Washington, DC—Today, HumaneWatch.org, a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom, unveiled a new billboard near Green Bay taking aim at the deceptively named vegan activist group Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Despite its name, HSUS is not affiliated with local humane societies, though most of the public mistakenly thinks otherwise, according to public polling.
The billboard, which is located at Highway 41 south of Creamery Road, reads: “You thought the frozen tundra was cold. What’s really cold? The fact that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) only gives 1% of its budget to pet shelters. Give Local!” An image is available here.
According to HSUS’s most recent tax return (2012), the organization only made 3 grants to help Wisconsin groups care for pets. The grants totaled a pitiful $2,900, or 0.002% of HSUS’s $120 million budget.
“HSUS tricks Americans with deceptive advertising into believing that their donations will be used predominantly to care for cats and dogs,” said Will Coggin, CCF’s Senior Research Analyst. “However, that money is often used to attack livestock farmers and promote veganism—with the hope of putting Wisconsin’s dairy farmers in the breadline.”
The billboard comes on the heels of increasing scrutiny of HSUS. In March, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt opened an investigation into HSUS’s fundraising. In May, HSUS settled a federal racketeering and bribery lawsuit for up to $15.75 million. And in June, Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator, revoked its rating of HSUS and issued a “Donor Advisory” against the group.
“Wisconsinites who care about pets should give to their local shelter directly,” continued Coggin. “The only thing HSUS should receive from the Badger State is an official demand that it cease its deceptive actions that harm animal-loving donors and local pet shelters.”
