Don’t be misled
Kiley Stinson, Allen
Monday, August 9, 2010
As a proud daughter and granddaughter of a Lyon county farmer and cattle producer, it’s not too shocking that I have grown to become an agriculturalist and animal agriculture advocate. I have always taken pride in the stewardship of our farm land and resources, as well as a safe and clean living environment for our livestock.
Unfortunately, it seems now more than ever before, our common agricultural practices are under attack by animal rights activists. Without farmers we would not have food, fuel or fiber. Many men and women have heard of the groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States, but there is something taking place that you might not have heard about.
The Humane Society of the United States is cheating abused, neglected and abandoned animals out of the help they need with misleading ads that don’t disclose the way donations are actually spent. You’re probably familiar with the slick TV infomercials from HSUS. The national organization uses gut-wrenching ads filled with pitiful animals in an emotional appeal to raise money.
The problem is, less than half of 1 percent of that money filters down to animal shelters, and several states receive no money at all. Despite the “United States” in HSUS’s name, it donated more to a veterinary hospital in India in one year than it gave to 31 states in three years. The ads are everywhere, begging for money. Their message states that by giving $19 a month, and you can personally help these poor animals.
In a 2010 survey, 83 percent of Americans think that HSUS supports local animal shelters. 71 percent of Americans, according to the same recent national poll from Opinion Research Corporation, believe HSUS is an umbrella group for pet shelters. To set the record straight, HSUS isn’t affiliated with local pet shelters, it doesn’t run any and it barely funds them.
If you pledge $19 a month to HSUS, less than one-half of 1 percent (.5 percent) of HSUS’ $100 million budget goes directly to animal care. Think of it this way, barely $1.15 of your $228 annual contribution will trickle down to pet shelters. And odds are that the humane society in your community will get left out completely.
So where does the money go? $2.5 million went to HSUS employee pension plans. That’s five times as much as the money used by the organization to promote animal welfare. What’s going on here? What else would an “animal protection” group do with $86 million in yearly donations and another $192 million-plus in the bank? HSUS takes on expensive ballot initiative campaigns, advertising and lobbying to not only restrict livestock production practices, but to ultimately end animal agriculture.
If you want to help by adopting or donating to the animals in shelters, do so locally. Especially in these economic times, the animal shelters near you need every nickel they can get-including the local “humane societies” that share part of their names, but not any affiliation, with HSUS. Don’t make the mistake of confusing this national organization with your local shelters that do so much to help animals in need.
sarah2005 (anonymous) says...
As someone who works at the HSUS, I wanted to correct a few things.
While we do a lot of work with local shelters, we are not affiliated with local animal shelters. A quick visit to our website (where you can also access all of our financial reports) will you show you the broad spectrum of work that we do.
Local shelters serve a very important role, as does the HSUS. Our work is to help all animals, not just dogs and cats, and also focuses on the root causes of problems.
I recommend reading our CEO's blog, to see our daily work for helping all animals: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2010/03...
In addition, I also encourage readers to find out about the group behind these smear campaigns. The Center for Consumer Freedom (speaking of donations, more than 90% of donations to CCF go to the founder's PR firm..)http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/05/investigative_report_berman_1.html
August 9, 2010 at 3:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suzyelectracuted (anonymous) says...
Kiley Stinson, Allen
Your article spews the lies and repeats the misdirections that Humanewatch and the Center for Consumer Freedom use in their corporate sponsored attack of the HSUS. HumaneWatch is a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom. Both are the creation of corporate lobbyist Richard Berman.
CCF campaigns against public interest groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Humane Society of the United States.
CCF receives its' funding from corporations
CCF has downplayed the dangers of obesity, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and the effects of mercury contamination on pregnant women.
CCF's "Director of Research", David Martosko, has no scientific training: he was an AM radio talk show producer with a background in music before joining Berman's payroll.
CCF has been widely criticized for inaccurate and misleading attacks on public interest groups.
Numerous media outlets have been obligated to issue retractions and apologies for repeating misinformation given to them by CCF.
CCF has had to issue retractions for blatantly false accusations against HSUS. I would suggest that the author check her sources. She might be fooled, I'm not.
August 9, 2010 at 5:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cynthia (anonymous) says...
