I have emails and messages from the past few months where they have told me that they are in no way affiliated with ANY shelters. 

That’s so obviously misleading it’s no wonder no one noticed.  Who’s who?  Who’s doing the misrepresenting? 

I’d ask “why” but we all know why.

This blog is one researcher’s attempt to make sense of what’s going on inside that sprawling organization.

Sounds like an honest grass-roots effort.  Good for you.

Alright, it’s cool that you realize that HSUS might just be a corprate giant, because really, any major corp is…and I was KIND of on board with the whole thing (and I am a vegan activist, which inculdes a lot of hatred towars major coprations…) but…I’m still so confused about a lot of the following….(none of this is meant to be offensive)

1. So are you pro-animal? at all? I see that you support dog breeders (which is cruel)
2. Is this site made to see that the animals get more help? or just to attack a corp. of the USA?
3. Why…are you attacking communism? It seems so closed minded.

So, should I be on board with your movement? or just move on?

Mendi, a LOT of rescue groups have “Humane Society” as part of their name. That does NOT mean they have any affiliation whatsoever with the Humane Society of the United States.
And for the record, just because an organization is a humane society does NOT mean they don’t kill animals. Many do. Many don’t. You have to ask them directly and you need to check them out yourself.

I was stunned to hear of the HSUS information…my husband called me on a flight layover to let me know of the USA advertisement. First, thank you to David for creating awareness, and this site.

Second, in perusing the posts I’m already noticing a few feathers being ruffled. I’m sure we’re all here because ultimately, we love animals and want to see them cared for, and want to make sure our donations are helping to do that. Is it possible to try to simply post things that are helpful and informative, so we can all learn how to best help animals in need? That would be a really, really good thing.

Thanks for all of the great info shown here. I’ve already gotten some great suggestions to check out further. We work hard for our money, and would like it to go as far as possible.

This is all very confusing and disconcerting.  We have been contributors to the Human Society (local and National) for many years.  Please help me find reliable information about HSUS policies re: money and resources.  These posts don’t get me very far and I’m not going to plow through a PDF file on the HSUS website.  Is there a reliable, economical summary?

I guess I don’t understand what is going on here—what organization or person has initiated this Humane Watch?  WHO IS DOING THIS and in response to what emergency?  I’d like to make sense of the give and take, but it would take orientation and background.

People need to be clear that the National HSUS does NOT fund the local Humane Shelters many here frequent.

I won’t get specific, but I volunteer at a local shelter for a number of years, and we get $0 from the national HSUS.

I have no problem with someone exposing anyone taking advantage of people. But I just hope some local shelters don’t get taken down as collateral damage here.

I am not sure why so many are surprised that a huge Charity Org. is all about the money and not the good work! Most huge Charity Organizations are in fact just that!

It is sad because you try to raise money for local causes and nobody wants to donate because their trust has been tainted!

The biggest point is that donate at the local level, and ask a lot of questions. Do your research, and ask to see the paperwork that legally backs up what they are saying.

Don’t not donate on the local level because of what you read on this page. Just do your homework!

I just watched a very informative and well done doumentary by the national HSUS. on the animal planet channel. The National HSUS was exposing the misuse of animals by many breeders who are just in it for the money Ie. puppy mills, and the dogs that were sick and in poor health that many Peland stores were selling. The National HSUS also was trying to bring a lawsuit against Petland for the above abuses. I just don’t understand why the lawsuit was dropped. It is a sad day for all the dogs that have to live in those conditions.