It’s been more than a week since an earthquake rocked Japan and a tsunami devastated a wide swath of the country’s east coast. As we’ve come to expect, the international disaster has drawn a response from the Humane Society of the United States’ global arm, Humane Society International (HSI). And of course, that response revolves around a fundraising pitch.

HSI claims it sent a team to Japan to coordinate relief efforts with local groups. But as of today, it’s not clear what the organization is doing—or if they’re even allowed to do much at all. One thing HSI does not  appear to be doing is hiring animal-rescue personnel. True to form, its “employment” web page lists only one job: “Online Fundraising Manager.”

In-house HSUS historian Bernie Unti writes on HSI’s website (emphasis added): “As the animal-related impacts of the crisis become clearer in Japan, we’ll be ready.” HSI’s Facebook page adds that the group is “extending our offer of assistance … our contacts are trying to learn about animal needs and are keeping HSI updated.”

On his blog last Thursday, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle said that his organization’s disaster response team was actually waiting in the Philippines, which Unti confirmed yesterday is still the case. It sounds like no one in the HSUS orbit can do much to help Japanese animals right now. And given the hazards on the ground, they may not be able to do anything at all.

Yet HSI is raising money to “help ensure we can be there for animals affected by disaster,” and pledging to earmark all funds raised in the next month for Japanese relief efforts.

How much of the funds will eventually reach Japan? And why fund a team on indefinite standby 2,000 miles away?

What will happen to any leftover funds? Will they be rolled into HSI’s general funds?

Examples from HSUS’s recent history give us good reason to ask tough questions.