Editor's note: This article was so objective, so factual, and so well written that we obtained reprint permission. It is reproduced in its entirety as published in A Little Bull (the official breed magazine for the Miniature Bull Terrier Club Of America) and should answer many questions regarding what is - and what isn't - a valid animal rights group.

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The Dichotomy of Philanthropy

By Kim Krohn

"The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a nationally known organization that practices animal rights while collecting mainstream contributions from an unsuspecting public", Rod and Patti Strand, "The Hijacking of the Humane Movement".

I digress from my intended topic with the promise of returning to "Uncle Tom's Cabin and Pit Bulls" in the next issue, as I am sure that everyone was anxiously awaiting an explanation as to the connection between the two. I also promise a little levity with that topic (things are always funnier in retrospect, no matter how awful they seemed at the time). Instead, I feel compelled to address what turned out to be an interesting situation in the Winter 2000 issue of A Little Bull. The favorite charities listed at the end of Susan Hall's obituary are the topic of this column. I find it necessary to address this, as three of the four organizations were named as animal rights organizations in my very first column. 

I was not a good friend of Susan's and my association with her was all too short. When Hildie, one of Susan's MBT's, became the first MBT to earn both a Championship and a CD, I sent Susan a congratulatory card. Susan subsequently called to thank me for the card. We chatted on the phone and via e-mail on occasion. In the spring of 1996, Noelle, my own Mini, was sitting on two novice AKC agility legs. It takes three "legs", or qualifying scores, to earn an NA, which is a Novice Agility title. Susan called me a few times to see if Noelle had earned the NA because Susan wanted Hildie to be the first Mini to earn an NA. I eventually told Susan to "go for it" and that I wouldn't be showing in any agility trials. I told Susan that I was busy training for the utility ring, which was not completely untrue. It seemed so important to Susan to have the first Mini with an NA, and I felt that if it was that important to her then I should let her have that honor. This served the dual purpose of saving Susan money on her phone bill! 

I never knew that Susan had cancer. I knew her health was not good but was shocked to find out, only after her death, the true nature of her illness. I finally had the fortune to meet her at Montgomery County in 1999. It was obvious to me that Susan was a caring, compassionate person who loved her dogs and was dedicated to this breed and the club. She was a veterinarian who loved and cared about all animals but her compassion was slightly misplaced, as is the compassion of many people who care about the welfare of animals. There is a distinct dichotomy between the purpose of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the other three organizations listed at the end of Susan's obituary. Susan was old enough to remember when many "humane" organizations were precisely that - "humane" and interested in animal welfare. But as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans", and while people in the dog world were busy "making other plans", the humane movement was hijacked out from under everyone's feet. Some organizations never have been "humane" but their slick marketing campaign and carefully orchestrated propaganda can fool even the most astute individual.

The Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting conservation, education, and scientific research in and on behalf of the Galapagos Islands. One of the foundation's biggest challenges is their effort to eradicate between 50,000 and 100,000 introduced goats that are destroying the ecosystem and food sources that supports the famed giant tortoises of the archipelago. According to their web site, the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station have together developed and implemented a control program in the most critical areas over the last 18 months. Although this effort has greatly reduced the number of goats, they lack sufficient resources to eradicate these animals. The remaining populations require a far greater effort if the goats are to be eliminated completely. In other words, they are practicing sound wildlife management and trying to save the tortoises by killing the goats, an introduced nuisance species.

Accepted humane and responsible wildlife management practices are not in keeping with the mission of the Fund for Animals (FFA) and the Humane Society of the United States (H$U$), both of which are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. This means that they are spreading their brand of nonsense on the public's dime. The two organizations officially merged last year and combined their war chests. The Capital Research Center was established in 1984 to study non-profit organizations. Daniel T. Oliver of the Capital Research Center writes in his book Animal Rights: The Inhumane Crusade, "radicalization of the humane organizations undermines animal welfare for a simple reason: it diverts funds from efforts to improve animal treatment to efforts to outlaw animal use and ownership". Humane organizations have been infiltrated and some have even been subjected to outright takeover by animal rights activists. Other organizations have willingly adopted an animal rights platform, and one such organization is HSUS. 

