Something to make hunters hearts glad

[jimpeel]

In a record breaking settlement the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Born Free USA/Animal Protection Institute, Fund for Animals, Animal Welfare Institute, and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) agreed to pay Feld Entertainment, Inc., owners of Ringling Brothers Circus $15.57 million as a recovery of attorney's fees from dismissed lawsuits brought by those organizations.

SOURCE 1: HSUS and Codefendants Agree to Historic $15.75 Million Settlement

In addition, Charity Navigator, an evaluator of charities nationwide, has changed the rating of these organizations, with the exception of ASPCA, to “Donor Advisory”. This should make a dent in the donations to these organizations for those who use Charity Navigator as a source of information when evaluating charitable organizations.

SOURCE 2: Leading Charity Evaluator Slaps Animal Rights Groups with Donor Advisory Warnings

FROM SOURCE 1:

Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, has stripped their rating of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups and replaced them with a “Donor Advisory” warning.

Hopefully, this settlement, and the dismissal of these specious lawsuits, will temper the zeal with which these organizations operate; but I won't hold my breath on that one.

The suits were dismissed when it was found that the organizations were funding their chief witness.

FROM SOURCE 2:

During the course of the lawsuit, Feld Entertainment uncovered evidence that some of the groups, with the assistance of their attorneys at the Meyer, Glitzenstein and Crystal law firm, were secretly paying [Tom] Rider’s living expenses and had submitted false information regarding those payments. In total, the payments amounted to $190,000. In response, Feld Entertainment sued HSUS and the other groups under federal anti-racketeering laws known as the RICO Act.

Tom Rider is a former elephant trainer for Feld Entertainment, and he submitted affidavits alleging a "personal connection" with the elephants so they could have a person who could claim "personal harm" and would thus have standing to file the suits.

[Art Eatman]

Please note that SPCA is a different organization than ASPCA. The SPCA has always been a good-folks deal in the original view of "humane treatment".

[HuntingLikeABadHabit]

Art: that is a good note to point out. As an Ag teacher that is one thing I have to point out to my students when I teach animal rights vs. animal welfare. Those are 2 different groups on 2 different wavelengths.

[jimpeel]

The ASPCA was also the only organization among those cited which survived the rating change by Charity Navigator.

[Art Eatman]

From what I've read--over several years--ASPCA is PETA-Lite.

[tahunua001]

not really anything to do with hunting but, it is nice to know that the people that threaten to impede hunts nationally on a yearly basis have had their rears handed to them.

[burrhead]

And Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not the Humane Society but is pretty much a scam and a "cousin" of PETA. They have no facilities to house or treat animals but are just a collector of money that they shuttle to anti-hunting and anti-meat organizations.

[Art Eatman]

Wayne Pacelles, who started HSUS, stated publicly that after ending hunting, fishing would be the next targeted activity.

[Unlicensed Dremel]

HSUS is a bad organization, primarily in that they fool their donors into thinking that most of what they do is helping dogs and cats in shelters find homes, by providing shelters, when less than 1% of their budget actually helps shelters - they hurt dogs and cats more than they help, since a lot of the people who are duped into giving $20/ month who think they are giving to their local shelter in a roundabout way, then do NOT actually give to the organizations which desperately need that money, which are the local shelters that actually, ya know, shelter dogs and cats. They divert money away from where money does the most good - local shelters.

Having said that, I have zero use for circuses and think they are indeed a type of cruelty to animals, albeit fairly minor on the scale of cruelties.

Wayne Pacelles, who started HSUS, stated publicly that after ending hunting, fishing would be the next targeted activity.

Indeed, as well as his ultimate goal is ending private pet ownership, although IIRC, he stated that's his belief, not his org's belief.

PETA is a far less vile organization than HSUS, although they're a bit wacky, too, against hunting and fishing. I agree with most of their positions, but certainly not all. But the key is that they do not mislead their contributors like HSUS.

[Art Eatman]

Er, uh, PETA got going here in the US when Ingrid Newkirk came here from England. Remember, "A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy."?

Against: Ownership of pets. Ownership of livestock. Eating meat from any source. And, of course, no hunting.

Forget using horses for anti-venom against snakebite, or using pigs for insulin. Or any other medical research using animals.

But they claim to merely be against animal "abuse", and all the little old ladies think of their local animal shelter and send money to PETA.

[Colt46]

A lot of radio and television hosts interview animal rescue groups and the talk is not about 'Pet Owners', but 'Animal Guardians'.
Don't really like where that seems to be going.

[Unlicensed Dremel]

Well, yes, true, but HSUS is all that AND fraudulent in their ads - at least PETA lays on the table what they're about.