Humane Society Responds to Attacks on Animal Rights Record
When
you are the largest and most accomplished organization in the animal
protection movement, it’s logical that you’ll be feared by groups or
corporations that stand in the way of progress. They typically don’t
argue on the merits of the issues, but instead try to divert attention
and reframe the debate. That’s the case with their rejoinders to The
HSUS, which is the object of sustained attacks, caricatures, and
mischaracterizations by people who inhabit the domains of cockfighting,
puppy mills, horse slaughter, trophy hunting, trapping, fur fashion,
animal agribusiness, commercial whaling, and other animal exploitation
industries. Survey the leadership of any of these economic interests,
ask them which group they fear most,
and you’ll get these four letters: HSUS. If you doubt that, simply read
their blogs or trade publications, and the conclusion is inescapable.
Our work confronting cruelty is unmatched.
They’d ignore us if they thought we were naïve or silly. But the
fact is, they fear us because we are effective, we drive public
opinion, and we won’t accept their adherence to their present conduct
or economic formulas.
While The HSUS may not have always been viewed over the decades as
the most influential group in our field, there’s little doubt about our
preeminent status now. In the last five years, we’ve combined our
operations with other groups or created sister organizations
(e.g., The Fund for Animals, Doris Day Animal League, Humane Society
Legislative Fund, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association), added
or expanded internal capabilities (e.g., Animal Protection Litigation,
Campaigns, Investigations, Equine Protection, Field Services, and
Emergency Services), nearly doubled in size, aimed for the mainstream
of American thought, and brought a must-win attitude to the fight. We
think America, and the world, needs a hard-hitting, highly effective
force for animal protection, and that’s exactly what we are.
As counter-maneuvers to our offensives against animal abuse, our
opponents try to set up a straw man caricature of The HSUS and then
knock it down. Take the case of the public interest hackers at the Center for Consumer Freedom
(CCF), a front group for corporations that cause widespread animal
abuse, jeopardize public health, and harm the environment. CCF says The
HSUS gets donations by saying it runs or funds the nation’s animal
shelters, and even apparently got a local television station to take the bait
and regurgitate its viewpoint (the station subsequently took down the
piece after we detailed its reckless disregard for the truth).
If anyone reads my daily blog, looks at our website, reads our
magazines, or scans our email and direct mail letters, you’ll find no
claims that we run America’s 3,500 animal shelters, or serve as a
granting agency for them—or that any one organization serves this
function. Their accusation is a fiction. In fact, I launched this blog
two years ago in order to inform people about the depth and breadth of
our programs in public policy and enforcement, corporate reforms,
education and awareness building, and hands-on care and services for
animals (we provided direct-care services to more than 70,000 animals
last year). Yes, we do help shelters in myriad ways,
and are tremendous advocates for them, but we do much more than that,
because someone has to challenge cruelty in other arenas, and
especially at the national and international level. And you, our
supporters, know exactly what The HSUS does and what we stand for.
CCF and other opponents would love it if we just gave money to
shelters. That way, the corporations that fund CCF would have much
clearer sailing in conducting their animal exploitation activities. So
CCF’s straw man construction is not only a deceit, but also their
fondest desire. Right now, we’re their worst nightmare, and we are not
going away.
©
The HSUS/Petros
Promoting adoption is one of many priorities.
In the United States, there are 3.7 million dogs and cats euthanized
at public and private shelters every year—at least 3 million of them
thought to be healthy or treatable and suitable for adoption. That’s a
tragedy, and we as a nation must do better when it comes to caring for
our companion animals. The HSUS is conducting major national campaigns
against puppy mills and dogfighting as part of the answer. We’re
launching, with the Ad Council and Maddie’s Fund, a multi-million dollar Shelter Pet Project in July to drive shelter adoptions with the goal of ending euthanasia. We’ve also launched our “After Katrina Project”
in the Gulf Coast to drive spaying and neutering, with the hope that
the execution of a research-driven, professional marketing effort can
move the needle on this problem, succeed in achieving widespread
sterilization of dogs and cats, and then allow us to export this plan
to other parts of the country. It is our firm ambition and plan to
drive euthanasia rates of healthy and treatable animals to levels
approaching zero.
And while we are putting significant resources into the fight to eliminate the euthanasia
of millions of dogs and cats, and joining our friends at Maddie’s Fund
and others in this battle, it would be a terrible dereliction of duty
if we did not address the other problems of animals in society. There
are 10 billion animals raised for food, principally on factory farms,
in America every year—and that’s nearly 30 million a day.
