<strong>The</strong> <strong>Monthly</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Legislation</strong> <strong>Report</strong>http://mnlreport.typepad.com/<strong>Page</strong> 202 <strong>of</strong> <strong>330</strong>7/5/<strong>2010</strong>million in net assets, even after a downward adjustment <strong>of</strong> $31 million (line 20, page 1). Of this amount, $5.4 million reflects an adjustment to recognize longtermretirement liabilities for pensions. Another $25.8 million dropped <strong>of</strong>f the balance sheet as an "adjustment to reflect changes in reporting entity andtransfers" (Statement 4, page 21).Hands On Animal Care and Better Documentation<strong>The</strong> good news revealed by HSUS's tax returns is that some <strong>of</strong> HSUS's money is actually going to help animals, which is a nice shift. After HSUS declared ithad raised over $30 million for relief for homeless animals in the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the Louisiana Attorney General took note and opened aninvestigation. HSUS was forced to actually spend some <strong>of</strong> its money on hands-on animal care in Louisiana and Mississippi. You can see it in some <strong>of</strong> its2007 outgoing grants. <strong>The</strong> bad news? It's still a tiny fraction <strong>of</strong> what HSUS declares was raised on that disaster, and just 4% <strong>of</strong> its total income goes tohands-on animal care. It is, however, a record, the highest level since 1970 when HSUS abolished its commitment to share 60% <strong>of</strong> all income with localchapters for use in humane shelters.(10) Another step forward, after at least a decade <strong>of</strong> HSUS and its subsidiaries/affiliates using Share Group, Inc. as itstelemarketing firm, HSUS has finally actually listed it on its tax return as required by tax code. Share Group, Inc. is among the top 5 contractors receivingover $50,000 (page 10). Share, HSUS reports, received $1.7 million in fees in 2007. But it could be more. <strong>The</strong> Los Angeles Times, among others, hascommented on the fact that each time HSUS uses Share Group, Inc., this telemarketer keeps over 90% <strong>of</strong> the funds raised, far beyond the normal ratios paidto telemarketers.(11)Members Go MissingHSUS regularly claims it has 10 million members and constituents. In 2009, HSUS's President Wayne Pacelle clarified this, stating that 10 million Americansare "associated with" HSUS, whatever that means.(2) But HSUS's 2007 tax filings tell a much different story, revealing that membership is nowhere neareven one million (Statement 9, page 62):Membership services handles tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> public and member/donor communications annually.Common sense says this volume is far too low for any group with 10 million members, reflecting the activity generated by just a few hundred thousandpeople. And further review <strong>of</strong> the tax returns (page 62) confirms it:Publications produces ... a quarterly magazine sent every other month to 420,000 members.HSUS has 420,000 members, just 4.2% <strong>of</strong> what is commonly reported or 0.15% <strong>of</strong> the US population <strong>of</strong> 280 million, or one out <strong>of</strong> every 666 people, not the 1out <strong>of</strong> 30 bantered about. And even while HSUS's income rose from $21 million in 1991 to $101 million in 2007, the HSUS membership actually declined. In1991, HSUS President/CEO John Hoyt stated:I am happy to report that during this past year our voting membership has increased from 397,385 to 458,378 persons.(12)So HSUS apparently lost 38,378 members between 1991 and 2007. Perhaps some members discovered how little HSUS supports local humane shelters andleft in disgust. And many <strong>of</strong> the remaining members are those engaged in animal ag and wildlife pursuits who reluctantly join HSUS simply to monitor whatit's up to. That said, with membership numbers this low, HSUS does not have a mandate to impose a nonsensical vegan lifestyle on the world's omnivoresand pet owners. It's time to demand accountability from HSUS for its exploitation <strong>of</strong> abused animals for financial gain, for diverting hundreds <strong>of</strong> millionsfrom humane shelter resources over to advancement <strong>of</strong> a vegan agenda while ruining the lives <strong>of</strong> hard-working people around the world.Omnivores <strong>of</strong> the World, Unite!Notes:(1) For detailed information on HSUS, visit the Center for Consumer Freedom's Activistcash.com and Humanewatch.org. HSUS's new CEO/President WaynePacelle is vegan and, after just 10 weeks at the helm, he had "already implemented a 'no animal products in the <strong>of</strong>fice' policy", an <strong>of</strong>fice vegan food andclothing policy, reported Compassion Over Killing (COK) co-founder Paul Shapiro (at a seminar hosted by United Poultry Concerns, Aug. 22, 2004), shortlybefore he too joined HSUS. See "<strong>The</strong> New Anti-Meat ‘Humane' Goliath," Apr. 5, 2005.