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INTRODUCTION
A recent poll by the Opinion Research Corporation found that 71 percent of Americans believed that the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS) is an umbrella group that represents thousands of local humane societies all
across America. And 68 percent believed that HSUS contributes most of its money to local organizations that
care for dogs and cats. Both of these statements are false.
Why do so many people have a false impression of the Humane Society of the United States?
Its simple. HSUSs TV ads are full of sad music and sadder dogs and cats, and HSUS has humane society in its
name. HSUS took advantage of this confusion by raising over $100 million from the public in 2014. However, in
2014, only 1 percent of HSUSs budget was spent on grants to support pet sheltering, according to HSUSs newly
released tax return.
Recent research has determined that HSUSs own donors are confused about where their money is going. An April
2015 poll of 1,051 self-identified HSUS supporters found that 87 percent of HSUSs donors were unaware that
HSUS gives just 1 percent of its budget to local pet shelters. When informed of this fact, 92 percent of HSUSs
own donors agreed the group misleads people into thinking that it supports local humane societies and pet
shelters, and 55 percent were less likely to support HSUS.
This report documents the Humane Society of the United States grants to pet shelters in the 50 states and D.C.
from 2009-2014. The data is drawn from HSUSs public tax filings with the IRS.
The gap between public and donor perception and reality is well documented. And official scrutiny of HSUS
is increasing. In March 2014, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt issued a consumer alert about the
fundraising of national animal charities like HSUS.
HSUS spending priorities are out of whack. Consider that in 2014 the organization:
Put more into its pension plan ($4 million) than it spent on pet-sheltering grants.
Sent $55.4 million to Caribbean hedge funds, adding to the $50 million HSUS sent in 2012 and 2013 to funds
in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
Spent a whopping $46 million on fundraising-related expensesads that reinforce the false public perception
that HSUS is all about finding homes for needy pets.
HSUS itself acknowledges that between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in American shelters every
yearabout half of all pets that enter their doors. But while HSUS can clearly afford to tackle the problem headon, it appears to have other priorities.
CHARITABLE LOWLIGHTS
In 2014, HSUS didnt make a single shelter-aid grant in 11 states: Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa,
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wyoming.
BRIBERY SETTLEMENT
In May 2014, HSUS paid $5.7 million to settle a racketeering, fraud, and bribery lawsuit filed under the federal
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. HSUS and other defendants had allegedly paid a
witness who lied in federal court during anti-circus litigation brought by animal-rights activists.
FRAUD LAWSUIT
In October, HSUS was sued for fraud for allegedly ripping off a dog-welfare charity based in Hong Kong called the
World Dog Alliance. The Alliance had given HSUS $500,000 to help promote a documentary exposing the cruel
dog-meat trade, yet HSUS allegedly took the money and didnt do the work.
LOBBYING
In Michigan and Maine, HSUS put more into its lobbying front groups pushing ballot initiatives than it gave in
grants to support pet sheltering. In Michigan, Keep Michigan Wolves Protected received $300,000 from HSUS.
In Maine, Mainers for a Fair Bear Hunt received $1,360,000. Maine voters rejected HSUSs initiative.
HSUS routinely spends far more on state-level political fights than on pet shelters in those same states.
HSUS spent 86 times more on its Ohio political front group in 2009 than it did on Ohio pet shelters.
H
SUS spent 32 times more on a political front group in Missouri in 2010 than it did on sheltering-support grants
in the Show Me State that year.
In 2011, that HSUS spent 90 times more on ballot initiative groups in Missouri than it spent on sheltering grants.
Wouldnt pets like those in HSUSs ads have liked to see that money?
