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HumaneWatch calls out HSUS to 25 state attorneys general (so far)
Story Date: 7/19/2012
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Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 7/18/12
Humane Watch has sent a letter to more than two dozen state attorneys general alerting them to possible violations of state charitable fundraising laws, based on its survey of the marketing and fundraising practices of the Humane Society of the United States, the Washington, D.C. organization said on its website.
The watchdog site, which was created by Center for Consumer Freedom, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit representing the food processing and restaurant industries, has published a report, "Deceptive Fundraising Practices of the Humane Society of the United States," and it calls an "in-depth look into the ways that HSUS misleads the public and its contributors about where their donations are headed."
While HSUS's television ads regularly feature cats and dogs, for example, the report says that only 1 percent of HSUS's budget goes to support pet shelters, a fact that Humane Watch says is inadequately acknowledged by the organization — noting that 90 percent of HSUS's donors are unaware of the statistic.
Humane Watch contacted the attorneys general in states that "protect their citizens against deceptive or misleading charitable solicitation," it said. Those states include Idaho, North Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, West Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, Utah, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon and North Carolina, according to the group's spokeswoman, Allison Miller. She says more letters may be sent to other states in the near future.
HSUS statement
In a statement sent to Meatingplace, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle said, "Supporters of The HSUS understand that our mission includes but extends far beyond animal sheltering and rescue and is about protecting all animals, including farm animals, wildlife, horses, and pets. The man behind the so-called 'Center for Consumer Freedom' is Richard Berman, and he’s got more than a dozen front groups that attack many of the most respected charities and agencies in America ... . He’s an expert at deception and misdirection, but we’re quite sure the state Attorneys General won’t be bamboozled."
Pacelle also noted that HSUS has been reviewed and received top ratings from other charity watchdog groups, including Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau and Guidestar's Philanthropedia, and that Worth Magazine named it one of the 10 most fiscally responsible charities.
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
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