My post to Wayne Pacelle’s blog
Mr. Pacelle has his own blog and on Wednesday he posted comments made by his supporters, all of whom were responding to his recent rebuttals to HSUS critics. Well, as I am also a critic of the HSUS and it’s approach to ending animal fighting I felt I had to weigh in.
Below is my post. I have to include it here because unlike my blog Mr. Pacelle’s does not include open posts.
Wayne. I’m no shiller. I am a former Chicago Police Officer whom you met at a fundraising event on Clark St in Chicago in 2004. I attended a private meeting with Sgt. Brownstein and Paula Fasseas.
At that time Sgt. Brownstein and I both told you that awareness was not the answer. We told you that more CTA billboards urging people to call 911 and 311 were not resulting in any additional arrests. What we urged you then, as I urge you now, is for HSUS to do for dogfighting and animal abuse what MADD did for drunk driving.
On these issues HSUS should solely advocate for a consistent, nationwide, law enforcement response. Continue to offer training and resources to assist law enforcement, but the message should be clear that cruelty is a crime (see my blog, www.crueltyisacrime.com) and only the police can investigate. Because no matter how good the laws are they are of no use unless someone is charged with them.
Furthermore, the training of police in these issues should no longer be voluntary. All officers, across the country, should be as familiar with animal abuse statutes as well as they are with domestic abuse.
Please change the approach of the HSUS. In my experience it has been ineffective and it’s misleading to the public.
If you agree with me, I urge you to also contact Mr. Pacelle and share those opinions as well.