I am someone who has learned about H$U$ over a long time, I show dogs and know they want NO ANIMALS, NO ANIMAL AGRICULTURE and NO HUNTING....THEY LIE, CHEAT THE PEOPLE WHO SEND THEM MONEY and need to be INVESTIGATED. I do unerstand they ARE being investigated, SUED under RICO action and need to be REMOVED as a c3 NPO!!
THEY ARE TERRORISTS and one of my congressmen has said as much to me in a town hall meeting!
August 9, 2010 at 11:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justsaynotoAR (anonymous) says...
sarah,
I could really care less what Wayne has to say. He should be honest like he once was when he said "One generation and out."
Or be honest about his right hand man, John Goodwin who was involved with the FBI labeled terrorist group?
But I did go look at the 2008 Returns. So to you and suzy who say this article is a lie.
Revenue $86,727,035
Salaries $37,792,786
Fundraising $24,215,236
Mailing $10,155,616
Grants $4,667,843
Outside US Grants $535,766
Lobbying $642,299
If you dig a little deeper you learn the money donated to actual shelters is only $418,163.
The majority of that grant money went to Californian's for Humane Farms. $2,250,000
$10,000 went to PETA.
So Sarah and Suzy who is lying and who is fooled? Those numbers came straight from 2008 IRS Returns.
Why don't both of you tell Wayne to quit mailing out calendars and other throw away items begging for donations and instead start spending that money they're wasting on the animals?
Why don't you tell Wayne to be honest in his commercials and instead of saying if you want to save a little puppy send us money, say if you want us to continue lobbying and giving money to others who lobby for more pet laws and farm laws send us money?
August 10, 2010 at 12:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Marguerite (anonymous) says...
You can always count on the HSUS borg drones (paid employees) to come sailing in and defend the people who sign their paychecks. They seem to be the only ones who object to the truth that is being offered here. As usual, they are also slinging mud at an agency that has been more successful in exposing the HSUS for the wolf in sheep's clothing that it is than any other group or individual has been able to accomplish. They would have you believe that all the hard facts in the article above are lies perpetrated by the Center for Consumer Freedom, when in fact, farmers and others involved with the stewardship of animals have known for decades that the HSUS is not the puppy and kitten shelter they want people to think they are. Sarah, people do not spend time digging around on the HSUS site to figure out if their commercials are misleading. They assume that when the commercial shows puppies and kittens and asks for money to protect them, it is going to stop shelter killing (something else that the HSUS supports, by the way. They provide backing to shelter directors that use killing to empty shelter cages, but no backing goes to shelter directors that refuse to follow that regressive path of sheltering). So you can post all you want that the HSUS doesn't claim to fund shelters, but your commercials are clearly intended to get people to think just that. If you don't want people to point out the implied fraud in those fund appeals, then put up commercials that are honest.
If you can't dispute the message, kill the messenger and hope no one notices.
August 10, 2010 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
houndlover (anonymous) says...
Sarah & Kiley have clearly drunk the lemonaide.
H$U$ does not donate but a pitiance to local shelters BECAUSE what they REALLY are is a HUGE lobbying machine with an agenda to ultimatly, step by little step, remove our constitutional rights of choice in animal ownership, dietary choices, and choice of hobbies and entertainment. That other bulk of their $$$$ that does not go to salaries and pensions goes to political contributions and extensive and crafty lobbying campaigns to limit and financially and practically squeeze out farming, hunting & fishing, research, and animal ownership.
Should their unrealistic demands for pet ownership be placed on human habitation a huge percentage of parents would lose custody of children due to "abuse" ( substitute child for animal).
Failure to comply w/ regs like 7 complete air changes per HOUR, temps. never over 85 ......or you are an ANIMAL ABUSER, get real! These kind of regs. are unrealistic for a huge percentage of our population !!!!!! AKA - make it illegal for all those to own pets! Also promoting laws making it illegal to tie a dog out (often coupled with local laws prohibiting or limiting fencing) These are the kind of incrimental steps that HSUS promotes and politicians with NO ANIMAL HUSBANDRY EXPERIENCE, BUT who have accepted political donations form GUESS WHO are promoting!
The wording of legislation being proposed in state after state is all identical and consistently linked to H$U$ backed legislators.
It is irrelevant WHO supports Humane Watch !!!!! HUMANE WATCH fills a necessary void to give a wake up call to an apathetic population who fails to check out the hidden agenda of the Animal Rights Movement. They are working to protect Our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF CHOICE which the Animal Rights Movement ( with major player H$U$) are working to incrimentally take away.
