Let's not forget Humane Society United States. With hundreds of millions in assets, lawyers, lobbyists and outrageous executive salaries, last I checked, their website had a full page of whining they could not pass meaningful puppy mill legislation because the AKC (the org that ruins breeds with exaggerated traits standards) objected. More indication these orgs actually need homeless suffering companion animals as fundraising gold like the ASPCA commercials of shivering, miserable mill dogs . Collectively, national animal welfare orgs could significantly correct the issues in 24 months with irresponsible and mill breeding legislation, legally requiring Craigslist to enforce it's own policy against commercial pet listings (thousands daily), fleets of high volume free mobile free spay neuter clinics demonstrated on "Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet" economically produced. They could get that organized in a few months with their collective billions with the same expertise they use for huge fundraising campaigns.
Reportedly Maddies Fund, Best Friends is instituting new doctrines to reduce shelter services, public access to shelters, and releasing domestic cats and kittens (not feral) into neighborhoods to relieve shelter overpopulation instead of applying their vast resources into meaningfully addressing the sources of overpopulations. Corporate sponsors and big donors should withdraw funding until these orgs produce real and immediate results Having your name or logo on their website as supporter is no longer automatic public virtue signal as evidenced by the horrific mess shelters are in, struggling every day with overpopulation. Volunteers, staff, fosters and everyone associated with shelter crisis understands the massive failure of the national animal welfare orgs.
Carmen, thank you for sharing your thoughts! You’ve raised some important points about the challenges facing national animal welfare organizations and the impact of their actions on local shelters. It’s crucial for these organizations to be held accountable, especially given the resources at their disposal. I agree that a collective effort could lead to meaningful change in a relatively short time. The focus should always be on effective solutions that directly benefit the animals in need. Let’s continue this conversation and work towards advocating for more impactful strategies together!
I have refused for years to donate to the 2 charities mentioned due to their outrageous salaries and bonuses; knowing I would be fattening their personal wallets. They are a disgrace! Thank you for your service to our fur friends who are unable to speak for themselves.
If anyone wants to support a group that is fighting to end puppy mills, look no farther than Bailing Out Benji. Mindi Callison has accomplished a tremendous amount, and done so on a small budget. Her 2022 personal compensation was $59,711, about 5% of what the head of the ASPCA pocketed. She is a tireless advocate for animals.
Thanks for exposing the excessive compensation paid to ASPCA grifters. Their 2023 IRS Form 990 is now available on their website, if you care to update the numbers.
Ed, No doubt you have long associations with many national org execs like HSUS, Best Friends, AZHS, ASPCA etc. Would you contact them with this information reported from around Arizona, also representative of California (undoubtedly nationwide), and post the response? With their concrete plan to be immediately implemented? Missing funds, no services for funds allocated, deteriorating conditions, no accountability for mass euthanizing with so-called "no kill" shelters.
"Yavapai county is just as bad.
Sadly , have to say we have given 5 binders full of proof to our municipalities, the IRS and the AG. Nothing is being done in Prescott. Our Humane Society doesn't have a clinic for 4+ yrs but still they gave them $360K and we are missing about 8 mil? Where is it as they are killing as fast as they are coming in!
Hello. I’m checking in from Prescott. Not sure how much you are aware of, but we have been fighting this for five years, trying to get the truth out about our local “shelter.”
It is run by a nonprofit-Yavapai Humane Society- who contracts with our three local governments of Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Yavapai County.
There is no accountability and appears to be fraud and likely corruption, for which the animals pay the price!
Federal, state and local officials are aware. Local ignores us(and threatens). We believe they are under investigation at the State and Federal levels for millions in “missing” dollars.
Our animals go “ missing” at this “No -kill Ethic” shelter, gates are now locked, spay and neuter clinic has been closed for years, volunteers have gone from over two hundred to a handful, and nobody is allowed in without an appointment. Those of us who are vocal are targeted, harassed, and severely intimidated .
We cannot get in to see the animals! No true rescues can pull from them, and we have heard that the killing continues while the money pours into pockets!
This situation is DIRE for our animals!
Thanks for listening and hope we can band together for meaningful change in Arizona to Protect our Voiceless ANIMALS!"
Many similar reports in California. The National Orgs have created companion animals "crisis capitalism" while shifting responsibility to public and community. Just like the Best Friends Toolkit booklet or chirpy "how to" videos....how YOU can organize, how YOU can contact authorities, how YOU can flag Craigslist puppy listing, how YOU can fundraise (while WE collect oodles of money).
Please explain to the executives you contact, the public is exhausted with their playbook, grift and drained of "compassion fatigue" with suffering animals. Thanks in advance for posting follow-up on response from national org execs (please specify which ones) on reports from around Arizona (California and nationwide) and what they plan to do about it immediately.
