Editor:
The following information about the Humane Society of Columbiana County (HSCC) was published recently. One fact needs to be made clear. This service is provided to the citizens of Columbiana County over the land area of 532 square miles at no cost to taxpayers.
HSCC operates totally by private donation dollars and does not get support from any other organization such as the Humane Society of the United States.
One part-time humane agent traveled more than 10,000 miles in order to attend to more than 40 calls per month. Agent Palmer investigated concerns involving more than 480 animals at no cost to taxpayers.
Many times she educates the pet owner or provides straw or food until other arrangements are made. Some cases involve transporting the pet to get immediate medical care, and taking legal action through the court system.
More than 3,000 phone calls were handled by HSCC staff and volunteers. Information about spay and neuter, adoptable pets, upcoming events and pet concerns is provided. At the same time, these individuals cared for 198 animals that came into the possession of HSCC a minimum of three times per day at the ROCC and Rescue Center at 1825 S. Lincoln Ave. in Salem.
Pet introductions, home visits, vet record checks, temperament testing and compatibility were checked for more than 183 adoptions and 45 rescues, all at no cost to the taxpayer.
Only two pets were euthanized due to untreatable medical condition.
Vaccinations, micro-chips, spay and neuter, medical treatment, and vet appointments are included in the modest adoption fee which rarely covers the expenses associated with the pet, all at no cost to the taxpayer.
When funding and space allow, stray pets, or pets destined for euthanasia at other facilities, are rescued all at no cost to the taxpayer. Now, HSCC needs financial help.
Although the humane agent will remain on the road to answer calls of concern, other services offered to concerned citizens will be curtailed.
Many stories are told to us of worry and sleeplessness due to conditions of neighboring animals or strays. HSCC tries to help.
Recently, a volunteer trapped and provided vet care to a stray cat that was of concern to an elderly citizen. That cat now awaits adoption at HSCC.
The number of animals we can assist is directly related to the generosity of our donors. Animals are the window into the soul of every neighborhood. The quality of life in a community can be measured by their support of organizations such as HSCC. Please show your support today.
Jenny R. Pike
Butler Township
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How similar this story is to stories I’m hearing from all over the United States. These are tough times and the pets are suffering along with owners. When I think of how many local shelters who have their finger in the dam, and how much good they are doing and could do if only HSUS would share. If they kept half of what they take in for their pet projects and spread the rest across the country to each individual shelter, think of the improvements that could be made in the lives of the animals they are supposed to care so much about. I, like many widows on Social Security, spend money every weekend transporting dogs from kill shelters to safe homes. If I can share my meager funds why can’t HSUS?
Uh, maybe the writer of this letter should take a look at the HSUS Form 990 from 2009, especially the 35 pages of grants to hundreds of local shelters around the country, including a grant for $697 the Humane Society of Columbiana County for spay-neuter efforts. It’s listed right here – http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/financials/2009-form-990.pdf — see the bottom of page 54.
Granted, $697 is not a huge amount, but HSCC keeps claiming quite publicly they get no support from the HSUS, and that simply is not true. And even this amount is above and beyond what the HSUS is designed to do. The HSUS was never founded to supply the operating costs of all 5000 local shelters around the country. That would be like the American Cancer Society paying for treatment for all people with cancer. The HSUS was founded to work on national issues of animal welfare that are beyond the scope of local humane societies such as puppy mills, animal fighting, factory farming, and more. It also provides plenty of guidance and support for shelters.
HSCC does a lot of great work, but it needs to stop using the HSUS as a whipping post for its current financial problems, especially when its claims that it gets zero support are not true.
I am the writer of the article. I AM aware that we applied for and received assistance through a grant from HSUS, for which we are appreciative. I was not suggesting that people boycott HSUS. We have members and donors who support both organizations. I was merely attempting to eduate a confused public, who in addition to thinking that we get automatic funding from national organizations, they are also under the impression that we are funded through taxpayer dollars administered by the county commissioners, like 4-H and the veterans administration. Thank God they are. But,no one benefits from admonishing other animal welfare organizations.
I welcome a personal discussion with anyone at any time. Relay your contact information to me via the HSCC office at 330-332-2600. I am a lifelong resident and supporter of Columbiana County.
I am the writer of the letter. I was merely attempting to educate a confused public who assumes we get funding from “parent” organizations or funding from taxpayer dollars through a governmental agency, such a the county. I know this because we are asked repeatedly how we are funded. We are very appreciative for the grant award for the specific purpose of spay/neuter in 2009.
Thank you
Gayla, the fact of the matter is that HSUS was not founded to fund the day-to-day operations of shelters. It was never intended to be a grant-making organization. The mission of the HSUS is to confront cruelty by attacking its root causes. It tackles problems that shelters lack the influence and resources to address, such as puppy mills and dog fighting.
