Posted: 02.24.2010

Wednesday, about a dozen farmers from various commodity groups will be delivering empty plates like this to members of Wisconsin's assembly and senate.  Why?  To try attention to the difference between animal "welfare" groups that work for humane treatment of animals - and animal "rights" groups like the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) that want to end use and ownership of animals. The farmers say that the Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, is an animal rights organization that uses deception and lobbying to stigmatize meat eaters and push their PETA-inspired agenda.

Farmers representing the Wisconsin corn growers, soybean association, pork producers and dairy business association will all be making their points with the empty plates.  The story they will be relaying to elected officials includes explaining what happened last year when HSUS publically spread inaccurate news about the H1N1 flu long before facts proved this flu did not originate in hog facilities.

HSUS also was refused entrance to the 16th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for filing false accusations about illegal trade in ivory between Namibia and Taiwan, and Zimbabwe and China.

Wednesday in Madison, farmers will be working to clarify just what the HSUS machine is working to accomplish around the world - and now in Wisconsin.  These are the points they'll be sharing with assembly and senate representatives:

An HSUS Attorney is linked to an attack on University of Iowa’s Animal Lab.

Their attorney Leana Stormont was subpoenaed recently to testify before a federal grand jury about a 2004 animal-rights attack on the lab credited to the Animal Liberation Front.

Less than 4% of HSUS budget goes to local animal shelters. HSUS has more than $113 million is assets, pays more than $30 million in employee compensation, $20 million on campaigns, legislation and litigation, $24 million on fundraising and $4.2 million to count their cash! HSUS and affiliates got a "D" rating from charity watchdog Worth magazine for spending 53% of expenses on fundraising. Charity Navigator gave only one star (out of four) to HSUS’s Earth Voice International, and zero to the Humane Society of the United States Wildlife Land Trust.

HSUS's total grant allocation is reported at less than $4.7 million. According to the HSUS 2008 tax return half of that total - $2.35 million – went to "Californians for Humane Farms," the lobbying group supporting California Proposition 2 which effectively shut California's poultry industry.

Follow HSUS activities online at http://www.humanewatch.org/

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