Good evening, Felinity Assembled, for anyone who missed the start of this series, you can read it here.
Welcome to the last chapter in this series, and thank you to all who have read it, and spread the word about it.
Tonite I want to introduce you to 3 websites playing a roll in spreading the word, via their websites, and numerous reports, and exposes, about 2 organizations who have built 2 distinctly different reputations in the Animal Welfare Movment...and how all is not what most people think, with regrds to these organizations.
Humane Watch has been keeping a watchful eye on the Humane Society of the United States at least since February 2010.
Why?
They explain it this way:
"The dog-watchers at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) need their own watchdog too. HSUS now has an annual budget around the size of an NFL payroll. It has become too big and too unaccountable. Someone has to pay closer attention.
This blog is an attempt to make sense of what’s going on inside that sprawling organization.
Is the Humane Society of the United States all good? All bad? The truth probably lies somewhere in between. And there are many conflicting assessments of its performance."
The HSUS is a national group with no ties to your local Humane Society Shelter.
Charity Rating Services have been mixed in their assessments, but Humane Watch explains it this way: They "don’t dig very deep into anyone’s programs, and they don’t look at much beyond a tax return."
Humane Watch digs deeper, and they have quite the Document Library.
They have collected documents going back to the early days of the HSUS, in 1954, and classified them into 14 different categories.
They have promoted a list of Shelters in every state in its "Daily Humane Bites" feature, making no distiction between Kill & No KIll, with the feeling that supporting these places is more responsible than supporting the HSUS.
They have created 6 ads, such as the one above, to promote public awareness about the troubling side to HSUS.
They have a Blogroll of 38 organizations, and websites, that do similar work to what they do.
Visit, and explore Humane Watch.
ActivistCash is a website, tied to The Center for Consumer Freedom, that follows the money, providing detailed and up-to-date information about the funding sources of organizations and activists, whether respectable or radical....
They have covered the HSUS, describing it, in no uncertain terms, this way...
"Despite the omnipresent dogs and cats in its fundraising materials and television commercials, it’s not an organization that runs spay/neuter programs or takes in stray, neglected, and abused pets. And quite unlike the common image of animal protection agencies as cash-strapped organizations dedicated to animal welfare, HSUS has become the wealthiest animal rights organization on earth."
Their thorough expose begins here.
Their expose of PETA blows the lid of this despicable organization.
As they explain:
"PETA is not an animal welfare organization.
PETA spends less than one percent of its multi-million dollar budget actually helping animals. The group euthanized (killed) more than 1,900 animals in 2003 alone -- that's over 85 percent of the animals it received. In fact, from July 1998 through the end of 2003, PETA killed over 10,000 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals" at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. That's more than five animals every day. On its 2002 federal income-tax return, PETA claimed a $9,370 expense for a giant walk-in freezer, the kind most people use as a meat locker or for ice-cream storage. But animal-rights activists don't eat meat or dairy foods. So far, the group hasn't confirmed the obvious -- that it's using the appliance to store the bodies of its victims."
Read much more, here.
PETA Kills Animals is a related website, also a project of The Center for Consumer Freedom, that devotes all its resources to exposing PETA.
One more thing...PETA thinks that I, Mr. Nikita, am "Clever", but they take serious issue with my linking to the above websites in my sidebar.... :-D
On January 13th, 2010, only 2 weeks after I began this blog, I wrote a letter to PETA that I sent thru their automated contact system on their website since there didn't appear to be any other way, short of Snail Mail, to send it.
It was a letter related to my essay on behalf of a word ( To a Cat there is no finer word, in any language, than this one... ). :-D
After 2 weeks I got a response inviting me to contact them, so I did. :-D
I also, again, included my Dear PETA letter. :-D
Imagine my surprise when I got a response within hours. :-D
****UPDATE - 8AM 4/22/12****
Elvira Mistress of Felinity, Sassy Lady Cat, reporting!
When it comes to the No Kill Movement VS the Status Quo, Felinity Assembled, please keep in mind that there are a lot of powerful vested interests, with much at stake, who will go to great lengths to defend themselves against those who wish to find another, better, way.
There are also squabbles amongst those who claim to want a No Kill system, as this update shows....
