# HSUS vs. Local Rescues, etc.



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hi everyone, Andra and I have PM'd back and forth, and she asked me to move our conversation here so that other people can weigh in as well!:



> :
> Originally Posted by andra
> Hi there.
> 
> ...


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## andra (Aug 23, 2010)

I am a bit confused about the use of 'humane society' and the main organization as the shelter that I adopted my first dog from was labeled "(city location-insert here) Humane Society". And their website seems to imply that it is linked to the humane society but now I am thinking that the two are not linked in any way and that anybody can put 'humane society' on their shelter as a generic label. I dont know if this is done intentionally to confuse people who are just average joes or what?? 

Well, I went in to the adoption with the purest of intentions and the excitement and enthusiasm of fulfilling my dream of owning my first dog. I never would have known that it would have turned out the way that it did.  

What's done is done and even though I still have a lot of deep seeded grief, I have moved on and am now the mommy of Dionna the havanese who is my joy. 

I am sorry and embarassed if I caused any confusion or drama on the forum. If the moderators think my original post should be deleted, I am ok with it! 

andra


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Andra,

I think part of your confusion is in thinking that just because an organization has "Humane Society" in it's name, they are all the same organization... they aren't, except for HSUS (which, as I mentioned, isn't REALLY a humane society) run on a national level. They are locally run, even if there is some loose affiliation. So the fact that you had trouble with one "humane society" doesn't mean they are all bad. We are lucky to have a very good one near us.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

andra said:


> I am a bit confused about the use of 'humane society' and the main organization as the shelter that I adopted my first dog from was labeled "(city location-insert here) Humane Society". And their website seems to imply that it is linked to the humane society but now I am thinking that the two are not linked in any way and that anybody can put 'humane society' on their shelter as a generic label. I dont know if this is done intentionally to confuse people who are just average joes or what??
> 
> Well, I went in to the adoption with the purest of intentions and the excitement and enthusiasm of fulfilling my dream of owning my first dog. I never would have known that it would have turned out the way that it did.
> 
> ...


Andra, there is NO reason to be sorry or embarrassed about being confused about something. And there is no reason that other people shouldn't hear that you had a problem.

I can't believe that any shelter would use the name "humane society" to try to confuse people... even poorly run shelters WANT to help animals... they just may not be doing a very good job.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

There is a Humane Society Shelter in the town next to mine and I am pretty sure that it is locally (county) funded and doesn't get any money from HSUS. They also run on donations and volunteers. I believe there is only one paid staff member (the director). I know they do the best they can but it isn't great.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Andra, Thank you for talking about your experience. I think many people are confused about The Humane Society. There of course is the National (I think they have a shelter or two) They are mainly a lobbying group. It is their policy to not inforce the trade mark use of their name and consider benefical for others to use their name. This confuses many people. I lobby, sometimes I am not popular. I do not dislike Peta or the Humane Society. I do consider them radicals on many matters. I am conservative (unless you ask the hunters in Bladen Co, NC.). They make my job easier. There is a county in SC where I can't even drive through. I like some of Peta's programs such as Dog houses for the south, they build wooden dog houses for dogs that are left on chains or have plastic houses here in the south. They also provide euthanasia for dogs in rual shelters here in the south (the alterantive is they poison in their food, it is a horrible death). There is many good and bad things the main thing is the public notices!!! I want puppy mill laws. Do I want to stop breeding. No I want breeders to have as many dogs as they can take care of. This whole 42 parallel mentality has to stop. Everyone needs to be part of the solution and first and formost breeders should be helping to draft laws. My little rant and I am so sorry Andra you need to tell people so it does not happen to them.


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## andra (Aug 23, 2010)

This has been a very painful educational process. I am very new to the dog world; I am an expert in all things hedgehog but very unclear about things in the dog world. That is one of the reasons we hired an excellent in home trainer immediately when we brought Dionna II (my havanese) home.

I certainly do not want to stir up controversy and I am astute enough not to immediately generalize what happened to me at my shelter to all shelters BUT when I started to see some side comments about HSUS that seemed to be consistent with my experience, I wanted to ask somebody, if only to confirm that I was not the only person who had a very bad experience. I did not realize that the term 'humane society' could be used and not necessarily be linked to the main organization.

I am still very grief stricken and shell shocked by what happened and it brings all of the emotions rushing back up. That is why I had to ask somebody, if only to provide another puzzle piece to what happened to me. In my angst, I am not sure if I am even communicating clearly as I type as I end up with a huge lump in my throat. 

