Taking Advantage of a Bad Situation

News everywhere flies with the federal indictment of Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons star quarterback, for conspiracy. Yup, conspiracy. Not dogfighting, which is what the media has portrayed to be the primary violation.

It is a common intricacy of federal law that crimes aren't as cut and dry as they seem - for example, in this case a conspiracy charge - the conspiracy being, moving animals across state lines for the purposes of dogfighting, or some similar description. It doesn't make dogfighting any less repugnant, to me anyway, that there is no federal crime against it. I also don't care the political reasons why Vick was not charged on the state level. I'm glad attention is drawn to this nasty crime and I hope it can be halted.

However, I also am watching the public get tricked, once again. Wayne Pacelle, new head of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is on every news station and major network, online and in print, clamoring about the evils of dogfighting and asking that donations be sent to stop this terrible crime, and save these dogs from a horrible life.

Here's the problem. The HSUS doesn't help animals. Any. They have or support exactly zero animal shelters across the United States. Just because your local shelter contains the words "Humane Society" does NOT in any way link it with HSUS. The HSUS is, in primary function, a lobbying group. One with a leader who has expressly and publicly stated that he is against the idea of pet ownership.

In case you were wondering where you were *really* sending your money.

Don't fall for the HSUS pleas - they want your money to continue to legislate pets out of American homes, as was just attempted on a state level in California with AB 1634, a disastrous bill that would have cost local counties millions to enforce (while providing no source of funding) and cut off any California-bred puppies - including police and rescue dogs. The HSUS is against rescue dogs being bred in California. Does that make any sense at all, in our most earthquake-prone state?

So instead of falling for their mailings with photos of dogs they will never assist, write your check to your local shelter or no-kill rescue. There are hundreds of thousands of truly worthy organizations, ones that actually take in animals and help them on a one to one level. You will be able to feel a lot better about where your money goes, because you know you'll be helping animals - not feeding a multi-million dollar lobbying organization that has nothing to do with saving animals.