SHELBYVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Walking Show Horse Organization (TWSHO) today demanded that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) release hotline reports they say they have received about horse abuse so that the proper authorities can intervene and stop the abuse immediately. According to a Humane Society spokesman they have received at least eight calls, yet they have done nothing to intervene and protect the horse.

“If the HSUS is committed to ending horse abuse as they claim, then they should stop it immediately.  For far too long they have allowed horse abuse to continue so that they can sensationalize the horrific actions of a few for publicity, rather than getting rid of the soring trainers,” said Jane Lynch Crain, TWSHO spokesman. “Our actions have shown that we are fully committed to weeding out the bad apples and ending horse abuse.  I implore the HSUS to turn over the reports to the Celebration immediately so that they can investigate and if needed, keep soring trainers out of the ring.”

This is not the first time that the so-called animal advocacy group has allowed horse abuse for publicity purposes. The HSUS recently allowed the horrific abuse of a horse to continue for over 11 months in order to package a video for the purpose of fundraising and free publicity. The Celebration has a zero tolerance for horse abuse. Anyone found soring or abusing a horse will be sent home, punished and turned over to the proper authorities.  HSUS needs to do that same, not put their public relations machine ahead of horse safety.

The HSUS is working with felon and known horse abuser Barney Davis, the man who was banned for like from The Celebration, to capture horse abuse on video so that HSUS can exploit the sensational footage for fundraising and publicity purposes.

The HSUS is perceived as a non-profit charity with the sole purpose of raising funds to protect animals. But the HSUS is not your local animal shelter. In fact, the HSUS is known to charge local animal shelters exorbitant certification fees, some as high as $25,000. That is money that could be better spent to rescue animals from abuse. HSUS raises nearly $149 million annually with the majority being spent on exorbitant salaries, pensions, Washington, DC lobbyists and fundraisers.  Less than 4% of HSUS’ revenue is used to protect animals --seven times that is spent on salaries alone. HSUS’ CEO, Wayne Pacelle, makes an annual salary of $275,000 and over the years he has made over $2.86 million. The HSUS spends $36.2 million in salaries with more than 28 employees making over $100,000 per year. They spend $24.2 million dollars on fundraising and over $17 million on lobbying.

Humane Society Not Focused On Helping Weakest Animals

• Contrary To Popular Belief, Less Than One Percent Of Funds Donated To The Humane Society Goes To Support Local Pet Shelters. “[W]here does that $19 a month go? Does it go to protecting the cats and dogs pictured in the television ads? Nope. According their most recent tax return, less than 1 percent of the Humane Society of the United States’ annual budget actually goes to local pet shelters. But most Americans do not know this. According to a recent Opinion Research Corp. poll, 71 percent of Americans believe that the HSUS is an umbrella organization for local Humane Society pet shelters nationwide.” (Conn Carroll, “Critics Question Spending By Humane Society Of The United States,” washingtonexaminer.com, 3/16/12)

• “Robert Baker, A Humane Society Consultant And Former Chief Investigator: “The Humane Society Should Be Worried About Protecting Animals From Cruelty. It’s Not Doing That. The Place Is All About Power And Money.” (Edward T. Pound, “One Nonprofit’s Woes,” U.S. News & World Report, 10/2/95)

• The Director Of Education At HSUS Left The Organization Because She Wanted To Work With Local Shelters Without Charging Them. “[A]sk Didi Culp, the human educator for Frederick County, Md., Animal Control. Culp was director of education at HSUS for three years before leaving the organization because she wanted to offer more services to local shelters without charging them anything. So she joined the Humane Society for Shelter Pets, a nonprofit that educates Americans on the need to directly support local pet shelters, not advocacy groups like the HSUS.” (Conn Carroll, “Critics Question Spending By Humane Society Of The United States,” washingtonexaminer.com, 3/16/12)

• Dallas’ Animal Coalition Had To Pay $25,000 For The Humane Society To Review The City’s Shelter And Animal Services Department. “The city of Dallas’ animal shelter and animal services department will undergo an independent review by the Humane Society of the United States, the city’s Animal Shelter Commission is scheduled to announce today. … The $25,000 cost of the review will be covered by the Metroplex Animal Coalition and not City Hall.” (Rudolph Bush, “Humane Society To Review Dallas’ Animal Shelter,” The Dallas Morning News, 12/10/09)

