U.S. Sportsmans’ Alliance Fights Aid to Pets Abandoned in Foreclosure Crisis
What are these big, bad hunters thinking? Thousands of pets across the US are being abandoned in shelters or left to suffer in abandoned homes and these guys want to wage a turf war.
May I suggest that if you or someone you know is a member of this group you let them know that you care more about the dogs and cats that are dying needlessly because of their petty behavior.
BTW, when I checked the U.S. Sportsmans’ Alliance Partner Link page I noticed that a number of breed clubs are shown as supporting this group. These breed clubs include the American Brittney Club, the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America, and the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America. Inc. If I belonged to any of these groups I would let them know I don’t appreciate their support of the U.S. Sportsmans’ Alliance.
Hunting Industry Group Sets its Sights on Pets
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance takes aim at animals when they’re most vulnerable. Polar bears in the Arctic, as their ice floes are vanishing, body weights are declining, and populations are dwindling. Mourning doves in states where they’ve been protected for decades as backyard songbirds, still nursing their young during September target practice. Endangered antelope stocked in fenced pens for captive trophy hunts, where they have neither the opportunity nor the inclination to escape.
But now this Ohio-based trade association for weapons manufacturers has stooped to a new low. By firing with its blunderbuss, the group is going to wind up with dogs and cats in its trophy case—just when these abandoned pets need our help the most.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance has declared that your community should not join hands to help hundreds, maybe thousands, of pets impacted by the foreclosure crisis. Moreover, a kind-hearted business that saw fit to try and assist has to be blackballed to drive home the point.You think I’m kidding?
What we have here, friends, is a brand-new Boone and Crockett record in the department of loony thinking.
The facts are that The Humane Society of the United States, after hearing of the increasing needs from animal shelters and rescue group volunteers around the nation, started an emergency fund to help the animal victims of housing foreclosures. What do dogs and cats know about investment bubbles anyway?
Specifically, the fund is designed to help animal shelters and rescue groups from coast to coast that are feeling the worsening pressure of more abandoned pets. Understanding the nature of this tragedy, many businesses and kind-hearted individuals have reached into their wallets to assist. The HSUS is acting as a clearing house for these funds.
In the Midwest, the Meijer chain of regional stores agreed to chip in up to $5,000—$1 for each customer who entered the company’s pet photo contest on its website. Thank you, Meijer.
Then this fringe group claiming to represent hunters enters the picture. Because The HSUS and Humane Society Legislative Fund oppose such things as shooting captive, hand-fed animals in fenced enclosures for guaranteed trophies, the sportsmen’s alliance finds itself opposing anything that The HSUS and HSLF support. Even to the extreme. Even to the point of dooming dogs and cats to suffer.
How do these people sleep at night, you might wonder.
Sadly, Meijer succumbed to the extremism of this demand. No more will the company help shelters in this crisis.
Follow this link to read the rest of this post on Animals & Politics.
Apparently, the Sportsmens Alliance has very good reason to make sure these associations of drooling imbeciles do not get a thin dime of support;
“If someone is killing, on a regular basis, thousands of animals, and if that person can only be stopped in one way by the use of violence, then it is certainly a morally justifiable solution.” made by Jerry Vlasak, spokesman for Animal Defense League, April 1, 2004
Winghunter,
Its interesting to me that you chose to quote someone with whom the VAST majority of us in animal protection would not agree. Very few animal protectors ever resort to violence (even though I suspect many of us are very tempted when we see the results of cruelty towards dogs and cats).
As for who gets the money, I suspect that funds going towards assisting pets abandoned by their guardians is a much better use of the money than to the so-called “sportsmans’ alliance.” I wonder how many real “sportsmen” ever see those funds or real benefit from them?
On the other hand, I know many, many unselfish animal rescuers who spend everything they can to help the very dogs your alliance cause to be abused and abandoned.
Maybe we need to push for taxes on groups that support animal abuse… Let them pay for the results of their actions.
Hey Winghunter, HSUS has condemned Vlasak and his ilk since their inception. Your “guilt by association” tactics show that you don’t have any serious intellectual heft to defend this extremist group, the US Sportsmen’s Alliance.
I will agree with you that this is a very stupid act if it’s happening the way the article portrays it, but this article is far too slanted to be taken at face value. There is absolutely no objectivity here. It’s more or less unsubstantiated rantings about a hunting organization. Also, with the exception of the last paragraph, the article says almost nothing about the topic, just bashing the Alliance and touting the HSUS plan to help shelters. Even in the last paragraph, it really doesn’t say what the Alliance is doing against the aide plan, just that they are against it, nor does it say why they are against it.
Now, I have not researched this, so if these claims are true and this is an organization that promotes captive hunting (thought that was illegal in the States), then it is a bad situation.
I did just look at their website and it has a letter thanking it’s members for calling on Meijers to suspend it’s donations. That letter actually states the reason WHY the Alliance is against this program. I personally support the Sportsmens Alliance’s fight against SOME of the anit-hunting programs the HSUS has against it, not all (will never support truely captive hunting). However, this is not the right line of attack. Their plan is to force the HSUS to use it’s own funds to support the Foreclosure Aide package, thereby taking funds away from the anti-hunting campaign(s). They are not “targeting” pets, nor are they against this aide plan, they are simply agaist the way it was being funded. As I said, it’s the wrong way to attack the anti-hunting programs, but it does not mean they are totally against pets.
And the fire starts…
I’m a hunter, and I’d like to throw my perspective into this discussion, if you’ll let me.
One quick point: It was not just USSA that got Meijer to back down - individual, ordinary hunters pitched a huge fuss. USSA just sent out the alert.
The reason hunters did that is that the Humane Society opposes hunting unless you’re starving to death. Hunters believe that if eating meat is acceptable, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to hunt your own within a regulated framework that protects the overall success of the species we hunt.
Many of the practices HSUS campaigns against do in fact sound awful (shooting exotic animals in small enclosures), and the organization claims not to fight against any normal, traditional hunting practices. But then it goes out and campaigns against dove hunting - a normal, traditional hunting practice - telling the world that hunters just use doves for target practice, and that doves have no food value.
It’s a lie that makes our jaws drop. No doubt there are idiots out there who don’t eat what they kill, but the vast, vast majority of us do. I’ve never seen a hunter leave game in the field. HSUS wants to make you think that’s all we do.
So hunters see the Humane Society as an organization that will chip away at hunting rights, first attacking things that most reasonable people find objectionable, but then eating away at types of hunting that are practiced by perfectly reasonable, ethical, intelligent people — and attacking those practices by making outrageous, unfounded statements that hunters know to be lies. Then we watch the non-hunting public eat it up.
So this action with Meijer and HSUS wasn’t taken by anti-pet fringe extremists; it was taken by people who are sick of being attacked and lied about.
And for what it’s worth, I know this seems illogical, but hunters love animals - not only do we respect and admire the ones in nature, but we are absurdly devoted to our pets. Wanna see a grown man cry? Find a hunter who’s lost his four-legged hunting partner. We’re total softies.
Thanks for letting me chime in. If you want to know why I hunt, what I’m about, feel free to check out my blog and leave a comment - even if you disagree with what I do.
-Holly
Holly,
Thank you for barking in. I appreciate your well-thought out discussion of this issue.
I understand that many hunters do love their dogs and cats. I was born and raised in the South. My grandfather raised hunting Beagles and I had many friends when I was growing up who hunted. I do not hunt and have no interest in it but I do have 4 hunting type dogs who do their own hunting and I, being the mom, have to take care of the clean-up. In short, I am not a squeamish city girl.
On the other hand, what frustrates me about this whole situation is that I strongly suspect that everyday people who hunt are being manipulated to support people who only see dogs and other animals as money making opportunities. These could be the puppy millers or the canned hunt opportunists. While they talk about “freedom” what they mean is the freedom to make money via the abused bodies of dogs,
And thank you for explaining the rationale behind pressuring Meijjer to pull their support for dogs in need. So while I think the reasoning leaves much to be desired, at least it is an explanation.
All that said, the fact that the USSA would make political hay at the expense of thousands of dogs in desperate need like the ones abandoned in foreclosed homes across the US is unforgivable. These are not chess pieces; these are our closest symbiotes who have evolved with us over thousands of years. They came with us into the first farms, supported us in countless hunts over the centuries, watched our homes on every habitable continent and have shown us what it means to truly love. They deserve much more than to be tossed into early death because some political operative wants to score points for an idealogical viewpoint.
Given that I doubt USSA will ever consort with HSUS, perhaps a happy medium would have been for USSA to donate $5,000 to a pet rescue program that doesn’t freak out hunters. That’s the total Meijer was going to donate.
I totally agree that the notion of pets being abandoned in the housing crisis is heartbreaking. I’m a cat person, and the idea of my kitty starving to death in an empty house freaks me out.
Thank you so much for hearing me out! It’s a relief to have a civil discussion about it.
That would be an excellent suggestion! There are so many shelters struggling with the increased load. The money could go directly to these pets aid and completely left out the HSUS if that’s the problem.
As for a civil discussion, that’s a basic of this blog. There is no way to raise understanding all the way around and build bridges between well-meaning people unless we first respect each other, even if we don’t agree all the time.
Thanks again for barking in and please stay around for other discussions.
I suggest reading Ted Williams’ blog, “How Sportsmen Hurt Themselves,” at:
http://www.flyrodreel.com/Blogs/Ted-Williams/Blogs-2008/How-Sportsmen-Hurt-Themselves/
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance does not represent real hunters. It represents the fringe segment of the industry that defends captive hunts of endangered species, bear baiting, and other practices that most sportsmen and HSUS agree are inhumane and unacceptable.
So hunters want to see pets die and hurt Michigan families who are most struggling. Very disgusting!
Our family has over 450 acres of prime farm/hunting land that we have allowed local hunters to use for years…I guess we have a reason to not allow them any longer. Our family is very disgusted that hunters would do this!
The US Sportsmen’s Alliance is just an extremist group that isn’t even worth the time of day. They get almost all their money from one corporation. That is important to note because their grassroots base is small. Most hunters don’t want anything to do with them.
They were founded in the late 1970’s for the purposes of defending steel-jawed leghold traps. The issues that get them most excited are defending fur trapping, defending bear baiting, defending canned hunts, etc.
I have never heard of this organization trying to do any conservation work. Rarely, if ever, do you see the USSA trying to protect habitat. They want to kill, kill, kill but could care less about conservation or non-game wildlife.
The USSA does not have one conservation program they fund. Not one.
So the USSA is at it again. Making all hunters look bad by picking on a program that anyone would and should support. Maybe the person who picks their extremist policies is really an HSUS supporter.
This issue is NOT a hunting vs non-hunting campaign! USSA has turned it around to be that so they can look “mighty” to the hunters. The truth is USSA has STOPPED a corporation from supporting a joint effort with HSUS that would help save lives of innocent pets “left behind” by families facing foreclosures. We personally spoke with real estate agencies that have found ABANDONED dogs and cats in the homes they are showing to clients in the Detroit area. In one home he discovered a dog with her puppies….”LEFT BEHIND”. HSUS and Meijer was trying to educate the public that there is a need to help these innocent pets since their families are in bad economic ways. HSUS and Meijer was trying to reach out and help these abandoned pets from DEATH. USSA STOPPED this campaign…..it is that simple. There is NO other explanation folks! Members of HSUS voices’ have been heard…..we not only reached out to help, we not only met the original $5,000 of Meijer matching funds taken away by USSA, but, we have surpassed that FIVE times. In other words the HSUS members are doing something to help. What has USSA done - besides sabotage a NON-HUNTING issue to help the dogs and cats? I am sure there are hunters that are appalled with USSA’s actions. Hunters have pets, hunters have hunting dogs, hunters are facing foreclosures…..let’s invite them to help the pets that are in need NOW instead of wasting energy and time on the old HUNTING vs NON HUNTING bashing! Let’s join efforts for the animals; they are innocent and do not deserve to be “LEFT BEHIND”. Just do the RIGHT thing and help if you are able.
Well, there is a principle at work here: Hunters do not want to support an organization that wants to end what they do. I, personally, would never give a dime to HSUS for anything, because I strongly oppose its position on hunting. That doesn’t mean I oppose pet rescue.
Let’s turn the tables: Lots of hunting organizations do great work for habitat conservation and restoration. Is it logical to expect people who strongly oppose hunting to give to money to those organizations, or to support companies that give to those organizations? Doubtful. If I opposed hunting, I’m sure I’d want to support habitat through other means, not by helping organizations that support practices I oppose.
My point is that it’s unrealistic to expect anyone on either side to want to associate with an organization that opposes his or her interests. Hunters were really upset that a store they patronized was giving money to an organization they hate.
All that said, pet rescue is obviously a good cause and a really important cause in the midst of the foreclosure crisis. I’m sure there are lots of ways we can all help without giving money to organizations we dislike.
Again, the hunting vs non hunting agenda creeps into the picture and the abandoned animals are dying! If anyone is sincere about helping these animals, they will put the hunting vs non hunting agenda aside, find a way to help the abadoned animals. Maybe the local shelters are the place for folks to start, BUT, the key element is, do the right thing and help. Stop bickering, stop bashing each other: Agree to disagree on those subjects…..set that aside for this cause, help the dying animals that were yesterday’s beloved pets in homes that no longer can care for them. That is the message here…… you don’t like USSA (the fact remains they STOPPED the campaign!), give to your local shelter. Don’t like USSA’s agenda, forget that for now and move forward, give to a rescue organization…..just help if you are able.
Nice try NorCal, but a non-hunter choosing not to give to a hunting organization that also supports habitat restoration is hardly the same as a hunting extremist group being so hell-bent on destroying a non-profit (because it opposes the most aggregious of “hunting” activities — the same ones that the extremist group supports) as to sabotage a temporary partnership where funds from a photo conest were specifically earmarked to help pets in foreclosure. Hunters did not have to participate in the photo contest, nor were they asked to.
J.L., hunters shop at Meijer, and Meijer was going to use its profits to make the donations. Back in the 1990s, I stopped shopping at Target because Target was advertising in scab newspapers when there was a strike in Detroit. I love Target. Target is actually a great company that does lots of philanthropy. But I objected to its action because it was helping newspapers break their unions, and I expressed myself by no longer giving the company my money. Pressuring companies that support - directly or indirectly - efforts that you oppose is a time-tested method of protest in America. And for the record, HSUS opposes all but subsistence hunting.
And Judy, I’m sorry you feel I’m distracting from the issue - I do keep trying to say that pet rescue is important. I just think it’s important to explain why hunters oppose HSUS.
Joy, do you have a list of other organizations that support pet rescue? I’d be happy to post links on my blog to give hunters a way to make a difference on this important issue without sending money to organizations that oppose what we do.
NorCal,
Again, Meijer was going to use profits from a special pet photo contest to donate to the pet foreclosure fund, not general store profits.
And for the record, it doesn’t seem possible that the majority of hunters oppose HSUS since virtually every county in Michigan voted to end dove hunting in the state via a 2006 HSUS-backed proposal. In fact, hunters and non-hunters alike united to overturn the shooting of what participants liked to refer to as “cheap skeet.” The USSA was and still is a major supporter of dove shooting. The USSA also supports the use of radio-collared dogs to chase and maul bears before and after the bears are shot from trees, even though the dogs are also often seriously injured and/or killed in the process.