Well, How DO you DO! A Dog loving Human with 2 websites on their favorite breed, and one about No Kill efforts where they live (Apparently a Non-Profit group), has taken it upon themselves to leave a comment taking Nikita to task for showing support for No Kill Nation.
I won't bore you with the contents of the comment for several reasons, and bad spelling, and punctuation, are just one. :-D
I went to visit the websites so Nikita (Who is snoozing after breakfast) won't have to, and found out that the person claims to be involved in a long running lawsuit filed by NKN, has issues with various well known names in the No Kill Movement, and dislikes a fellow, nationally known, consultant, named Rick Berman.
For a person who claims decades of advocacy work, and a passion for their favorite breed of Dog, they sure are passionate, frequent, bloggers....NOT!
Their No Kill blog, begun in 2009, has never had more than 20 posts in any year, though this year just might make it.
The oldest blog, begun in 2008, has never had more than 12 entries in any year, and no entries since January.
The 3rd blog, begun in 2011, has only had 109 entries.
None of the blogs have links in the sidebar to other blogs, organizations, and resources, however the Non-Profit's FB Page has links to Nathan Winograd's sites (Despite being openly hostile towards Winograd in current, and past, blog entries), and a bunch of likes, some No Kill related.
Admitedly very passionate in their attacks, and disagreements, with others in the No Kill Movement, and passionate about those efforts, and organizations, they support, this person links to at least one story on a website that seems to be infected with a virus that Norton had to block, and so for that reason, alone, I didn't do anymore exploring of stories this person referred readers to, and will not provide links to the sites, and pages mentioned above.
Admittedly Daddy Kiril, Nikita, and I, have lots to learn about Shelter issues, and the No Kill Movement, and one of those things, as was made obvious by the message sent by this person, is that not everyone who would like to see an increase in No Kill Shelters is on the same page, for political, personal, and other reasons.
And there also are those in the mainstream shelter system who take issue with the movement, also for political, personal, and other, reasons.
Simple Googling will turn up all the attacks, and disagreements, one could ever want, or have time to digest, so have at it in between your regularly scheduled naps and snoozes. :-D
We plan to continue to educate ourselves, and encourage our readers to do so as well.
In that regard let me add a few more links...
Why are some activists, and organizations, including HSUS, mad at Rick Berman? Let him explain.
Humane Society for Shelter Pets is "a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to fostering a broad base of support for America’s local pet shelters and humane societies. HSSP counts more than 800 shelters, rescues, and humane societies among its members." (This includes at least 10 organizations related to Cats, and Dogs, in our own backyard)
The National No Kill Foundation promotes the No Kill Solution to save animals in shelters across the United States, and you can read their mission statement here.
No Kill Network was begun in 2006, and "is dedicated to promoting no-kill animal shelters, organizations, and rescue groups by helping people learn about and locate these organizations. The nØkill Network also strives to promote the no-kill model so that shelters that do not currently have a no-kill policy might take the initiative needed to gain the public, governmental, and financial support necessary to become a no-kill organization."
The site has Forums, and a Community of Bloggers, and you can read more on their About Page.
****END UPDATE****
****UPDATE - 8 pm 4/24/12****
Claudia Vecchio, Volunteer Chairperson, of ORA, has a great round-up of the Nathan Winograd event, in Toronto, here.
****END UPDATE****
****UPDATE - 5/29/12****
FNN SPECIAL REPURRT: No Kill Series Sequel - PETA
In March/April/May, Huffington Post Canada columnist Douglas Anthony Cooper did a terrific , 5 part, expose on PETA, culminating in a discussion of Nathan Winograd, & the No Kill Movement, as an altertanive to PETA, and the familiar Shelter procedures.
****END UPDATE****
Nellie has been following this, but because she is sick, I am helping.
I went back and read all your posts, and I am appalled, and shocked!
Both of us are rescues.
Nellie was to be put down the day Daddy got her because the shelter said she was un-adoptable.
I was rescued from a hoarder and then a no kill group rescued me from the shelter.
You guys are doing great work!
Keep fighting! We are behind you!
Kozmo
Posted by: Kozmo at the Cat From Hell | April 21, 2012 at 09:07 PM