Disaster Relief for Pets~DO NOT GIVE TO HSUS!

Below is a letter I received from my friend, Whippet breeder/exhibitor, Sharyn Hutchens, in Lexington, Va. through one of my email lists. Please consider what she is saying and check out the links to read the stories. I have included an excerpt from each story so you can get an idea of the article.
The kennel club I am the Recording Secretary for in Kingsport, TN, donated $500 to the AKC Disaster Relief Fund for the Iowa Flood Relief and we were kept informed about where the money was going and what it was spent on voluntarily, HSUS will not let you know these things even if you ask.
If you have any other questions or want more information on what the HSUS is REALLY all about, please let me know and I will do my best to answer you.
Prayers for the folks in the path of Gustav and Hanna, both human and non-human.
Angie

"With hurricane season upon us and Gustav just about on top of New Orleans, it is critical to get the word out. Three years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) mounted a gigantic fundraising campaign. They raised $32 million and have still not accounted for most of that money. Serious dog folks believe that most of the money collected by HSUS with the claim that it would be used for disaster relief came right back at us helping to promote laws that are bad for pets and bad for people. Even their on-site work isn't well thought of. Many, pet rescuers who went to the Gulf Coast to help Katrina animals found themselves hindered by HSUS. Record keeping was so slapdash that many pets that were saved, couldn't be found by their owners. Many believe that the pets in the area would have been better off if HSUS had stayed at home. In any case HSUS *already takes in millions* that they do not use in helping animals. They do not run shelters (though a couple of companies they own do have sanctuaries), and in fact they compete with shelters for donation dollars. The AKC has a disaster relief fund now, which is used to support search and rescue dogs and all pets during a disaster. That's where I've just sent our contribution. I am not always a fan of AKC, but they ARE honest about the handling of their money, and when they offer help, it is real HELP -- not a clumsy self-promotional effort.

https://www.akc.org/donations/index.cfm (to donate to AKC Disaster Relief)

In normal times, give to your local animal shelters. They will nearly always use the money for actual animal care. Please investigate any charity you send money to after a disaster, Wait a few days and find an organization based in the area that needs help.
For further information on HSUS disaster relief:

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jun06/060601j.asp

"Numerous pet owners filed complaints with the attorney general about problems finding their pets, according to Foti's office. Some owners claim that persons currently caring for their displaced pets are refusing to reunite the pet with the proper owners."

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/headline/3674

"Pets left behind in disasters? The last “big one,” Hurricane Katrina, netted HSUS more than $32 million in fundraising, and an investigation by the Louisiana Attorney General has focused on where that money actually went. (We still don’t know.)"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032501002.html

"The Louisiana attorney general has launched inquiries into two of the country's best-known charities -- the American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the United States -- after receiving complaints that they misused some of the millions of dollars they raised in the fall to help the human and non-human victims of Hurricane Katrina."

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/humane_society_of_the_united_states_under_investigation/

"According to Activistcash.com ” HSUS has accumulated $113 million in assets and built a recognizable brand by capitalizing on the confusion its very name provokes. This misdirection results in an irony of which most animal lovers are unaware: HSUS raises enough money to finance animal shelters in every single state, with money to spare, yet it doesn’t operate a single one anywhere.”"

Or just Google "HSUS misuse funds Katrina"
Please tell everyone you know.

Sharyn Hutchens
Timbreblue Whippets