Anyway, I feel very embarassed by all of this now....I certainly do not want to create any tension, drama or upset. I am just trying to be the best havanese mommy as I can be. To do so, I want to learn but I also dont want to recreate any missteps that Dionna the first went through nor do I want to accidently donate to any place that is creating similar problems.

andra


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

The HUSU cannot dictate whether people can use the term "Humane Society" in their name or not. The term pre-dates HUSU by almost 200 years. HUSU was founded in 1954. The FIRST Humane Society I could find reference to was in the UK in 1774!


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Okay, which one is on tv all the time with the pleas for money and the pitiful photos of dogs and cats who can't find homes, asking for 18.00 per month?


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

Andra, I have been replying to your pm, but I will just put it in here.

I am going to put a few things in her that will touch on the term everyone wants to use so much "puppymills) and about Peta and HSUS. And Warning this is very long  I have to break it down into two post.

lets start with the word "puppymill"
In all reality what we really need to do is remove the word "puppy mill" from our vocabulary as that word was actually started by the HSUS and PETA, and has such a broad range in what people believe it means. We need to actually start educating people and the real problem and and help them to understand.

Yes these places that everyone has in mind as "puppy Mills" meaning the horrible conditions the excessive breeding etc is really only a small part of it. Our actual problem is the big guys. Like "Pet Land" etc. because they are be backed by the USDA and are doing everything they should be by their standards, they are trying to force these issues on us. They have thousands of dogs and are producing 600 plus puppies a year, they are making millions, they hire in vets, make sure that the animals are provided for, but the part about that that bothers me is, they put these animals in small en-closers, they are forced to have babies all their life, and these kinds of places are seen as ok, because the conditions appear clean, yet these animals have no loving human contact or do their babies, and these same groups are the ones that are also trying to take our rights away. 
For example: If I was to have a Havanese female ready to whelp her litter, she can be in the house with me, but the moment she goes into labor she is no longer allowed in the house rather she would have to be in a separate building in an en-closer of a certain size and that is where she would have to stay, Why? Because she is now consider no longer your pet, but rather just breeding stock.
I'm sorry but this is my family pet and I am not in it to make money, and now I am being told that if she was to have her puppies in the home where I live I can now be fined and or imprisoned.

You can't really ban a word. In fact, an attempt to ban something often backfires, particularly in the United States, where we don't like people censoring our speech. So I'm not going to tell you not to say "puppy mill". I'm going to give you some very good reasons for not using that phrase.

I speak to a lot of dog clubs and frequently hear dog breeders supporting so-called "anti-puppy-mill" laws. When I ask these people to define "puppy mill," invariably the definitions given include:
• People who "overbreed" their dogs;
• People who don't take care of their dogs;
• People who have too many dogs;
• People who breed dogs "just for money"; and
• People who don't take health issues into account when breeding their dogs.

Let's look at these definitions in turn. What is "overbreeding"? In the wild, most canids can only reproduce once a year. Most domestic dogs can have two litters a year. When I first became a dog breeder, it was almost a religious belief that no female dog should be bred more than once a year. We were told that it was important to "rest" the uterus between litters. Today, however, thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, we know that an uterus is actually damaged by the elevated progesterone levels that occur in each heat cycle, whether the dog is pregnant or not. Veterinary reproduction specialists recommend that dogs be bred on their second or third heat cycle, that we do more back-to-back breedings, and that we spay the dogs at around age six.

The "overbreeding" argument also treats reproduction as something that female dogs wouldn't do if they had a choice. Dogs aren't people - female dogs actually want to be bred when they're in heat and, with few exceptions, enjoy raising their puppies. It's not an unwelcome event for dogs.

People who don't take care of their dogs are already guilty of a crime in all 50 states. There is nowhere in the United States where it is legal to neglect or abuse dogs. Sadly, a small minority of all dog breeders - commercial, home and hobby - commit neglect and abuse. Some of these do so out of ignorance, some out of laziness, and some out of meanness. All are already breaking the law. It just needs to be enforced.

One of our biggest problems now is that animal radicals insist that every dog be raised like a hothouse flower. One bill proposed this year would have required every kennel to be air conditioned. Many owners of working dogs prefer that their dogs be acclimated to hot weather so that they can work when the temperature goes up. Likewise, sled dogs in the north often sleep outdoors in the snow. Dogs can live and thrive in a wide range of environments. The Arctic Circle, the jungles of Africa, and the deserts of Arabia have all produced breeds of dogs that can live happily in conditions that might not suit all dogs. It is important that we not let activists redefine the needs of dogs to the extent that we are forced to provide a brass bed and a down pillow for every animal in the kennel!