(2) "HSUS <strong>of</strong>ficial says public concerns drive initiatives," by Ken Anderson, Apr. 28, 2009, Brownfield Network is worth listening to. Pacelle is defensive inseveral sections <strong>of</strong> the presentation over attacks on HSUS's sincerity by those involved in hands-on animal care. Pacelle's full Apr. 27, 2009 speech to the<strong>National</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> Farm Broadcasting with Q&A is at http://agwired.com/2009/04/27/hsus-challenges-american-agriculture/ and direct atwww.zimmcomm.biz/nafb/ww-09-hsus-remarks.mp3 In his speech, Pacelle discussed how fears over BSE were tied to images <strong>of</strong> workers using legal andillegal methods to get cattle to their feet when the animals refused to stand after a long transport to a slaughterhouse. <strong>The</strong> result? 50 nations shut theirdoors to US beef. Ignoring the fact that cattle are <strong>of</strong>ten transported long distances as a direct result <strong>of</strong> the closure <strong>of</strong> local slaughterhouses, HSUS raisedlots <strong>of</strong> money, sadly, on a problem they appear to have helped create. Ditto for the battles over horse slaughter. HSUS believes that this option for horseowners should not exist. In Nebraska, the Farm Bureau donated hay to feed neglected horses that had been transferred from the BLM to private ownership,another HSUS campaign gone awry. But listen to Pacelle complain that cowboys didn't want to work with HSUS when it organized a photo op with theneglected horses as props. Attacks on feral horse control and horsemeat, combined with closure <strong>of</strong> slaughter facilities (resulting in longer transport timesfor horses), appears to be tied to an increase in abandoned horses. This has overtaxed the safety net <strong>of</strong> humane shelters set up by responsible animalowners. HSUS uses this sad state, which they helped created, as one more opportunity to raise more money and while little goes to hands-on animal careand much goes to promoting policies that exacerbate the problem. No wonder the cowboys are angry! Perhaps it's time for HSUS to spend some <strong>of</strong> its $200million in reserves on actually caring for horses and other animals in distress.(3) Russell and Burch first coined the "Three Rs" and ordered them Replacement, Reduction, Refinement. <strong>The</strong> order HSUS gives them, Refinement,Reduction and Replacement, may carry importance in understanding what it thinks is possible for their campaign given current public views on animal ag.HSUS's interpretation differs from the way the Three Rs are viewed by scientists since, not surprisingly, HSUS has modified the original meaning. In science,"Reduction" means using fewer animals to meet your goals, perhaps by decreasing variance by using cloned animals. "Replacement" means usingcomputers or cell cultures (which originally come from animals, <strong>of</strong> course) when one can. If one's goal is to use natural biodegradable fibers for coldweather clothing, then "reduction" and "replacement" differ from the claim that the vegan "alternative" "plastic" synthetic fibers is the same thing."Reduction" might be served by efficiently using fewer animals to provide the same amount <strong>of</strong> fur by increasing the fur yield per animal, a common goal <strong>of</strong>most farmers who operate within the confines <strong>of</strong> the free market system and its emphasis on cost effectiveness, reduction <strong>of</strong> waste and production morefrom less.(4) America's leading animal welfare organization, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), issued a statement condemning Proposition 2 asinhumane, saying it "contains livestock confinement standards that may hurt the animals they are intended to help" and "ignores critical aspects <strong>of</strong> animal
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Monthly</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Legislation</strong> <strong>Report</strong>http://mnlreport.typepad.com/<strong>Page</strong> 203 <strong>of</strong> <strong>330</strong>7/5/<strong>2010</strong>welfare that ultimately would threaten the well-being <strong>of</strong> the very animals it strives to protect."(5) Transcription by Media Q Inc. <strong>of</strong> Press Conference, April 21, 2009 10:30 a.m., <strong>National</strong> Press <strong>The</strong>atre, Ottawa, Canada; Principals: Rebecca Aldworth,Director, Humane Society International/Canada; <strong>The</strong> Honourable Mac Harb, Senator; Subject: Senator Mac Harb and Representatives <strong>of</strong> Humane SocietyInternational/Canada Hold a News Conference to Discuss Ending the Commercial Seal Hunt. Statement on HSI/Canada's opposition issued by RebeccaAldworth, Director, Humane Society International/Canada.