Take of your rose colored glasses folks!
August 10, 2010 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reality (anonymous) says...
There is a simple answer to this, stop sending these people your money. I have and would encourage others to donate directly to shelters and causes who do not have all of the "overhead".
August 10, 2010 at 11:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Control the lobby industry population.
HAVE THEM SPAYED AND NUETERED
August 10, 2010 at 11:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HillaryatHSUS (anonymous) says...
The HSUS and local shelters have different missions. The HSUS works on national animal cruelty issues; local shelters provide refuge and adoption for homeless pets. People who support the HSUS recognize that animal protection goes well beyond the care of dogs and cats. That's why our commercials reference issues such as dogfighting, puppy mills, factory farming, Canada's seal hunt, and fur farms. Instead of relying on inflamed rhetoric about animal rights, look at the substance of our campaigns. Take our factory farming campaign, which works to ensure that farm animals have enough room to stand up, turn around, and extend their limbs. Or our animal fighting campaign, which has led the fight to have dogfighting upgraded to a felony in all 50 states. Or our work on lab animal welfare, which focuses on addressing severe pain and distress, as well as the use of primates in research. By all means support local shelters; they need the investment of their communities. For those who are also passionate about animal advocacy on a broader level, groups like the HSUS are doing important work.
August 10, 2010 at 2:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BADKarma (anonymous) says...
"Kylie", "Sarah", and "Hillary" are H$U$ sockpuppets. These are not even real people. They are avatars run by some paid employee of the H$U$, whose entire job description is searching the internet and Trolling blogs where anyone posts anything critical or even questioning of the H$U$, PETA, or the Veganist Jihad.
Here are some REAL facts: Wayne Pacelle has stated on numerous occasions that the H$U$'s end-game is total criminalization of human contact with animals, and total extinction of all domestic animal species. Charity Navigator recently downgraded the H$U$ from a 2.5 (out of 5)-star rating to a 1-star rating. Another national charity watchdog organization just downgraded them from a "C-" to a "D". Both did so because the amount of money and time the H$U$ spend lobbying and soliciting donations disqualifies them as a legitimate "charity". The H$U$ has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the defense funds of various eco-terrorists, and has hired at least one of them (Michael Markarian) as their COO, yet donates less than 1/2 of one percent yearly to actual hands-on shelters. They do, however, spend loads of money on highly-publicized illegal raids on pet breeders. They also spend loads of money on splashy press conferences where they reveal selectively edited videotapes of "farm animal abuse", usually perpetrated by a paid member of their organization, and usually withheld from local authorities for weeks or months, even when repeatedly requested.
The H$U$ is the propaganda arm of the AR terrorists, and all their sock-puppets cannot change this fact.
August 10, 2010 at 3:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justsaynotoAR (anonymous) says...
No Hillary, HSUS works on lobbying for more laws all in order to put farmers, ranchers and breeders out of business. With their ultimate goal to end the domestication of all animals.
You people make me sick and tick me off. You spout your bs than when you're shown in black and white where the money is going you ignore it.
Guess what? Over 90% of Americans eat meat, over 60% of American households own pets. Thanks to groups like HumaneWatch more and more Americans are learning what farmers, ranchers, breeders and hunters have known for years that the HSUS means to try to force this country into veganism and the owning of any animal illegal. Your days are numbered, just not as quickly as we would like.
August 10, 2010 at 3:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ksgraintrain (anonymous) says...
@BADKarma: Sarah and Hilary are the HSUS employees. Kiley Stinson is the author of the original column, and is not to be confused as a "sock puppet" HSUS employee.
August 10, 2010 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaGarrison (Melissa Garrison) says...
@BadKarma - In your words, "here are some REAL facts:" Kiley, spelled K-I-L-E-Y, is very much a real person, as she is the author who submitted this column. And I don't appreciate you calling my friend a sock-puppet. So maybe YOU should get YOUR facts straight.