There are tens of millions of animals used in laboratory experiments.
More than 100 million killed for sport. Tens of millions killed in the
fur trade, and tens of millions killed worldwide in cockfights and
dogfights.
In addition to criticisms from industry groups, there are
individuals who fall within the broad boundaries of the animal
protection movement who would like us to spend all of our resources on
their favored issue, or gripe because we do not hew to their orthodoxy.
But I’m afraid they often miss the bigger picture, and our interest in
reaching mainstream Americans. We have to be there for as many animals
as we can, and use our finite resources in a highly strategic way to
achieve the biggest impacts.
We concentrate, in terms of our offensives against human-caused cruelty, on several major areas:
factory farming, animal fighting and cruelty, puppy mills and pet
overpopulation, horse slaughter and other equine abuses, seal killing
and the fur trade, captive hunts and other hunting abuses, and the
trade in wild animals and their parts. And increasingly, we do it not
just in the United States, but also abroad.
Take a look at our accomplishments, some of which from the last four years are enumerated here.
Overlay it against the other groups in our field, or look at it
compared to the past progress for animal protection. You’ll see
unmatched achievement and unparalleled progress, and you'll see why
your HSUS is the subject of attacks.
So I say to the industry critics, it’s time for you to address these
problems, and start adjusting to the evolving ethos in American
culture. You’ll get ahead through innovation and adaption, not stubborn
adherence to custom or current business operations. And to the single
issue folks within our movement, good for you for caring about your
favored issues, since animals need all of the advocates and focused
attention they can get. But The HSUS must work to fulfill its broader
mission, and we won’t criticize others for not working on all of the
other issues that we must attend to and cover.
While we help many thousands of animals in distress, our primary
strategy is to strike at the root of the problem, rather than to
address the symptoms. Whether it’s in the field, in the courts, in
legislatures, in influencing public opinion, conducting undercover
investigations, or by some other lawful and mainstream means, there’s
no group that is a greater agent of change or brings the arsenal of
tools we do to the fight for animals.
Again, I encourage you to take a look at our record of achievement in just the last four years.
Read a response to this article from the Center for Consumer Freedom, Humane Society Desperately Attacks the CCF
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I guess Patti (the Puppy Mill Queen) Strand and her faithful are out again in full force... Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with all of HSUS' the puppy mill and breeder expose's lately? I notice in the last few years the "responsible breeding" community and the "responsible animal poisoning community" and the "responsible slaughter community", really seem to have their noses up the rear of CCF .
Patti Strand is "director & founder" of the NAIA, sort of an animal version of CCF. Her "clients" include horse slaughter lobbies, factory farms, animal poisoning labs, trappers, puppy milllers and even the Fur Commission.. She spends ALOT OF TIME AND ENERGY bitching about HSUS and PETA (on behalf of her clients in the animal tormenting business). She is also a "board member" of the American Kennel Club... That wonderful organization that spend most of its time lobbying against humane dog laws like 24/7 chaining and spay/neuter laws and the rest of it's time protecting their cash cow, puppy mills! The AKC takes in about 30 million a year from puppy mills (about the same as PETA's entire donation for the year, world wide).
Oh, this is quote is priceless:
"they really are a lobbying group bent on the eliminaation of all domestic animals . They say the want more humane conditions for animals, but the laws they lobby for take away the rights of everyone, or make it near impossible to own, raise or have animals of any kind. That includes your own personal pets ."
Yea, I guess if you wanted to chain your dog 24/7 or keep a couple of hundred of dogs in some unheated shack, you would have a problem.. But, usually not. Unfortunately, there really aren't too many laws to protect us from people like you...
It sounds like something out of Prima Wacko Patti Strand's writings or her alter ego "Erica Saunders". It's disgusting the way these people schmooze and pretend to care about the "poor puppies in the shelters"! All the while lobbying to make sure that we keep our animal hell holes nicely chugging along and causing untold animal and human suffering and damage to the environment .
Oh! HSUS and PETA r so MEAN to the poor puppies!
While they sit on their fat rears breeding dogs because their too lazy or disfunctional to make a real contribution... There's too many dogs and cats. Get a freakin get a life!
If CCF's corporate slug employers didn't spend 24/7 brutalizing animals, people and the planet, we wouldn't need animal and human rights advocates. CCF goes after Unions too!
AR orgs go after the worst of the worst. A lot of them happen to be Richard Berman's and David Martoskos's clients, ... Huntingdon Life Science dog poisoning labs, Phillip Morris Covance dog and monkey torture labs, Tyson Food & Cargill Meat hell holes... These places are hell on earth. They also injure and kill hundreds of thousands of people a year with unhealthy food , dangerous drugs and chemicals...