What is "too many" dogs? Most of our breeds were developed by wealthy people who kept large numbers of dogs. Hound breeders traditionally kept good-sized packs, and early show breeders did as well. Now that our sport includes more mainstream people - people with jobs or people who need jobs - it's hard for many of us to keep large numbers of dogs. There is no inherent link between numbers of dogs and neglect. People who have the resources to keep big kennels provide a service for all of us, particularly if they maintain a good number of useful stud dogs.

Breeding dogs is expensive, and getting more so daily. It's just plain silly to pretend that none of us needs the money generated by puppy sales and stud services. Without that income, the vast majority of middle class breeders could not afford this sport. When our sport was solely in the hands of rich people, it was the norm to sneer at people in "trade", and part of that attitude was handed down to us with the culture of our sport. Today, however, the majority of us in the sport are "in trade", in the sense that we have to work to support ourselves. Our dogs must, at least in part, support themselves or most of us would have to get out of the game.

We have among us a small but vociferous group of people who think that breeders only care about producing great hunting or show dogs, and nothing about health. In fact, I've never met a breeder who wasn't concerned about the health of his dogs and the health of his breed. Most health problems in dogs don't have simple solutions, so it is only natural that breeders are often going to disagree about how to address health problems. When there's no right answer to a question, then breeders who follow a different path than you might choose are not necessarily wrong or unconcerned. I know that many believe that commercial breeders don't care about health, but the fact is that their professional organizations provide some of the most sophisticated health seminars in the country for their breeders.

Twenty years ago, animal activists created the phrase "puppy mill". Back then, it was only applied to commercial breeders, and then only to those who were breaking the law by neglecting their dogs. In a futile attempt to placate activists, many hobby breeders adopted the term "puppy mill" and used it to separate "them" from "us". It was a mistake then, and it's rapidly becoming fatal today. Every one of these so-called "anti-puppy-mill bills" has a definition that could easily include breeders of hunting and show dogs. Every time you use that phrase, you're contributing to the idea that dog breeders need to be regulated out of existence.

The message we need to send to America is that purebred dogs are good, not just because they have pedigrees, but because of their predictability, and that people should shop at least as carefully for a puppy as they do for a car. We don't need to help the animal radicals spread their message by using their favorite term: puppy mill.


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

Here is some more about HSUS:
source: http://humanewatch.org/images/upload...NE_SOCIETY.pdf
Quote:
In a February 2010 poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 71 percent of Americans
agreed that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) "is an umbrella group that represents
thousands of local humane societies all across America." And 59 percent believed that
HSUS "contributes most of its money to local organizations that care for dogs and cats."
Both of these statements are false. Despite producing a steady stream of television commercials
and other fundraising materials that imply otherwise, HSUS is not affiliated with any of
America's more than 10,000 hands-on pet shelters. And in 2008, the most recent tax year for
which nonprofit IRS filings are available, HSUS shared less than one-half of one percent of its
budget with legitimate "humane societies" and other pet shelters.
This report documents HSUS's grants to pet shelters in the 50 United States from 2006 to
2008. The data is drawn from HSUS's tax filings with the IRS, documents which are in the public
record.
During that three-year period, HSUS donated zero dollars to shelters in five states (Maine,
Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming). And the organization's total giving to pet
shelters totaled less than $50,000 in each of 39 other states.
All told, HSUS's total spending in these 39 states made up just one-fifth of one percent (0.2%)
of HSUS's total budget during this time. In those three tax years, HSUS spent nearly $280 million
on salaries, lobbying, advertising, fundraising, and other programs. At the end of 2008,
HSUS reported having over $162 million in assets.
HSUS itself acknowledges that between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in
American shelters every year-about half of all pets that enter their doors. But while HSUS can
clearly afford to tackle the problem head-on, it appears to have other priorities.
The Humane Society of the United States did spend $2.4 million on pet shelters in Louisiana
between 2006 and 2008, mostly consisting of funds for constructing new facilities following
Hurricane Katrina. HSUS could easily afford to follow this funding model in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia; if it did, those expenditures would amount to roughly half of its annual
budget-a noble goal.
However, HSUS-which is often erroneously referred to as our "national humane society"-
routinely gives far less to the hands-on pet sheltering facilities that most Americans believe
constitute its principal responsibility.
Not Your Local Humane Society • HUMANEWATCH.ORG 3
HSUS Shelter Highlights
The Humane Society of the United States didn't make any donations to Ohio pet shelters
in 2007 and 2008, and gave just $5,200 in 2006. This year, however, the organization is
gearing up to spend millions of dollars in the Buckeye State on an anti-livestock farming
ballot initiative.
From 2006 to 2008, HSUS made zero payments to pet shelters in Maine, Nebraska,
Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
In 2008 HSUS made donations to pet shelter organizations in only 15 states-down from
34 states in 2007-even though its overall budget increased by more than $8 million.
HSUS routinely spends far more on state-level political fights than on pet shelters in those
same states.
• HSUS spent 10 times more passing "Proposition 2" in California-a ballot initiative
to create new livestock farming regulations-than on pet shelters there.
• In Massachusetts, the ratio was six-to-one (HSUS spent heavily on a ballot initiative
to ban greyhound racing).
• In Colorado, a "humane farms" political committee got seven times as many
HSUS dollars as the state's pet shelters.
• In Michigan, HSUS spent 100 times as much money promoting a dove-hunting
ban as it did on shelters.
• HSUS spent 300 times as much money sponsoring an Arizona "humane farms"
ballot group as what it contributed to that state's local shelters.
Despite the "United States" in HSUS's name, it donated more to a veterinary hospital in
India in just one year ($22,150) than it gave in three years to shelters in 31 different states:
Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The ads you see on TV most of those ads are so old but they still work for you to give your hard earned money to HSUS in the hopes that you are saving that dog on TV and many others like them, but how upsetting to find that less than 1 % ever reaches any of the shelters etc to truly help those animals in need.

