The scam behind the HSUS “reward”
The HSUS has a long standing offer of $5,000 for information relating to an arrest and conviction in animal fighting cases. However, back in 2004 when I approached the Midwest regional director about this offer what I found out was rather interesting.
First of all, I was concerned about the requirement that the information must lead to a conviction. Having dealt with the issues of dogfighting and animal abuse for number of years I knew that convictions were hard to get (I’ll leave the details for another post). So as a humane organization who’s main concern should be ending the suffering of animals, or so I thought, I suggested HSUS pay out the reward based on information that leads to an arrest and the seizure of animals.
The first excuse I got was that the HSUS wanted to conviction to ensure that dogfighters wouldn’t start turning each other in simply for the reward. In the eyes of the HSUS that is a bad thing?
I again pointed out that my idea would be tied into the fact that animals must be seized and therefore ending their suffering, which is what HSUS should be most concerned about. I was then told that the $5,000 is really intended to be paid to informants that provide information that leads to a large scale bust, like raiding a dogfight in progress where maybe 20 or 30 people are arrested.
Unfortunately that is not what the offer says. (link updated 01/06/09) The end result, of course, is that the HSUS was not willing to change it’s policy in regard to the reward.
So what I at least tried to do was get a full understanding of how the reward system worked, so that if I came into contact with an individual who may have valueable information for me I could in good faith offer them a reward. It was at this point that the whole picture became clear.
I was informed that the HSUS doesn’t actually have payouts of this reward in it’s budget, each case would have to be considered on an individual basis to determine if the source of information was deserving. To make a long story short, the HSUS made it nearly impossible for anyone to qualify for the reward and furthermore the HSUS has no real incentive to qualify anyone for the reward because then they would have to scramble for the money.
This is yet another example of the HSUS smoke and mirror tricks when if comes to their campaign to end dogfighting. Just like it’s another way for HSUS to deceive the public into thinking that something is being done and generate additional revenue in the form of donations.
Please see my Updated thoughs on the HSUS Reward (posted 01/08/09).
January 6th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Update:
The “offer” link previously provided is no longer valid. At the time I wrote this post the page to which I linked provided statistical data obtained by analysing Animal Abuse Control Team arrest to highlight the fact that animal abusers and dog fighters have violent criminal histories, including gang/gun/drug arrests as well as domestic violence arrests.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Here’s Goodwin talking about how rich he made Debbie Stockton
http://www.crueltyisacrime.com/?p=15
February 27th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2ppj1sEhsM
November 11th, 2008 at 1:50 am
I came across. Thank you.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I completely agree
January 7th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
[…] little by little. It is time to use this tactic against them. They run radio ads telling about the mythical $5000.00 reward for dog fighting info making responsible owners the target of greedy neighbors. They also run news paper ads telling […]
January 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
If we don’t know, we know now. HSUS never intended to PAY anyone. HSUS is all about political lobbying, political advocacy against animals, legislative power, media marketing, soliciting donations, and making $$ for HSUS. HSUS has NO love for pitbulls. Do your research. They have advocated for killing every single pitbull in any raid, including Vick. Yet they gained $$$donations by putting on the Ritz, as if they cared. Nope.
Further, HSUS actually killed every single dog in the raids done where there were 150, 140, and slightly less. Then they leave. The people are acquitted. Think real hard. What does it tell you? It clearly tells you they want to kill the dogs of those they can’t convict. And they have done it without impunity. So far anyway. Methinks after the AZ debacle, where it did not go so well, HSUS may be making excuses for not raiding. After killing off hundreds of dogs, then HSUS had the nerve to actually file an amicus brief on the Denver BSL case???!! Claiming all dogs can be verified by DNA “according to the manufacturer” 99% of the time. conveniently not adding, that for mixed breeds, or those breeds not captured with DNA from AKC, they don’t have any reliability at all????!!!
May 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
The best defense against the Humane Society of the United States is to take their money away. For the sake of the animals we love so much please visit http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=139029,00.html and request removal of their tax exempt status. America is waking up to what the true HSUS and CEO Wayne Pacelle agenda is. Let’s direct money away from HSUS and put it to where the money is needed: Animals shelters and local humane societies.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Believe everything HSUS and Wayne Pacelle says so they can act out the HSUS agenda. But what these folks don’t know is the true Wayne Pacelle and HSUS agenda: Complete animals liberation and no animal ownership. Yes folks, that’s right! No dogs, no cats, no pets, period.