HSUS gives $5,000 to Fay, Others should matter too

Yesterday, HSUS announced via Twitter that they were going to contribute $5,000 toward the surgeries to help Fay -- a dog whose image and story they used for fundraising yet were not planning to actually help with the money. 

Mutts-n-stuff, the organization that is actually caring for Fay, has confirmed this on their webpage.

First of all, congrats to all the voices out there that applied pressure on HSUS to do the right thing and fork over some money to help Fay (although, I'm not sure they didn't have to do it legally).  And the $5,000 is only small part of the cost that it is going to take to fix Fay's lips -- so Mutts-n-Stuff is still seeking donations to help Fay -- and some of the other dogs they have taken in from the bust.  So if you feel you really want to help Fay, or other dogs like her, you can contribute money to Mutts-n-Stuff, Humane Society of Missouri,  MABBR, Our Pack, Bad Rap, Bless the Bullies, Butte Humane Society or any other group that has taken in these dogs. 

Meanwhile, there's HSUS. While it is nice of them to give $5,000 to help Fay, that is just a drop in the bucket to the money needed to help these dogs. As the world's largest and wealthiest "humane" organization, they have a responsibility to help ALL of the dogs from this bust. There are 499 more dogs (at least 250 of which are going to be rehomed) that also need help. The $5,000 will just skim the surface on the overall need for help for these animals - and would be a drop in the bucket for an organization that brought in over $82 million in donations last year and over $150 million in cash and investment assets.  Meanwhile, HSUS continues to raise money on the backs of the smaller local rescues and yet is not helping the dogs that are coming from these fighting operations.

HSUS, it is not enough to break up dog fighting rings and then leave the rehabilitation of the dogs to other organizations. The dogs need your help long after the fighting ring is broken up. And it is CERTAINLY not acceptable for you to raise money from people by making them THINK the money is going to the help "Animal Survivors" (it is even called the "Animal Survivor's Fund") when you're not caring for the animals -- and when other organizations really need that money to help them.  It is not enough to give money to one dog from the fight bust when hundreds of others need help.

We need to expect and demand more.

Added: YesBiscuit!: HSUS Relies on Bloggers for Moral Compass

Comments

[YesBiscuit!]

If they used all that money to help pets, how would they pay for their main mission - lobbying for bad pet laws?

[EmilyS]

YB modestly fails to link to her excellent blog on this:

http://yesbiscuit.blogspot.com/2009/12/hsus-relies-on-bloggers-for-moral.html

I wonder how often HSUS will continue to get away with this crap. It's a shame that the public is too lazy (or whatever) to look more closely at where their money is going. Like YB, I only give to small groups with an actual record of accomplishment (or at least a plausible scenario to achieve results)

[Brent]

I've provided a link to YB on the main blog -- I hadn't seen that yet when I posted mine. I think most in the general public operate under the good faith that if an organization SAYS they are using money to help animals, most (rightfully I think) would assume the money is being used to actually help the animals. It's excellent that the internet has given people a voice so that information about this type of misleading fund raising can get out to the general public.

[EmilyS]

Brent, you have really been a leader in blogging about this. Great job, thanks!

[Our Pack]

Yes, great job Brent!! Thank you for mentioning the groups involved as well!!!!

[Rinalia]

While I agree, I have a feeling that no matter what HSUS does or doesn't do, no one here will be pleased. :) Sort of catch-22 for the group.

[Brent]

Rinalia, while there are certainly some that will likely criticize HSUS regardless, I wouldn't one of them. I'd gladly jump on the HSUS band wagon if they were just doing things the right way. But tricking people into giving money to help the "animal survivors" -- with a stated goal raising $1 million - -and then giving only $5,000 (one half of a percent of their goal to raise) to the actual victims they led people to believe they're helping, isn't going to make it right.

[EmilyS]

Rinalia, what has HSUS done RIGHT in this case that we should praise them for? All I see is consistent fraud and publicity/power mongering, which they only change when publicly called on it. You know, they never have acknowledged that their previous "kill them" policy on fight bust dogs was wrong.. they just "disappeared" it when they signed onto the new policy with other groups. And only AFTER the public humiliation of people pointing out they killed innocent PUPPIES.

Do you think they have any moral core in their beliefs?

[Rinalia]

Brent - My apologies, I didn't mean to imply you personally wouldn't support them (you've posted about some of their programs in support). I should have been more restrictive with my comment ("some here wouldn't be happy...").

EmilyS - I certainly agree about their inane dog fight (and their current cockfight) policy and how they handled the magical 180. As to their moral core - yes, I do believe they have one...I mean, I just know too many HSUS employees to think they are amoral or cruelly immoral. I think it's absolutely fair to call them out on crappy shit they do, really I do.

They've also funneled a lot of money and time into puppy mill busts, legislation improving the welfare of animals, and making animal welfare an important issue to policy makers and the public at large.

Probably shouldn't have made a comment, I really didn't mean to derail the current issue.