Despite that, HSUS dispenses millions in grants to shelters every year, including a grant to HSCC in 2009.
That’s separate from the work HSUS does for shelters through advocacy, promotion, training, standards, public outreach, pro-shelter legislation, and programs like the Shelter Pet Project, Spay Day events, Animal Care Expo, animalSheltering.org, and more.
It’s easy to view the HSUS as a giant piggy bank, to see them as the solution to fundraising problems and legal expenses that have pushed HSCC to the breaking point. But that’s not the purpose of HSUS, any more than it’s the American Cancer Society’s responsibility to pay for every cancer patient’s chemotherapy.
HSUS is dedicated to stopping cruelty in all venues, for ALL animals. Pet abuse is only one facet of the massive national epidemic of animal abuse that HSUS works to stop.
To demand that they drop their successful campaigns and instead focus their resources on funding for the thousands of shelters in the U.S. is short-sighted. HSUS could grant every penny at its disposal to shelters, and the following year, those shelters would be in dire straits once more as they are flooded with a new wave of abused, neglected, abandoned, and stray pets.
Shelters perform a vital role in treating the victims of abuse. HSUS performs a vital role in *stopping that abuse* for good. We cannot afford to neglect either battlefront, and it is unfair to shift the responsibility and blame for local shelters’ problems to HSUS.
I hope that the HSCC’s community will rise to the challenge and provide desperately needed support to this shelter.
Disclosure: I maintain a website — humanewatch.info — dedicated to correcting myths and misinformation about animal protection charities, especially HSUS. I am an enthusiastic donor to the HSUS, but I am in no way an employee, affiliate, or spokesperson for them.
AmyK: I checked out the bottom of page 54 with the pathetic $697 grant. At the top of page 54 is a $50,000 grant – to a Farm Animal Certification program. Another page revealed similar priorities, with shelters receiving token $2,000 Foreclosure Pet Grants (remember that HSUS moneymaking scheme?) or miniscule Spay Day checks while some HSUS-affiliated Global Animal Partnerships got the big bucks.
So much for the “35 pages of grants to hundreds of local shelters” drivel and the “HSUS dispenses millions of dollars every year to local shelters” lie.
Doppster: In 2007, HSUS gave a $10,000 grant to the Jam Master Jay Foundation. Was that for rapping lessons for Wayne Pacelle?
Actually, Alice, it was to fund the very successful End Dogfighting campaign, which is now expanding into Philadelphia. I don’t think any shelter worker who’s had to deal with a mangled, abused pit bull tortured in a dog fight ring would object to that.
How are the foreclosure relief grants a “money-making scheme”? Mortgage foreclosures resulted in a huge surge of surrendered pets, and this was direct assistance to shelters — the kind of assistance you spit on and ridicule.
Before posting another ignorant, hateful reply, perhaps you can re-read my post, especially the part that says:
“The mission of the HSUS is to confront cruelty by attacking its root causes. It tackles problems that shelters lack the influence and resources to address, such as puppy mills and dog fighting.”
Doppster, the Jam Master Jay grant was for an anti-dogfighting rap song contest supposedly aimed at helping stop dogfighting. And get publicity amd celebrity dollars. HSUS’s anti-dogfighting campaigns haven’t been effective (statistics don’t lie) and the Philadelphia program a bust, although a serious effort could have helped if HSUS didn’t have backward priorities. Like expanding Michael Vick’s role with HSUS in the past two years.
HSUS raised money for the foreclosure program long after it was discontinueda and raised far more money with it’s unnecessary “foreclosure grant money drive” than it gave out in grants. Profiteering off the suffering of others, yet again.
Fair enough but you quetod HSUS as the source and they quetod that figure as their estimation not fact, estimation. (I did read the link. )Yes breed rescues run by breed clubs pull purebreds from shelters because they feel it is their responsibility and to lessen the stress on the shelter. Those dogs are not then included in the 3-4 million pets euthanized. Most dogs in breed rescue are fostered until adoption and few are euthanized (usually due to medical). That is what I meant by the numbers being skewed. It makes it sound like purebreds are the ones in the shelter being euthanized and that is not usually the case.
If i was a dog in a kill shelter,I would rather be put down then be rescued to live in a cage the rest of my life. HSUS is a crock, they receive millions of donated dollars from careing people that think the money is actually going to help the animals but the fact is only 1percent of HSUS donated dollare goes to help animals if that much.The money goes to payoff gov. officials, advertising,and in thier pockets.
Mr/Ms Okiestorm1,
Please spend the day or at least tour The Humane Society of Columbiana County at 1825 S. Lincoln Ave in Salem. Our pets get more excercise and attention than do many pets whose humans work long hours. We love to give tours and have you meet our furry “guests” nose to nose!!
Thank you