INTRODUCING HSUS
HSUS is the 'Humane Society of the United States.' It is supported mainly
by small donations from millions of Americans because it has been almost
100% successful at marketing itself as 'for the animals.' However, it's
more accurately thought of as a business that provides the animal rights
movement with the service of squeezing rights to use animals than as an
animal welfare organization.
o HSUS is not connected with any animal shelters or direct animal
welfare activities. Of top 12 HSUS Animal Stories of 2005 (grey wolves,
abused tigers, pet cloning, Internet hunting, dove hunts, animal fighting,
seal hunts, laying hens, trophy hunting, HSUS-FFA joining, Katrina relief
and horse slaughter), only hurricane relief had to do with helping Fido or
Fluffy as promoted in their materials.
o HSUS is devoted to making animal use (including pet ownership) steadily
more difficult and expensive. Its main actions divide into: (a) Promoting
laws to restrict use/ownership, (b) propaganda in support of such laws, and
(c) fundraising/self-promotional actions. YOU WILL LOOK IN VAIN FOR
AN HSUS ACTION THAT MAKES ANIMAL USE OR PET OWNERSHIP
EASIER, MORE COMMON, MORE FUN, OR MORE SUCCESSFUL.
o Specific campaigns include anti-hunting, anti-meat farming and meat
eating (the organization's headquarters forbids animal products), anti-pet
breeding (it is the chief promoter of the so-called 'Pet Animal Welfare
Statute' or PAWS), anti-circus/rodeo, and anti-animal use medical and
other research.
o HSUS has a net worth of over $110 million and (since the recent merger
with the Fund For Animals) an annual budget approaching $100 million. Its
money goes to fund many sorts of anti animal use campaigns, to excellent
executive salaries, and to very high (~53% of gross) fundraising expenses.
o HSUS is in the process of expanding its litigation capabilities. In 2005
it announced a new “Animal Protection Litigation Section," dedicated to “the
process of researching, preparing, and prosecuting animal protection
lawsuits in state and federal court.”
o HSUS has legal control over dozens of other corporations. It has
effective control over state level affiliates in about half the states which it
uses to carry out no-fingerprints lobbying on state measures: aside from
PAWS these state groups are the main route for anti-breeding laws. It has
affilates of one sort or another in many foreign countries.
o A few quotes:
When he became president of HSUS (2004) Wayne Pacelle described some
of his goals for The Washington Post: “We will see the end of wild animals
in circus acts … [and we’re] phasing out animals used in research. Hunting? I
think you will see a steady decline in numbers.”
"We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all
hunting in the United States ... We will take it species by species until all
hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state." Wayne
Pacelle, October 1, 1990.
Shortly after Pacelle joined HSUS in 1994, he told Animal People (an inside-
the-movement watchdog newspaper) that his goal was to build “a National
Rifle Association of the animal rights movement.”
"One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of
domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." Wayne
Pacelle, now CEO, HSUS, 1993
"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture." J.P. Goodwin, now
Director of Grassroots Outreach with HSUS. Formerly with the Animal
Liberation Front, Mr Goodwin has a lengthy arrest record and a history of
promoting arson to accomplish animal liberation. This quote appeared on
AR-Views, an animal rights Internet discussion group in 1996.
“The entire animal rights movement in the United States [views the act of
the British parliament banning hunting with dogs] as one of the most
important actions in the history of the animal rights movement. This will
energize our efforts to stop hunting with hounds.” Wayne Pacelle, now CEO,
HSUS, London Times, December 26, 2004
o HSUS actions:
Passed an amendment to the Florida constitution banning (on grounds of
cruelty) the use of farrowing pens which prevent the sow from rolling on
and crushing piglets. They paid expenses for out-of-state volunteers to
collect the necessary signatures to put the measure on the ballot and spent
heavily on supporting media. There were at the time two hog farms in the
state. The same measure is now being attempted in Arizona and one of the
New England states, both also with little hog farming. Attacking accepted
animal practices in places where they're almost unknown establishes
precedents that will be used to support attacks in other places.
Passed a ban on production of fois gras in California which had one farm.
The same is now being attempted in Hawaii which has none.
Currently suing Ringling Bros. circus alleging cruelty to elephants, a
violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Suing New Jersey Department of Agriculture to overturn regulations
defining common intensive farming practices as "humane."
Attempted to ban hunting of bears with bait and with the use of dogs in
Maine. The referendum effort failed by a narrow margin.
HSUS is the chief force behind PAWS. Its state level 'no fingerprints'
affiliates are pushing comprehensive breeder licensing bills in several
states each year.
In most of these actions and dozens of others each year, HSUS attacks as
'cruelty' accepted practices which are unfamiliar to most people, in places
where they're least familiar and/or of little importance. Another common
approach is the one being used for PAWS: use of rare horrible examples to
suggest the existence of a widespread problem requiring restrictive
legislation.
Before deciding that 'good' breeders aren't vulnerable we should consider
how the average voter would respond to the statement "Because the
breeding of pets is so important and problems are so common, dog and cat
breeders should be licensed and inspected by the government."
The animal rights effort to end animal use in our country including the
breeding and ownership of pets will not be contained unless we:
o Unite to oppose nearly all HSUS actions,
o Take effective steps to tell our side of the story to the general public, and,
o Expose HSUS for the fraud that it is. When the money from people who
believe their $25 check actually helps animals dries up, it is over. Until
then we will continue to lose the war for our rights and our animals.
~ Walt Hutchins-