I appreciate the information and the links. 

Last November, Ohioans voted to have a Board of Ohioans that would determine Humane treatment of animals in Ohio.  HSUS is trying to put it back on the ballot and take away our right to self-rule.,

I have emailed the parent company of Yellow Tail wine and asked them to make a $100,000 donation to one of the Ohio organizations that is trying to stop HSUS.  It will be interesting to see how they answer!

sent this a moment ago- similar letters will follow to any business supporting HSUS I used to frequent!

To Whom It May Concern,

I recently learned that Pilot Travel Centers are listed as a “Featured Corporate Sponsor” for the Humane Society of the United States.

Were you aware that the HSUS owns, operates and is affiliated with a grand total of ZERO companion animal shelters across the country?  And that less than one half of one percent of all their millions in donations goes to hands on care of shelter animals? Just $.0045 cents on every dollar. Most goes to lobbying efforts to stop animal agriculture and pet ownership.

I travel frequently in my work as a handler for top quality show dogs and spends thousands a year at Pilot Travel Centers. I am sorry to say I can no longer support your company, and will take my business to other service providers for as long as PTC continues to support HSUS.  I cannot in good conscious allow my income, through your donations, to be used to support such a deceptive organization- one who would happily take my companion animals away and prevent me from every owning another again.

I urge you to reconsider where your charitable donations are made and direct them in the future to groups who provide significant hands on care for abandoned and neglected pets.

Thank you

I just sent a letter to Petfinder.com asking them to withdraw their support of HSUS and they say they weren’t aware that they were a financial sponsor….
Any input?

Allow me to play devils advocate with your position. 

If the HSUS were directly involved with animal shelters all over the country, you could simply snap a picture every time an animal looked like it wasn’t “happy” at an HSUS animal shelter.

You could then post these unhappy animal shelter pictures all over the web and associate them with the HSUS.

No matter what the HSUS does, you can play the contrarian card.

Thank you so much for compiling this info!! You’ve done all of the hard work for us!

Alessandro,
So what you are suggesting is that if HSUS could actually be linked to an animal shelter they may be treated in the same way they treat others.  Maybe they would even be caught on camera actually doing what “animal shelters” do, killing animals.  Now how would that look up against their phony fund-raising ads with the sad cross-eyed animals?

Hi Mike.

The difference is HSUS goes after people who both abuse animals AND profit from it. If the HSUS went into the shelter “business” it would not be to make money, yet the risk would still be there from people who simply want to believe bad things about the HSUS and would use their association with animal shelters to condemn the HSUS every time they found an animal suffering at a shelter.

I think the HSUS is more concerned with puppy mills and attempting to slow down the growth of puppy mills because the resulting off spring from all the abandoned animals grows by the day.

Alessandro, I can see your heart is in the right place.

By donating and volunteering locally to shelter/rescue programs, people can accomplish more to help animals directly.

if HSUS really cared about these problems, they wouldn’t sit on information until it was more profitable for them to use. they would spend their lobbying time stopping the import of ‘rescue’ animals from foreign countries- after all, why should they be brought in to publicly funded shelters and private rescues by the truck full if our shelters are already overburdened?  why not push for legislation that would also displaced homeowners to keep their well behaved pets with their loving families when forced out due to foreclosure? why do they accept hundreds of thousands in donations after airing a ‘raid’- showing HSUS folk in highly visible gear, instead of handing over the money raised from promoting their so called participation in closing these facilities to the foster homes and organizations that actually take in all those animals and pay for their care? why does a man who has publicly stated “I don’t have a hands-on fondness for animals…To this day I don’t feel bonded to any non-human animal” pose for the cameras with them all the time?

It’s time to end the lies. Every dollar sent to HSUS takes money—meaning food, medical care and possibly new homes—from a shelter dog in your own community.

David, as a general rule, our economy tries to maximize profits above all.  Now factor in that animals really don’t have a voice in how they are treated.

How can it be better for animals to have nobody speaking on their behalf?

I can make a case that the meat industry is far too powerful a lobby already, far more powerful than the HSUS could ever hope to be.

I find it shocking that I have to special order a vegetarian or vegan meal at most fast food places and I’m not either.  I’d like a real choice were I to go to a fast food place, and right now that does not exist.

So how can I take seriously that the HSUS is the real threat when most restaurants have a menu that consists of over 90% meat and seafood fare?

“Every dollar sent to HSUS takes money—meaning food, medical care and possibly new homes—from a shelter dog in your own community.”

Very well put, Dannielle!  this echoes the PETA/HSUS claptrap about how buying puppies from breeders supposedly kills shelter dogs.  Only this makes much more sense since of course most of the money donated to HSUS is done so in the mistaken belief that the donation goes to a shelter.

Maybe some smart person out there can refine this a bit into a catch phrase we can put on bumper stickers and T-shirts?  Like “Donating to HSUS kills shelter pets”?

I am not a vegan.  However, what is so bad about incorporating a vegan diet into one’s regular diet on a regular basis?  Being a meat eater doesn’t necessarily mean one has to eat meat at every meal, does it?

Re: “Every dollar sent to HSUS takes money—meaning food, medical care and possibly new homes—from a shelter dog in your own community.” That’s not true on a bunch of levels. I admit that when I worked at a shelter, and HSUS first opened an office in the state, I thought the same thing. But we didn’t lose donors to them. In fact, I had people telling us they were donating to us at the suggestion of HSUS. And personally, I donate to local and national groups, for humans and animals. I understand that the groups focus on different things and are able to accomplish different things so support the range of groups. The fact is that HSUS’s job has never been to be a funder for shelters and they don’t hide that.

Re: “this echoes the PETA/HSUS claptrap about how buying puppies from breeders supposedly kills shelter dogs. ” Can you show me where HSUS says that? On their website, I did see info about how to choose a responsible breeder. And from what I’ve seen, the main objection to puppies from mills is that selling those pups creates a marketplace that keeps the mother and dad dogs in lockup for life. The breed club for my breed (and many others) has ethical guidelines that prohibit selling puppies to a broker or store. No responsible breeder would sell to a pet store.

Re: ” Only this makes much more sense since of course most of the money donated to HSUS is done so in the mistaken belief that the donation goes to a shelter.” The only donor who can’t figure out what HSUS does and doesn’t do is one who never looks at their website or publications. It’s pretty clear what they work on. You might not like what they do, but it would be hard to say they’re hiding that they work on farm animal issues, dogfighting, wildlife issues, puppy mills, seal hunt, etc etc. It’s all right there.

Dannielle -

Your line about “every dollar donated to HSUS” is priceless.

May I share it with others?

David, there can’t be a “choice” if non-meat items are not even on the menu.  I’m not even suggesting meat and non meat items be a 50/50 split, but right now it’s probably more like a 96% meat, 4% vegan/vegetarian split.

David, if 4% of the population is vegan, and 4% of the food offered in a restaurant is vegan, you say that sounds about right.

But if what if half of the 96% who eat meat would gladly love an occasional vegan meal. Maybe they would gladly eat vegan twice a week but don’t because a vegan choice is not even on the menu.

It’s kind of similar to the way congress works. The House of Representatives is based on the population per state, but then the senate gives every state equal power irrespective of population.

Right now there is no “senate”, and this has created an imbalance of choice.

Anyways, I don’t know if this discussion has strayed off topic or not.  By the way, Morningstar makes some vegan buffalo wings that are a winner. (I don’t work for them nor know anybody who does).

David, I just want to point out that is our IVY League schools such as Yale that produced educated financial Wall Street wizards that have sold off Main Street to other countries, destroying the infrastructure of our own country in the process.

I’m not so sure I would be bragging that they are on your side.
just saying.

Alessandro—-

With all due respect, we are talking about the law of supply and demand here. There is little demand for veg, so many establishments will choose not to supply.

I have noticed many restaurants have begun offering vegetarian options, however. And if it is not a chain, you can probably ask—- if there is nothing specifically listed on the menu, they still might be able to accommodate.

But I am absolutely against any business being forced to do so.

You complain about “no choice.” There is always a choice.

A person does have the choice to go somewhere else if a particular restaurant does not have any items to their liking on the menu. I, for example, would likely choose not to eat at a sushi establishment.

Vote with your wallet. Go somewhere else.

Debz, there is also little demand for alternative sources of energy, but that does not mean it is wise to keep destroying our economy by overextending our military presence to wherever we are concerned about interrupted oil supplies.

David, The Yale students are spoiled and pathetic and I’ll tell everybody I know. They are now on my boycott list.  I’ll never work with anyone from Yale if the students actually think they are victims because one out of 6 or 7 meal offerings is vegan.

I thought it was an April Fools joke when I first read the article.

Alessandro—-

What does your argument have to do with vegan entrees at restaurants?

Straw man.

Mr Machi.. surely you jest.. Even ‘fast food” restaurants have some sort of salad.. Your boycott of Yale?? LOL. now that really is funny

Why do vegans want to eat thing named after meat..? Or are “buffalo wings’ named after the city? Why do they always say “tastes just like______”?  ( some sort of meat/fish/dairy) Don’t they have any flavors of their own?

Just remember…everytime you order a vegan menu item, there are starving rabbits somewhere that could’ve thrived on that bit of salad you called a meal.

For me…I’ll eat beef!

Please add to your list United Way, they send contributions to HSUS.

Well, we’ve gotten a little off track. I want to know who we can get off that sponsor list at HSUS-next. 

Let’s keep up the pressure in letting these sponsors know that their money is not being well spent.  Anyone?

Petsmart seems to be a particularly bad fit to sponsor HSUS- since they are very much on record in support of rescuing pets. I am appalled to think that the $1 you can put on the tape when you check out might be going to HSUS-since I have done that regularly. No more.  I’m writing them a letter for starters.

I am a retired teacher and long time cattle rancher and in reading these entries…towards the end I started to chuckle…it is so absurd.  Since I graduated in 1969…I have been suspicious of large efforts of propaganda and HSUS reeks of it…is rotten with it.  They are dishonest and are playing on peoples sentiments.  I just wonder where the money trail really leads..just as the Nature Conservancy…follow the money trail and you will be shocked!!  We are pawns and common sense needs to be embraced.  Thanks so for the stimulation.

Great Site. Was added to my bookmarks. Greetings From USA.

Very Interesting Blog! Thank You.

You certainly deserve a round of applause.

I’ve been visiting your blog for a while now and I always find a gem in what you write.  Thanks so much!