Humane Society’s Money Machine

• Between 2006 – 2010, The Humane Society Of The United States (HSUS) Raised Almost Half A Billion Dollars In Gifts, Grants Contributions And Membership Fees. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• In 2010 Alone, The HSUS Raised $131,213,883 And Had Total Revenue Reaching Almost $149 Million. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• In 2010 Alone, HSUS Spent $36.2 Million On Salaries And Employee Benefits – 24 Percent Of Total Receipts. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• In 2010 Alone , HSUS Spent $24.2 Million On Fundraising Expenses – 18 Percent Of Total Contributions. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)
        But …

• HSUS Only Gave Out $5.2 Million In Grants – Four Percent Of The Group’s Total Expenses. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• HSUS Paid Almost Seven Times More In Salaries Than It Gave Out In Grants. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• HSUS Paid Almost Five Times More In Fundraising Expenses Than It Gave Out In Grants. (Humane Society Of The United States, Form 990, 9/19/11)

• The Humane Society’s CEO Earns Over $275,000 And 28 Other Employees Earns Over $100,000. “So if the HSUS isn’t giving money to protect pets in local shelters, where is that money going? Well for starters, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle’s total compensation package was over $275,000 in 2010. Another 28 HSUS employees made over $100,000.” (Conn Carroll, “Critics Question Spending By Humane Society Of The United States,” washingtonexaminer.com, 3/16/12)

• During Just 2005-2009, HSUS Spent Over $17 Million On Lobbying And Sponsoring Ballot Initiatives. “Then there is the lobbying. Between 2005 and 2009, HSUS spent $17.3 million lobbying governments and sponsoring ballot initiatives attacking the livestock industry and promoting veganism.” (Conn Carroll, “Critics Question Spending By Humane Society Of The United States,” washingtonexaminer.com, 3/16/12)

• “Charity Watch, A Nonprofit Charity Watchdog Organization, Gave HSUS A ‘D’ Rating Since It Spends Almost Half Of Its Budget On Fundraising.” (Conn Carroll, “Critics Question Spending By Humane Society Of The United States,” washingtonexaminer.com, 3/16/12)

• FLASHBACK: In The Mid-1990s, Humane Society Employees Complained Of “Excessive Fund-Raising Costs, Fat Salaries And Big Expense Accounts.” “Current and former Humane Society employees say the claims against [David] Wills are only part of the problem. In interviews, they complained that the charity’s $ 24 million budget was being drained by excessive fund-raising costs, fat salaries and big expense accounts.” (Edward T. Pound, “One Nonprofit’s Woes,” U.S. News & World Report, 10/2/95)

Humane Society Puts Publicity First

• Pacelle Planned On Modeling The Humane Society After The National Rifle Association, Admiring The Gun Rights Group’s “Brute Strength.” “Animal welfare activists don’t usually invoke the National Rifle Assn. as a role model. After all, hunting animals for sport and protecting animals from sport hunters are mutually exclusive endeavors. But Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, finds something to admire about the gun rights group: its brute strength. … No, he doesn’t want to run an organization that is only feared. ‘I’d rather be loved -- and feared.’” (Carla Hall, “Career Ark Of An Animal Defender,” Los Angeles Times, 7/19/08)

• Pacelle Increased The Number Of Humane Society Undercover Investigators And Packaged Videos “With The Flair Of TMZ.” “He didn’t pioneer the use of hidden-camera video to reveal animal cruelty (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals did), but he has increased the number of Humane Society undercover investigators and packaged the resulting videos with the flair of TMZ and the intensity of ‘60 Minutes.’” (Carla Hall, “Career Ark Of An Animal Defender,” Los Angeles Times, 7/19/08)

• Pacelle “Retooled” HSUS And Changed It Form A “Mild-Mannered Protector Of Dogs And Cats To An “Aggressive Interest Group Flexing Muscle.” “In the four years since the 42-year-old vegan -- he neither eats nor wears animal products -- ascended to the top spot at the Humane Society, Pacelle has retooled a venerable organization seen as a mild-mannered protector of dogs and cats into an aggressive interest group flexing muscle in state legislatures and courtrooms. His predecessors may have built the Humane Society’s wealth, but he doubled its net assets to nearly $207 million.” (Carla Hall, “Career Ark Of An Animal Defender,” Los Angeles Times, 7/19