HSUS has a near 50 million dollar budget and 1.8 million members, making it the largest animal rights organization in the country. HSUS was founded in 1954 but switched to an animal rights agenda about 20 years ago, most likely for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed banks: "That's where the money is". According to Oliver, HSUS' image as a traditional "humane" society accounts for its popularity as most people still think of it as a "be kind to animals" organization; however, HSUS is not affiliated with any local shelters and does not shelter any animals. Although it operates a program to train shelter workers, it makes no significant financial contributions to the shelters themselves despite a multi-million-dollar budget. With the money they have, HSUS could easily open shelters and low cost spay/neuter clinics everywhere; however, their interests do not lie in helping the general public with veterinary care of their pets. Their interest lies in raising money, controlling people, and elimination of the humane and responsible use of animals. 

So, if one "follows the money", where does it go? According to Kathleen Marquart's book Animal Scam: The Beastly Abuse of Human Rights, most of it, over 90 percent, was spent sending out requests to raise more money. Very little goes to help animals. Much of what remains ends up supporting the groups' leaders in a manner to which we would all like to become accustomed. Again, according to Marquart, "in 1988, columnist Jack Anderson reported that HSUS President John Hoyt and Treasurer Paul Irwin were receiving even more compensation for their work than their own board members knew about. Anderson discovered that HSUS bought Hoyt's $310,000 home for him in Maryland and allowed Irwin to write himself $85,000 in checks for a real estate venture, which the board renamed a "loan". Hoyt's and Irwin's salaries and benefits at the time amounted to more than $139,000 and $114,000, respectively". 

HSUS insists that "only by spaying and neutering all pets will we get a handle on this problem (overpopulation)". In a TV interview, HSUS president emeritus John Hoyt held up a photo of a dog and said, "in the future, this is the kind of pet people should have". He was referring to the photo, not to the dog itself. In Animal Rights: The Inhumane Crusade, author Oliver writes "how successful the animal rights groups will be in their campaign to "liberate" pets will largely depend on whether the public understands that the goal of the animal rights movement is not to improve the treatment of pets but to end their breeding and ownership altogether". 

Many HSUS personnel have come from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an openly radical animal rights organization. This includes Wayne Pacelle, HSUS' vice-president of government affairs and media. Pacelle is the former executive director of Cleveland Amory's Fund for Animals (FFA), an anti-hunting group based in New York City. Pacelle once said, "we have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals…they are the creations of selective human breeding". 

Cleveland Amory's Fund for Animals (FFA) was founded in 1967 and is a leading opponent of hunting, fishing, and trapping, all of which are acceptable methods for wildlife management and control. According to Oliver, FFA was the first animal rights organization to obtain support from celebrities for animal rights causes. FFA has also filed numerous lawsuits at the state and federal levels to stop hunting and has challenged laws that protect hunters from harassment by animal rights activists. FFA does operate low cost spay/neuter clinics in a few large cities. According to Marquart, FFA also works closely with PETA and former director Wayne Pacelle claims to be an expert on wildlife biology but his only degree that can be verified is in history. 

One of FFA's most familiar features is its "Black Beauty Sanctuary". Per author Marquart, "FFA was caught breeding "rescued" animals and selling the offspring for slaughter. Pacelle confessed that he had been aware of the skullduggery for some time, yet FFA did not hesitate to raise a considerable sum of money from unsuspecting donors for this bogus sanctuary". 

In 1977 actress Doris Day established the non-profit Doris Day Pet Foundation, which found homes for unwanted animals, provided low cost veterinary care for animals whose owners needed financial aid, and organized programs for free spaying and neutering. However, the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), founded in 1987, is not a charity with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. It is a dangerous animal rights lobbying organization and donations are not tax deductible. In my column which appeared in the Winter 2000 issue of A Little Bull, I addressed the DDAL's failed attempt to force the United States Department of Agriculture to begin federal licensing and regulation of hobby/show breeders who sell dogs/cats from their residences. USDA currently inspects commercial breeders who are licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act. This is yet another attempt by an animal rights organization to make it difficult for hobby/show breeders to breed purebred dogs, with the eventual goal being the end of all breeding. DDAL also lobbies on the local and state level. Their web site lists animal rights legislation at the state and federal level and encourages people to support the animal rights viewpoint, write letters to congressmen, etc.

All club members should be aware of the agenda of the animal rights movement and educate themselves about the groups that are trying to destroy the sport of purebred dogs. A friend of mine once told me "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer", although I don't know who gets actual credit for that little gem of advice. I solved the donation dilemma by sending a donation to Miniature Bull Terrier Welfare (Rescue) in Susan's memory. Rest in peace, Susan. I barely knew you, but the loss is still tremendous.

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