Reportedly 20 million public funds allocated to San Diego Humane Society for spay/neuter but no services. In San Bernardino, 8 million dollars allocated for dog park, spay neuter and other services has vanished, no promised services. Discussion of issue recorded on San Bernardino public council meeting. HSUS and Best Friends also associated with "disaster capitalism" fundraising on homeless distressed animals after a flood or hurricane and either doing nothing meaningful or euthanizing most of them for treatable conditions like heartworm after separating out the purebreds or those highly marketable. Shelters shipping out their overflow population to high kill shelters to maintain "no kill" status . Assuming you contact these execs, It would be interesting how they respond to these issues and what they plan to immediately do. No platitudes or cotton-ball banalities please. These orgs do not deserve donations and corporate sponsors are merely buying empty virtue signaling with their logo association.
The situation with the small pets is such a disgrace. Besides the one guy fired and the one guy resigning, no one was held accountable and Tucson Police appear to have not even left their office to do the investigation. My opinion is that neither humane society wanted the truth to come out because someone beyond Christian Gonzalez knew something prior to this happening. San Diego Humane refuses to release public records and want the tax payers who fund them to the tune of $20+ million a year to take their word for it with zero proof of no wrong doing. At a minimum there was fraud involved, even if animal cruelty cannot be proven.
Kelly, I understand your frustration. It’s disheartening to see a lack of accountability, especially when so many rely on these organizations to protect animals. Transparency is crucial, and taxpayers deserve to know how their funds are being used. The concerns you raise about potential fraud and the refusal to release public records are serious and warrant further scrutiny. Let’s keep advocating for the truth and push for the changes needed to ensure better accountability in the future.
It takes each of us to fix problems. Being involved in animal politics has taught me a lot about life. Here's my article that I shared with Ed, which seemed to "spark" his wonderful essay:
It’s so terribly disappointing to see these salaries. I hope your blog captures the attention of these organizations so they begin to direct their funds toward meaningful programs.
Ed: A prize for this. May we connect? I have been working on an investigation for eight years, and I'd like to share what I have discovered. www.stephaniestephens.com and stephanie@stephaniestephens.com in the OC. Thank you. This is my career and life mission...
Let's not forget Humane Society United States. With hundreds of millions in assets, lawyers, lobbyists and outrageous executive salaries, last I checked, their website had a full page of whining they could not pass meaningful puppy mill legislation because the AKC (the org that ruins breeds with exaggerated traits standards) objected. More indication these orgs actually need homeless suffering companion animals as fundraising gold like the ASPCA commercials of shivering, miserable mill dogs . Collectively, national animal welfare orgs could significantly correct the issues in 24 months with irresponsible and mill breeding legislation, legally requiring Craigslist to enforce it's own policy against commercial pet listings (thousands daily), fleets of high volume free mobile free spay neuter clinics demonstrated on "Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet" economically produced. They could get that organized in a few months with their collective billions with the same expertise they use for huge fundraising campaigns.
Reportedly Maddies Fund, Best Friends is instituting new doctrines to reduce shelter services, public access to shelters, and releasing domestic cats and kittens (not feral) into neighborhoods to relieve shelter overpopulation instead of applying their vast resources into meaningfully addressing the sources of overpopulations. Corporate sponsors and big donors should withdraw funding until these orgs produce real and immediate results Having your name or logo on their website as supporter is no longer automatic public virtue signal as evidenced by the horrific mess shelters are in, struggling every day with overpopulation. Volunteers, staff, fosters and everyone associated with shelter crisis understands the massive failure of the national animal welfare orgs.
Carmen, thank you for sharing your thoughts! You’ve raised some important points about the challenges facing national animal welfare organizations and the impact of their actions on local shelters. It’s crucial for these organizations to be held accountable, especially given the resources at their disposal. I agree that a collective effort could lead to meaningful change in a relatively short time. The focus should always be on effective solutions that directly benefit the animals in need. Let’s continue this conversation and work towards advocating for more impactful strategies together!
Fantastic article, these “fat cats” are eating up all the funds that the “charity” takes in - it’s almost sickening.
It is discouraging, especially when we consider what could be done with those funds. That's why I advocate "Think Globally, But Give Locally" to an org you can trust! https://open.substack.com/pub/animalpolitics/p/animal-politics-think-globally-give?r=14ocm4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I have refused for years to donate to the 2 charities mentioned due to their outrageous salaries and bonuses; knowing I would be fattening their personal wallets. They are a disgrace! Thank you for your service to our fur friends who are unable to speak for themselves.
ABSOLUTELY!!!
Open a stream between local boarding kennels and local shelters?
Some boarding kennels do very well and can collect a local “puppy tax” from their patrons.
If anyone wants to support a group that is fighting to end puppy mills, look no farther than Bailing Out Benji. Mindi Callison has accomplished a tremendous amount, and done so on a small budget. Her 2022 personal compensation was $59,711, about 5% of what the head of the ASPCA pocketed. She is a tireless advocate for animals.