Ever wonder why no "safe" animal tested drug ever stays on the market for over 10 or 20 years ( usually less?) When it kills and injures enough people, they take it off (in plenty of time for a "new and improved" expensive substitute.)
You know, the following would fund ALOT OF SHELTERS... Too bad they won't even bother to pay their employees a living wage and even bother to thoroughly kill their animals before they skin and gut them alive (can't waste time in these places..)
You go HSUS.. These fake "animal lovers" aren't afraid of "radicals" or "corruption".. What they're afraid of is EXPOSURE. Here are a few of CCF's clients.
Cargill
Cargill MacMillan, Jr. - net worth 4.3 billion.
Whitney MacMillan - 4.3 billion
Marion MacMillan Pictet - 4.3 billion
Pauline MacMillan Keinath - - 4.3 billion
James R. Cargill, II - 1.6 billion
Mary Janet Morse Cargill - $1.6 billion
Marianne Cargill Liebmann - $1.6 billion
Austen S. Cargill, II - 1.3 billion
400 Richest Americans - Forbes 2009
Tyson Foods
CEO Don Tyson is worth one billion dollars and growing. He paid over $2 million in SEC fines for misleading disclosure of personal benefits.
400 Richest Americans - Forbes 2009
Wendy's/Arby's Group annual salaries
Roland C. Smith - CEO - 3.22 Millon
J. David Karam - CEO - Wendy's - 2.12 M
Stephen E. Hare - CFO - 1.29 M
Nils H. Okeson - General Counsel - 1.06 M
Sharon Barton - Chief Admin Officer - 1.23 M
Wendy's/Arby's Group, Yahoo Finance 2009
When animal advocates maintain that animals matter in their own right, that amounts to acknowledging the possibility that something could be beneficial to us, but still morally dubious. There may be advantages we're not entitled to or that it would be wrong for us to seek out and pursue. If so, there may be hard questions about what we must be prepared to give up.
This adds up to letting the worst elements of our society dictate morality.
When one group of citizens tries to force their beleifs on all the other citizens that is called tyranny. Here in America there are more NON vegitarians than there are vegitarians. Therefore the attempt by the radical vegan/vegitarians to force their way of life on the majority omnivore society is in fact tyranny.
To accuse someone of torturing animals because they eat meat is tatamont to saying that if you drive a red car you are a murderer because someone driving a red car killed an innocent child.
That my dear is called fanaticism. Check out the Bible, God gave us the right and authority to eat meat. Not only that God gave us dominion over animals. Not to torture , but to take care of. Slaughtering for meat is not torture. That is just your perseption. Why should your perseption and beleifs be forced on all the rest? America was founded on Freedom. That means we are free to beleive what we will. If you are bothered by that my best suggestion is find an island where you can be the tyranical head and force your beliefs on like minded individuals.
The H$U$ is at it again. Blaming others for not being nice to them. The "others" are just about anyone who does not toe the Vegan line. I am so very sorry but I LIKE MEAT!
H$U$ has stated that Consumer Freedom and their ilk (folks who don't beleive the way the vegans do) are just a front for the fast food folks. Not even.
The H$U$ says they spent 34 million plus on the animals for Katrina, ummm 'scuse me where was that listed on your IRS forms. Honey, I am from Missouri so I say "SHOW ME". I have looked at those forms and it is not there. They may have topped out at 7 Million but that would be stretching it.(a lot)
I love the fact that the H$U$ says go to our website and see how good we are. Excuse me, is that not tatamont to the fox guarding the hen house? Will not the fox say whatever the hens and the farmers want him to say to steal them blind.
I am by no means stating that H$U$ is a bunch of theives, not me, however I am saying that the H$U$ is misleading millions of folks by their slick ads and miss leading name. Why not call it what it is? The Society to End our USE and Enjoyment of all animals.
The H$U$ "expert" on dogfighting is JP Goodwin aka John P.Goodwin aka John Paul Goodwin who was the head of the Animal Liberation Front when he was beginning to work for the H$U$. JP has stated that "if anyone dies in a fire set by arsonists to protest "animal abuse and exploitation" then they will just be collateral damage.
Let's see, would that be like the children who are hoping for a cure for HIV /AIDs would be collateral damage if it were not for medical research to end HIV?
