Comments on: HSUS Controversy

By: Will

Will — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:22:45 +0000

“One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals.” –Wayne Pacelle, President of HSUS

“My goal is the total abolition of all animal agriculture” –Former ALF terrorist & now HSUS coordinator, John Goodwin

http://greenville.news.sc/2010/01/06/truth-about-the-humane-society-of-the-united-states/

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:28:10 +0000

I also work at the HSUS – First I would recommend that you visit http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2009/06/charity-navigator.html. To quote from the blog, Ken Berger, president and CEO of Charity Navigator, wrote in his letter to The HSUS, “Only 7% of the charities we rate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that The Humane Society of the United States consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America.“
@Shelia As you probably know, the HSUS has a policy of recommending that all dogs seized from such operations be professionally evaluated to determine whether they are suitable candidates for adoption. Before you get upset – to address the NC case specifically, the HSUS has issued a statement on this, which states that fighting dogs confiscated in raids against organized dogfighting rings should be indivually evaluated before their future is determined. In the case of the dogs seized from professional dogfighter Ed Faron in North Carolina, the HSUS offered to pay for such an evaluation. North Carolina officials however, decided they were bound by state and county law to act as they did. Defining and advocating sensible policies for the humane treatment of animal victims of dogfighting is an important issue, and we are engaged in dialogue with a number of groups with a keen interest in that topic. We welcome the
Combating the scourge of illegal dogfighting is a top priority of The HSUS, and should be a major concern of all animal-loving Americans. Debates within the humane movement are healthy and valuable – but no one should lose sight of the fact that dogfighters themselves are at the root of suffering that staggers the soul. A single dogfighting breeder like Faron could doom 1,000 dogs or more to bloodly, violent deaths each year in this criminal underground.
No organization has done as much – or anywhere near as much – as The Humane Society of the United States to shield dogs by ridding the landscape of these professional fighting racketeers. We have staff dedicated to taking on this industry and a plan to dismantle it. Yet, with perhaps as many as 600,000 pit bulls euthanized in shelters each year, there is a larger issue here – the mistreatment of these animals too often for the wrong reasons. For more information please visit our web site at http://www.humanesociety.org/acf/fighting/dogfight/

By: Shelia

Shelia — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:03:19 +0000

My 2nd hand experience with HSUS left a bitter taste in my mouth for them and a sadness that I will never get over. I was one of the volunteers who helped to care for the 145 pit bulldogs (including puppies and nursing mothers). These wonderful, playful and loving dogs were just the ones who got photographed (sneak photos) and sent out to the public to expose what the HSUS REALLY does with seized pit bull dogs from convicted dog fighters. Before this exposure, the HSUS had been killing seized pit bull dogs consistently without any publicity and getting away with it. In my experience with them, they seemed cold and calculated in testifying against these dogs from Wilkes County, N.C. They forced volunteers to return sick puppies that we had been nursing back to health at our homes…to return them to the warehouse where they were being held…and they killed all of them…puppies, nursing mothers, precious innocent dogs. Rescue groups offered to pay expenses to evaluate and take in the dogs that could be saved. But the HSUS refused to co-operate. I was threatened by HSUS (according to the man in charge over us volunteers at the Burke County Fair Grounds) to be indicted for “running my big mouth” and taking photos of the puppies that were to be killed. Yes, I talked…and I talked a lot… begging for help from SOMEONE to save these precious, innocent dogs. They tried to make me look like a criminal under the pretense that I had threatened the security of the location of the dogs. I guarded security tidbits like my life depended on it…and it did because my husband was employed at that warehouse and I would have been risking his safety. I don’t know the full track record of the HSUS so I have no opinion about their over all performance. But from my personal and sickening experience with them (I WAS THERE!)…there is something very wrong going on with them. When we were trying to save the Ed Faron of Wildside Kennel pit bull dogs, HSUS was the enemy to the dogs. Those dogs are dead. Was THAT really in the best interest of the dogs?

By: James

James — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:58:01 +0000

Carie, you can’t tell me it didn’t hurt to have your rescued pit bull at your side on the day your organization testified in court that newborn pit bull puppies had to die in NC.

You claim that “The HSUS has one agenda: to make sure ALL animals are treated humanely” – except, of course, for the ones that they fight in court to have killed.

I’m not sure how you can live with that.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:41:46 +0000

On PETA, this is what they say on keeping pets:

“Contrary to myth, PETA does not want to confiscate animals who are well cared for and ’set them free.’ What we want is for the population of dogs and cats to be reduced through spaying and neutering and for people to adopt animals (preferably two so that they can keep each other company when their human companions aren’t home) from pounds or shelters—never from pet shops or breeders—thereby reducing suffering in the world.”

http://www.peta.org/campaigns/ar-petaonpets.asp

Much of the anti-PETA hype is based on similar decades old quotes from members of PETA not from the current organization itself. PETA, in part due to its own tactics, makes a useful bogeyman, but I’m not sitting here worried they’re coming to take my dogs away.

Me, I’m more worried about actual suffering that’s going on due to human ignorance and selfishness. A friend just emailed me a picture of hound puppy dropped at the vet’s to be PTS. Twelve weeks old. The person just didn’t want her anymore. That sort of thing will always anger me more than anything PETA does.

By: Dagmara

Dagmara — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:24:11 +0000

Amy, you’re wrong. HSUS does rescue animals. Their rescue videos are all over the internet if you take the time to search for them.

By: JL Smith

JL Smith — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:56:17 +0000

I want to thank everyone for weighing in here. Ultimately, I have to agree with commenters like Sue who back the HSUS and their mission with REAL credible information and sources. I believe its misinformation that HSUS wants to take pet ownership away – that IS a well-known PETA agenda item however. I hope people aren’t confusing the two groups here…

Thanks for your comments and sources everyone. Keep the conversation up!

JL Smith

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:47:30 +0000

Not only is the quote 16 years old, Pacelle has responded to the distortion of his words as being opposed to keeping dogs and cats. Here it is: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/07/desperate-disto.html

Of course, the anti-HSUS crowd don’t let facts get in the way of their efforts to smear any attempt to make the lives of animals any better. For those who say investigate HSUS and its “agenda,” I say investigate the groups pushing the anti-HSUS propaganda. The folks who never met an animal welfare bill they didn’t think was the first step in the jack-booted thugs coming to take our puppies or kittens away. These folks are more worried about their “right” to keep a dog chained 24/7 or to put a dog into a fighting pit or to irresponsibly breed dogs who will end up being PTS by shelter workers than they are about the welfare of any non-human animal.

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/08/contract-shille.html

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:57:56 +0000

Imagine Solace:

you posting a claim to this in no way answers anyone’s question. What Wayne said 16 years ago doesnt really matter TODAY. Not to mention, if no more dogs and cats WERE born, it would take care of the overpopulation problem real fast.

By: Imagine Solace

Imagine Solace — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:16:15 +0000

After being asked if he envisioned a future without pets, Wayne Pacelle was quoted as saying in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt, by Ted Kerasote, 1993, page 266,
“If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born’.”
I guess that is the answer folks were asking about.