[A Facebook User]

This is just another sordid story in the infamous hidden history of the HSUS. Remember Hurricane Katrina?? HSUS raised MILLIONS using tragic images and gave no assistance. They are a lobbying group that does NO active rescue. Wayne Pacelle the CEO doesn't even have a pet. He is also the person who has hired Mike Vick to lecture kids against dog fighting (???)

[EmilyS]

well, HSUS is still using Fay's picture and story to fundraise, so THEY certainly believe they've gotten away with a few bucks and cheap apologies and can continue on being frauds (morally speaking, if not legally so).

I'll give you that there are some/many decent, caring HSUS employees. But as long as the organization is run by corrupt, immoral bastards, the organization remains corrupt and immoral.

[gale]

What a roller coaster ride! I found it unethical for an organization to use a symbol of another group to fundraise for their own gain. On top of it to use her image to raise 1,000,000. Wow.

So I was offered 5,000. HSUS could not tell me how much money they made off of Fay's image because they do not have the ability? Really? Paypal and other devices track every donation from every fundraising campaign. I am sure they use a more sophicated system.

Our Pack, New Hope Pit Bull Rescue, Broken Hearts, Mended Souls, Ring Rescue, Hello Bully and the list is endless of GOOD pit bull rescue groups who came to assist with the dogs at the secret location, took dogs, and support the back end of the fight bust rescue process need assistance too. It is not all about Fay and Mutts. Please keep in mind that Humane Society of Missouri foot the bill for managing the secret location ...$350,000 without assistance from various organizations.

The images that HSUS used were HSUS images they took during the bust. I noticed someone named Donna thought the images were pre-approved by HSMO...images were not so please get your facts straight. Here is the sticky part.....who does Fay belong too? Legally, Mutts-n-Stuff when we took possession of Fay. Can another group use her image after she is the face of another group? Is that a legal or ethical question?

HSUS did contact me and apologize on three different levels. Two levels were heartfelt. They did offer to pay for Fay's medical.....the amount for her medical is not $5,000 but it pays for the first two rounds. I believe there are certain folks at HSUS that want to change past wrongs and be advocates for the pits instead of euthanizing the breed. I believe in these folks...not sure if they want me to use their name....but please know I do support your commitment to change and hope you can do it.

All in all... I am sad over what happened. I sit her with Fay laying at my feet, innocent of all the drama that is human created. I want to thank all of you for being Fay's watch humans and making sure she is taken care of properly. Big wet toothy kisses to all of you.

[Ken]

It's sad to see so many here continue to ignore the other victims in this bust--the ones that were located in Oklahoma, Iowa and a few other spots. In addition to my own group, The Sula Foundation, these dogs were taken in by A Rotta Love, Bad Rap and a few other groups, yet the dogs and the people who made room to help them are always left out of any discussion or press release. We (The Sula Foundation) haven't yet been able to help with any of the HSMO dogs, because after months of unanswered emails and unreturned phone calls, we went ahead and filled our spaces with an OK dog and some local special needs pit bulls. (But if we can find room, we're still hoping to help out with at least one HSMO dog.)

It's also funny--although not in humorous sort of way--to see so many people jump at Donna's rather harmless comments, which were made early in this discussion. It is pretty clear she was just trying to say (at a time when there was no official comment coming from anyone) that it was possible HSUS had permission to use Fay, even if they were ultimately misusing her image.

But what would a good dog rescue debate be without some cattiness.

[EmilyS]

hmm, Ken, you don't think your own post was a bit... catty (unanswered emails.. meaouw!)

[Ken]

I knew someone would say that!:) But I was just trying to explain--because people often ask--why we weren't able to take one of the St. Louis dogs. Wasn't for lack of trying. But my real point is that there were other dogs needing rescued and organizations chipping in with those dogs, who were all part of the same raid. But those dogs continue to be kept on the sidelines for some reason. I don't think its a personal thing--just the kind of thing that happens when something this big and messy comes along. Or maybe it is a personal thing and I'm just being naive.

[EmilyS]

well Ken, honestly, the only person I've seen publicly attack someone for not fostering a St L dog is the person you're defending.

But I agree it's a shame the other dogs from the bust aren't getting attention. Maybe they'll be "lucky" and HSUS will decide to feature one of them...

[Ken]

Okay, now I'm really confused. I wasn't aware of any "public" attacks. By the "person" I'm defending? Still confused here.

[EmilyS]

I was the person attacked, so I certainly am aware of it. I don't expect you to know about it, and you can take it for what it's worth, or not worth...

[Virginia Mckay]

Doesn't anyone wonder exactly what HSUS and Peta do with their money ? I am a rancher, and the animal RIGHTS groups are slowly and methodically chewing away at livestock producers, just as the extreme enviornmentalist are doing to farmers. They will have control of your food supply in the future and that is how the U. S. will be controlled. So many people believe what they read and what they are told without looking into it further, all the donations are NOT going to helping Fays of the world, they are working to destroy our national food supply. Stop the apathy, think out of the box and start reading about the livestock and farming issues.