How can an orginization that pretends to be for animal welfare want to stop all animal agriculture? Oh, would that make the children that starve to death because the price of eggs quadrupled under the "no cage law " collateral damages?
I like children and I do everything I can to help not only them but the animals I come across. Do I eat meat , yes, and salads too. Does it bother me to raise an animal for food, absolutely not. That is why humans are at the top of the food chain. We HUMANELY kill our animals before we eat them.
Wayne P. states that we want them to give money to shelters, H**L yes we do. It would save millions of animals every year. But no, H$U$ wants to spend their millions to stop the breeding of all those unnessacery animals. I am sorry, but I do not feel animals are unnessacery; they give us love and devotion. You have not had a good day until you are going home from work and the puppy in the front seat licks you because it loves you. Makes the day much nicer.
If we allow Mandatory Spay and Neuter laws to be enacted across America, where will our next puppy come from? The shelter? Ummm if there is mandatory S/N then where will the shelter get its dogs? Don't get the wrong idea, I have no problem with S/N IF IT IS YOUR CHOICE! That is what America was based on CHOICE/FREEDOM.
H$U$ staff and fanatics truly beleive that by making it illegal to breed even one litter then all dogs will go away, they have added cats to that also, what is next? In one city they made it illegal to breed any animal. Now if the mouse that lives in my house decides to raise a family, am I a criminal? Under that law I would be.
I could go on all day but this is redundant, H$U$ when your house is clean, you can talk about mine. Until then, leave animal lovers alone, there are a lot more of us than there are of you.
Dixie Bitch said: "I am so very sorry but I LIKE MEAT!"
I am so very sorry Dixie, but liking something is not a good enough reason for doing it. Arsonists like starting fires and bank robbers like robbing banks...but that doesn't mean that these people are justified in doing these things. In the same way, "LIKING MEAT" is not a good enough reason to torture animals .
With one big crucial difference. Eating meat is not illegal. Robbing banks and arson are. Until meat is made illegal.i.e. never, Dixie Bitch is well within her rights to like meat. And you are well within yours to disapprove of her.
I think the HSUS mistakes disgust for their lies to gain power and money for their sociopathic agenda with fear. Saying their opposition fears them is more likely their own fear showing through. Fear that more and more people are learning the truth of their agenda to divide humans and animals permanently. Fear that once the truth is shown that they will lose donations from people who don't share their animal/human separation sociopathy. Fear that at some point in the near future, the FACTS that are surfacing little by little are going to turn the tide and remove them from the self-imposed pedestal they have put themselves on, under the guise of helping animals to gain power and money..which is what drives them. Why should anyone trust a man (Pacelle and his ilk) to know what is best for animals who he "feels no bond to", who he" would envision never seeing another dog or cat born", who feels any domestic animal is no more than "the product of human manipulation"? In fact that last quote shows his lack of love for his own species. If anyone understands manipulation, it's Pacelle and his cronies. If you look past his facade, he, like PETA's Ingrid Newkirk, has no love of humans. He and his group show it every day when they push for laws that trample basic rights of American citizens. How can any right-minded person believe in a a group(s) who feel we don't deserve our right to be innocent until PROVEN guilty, who want to allow warrantless seizure of property with no chance at due process? They want this because they KNOW that a hefty percentage of raids they orchestrate would be proven fraudulent if those raided were allowed due process. In fact more and more of those who have filed civil suits AFTER their animals were bullied from them by HSUS "under color of law " HAVE been acquitted of all charges. Unfortunately it was too late for the dogs/cats and other pets who were euthanized before the owners could prove their innocence. The animals who aren't killed in these raids will be the ones legislated out of existence if the HSUS has their way. Either way their goal will be reached. The animals will be gone.
It doesn't matter who brought the facts to the Atlanta station who had the guts to try to expose HSUS for what they are. The facts are still the facts. HSUS showed their fear by bullying a small tv station who dared to present the facts. Yes..it is HSUS who is in fear..fear of the truth about them being exposed. They may continue to bluster and try to stop the process, but sooner or later the truth always has a way of surfacing and takes out those who have their foundation built in sand..those grains of sand called lies and deceit.
If you are really interested in groups who gain money and power illegitimately then you should see this:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom
I already know who the CCF is. THEY are not the ones lying to the public to remove animals from our lives..that is solely the mission of the AR Industry. I may not agree with everything the CCF does or stands for, but I've never seen them post anything untrue about the HSUS, PETA or any other fanatical group who want no human/animal contact.
Whatever else CCF may or may not be, they are a good source of FACTS about the HSUS and the animal rights industry and their agenda.