Capital Press
An animal-rights group deeply involved in agricultural issues is again under fire for its fund-raising efforts.
HumaneWatch recently launched a TV ad campaign accusing the HSUS of deceptive practices. HumaneWatch was created by the Center for Consumer Freedom, a "libertarian consumer watchdog," according to senior research analyst Justin Wilson.
The TV ad addresses the impression that HSUS is closely tied to local pet shelters. HSUS publicity often features dogs and cats, but HumaneWatch insists that the group uses only 1 cent of every dollar donated to support them.
A recent investigation by Capital Press revealed that in 2010, HSUS gave grants worth $338,655 to animal shelters, less than one-quarter of the $1.7 million it gave to ballot measure campaigns in Missouri and Arizona. Last year alone, HSUS received contributions and grants of $131.2 million, placing it among the 200 richest charities in the country, according to Forbes magazine.
The Humane Society of the U.S. has also spent $36 million in the past 11 years on lobbying and political campaigns. It spent $6.2 million on state ballot initiatives in 18 states, including California, Oregon and Washington, targeting such practices as chicken cages and swine gestation crates.
The Center for Consumer Freedom pointed to a poll conducted by Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton, N.J. According to a 2010 survey, 71 percent of Americans believe HSUS is a pet-shelter umbrella group and 68 percent believe HSUS gives most of its money to shelters.
"This poll indicates that most Americans think HSUS is a worthy charity," David Martosko, director of research at Consumer Freedom, said. "But very few Americans understand what HSUS really is -- a super-rich lobbying group that puts more money into its executive pensions than in the hands of local humane societies."
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S., said HumaneWatch's campaign is a continuation of a "brand attack" against the HSUS.
"They don't have an interest in the truth or fact. They're simply trying to diminish the public support for the Humane Society," he told the Capital Press.
HumaneWatch's TV ads encourage people to support their local animal shelters, and Pacelle agreed with that.
"The average donor gives to five to seven different organizations. It's a false notion that we diminish those contributions," he said.
HSUS provides services and grants to other animal-care organizations, "but that's not our main purpose. We have our own programs," he said. "The reason the Humane Society is the subject of this campaign is not because we're ineffective or inefficient, but just the opposite. Other groups don't like being challenged by the Humane Society."
Pacelle and HumaneWatch cited conflicting third-party reports on HSUS' status as a philanthropic organization:
In its TV ad, HumaneWatch states: "The American Institute of Philanthropy gives the Humane Society of the United States a 'D' rating."
Pacelle pointed to Guidestar Philanthropedia, which asked the leaders of 170 animal-welfare organizations what group was most effective. They rated HSUS as No. 1.
Six members of Congress last spring questioned the tax-exempt status of the HSUS in a letter to the U.S. Office of Inspector General. In a separate request, HumaneWatch executive director Rick Berman wrote to the California attorney general, seeking an investigation into the alleged misrepresentation. There has been no substantial reply to either inquiry.
