Misleading Charity Must Return Haiti Donations
Consumer Group: HSUS Must Return Donations After Misleading Haiti Fundraising
Humane Society of the United States Has
a History of Deceptive Pitches
Washington, DC â The
Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) is calling on the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS) to return all the funds
it has raised under the pretense of âsavingâ animals in
the wake of Haitiâs devastating earthquake. A disaster
relief expert working with Humane Society International
(HSUSâs global arm) reports that there are no animal issues
resulting from the earthquake and that no actions can be
taken to help animals there. This follows a thorough
assessment of the situation in Haiti.
HSUS continues to
raise funds for âemergencyâ donations, claiming Tuesday
that âHumane Society International's team on the ground in
Haiti continues its work of helping animals in
distress.â
David Martosko, Director of Research at the
Center for Consumer Freedom released the following statement
on HSUSâs deceptive fundraising:
Raising money to help
nonexistent animals is the lowest kind of fundraising scam.
Sadly, itâs just the latest in a string of phony HSUS
fundraising schemes.
In 2007 HSUS raised money with the false promise that it would be used to âcare for the dogs seized in the Michael Vick case.â The New York Times later reported that HSUS was not caring for the animals at all, and HSUS president Wayne Pacelle said his group was recommending that government officials âput downâ (kill) all the dogs, many of which were later saved by other organizations.
HSUS also raised a reported $34 million in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, funds that were supposed to help reunite lost pets with their owners. But an investigation by WSB-TV in Atlanta found that less than $7 million of this money could be publicly accounted for.
In the name of transparency, HSUS should cease its Haiti fundraising immediately, or redirect 100 percent of the proceeds to the American Red Cross.
The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.
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