Ok I am off my soap box for now, there is also a lot of good educational information in the links in my signature line. feel free to check those out too.


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

Information via http://www.gsdbydesign.com/PETA.htm Here is another link you can also look at if you want too http://www.siberiancats.com/charity.htm

 H$U$ and PETA are not your friends
_* PLEASE, Make Your Donations Count  *_ 
*  Humane Society of The United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical treatment of Animals (PETA) do NOT support any local animal shelters.  **This pageis not about German Shepherds or any other dog. It is about how some charitable organizations are not charitable, but rather money-grabbers. This is how less-than-honest organizations are playing on your sympathies, in order to extract money for their hidden agendas.*​ * Why do they succeed?
Animals lovers everywhere want to help those animals that are less fortunate than their own pets. In an attempt to help, most people will donate blindly to an association based solely on the sound of the name, or the fact that this organization has been around awhile.

We have all received those envelopes in the mail with the cute Christmas cards begging for you to support the charity by buying cards. Some of us also have received letters throughout the year showing starving and abused dogs and cats. Others receive images of rabbits with written text that says the photo depicts the result of animal testing - and won't you please help by sending money.

  The two organizations that most often use these begging tactics are PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and HSUS (Humane Society of the United States.)

Please do not be duped by these organizations. They are using YOUR money to further their hidden agendas. There is nothing good about them. Your money supports their self serving interests.
 
All Charities with annual revenues of $25, 000 or more must file form 990 with the federal government. This form details exactly what portion of contributions goes to help animals and how much goes to administrative costs.

It is better if a nonprofit group raises its own money or uses volunteers to raise that money. There are a lot of contracts out there where only 10 percent actually reaches the actual cause. Be aware that some charities list fundraising costs as "program services" in their reports - and that, obviously, does not directly aid animals.

For example, PETA supports Terrorism by donating your money to groups know as The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Both of these groups are responsible for terrorist acts against fellow Americans for various reasons that, simply put, do not agree with the agendas of the ALF and ELF. They raid farms, releasing all of the animals, and they bomb research laboratories.

PETA made a sizable donation last year to the North American Earth Liberation Front, which claimed it was responsible for the 1998 fire bombing of a Vail Ski Resort and hundreds of other crimes.

The violent activist group known as "Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty" (SHAC) is a special-interest subset of an FBI-certified "terrorist group" called the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). SHAC is singularly dedicated to destroying the medical research company that uses laboratory animals in its search for the cures for breast cancer and Parkinson's Disease.

And so it goes . . . *​ *PETA donates YOUR MONEY to ALF, and ALF sponsors SHAC - a terrorist group. And you thought that you were saving rabbits from being tested with shaving cream. Hats off to PETA for their successful job of completely *snowing* the general public.

