Editor’s note: Illinois State Representative for the 89th district Jim Sacia has posted a few times about the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on his blog, but the blog post I’ve excerpted below is the most poignant. It is literally an answer to prayer (at least mine anyway) that elected officials start outing the agenda of the HSUS which has made a sport of slickster lobbying, defrauding the public, and unconstitutional legislation such that any elected official who entertains the HSUS’ legislation should be looked upon with a suspicion of treason. But kudos to Rep. Sacia for telling it like it is about the HSUS. I would simply point Rep. Sacia to the Activist Cash article about the HSUS’ alleged domestic terrorist ties and ask him, since he’s a retired FBI agent, why it is that the FBI does not investigate the HSUS’ domestic terrorist ties, or if they have investigated the HSUS’ domestic terrorist ties, why hasn’t anyone from the HSUS been prosecuted? As Sacia himself notes in the blog post below, the HSUS is being investigated by the IRS for tax fraud. Can’t we do better than that? At what point does government stop entertaining the malfeasance of the HSUS and shut them down???
And while a few years ago I would have echoed Sacia’s sentiments to donate to your local shelter, I know the one I used to volunteer for was overtaken in what looked like a hostile takeover by radical animal rightists, so you have to be careful on the local level as well. If your local shelter or Animal Control extols the supposed virtues of PETA, the HSUS, or the ASPCA, you might want to be careful.
From the blog of Illinois State Representative Jim Sacia:
…Ive written of [the HSUS] before and the appeal they have for your money. Over the Christmas Holidays their ads were everywhere. Beaten down dogs, one eyed cats (and of course it was a big sad eye), and a lame, old, starved, and debilitated horse. And you, the concerned citizen, could fix all of this for a mere $19.00 per month sent to them to help care for these beaten, downtrodden animals.
Had you taken the time to do the research, you would have learned that the $19.00 per month translates to $228.00 per year and of that $228.00 total sum, $1.03 would have reached an actual hands-on animal shelter. By comparison, HSUS had 555 employees and paid them $37.8 million in 2008. This includes over $2.5 million contributed to employee pension plans. HSUS chief executive, Wayne Pacelle, made just over $251,000 in salary and benefits.
This agency just must receive closer scrutiny. Using Ohio as an example, HSUS made zero donations to Ohio pet shelters in 2007 and 2008 and gave just $5,200 in 2006. This year, however, the organization is gearing up to spend millions of dollars in Ohio on the anti livestock farming ballot initiative. (The Center for Consumer Freedom, not your local Humane Society, go to humane watch.org.)
My blood boils when I see you, the consumer, bilked out of your hard earned money by appealing to your sense of compassion and kindness. No one wants to see an animal starved and we all get a good feeling sending that money to such a noble cause. What a travesty!
The good news is the IRS has been investigating HSUS for over two years. Compounding the problem of completing their investigation, the IRS has never had to deal with allegations of tax fraud by a public charity as large and as complex as the HSUS.
You can help. Contact the United States Treasury Inspector General at 800-366-4484 (press 5) and respectfully request that case number 55-1005-0025-C be brought to conclusion.
Most importantly, give your money to shelters in your area and dont ever be sucked in by these predators.
Read this blog entry in its entirety here.