Contrary to the premise of a recently published letter (“Give to the local, not the national,” Feb. 10), donations made to the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, helped provide direct care for more than 76,000 animals in 2011, while the organization spends more than $20 million annually supporting local animal shelters. The HSUS agrees that animal shelters are the backbone of the humane movement, and people should support them generously.

Tackling the root causes of animal suffering by working on a broad range of animal issues, the HSUS’s goal is to prevent animals from ending up in distress in the first place. We are the ones fighting the blood sports of dogfighting and cockfighting, cruelty at puppy mills and trying to end animal suffering in intensive confinement systems used in agriculture. The HSUS is working to halt Canada’s annual seal slaughter, trophy hunting of endangered species and many other cruelties that Americans do not condone.

Across the country, the HSUS offers many services to shelters and rescue groups, including operational assistance, training and legislative resources. We also host the largest international conference and trade show in the animal care field, providing education and training in topics essential to animal care and control professionals, emergency responders, feral/community cat caretakers and rescue volunteers.

The HSUS is rated a four-star charity (the highest possible) by Charity Navigator, approved by the Better Business Bureau for all 20 standards for charity accountability, voted by Guidestar’s Philanthropedia experts as the No. 1 high-impact animal protection group, and named by Worth Magazine as one of the 10 most fiscally responsible charities.

The HSUS urges Americans to donate to their local Humane Society or other pet shelter or rescue group, and to also support the broad-based and proven work of the HSUS and other national organizations that focus on issues of rescue, sanctuary, policy reform and education.

Please visit our website — humanesociety.org — to learn more or get involved.

 

Howard Goldman

state director Humane Society of the United States

St. Paul