In 2004, PETA made the following Fiscal Report 
Assets: $6.4 million
Income: $13.9 million 
PETA files an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ. To see PETA'S income tax return click on the link below
  http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005/521/218/2005-521218336-02015e44-9.pdf 
To read about their acts of terrorism, please click the following link   www.consumerfreedom.com and signup for the newsletter.
*​ * 
The HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) says it works for the protection of animals. The group has enough money to spay and neuter almost all of the strays in the USA and yet they support NO LOCAL SHELTERS.

This organization uses your money to support anti-breeder laws. HSUS funds legislation that would put a stop to breeders being able to breed. HSUS officials say they are against puppy and kitten mills, but the legislation they propose across the country does NOT exclude small, private breeders. It lumps everyone into the same legislative category.

In 2004, according to its 990 and 990EZ tax return the HSUS reported: 
Assets: $111 million 
Here is the link to that income tax return:     http://documents.guidestar.org/2001/530/225/2001-530225390-1-9.pdf
*
* Somehow, we don't think that they need our money. The HSUS relies on your misunderstanding to keep their bank accounts full.

Research conducted by the Center for Consumer Freedom (www.consumerfreedom.com) has confirmed that since at least 1998, the HSUS has been funding an Internet service used by the violent criminals of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).
HSUS has been very publicly criticized for hiring ALF-affiliated criminal JP Goodwin in 2001.

Check out WASTE.org, which hosts the ALF "Frontline" mailing list - the vehicle for arsonists and other criminals to announce their animal-rights' crimes.

Americans donated nearly $200 billion to philanthropic causes in 2001. PLEASE protect yourself and make you dollars go further to worthwhile charities.
(1) Don't give money to any charity that you don't know
(2) Make sure that the organization spends at least 70 percent of its budget on program services. The best do even better. 
(3) Investigate the charity's Board of Directors for possible conflict of interests.
(4) Make sure that the charity is registered with the IRS as a public Charity otherwise your donations are NOT tax deductible.
(5) Do NOT donate solely on the basis of the charity's name. Some adopt names very similar to well known charitable organizations.
(6) Do your homework. Planned giving is much more effective than last minute responses.

Your local no-kill shelters would be a very good place to donate your hard-earned money. You can visit and delegate in what areas of operation you would like your donation to be spent. Remember PETA and the HSUS do NOTHING to help your local shelter!

This is the best charity monitoring group that can provide you with almost everything you need to know before giving a donation:   GuideStar. At this site you'll find reports of charitable organizations, including a database of more than 850,000 IRS recognized nonprofit organizations. Remember, do your homework and make your donation count.*​


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Thanks, Heather, for such informative posts. Most people have no idea what's really going on. We are very careful with our money but have found a wonderful couple in our rural area who have their own private rescue and we have been happy to donate to them knowing exactly what they are doing.


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## Narwyn (Jan 24, 2010)

Great posts. So many people don't realize that both of these groups equivocate pet ownership to animal exploitation, and think no one, under any circumstance, should enjoy the company of a domestic animal.

I disagree; since we domesticated these creatures thousands and thousands of years ago, it is now our responsibility to care for them, physically and mentally.

Michael Vick recently cut HSUS a $50,000 check, and now the HSUS president is saying Vick would be a great pet owner. HSUS also wanted to destroy all Vick's dogs, not give a single one a chance at a real life with caring people.

PETA shows up at dog shows once in awhile - they open crates and let out dogs. Without fail, the dogs get hit by cars. 

It's a pretty clear message from both groups: dogs (all animals) are better off dead than in the hands of even caring humans.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Okay, which one is on tv all the time with the pleas for money and the pitiful photos of dogs and cats who can't find homes, asking for 18.00 per month?


HSUS. Don't fall for it. Give your money to the local shelter or SPCA.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CacheHavs said:


> Here is some more about HSUS:


Great posts, Heather. Thank you!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kathie said:


> Thanks, Heather, for such informative posts. Most people have no idea what's really going on. We are very careful with our money but have found a wonderful couple in our rural area who have their own private rescue and we have been happy to donate to them knowing exactly what they are doing.


And that's EXACTLY the kind of organization we SHOULD be supporting!


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

HSUS Fraud
This news report exposes the HSUS. I'm sure the HSUS and followers will go on a flagging rampage to get this video taken down. They claim this video contains lies and inaccuracies. You can leave it up to yourself to judge, but when it comes to the HSUS's own financial statements and the Georgia Dire


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Thanks for this. I live in GA and did not see it. I can't stand those ads on TV but at least I know I don't want to send them 19.00 per month...thanks again. I am a push over for rescue and I cringe everytime I see that HSUS commercial. You are right the local shelters are a better bet to get the animals actual help.


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