August 10, 2010 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beasley (anonymous) says...
justsaynotoAR....WELL PUT you hit the nail on the head. Yes Kiley is a real person and obviously has upset some "folks" at HSUS. The reason they are upset is because KILEY spoke the truth and face it HSUS the truth hurts. How does it feel. I for one am sick of organizations like HSUS and PETA i am sure there are more out there but those are the ones who come to mind. These organizations are evil and I am sick of them trying to put the people who have chosen a profession of "farming & ranching" which is a profession that has nourished our country for hundreds of years. I was raised on a farm my whole life and now i am raising my children on a farm and this I am PROUD to say. No one profession is more important than another. As the old saying goes it takes a Village to raise a child.... so it takes a COUNTRY working together to FEED THE WORLD...It is really hard to do your job and try to feed the nation when these Organizations like HSUS and PETA are constantly lobbying to put us all out of business. FIND A NEW CAUSE we are sick of your CRAP. As a society we need to research any organization we "give" money to and with the technology we have today everything we need to know is at our fingertips and a click of the mouse... SO don't give with out knowing the real TRUTH. Oh one last comment... You HSUS and PETA supporters...I truly hope you don't wear MAKEUP.... because if you do that makes you a hypocrite and a liar !!!!!!!!!!!!
August 10, 2010 at 8:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
amyk (anonymous) says...
The comments here about the HSUS and toward HSUS employees are so hateful. Guess what. I'm a member of the HSUS. AND I support my local shelter. AND I eat meat. Surprised? The fact is that modern industrial farming techniques that put animals in intensive confinement are inhumane, and I don't want to eat meat that comes from that.
This argument that donors to the HSUS don't konw where their money goes is also false. Sure, maybe most Americans think the HSUS runs local shelters. But most Americans have never looked at the HSUS website or set foot in their local shelter. If you just go to the HSUS website, they are very open about who they are and what they do. They were not founded and never claimed to fund all 3600 local shelters in the country. If they tried, they would go broke in a week. They were founded to address the root causes of animal cruelty on a national scale. Their issues are the worst abuses such as puppy mills, animal fighting, and yes, intensive confinement of millions of farm animals. They work for all animals, not just cats and dogs. If you look at their web page, get their newsletters, look at their CEO's blog, all this is readily apparent. And newsflash for some of you -- most Americans support these things!!
The idea that the HSUS does nothing to support local shelters is also ludicrous. The HSUS holds the premier conference for shelter personnel, the Animal Care Expo. It publishes Animal Sheltering magazine and runs animalsheltering.org, major sources of information for shelter personnel. It conducts tens of thousands of spay/neuter surgeries every year through programs like Spay Day and the Gulf Coast Spay/Neuter Fund, and the list goes on. It also funds the Shelter Pet ad campaign which urges people to adopt from local shelters. And the list goes on. Many shelter leaders have spoken in favor of the HSUS (http://www.humanesociety.org/about/fr...)
As for pensions ... what decent employer doesn't offer basic benefits such as a retirement account? Salaries at the HSUS are much lower than most other nonprofits, including the salary of their CEO. You can find some very interesting information about that here - http://www.humanewatch.info/blog/
Those of you who are so hellbent against the HSUS, I have to wonder why. Is it because you profit off the cruel confinement of the animals that the HSUS works to protect?
August 10, 2010 at 8:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbluma (anonymous) says...
amyk
Have you ever been to a farm?
Have you ever been out of town?
If so, I'd like to hear of your experiences.
You're also going to get damn hungry if you don't eat any meat that hasn't been confined. As will the rest of us if we listen to your or HSUS's bull$##T
August 10, 2010 at 8:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
tbluma, I don't think any of them have ever seen a cow calving in a winter storm as a coyote is trying to eat the calf as it comes out. They probably have never seen a cowboy carrying a newborn calf into the kitchen to warm it up and keep it from dieing on a cold winter night either. These people know nothing of agribusiness. Cattlemen love their stock and care for them every day all year long and even on cold winter nights.
August 10, 2010 at 9:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
beasley (anonymous) says...
amyk... hmmm we are not hateful we would just like for you to get out and experience what you are so against... how many nights have you ever been involved in anything as rewarding as keeping a baby calf alive in the dead of winter Your Organization would have the WHOLE world believe that all animals grown in confinement are packed so tight that they can't turn around THUS this leads me to believe you know NOTHING .... first of all in this heat they would all be DEAD if they were packed in that tight...that would be real profitable now wouldn't it ...... if you only knew that animals in confinement must have room to do all the things you say they DON'T ..... just plain stupid on your part GET OUT OF YOUR SHELL look around you will find that its not as bad as they depict it to be...
August 10, 2010 at 9:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justsaynotoAR (anonymous) says...
amyk,
You contradict yourself, you say that most donors not knowing where their contributions are going is false. Then you say maybe most donors think HSUS runs shelters but it's because they don't go to the website.