(6) See "Super duper recyclers - how fur farmers turn waste into beauty," FCUSA commentary, October 1999. Or if you still believe petrochemical syntheticsare the way to go, see "Plastic bags on our backs," FCUSA commentary, Mar. 14, 2008.(7) For an example <strong>of</strong> HSUS's marketing <strong>of</strong> synthetics, see this video footage from the 4th Annual Cool vs. Cruel Competition, 2008.(8) See FCUSA recommendations to the IRS, Oct. 2, 2005.(9) <strong>The</strong> IRS now requires info on security trades so look forward to seeing more detail on how HSUS had such an impressive trading record. SeeImplementing FAS 158 for Year-End Financial <strong>Report</strong>ing, by JP Morgan, Jan 18, 2007.(10) See "Humane Society <strong>of</strong> the United States does little to help homeless dogs and cats. Animal rights group devoted less than 4% <strong>of</strong> its budget to petshelters in 2007," Center for Consumer Freedom press release, Apr. 7, 2009.(11) See "HSUS calling? Hang up," Center for Consumer Freedom press release, July 7, 2008.(12) <strong>Page</strong> 3, "<strong>Report</strong> <strong>of</strong> the President 1991" by John A. Hoyt at the HSUS Annual Membership Meeting, Saturday, October 12, 1991, Embassy Row Hotel,Washington, DC.See also:FCUSA press kit special feature: Regulating the conflict industry.In their own words: Revealing quotes from the mouths <strong>of</strong> HSUS.For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619)575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.To take a cyber-tour <strong>of</strong> a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm________________________________________________________________________________________ANIMAL RIGHTS VS ANIMAL WELFAREHSUS VS ANIMAL OWNERSHSUS COVER UP ?By now, everybody has heard about or seen the Atlanta TV expose' about the HSUS. <strong>The</strong> video has been removed from the Internet. CCF (Center for Consumer Freedom) is nowseeking contributions to finance the production and distribution <strong>of</strong> their own online documentary about the HSUS, similar to what was removed from the internet, but no groupwill have any legal right to impact the CCF distribution <strong>of</strong> their documentary. Here is the statement from CCF with all links ! (Thank you, David !)<strong>The</strong> nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Center for Consumer Freedom has been working to expose the hypocrisy and fundraising deceptions <strong>of</strong> the Humane Society <strong>of</strong> the United States (HSUS). This is thegroup that many donors THINK is their local animal shelter. It’s really a $100-million-dollar animal rights lobbying group. Think PETA with a fancier pair <strong>of</strong> plastic shoes.You may have recently seen WSB-TV’s exposé on this radical animal rights organization. (WSB is Atlanta ’s ABC affiliate.) <strong>The</strong> Center for Consumer Freedom was featured in thepiece, which aired last Thursday. It was hugely popular, attracting more than 50,000 viewers on YouTube in addition to WSB’s regular TV audience and resulting print coverage.Since the report first aired, HSUS has been working feverishly to silence it. <strong>The</strong> group bullied the TV station into removing the video and the text <strong>of</strong> the story from its website. HSUS evenconvinced the station to contact YouTube with copyright claims to have the news segment removed from public view. <strong>The</strong> video is no longer available anywhere on the Internet.All because HSUS is afraid <strong>of</strong> the truth.WSB-TV called HSUS “an organization actively misleading donors to get money.” We added that most <strong>of</strong> the proceeds from HSUS’s massive fundraising operations don’t benefithomeless cats and dogs: “It’s very deceptive … [the money] goes to lobbying, it goes to political contributions, it goes to pay huge staff salaries and benefits.” This was a greatpiece <strong>of</strong> journalism on a subject most news outlets are too intimidated or biased to cover.Click here to read “<strong>The</strong> Seven Things You Didn’t Know About HSUS”To say we struck a nerve would be an understatement. HSUS’s aggressive response is a testament to our strategy and effective messaging. HSUS’s biggest vulnerability is thepublic discovering that it is not a pet shelter. If we can bring that message to the public, we can seriously undercut HSUS’s credibility and expose them as the radical animalrights group that they really are.In addition, the Louisiana Attorney General's <strong>of</strong>fice has been receiving a deluge <strong>of</strong> questions about one <strong>of</strong> the WSB-TV report's claims: That HSUS misused money it promised tospend helping reunite Hurricane Katrina victims with their pets. Louisiana A.G. Buddy Caldwell is considering whether to re-open a full-scale investigation into this. if you feel as
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