Thanks for exposing the excessive compensation paid to ASPCA grifters. Their 2023 IRS Form 990 is now available on their website, if you care to update the numbers.
https://www.aspca.org/sites/default/files/2023_aspca_form_990-pdc-signed.pdf
Ed, No doubt you have long associations with many national org execs like HSUS, Best Friends, AZHS, ASPCA etc. Would you contact them with this information reported from around Arizona, also representative of California (undoubtedly nationwide), and post the response? With their concrete plan to be immediately implemented? Missing funds, no services for funds allocated, deteriorating conditions, no accountability for mass euthanizing with so-called "no kill" shelters.
"Yavapai county is just as bad.
Sadly , have to say we have given 5 binders full of proof to our municipalities, the IRS and the AG. Nothing is being done in Prescott. Our Humane Society doesn't have a clinic for 4+ yrs but still they gave them $360K and we are missing about 8 mil? Where is it as they are killing as fast as they are coming in!
Hello. I’m checking in from Prescott. Not sure how much you are aware of, but we have been fighting this for five years, trying to get the truth out about our local “shelter.”
It is run by a nonprofit-Yavapai Humane Society- who contracts with our three local governments of Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Yavapai County.
There is no accountability and appears to be fraud and likely corruption, for which the animals pay the price!
Federal, state and local officials are aware. Local ignores us(and threatens). We believe they are under investigation at the State and Federal levels for millions in “missing” dollars.
Our animals go “ missing” at this “No -kill Ethic” shelter, gates are now locked, spay and neuter clinic has been closed for years, volunteers have gone from over two hundred to a handful, and nobody is allowed in without an appointment. Those of us who are vocal are targeted, harassed, and severely intimidated .
We cannot get in to see the animals! No true rescues can pull from them, and we have heard that the killing continues while the money pours into pockets!
This situation is DIRE for our animals!
Thanks for listening and hope we can band together for meaningful change in Arizona to Protect our Voiceless ANIMALS!"
Many similar reports in California. The National Orgs have created companion animals "crisis capitalism" while shifting responsibility to public and community. Just like the Best Friends Toolkit booklet or chirpy "how to" videos....how YOU can organize, how YOU can contact authorities, how YOU can flag Craigslist puppy listing, how YOU can fundraise (while WE collect oodles of money).
Please explain to the executives you contact, the public is exhausted with their playbook, grift and drained of "compassion fatigue" with suffering animals. Thanks in advance for posting follow-up on response from national org execs (please specify which ones) on reports from around Arizona (California and nationwide) and what they plan to do about it immediately.
Reportedly 20 million public funds allocated to San Diego Humane Society for spay/neuter but no services. In San Bernardino, 8 million dollars allocated for dog park, spay neuter and other services has vanished, no promised services. Discussion of issue recorded on San Bernardino public council meeting. HSUS and Best Friends also associated with "disaster capitalism" fundraising on homeless distressed animals after a flood or hurricane and either doing nothing meaningful or euthanizing most of them for treatable conditions like heartworm after separating out the purebreds or those highly marketable. Shelters shipping out their overflow population to high kill shelters to maintain "no kill" status . Assuming you contact these execs, It would be interesting how they respond to these issues and what they plan to immediately do. No platitudes or cotton-ball banalities please. These orgs do not deserve donations and corporate sponsors are merely buying empty virtue signaling with their logo association.
The situation with the small pets is such a disgrace. Besides the one guy fired and the one guy resigning, no one was held accountable and Tucson Police appear to have not even left their office to do the investigation. My opinion is that neither humane society wanted the truth to come out because someone beyond Christian Gonzalez knew something prior to this happening. San Diego Humane refuses to release public records and want the tax payers who fund them to the tune of $20+ million a year to take their word for it with zero proof of no wrong doing. At a minimum there was fraud involved, even if animal cruelty cannot be proven.
Kelly, I understand your frustration. It’s disheartening to see a lack of accountability, especially when so many rely on these organizations to protect animals. Transparency is crucial, and taxpayers deserve to know how their funds are being used. The concerns you raise about potential fraud and the refusal to release public records are serious and warrant further scrutiny. Let’s keep advocating for the truth and push for the changes needed to ensure better accountability in the future.
It takes each of us to fix problems. Being involved in animal politics has taught me a lot about life. Here's my article that I shared with Ed, which seemed to "spark" his wonderful essay:
https://robinmotzer.substack.com/p/the-true-tale-of-an-abused-abandoned-dog-who-found-his-furever-home-and-fame
It’s so terribly disappointing to see these salaries. I hope your blog captures the attention of these organizations so they begin to direct their funds toward meaningful programs.
Ed: A prize for this. May we connect? I have been working on an investigation for eight years, and I'd like to share what I have discovered. www.stephaniestephens.com and stephanie@stephaniestephens.com in the OC. Thank you. This is my career and life mission...