As to Wayne's blog, his current blog is about animal cruelty. It in itself is misleading.
What is not told is the number of cases where HSUS came riding in to rescue the poor abused animals. Riding in illegally, making law enforcement and citizens believe they are a government agency. Then they dump the animals off or kill them and many times the animals are left without food and water AFTER HSUS has came riding in on their white horse. Or the judge rules it was illegal and then HSUS throws it back on law enforcement or the local agency saying we just assisted, when they were the ones running the show, using their fake badges acting like a swat team.
That little puppy Ashley was holding, is it one that they killed or dumped off on some overrun local shelter?
Do you believe everything Wayne says? Then you must believe him when he said, "One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding."
So you honestly have no problem with sending your money to a charity that spends 83% of their donations on salaries and fundraising?
If you do really eat meat then you are a hypocrite. You openly support a group that wants to put those farmers and ranchers out of business, those farmers and ranchers who put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into getting you that meat.
August 10, 2010 at 11:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suzyelectracuted (anonymous) says...
You puppy mill supporters, breeders and industrial agriculture supporters are spewing the lies spouted by Humanewatch/CCF, a corporate funded attack company. In 2008, the most recent year tax filings were available, CCF paid 92% of its revenue to Berman and Company, Berman's wholly-owned, for-profit PR firm.
CCF is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charity, yet engages in no charitable activity, has no employees, is run out of Berman and Company's offices, and has earned millions of dollars in profit for Richard Berman. Humanewatch/CCF is a source that no credible journalist or scientist will use or cite. Who's drinking kool-aid? I am proud to be a supporter of HSUS. Here are the facts about HSUS spending.
http://www.humanewatch.info/images/HS...
August 11, 2010 at 6:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ToxicPink (anonymous) says...
God damn you all are nuts. XD
Donate to your local animal shelters, this town sucks and needs helps.
You want to funnel money in somewhere? Get our shelter funded so people can actually get there.
Go out and spay or neuter a stray. Or a low income families pet.
Start adopting instead of going out of town to buy from a breeder. (*coughmom*)
Organize an adoption fair for our shelter to get pets into homes.
And for the record, my favorite flavor of kool-aid is fruit punch. Mmm =3
August 11, 2010 at 7:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ToxicPink (anonymous) says...
I also love steak. =D
August 11, 2010 at 7:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DLB (anonymous) says...
Kiley is right on track. Whether or not you believe in the HSUS mission, it's important for the public to know where their money goes. Here are some "fun" facts for you all:
In a February 2010 poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 71 percent of Americans agreed that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) “is an umbrella group that represents thousands of local humane societies all across America.” And 59 percent believed that HSUS “contributes most of its money to local organizations that care for dogs and cats.” (AmyK- I thought you might find this one interesting.)
HSUS shares less than one-half of one percent of its budget with hands-on pet shelters. (Source: IRS)
In 2008 HSUS made donations to pet shelter organizations in only 15 states—down from 34 states in 2007—even though its overall budget increased by more than $8 million.
HSUS spent 10 times more passing “Proposition 2” in California—a ballot initiative to create new livestock farming regulations—than on pet shelters there.
Despite the “United States” in HSUS’s name, it donated more to a veterinary hospital in India in just one year ($22,150) than it gave in three years to shelters in 31 different states- including Kansas.
Total Grants to U.S. Pet Shelters: $6,892,295 (out of $277,009,635 in total spending)
Last but not least, here is where HSUS money went in Kansas:
2006 HSUS Grants:
$500 – Kansas Animal Control Assoc. (Chanute),
$2,500 – National Animal Control (Olathe)
2007 HSUS Grants: $1,000 – Cat Association of Topeka, Inc. (Topeka),
$1,000 – Kansas Animal Control Association (Topeka),
$377 – Kootenai Humane Society (Holton),
$1,650 – Mid America Bully Breed Rescue, Inc. (Mayetta)
2008 HSUS Grants: None
Total HSUS Grants: 6
Total: $7,027
Personally, I'm outraged.
August 11, 2010 at 8:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sping (anonymous) says...
I wish all the HSUS hippies would just move to California.
Most of the idiots (not the uninformed who don't know the difference) have never see a farm, and don't have a clue about animal husbandry. They just want to live in some sort of utopia and force everyone else to go along.
August 11, 2010 at 12:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )