Anyone Can Write a Letter
We don’t know Vicki Kubic from Endicott, NY. But she’s right on the money.
If every HumaneWatcher wrote just one letter like hers each month, this website wouldn't be necessary anymore.
On December 29, columnist Dave Henderson wrote in the Binghamton (NY) Press & Sun-Bulletin that HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle really stepped in some doggie-doo with his handling of the Michael Vick controversy:
Pacelle, who has been working with Vick, told the Atlanta Constitution that he was confident the new Vick would be a good pet owner — a statement that didn't sit well with the HSUS membership.
Reaction on the organization's Facebook page has ranged from outrage and threats to send pledge money elsewhere to a petition seeking Pacelle's resignation.
(Henderson’s column is also carried by The Ithaca Journal.) Pacelle fired back with his own letter to both papers on Monday:
In his recent column, hunting writer Dave Henderson once again picks up false information on the Internet and treats it like gospel, and he is certainly not qualified to assess the motivations behind the Humane Society of the United States' decision to get Michael Vick out in front of young people to speak about his criminal past in dog-fighting or the importance of taking care of our pets.
Did you notice how Pacelle uses “hunting writer” as an epithet, as though that diminishes Henderson’s credibility? (Pro tip for Wayne: Binghamton and Ithaca are not urban Manhattan boroughs. People hunt there.)
Today Vicki Kubic weighed in, representing the views of ordinary readers of both the Binghamton and Ithaca papers. We couldn’t have said this better ourselves:
I got a chuckle when I saw a letter from the Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), criticizing Dave Henderson's column regarding Pacelle's recent comments that Michael Vick would be a good dog owner today. Is it possible a $50,000 donation from the Philadelphia Eagles may have changed Pacelle's mind?
HSUS is not affiliated with any local humane societies in the U.S. However, they are experts in soliciting donations from animal lovers who assume they are helping animals in need.
Nothing can be further from the truth. HSUS spends tens of millions yearly supporting a staff of more than 700, plus lobbyists in all 50 states. Yet, HSUS shared less than 1 percent of its money with hands-on pet shelters.
Want to really help? Please donate directly to the local shelters; you can feel confident that your donation will help the animals.
A huge HumaneWatch hat-tip to you Vicki, whoever you are. And the rest of you should take note: You can send letters to the editor of your local paper any time, on any topic. The Humane Society of the United States’s wholesale use of misleading advertisements—and its lack of support for hands-on pet shelters—make for compelling reading.