State
Grants
# of Grants
State
Grants
# of Grants
Alabama
$2,000 2
Montana
Alaska
$10,000 1
Nebraska $4,550 2
Arizona
$12,400 3
Nevada
$0 0
Arkansas
$0
New Hampshire
$0 0
California
$83,080 9
New Jersey
$3,670
Colorado $8,250 3
New Mexico
$0 0
Connecticut $1,000 1
New York
$27,565
Delaware
North Carolina
$33,182
District of Columbia $0 0
North Dakota
$2,750
Florida
$1,000 1
Ohio
$19,311 7
Georgia
$96,837 5
Oklahoma $9,124 2
Hawaii
$0 0
Oregon
Idaho
$1,000 1
Pennsylvania $125,225 6
Illinois
$14,209 3
Rhode Island
$9,500
Indiana
$17,497 5
South Carolina
$11,500
Iowa
$0 0
South Dakota
$5,000
Kansas
$1,500 3
Tennessee
$0 0
Kentucky
$15,500 6
Texas
$55,000 2
Louisiana $8,500 2
Utah
$2,000 1
Maine
Vermont
$0 0
Maryland $5,700 5
Virginia
$15,434 5
Massachusetts
Washington $11,500 1
$0 0
$2,000 2
$0 0
$7,000 5
$2,052 2
Michigan $1,440 1
West Virginia
$8,500
Minnesota $3,000 3
Wisconsin
$26,443 6
Mississippi $16,652 8
Wyoming
$0 0
Missouri
$3,500 3
ALABAMA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$14,893
$2,000
ALASKA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
None
$0
$0
$10,000
ARIZONA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$10,000
$12,400
ARKANSAS
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
$0
$0
None
$0
CALIFORNIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
2011 HSUS Grants:
2012 HSUS Grants:
2013 HSUS Grant:
Total 2013 Grants:
2014 HSUS Grants:
$83,080
COLORADO
2010 HSUS Grants:
$22,865
$8,250
CONNECTICUT
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$0
$0
$0
$1,000
DELAWARE
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
None
$0
$0
$0
$0
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$10,500
$0
$0
FLORIDA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$28,300
$1,000
GEORGIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$1,500
$1,500
$96,837
HAWAII
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$6,500
None
$0
IDAHO
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$20,000
$1,000
ILLINOIS
2010 HSUS Grants:
$4,500
$14,209
INDIANA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$11,500 Casa del Toro Bull Breed Education & Rescue (Pittsboro)
$17,581
$17,497
(Salem)
IOWA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$0
$0
None
$0
KANSAS
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$660
$1,500
KENTUCKY
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$9,000
NOT YOUR LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY HUMANEWATCH.ORG 12
$15,500
LOUISIANA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$1,000
$8,500
MAINE
2009 HSUS Grants:
None
None
$0
$14,517
MARYLAND
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$7,000
$1,500 Purrhaven
$5,700
MASSACHUSETTS
2010 HSUS Grants:
$6,000
None
$0
MICHIGAN
2010 HSUS Grants:
$34,879
NOT YOUR LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY HUMANEWATCH.ORG 14
$1,440
MINNESOTA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$5,000
$3,000
MISSISSIPPI
2010 HSUS Grants:
$33,740
$16,652
MISSOURI
2010 HSUS Grants:
$14,000
$3,500
MONTANA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$104,428
$7,000
NEBRASKA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$0
$4,550
NEVADA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
None
$0
None
$0
NEW HAMPSHIRE
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
$0
None
$0
NEW JERSEY
2010 HSUS Grants:
$181,704
$3,670
NEW MEXICO
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
$10,000
None
$0
NEW YORK
2010 HSUS Grants:
$8,250
$27,565
NORTH CAROLINA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$41,746
$33,182
NORTH DAKOTA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$2,000
$2,750
OHIO
2010 HSUS Grants:
$12,799
$19,311
OKLAHOMA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$12,825
$9,124
OREGON
2010 HSUS Grants:
$7,500
$2,052
PENNSYLVANIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$232,321
$125,225
RHODE ISLAND
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
None
None
$0
$9,500
SOUTH CAROLINA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$13,500
$11,500
SOUTH DAKOTA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$2,000
$5,000
TENNESSEE
2010 HSUS Grants:
$3,000
NOT YOUR LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY HUMANEWATCH.ORG 23
None
$0
TEXAS
2010 HSUS Grants:
$3,315
$55,000
UTAH
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
$0
$1,000
VERMONT
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$2,526
None
$0
VIRGINIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
$57,826
$15,434
(Bremo Bluff)
WASHINGTON
2010 HSUS Grants:
$1,500
$11,500
WEST VIRGINIA
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
$3,000
$8,500
WISCONSIN
2010 HSUS Grants:
$2,692
$26,443
WYOMING
2010 HSUS Grants:
None
None
None
$0
None