My Nonprofit Reviews

According to the dictionary the word humane means “having or showing compassion or benevolence. ‘regulations ensuring the humane treatment of animals.’” There isn’t anything in that definition that has to do with sheltering. Any one that is confused about HSUS mission and goals need only visit its website for factual information. By design most shelters focus on companion animals; dogs, cats, rabbits and the like, animals that HSUS works to keep out of shelters to begin with through free neutering and sterilization programs for low income pet owners, TNR (trap neuter and release) programs for feral cats, and working to shut down puppy mills, from which a surprisingly large number of shelter pets come from. Puppy mill operators basically dump dogs that don’t meet breed standards at shelters, or dump those that are worn out by continually giving birth to litter after litter. (Many cat breeders are guilty of the same thing). HSUS has done an exemplary job in exposing and ending animal cruelty, particularly with factory farmed animals and horses, which are not the kind of animals one finds in a shelter, or could reasonably shelter, and they work to end animal cruelty in areas such as horse soaring, killing baby seals for fur coats, laboratory animal experimentation, dog fighting, and the like. HSUS is a national organization that compliments, not competes against local shelters. I don’t think anyone at HSUS is claiming a substantial portion of their revenue is going into sheltering and I have yet to find any printed or electronic material from HSUS that makes such a claim. Kelly is however correct in that if you want to know the truth about HSUS download its financials. For the year 2013 they show that 80% of revenues (that’s eighty cents of every dollar received) go into animal protection programs. Only 3% goes into administration, which includes operating costs, salaries and pension funds. If your forte is animal shelters then I encourage you to support them, but people shouldn't try to diminish the work HSUS is doing over a misunderstanding of what its goals and mission are.

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