Sorry, but that’s not really the warm and fuzzy image I like to think of when I hear that someone is “absurdly devoted to their pets.”
I’ve seen all those talking points before. But JL, I suspect you’re not a hunter, and you appear to really dislike hunting and/or hunters, so no offense, but you’re probably not the best source to tell people what hunters think.
Hunters in Michigan and all over the U.S. do in fact oppose HSUS and are very unhappy about the outcome of that ballot measure. I hunt doves, and I don’t do it for target practice and I don’t call them cheap skeet - I call them dinner. Everyone I know who hunts doves does the same.
I don’t hunt bears and don’t know anyone who does, so I can’t speak to that issue at all. But I certainly wouldn’t consider HSUS talking points an unbiased source of information on the subject.
I’m fine with people disagreeing with what I do, JL; I am not fine with people or organizations misrepresenting or lying outright about what I do. And I try really hard to avoid sneering hyperbole that does nothing to engender civil discussion.
Joy (and Judy!), I’m sorry this comment thread has gotten so off-track - if JL wants to keep attacking, that’s fine, I’ll just let it go. But I really, really would appreciate it if you could share a list of organizations that help with pet rescue.
Thanks to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, HSUS has now raised more than $53,000 to help pets in foreclosures and to fight the abusive hunting practices that USSA happily defends. That’s more than ten times what Meijer was going to give. Thank you, USSA!! See more here:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2008/05/ussa-meijer3.html
If anyone is serious about helping the foreclosure animals but they do not wish to support HSUS in this endeavor, just contact your local shelter and encourage them to create a campaign to help animals left behind due to foreclosures, be specific that you do not wish to support killing them, but rescuing them from death. If you are serious and sincere about helping. but do not have funds to contribute, contact rescue organizations (they are often listed by specific breeds) and inquire about fostering abandoned pets until they can be adopted by loving families or reunited with their original families if possible. Your time is so valuable with these organizations. There is never enough volunteers to do all the work for adoption events. Petsfinder.com lists MANY animals in need of adoption, often with the rescue organization listed in the animal’s bio. We used this website when we adopted one of our pets. I personally prefer not to recommend any specific shelter or organization since there seems to be so many opinions posted here that it may discourage the positive actions needed in this campaign.. This is the last thing I wish to encourage. If you focus on the foreclosure animals and wish to help them, just make some calls, you may find someone very receptive at one of the shelters/rescues wanting to start just such a campaign. We are members of HSUS, we entrusted our contribution to them to assist w/helping the animals in need due to foreclosures. This may not be the direction, for you, but find your niche.
One comment that I wish to close with……there are MANY loyal Meijer customers that purchase non hunting supplies (pet supplies, bird watching supplies, garden supplies, groceries, etc. I am sure we outnumber the extreme hunters opposed to this campaign). Our loyalty was snubbed by the hunters’ demand that Meijer drop the campaign to save foreclosure animals. We have a voice too and perhaps this overwhelming response to HSUS with contributions for the foreclosrue animals let’s our voices be heard now. We all need to do what we need to do……bottom line: help the abondoned animals left behind. I repeat myself, but, it is the right thing to do. Think of your pets needing this help.
It sounds like USSA is the best fundraiser HSUS has! It makes you wonder if USSA might be a front for HSUS, designed to discredit hunters, and provoke HSUS donors to give more generously.
Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places. Because of the childish whining and complaining of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), Meijer ended its offer to help families and pets in crisis through the Foreclosure Pet Fund. This was not a hunting issue until the USSA made it one. This was nothing more than a fund set up to help needy families and pets during extremely difficult economic times…until the USSA angered pet lovers everywhere and decent citizens through its bullying tactics and extremely heartless, selfish agenda. As a result, the HSUS put out a call for help to its members and answer that call they did. This call resulted in raising over $53,000 to help, not only families and animals caught in the heartbreak of foreclosure, but a portion will also go to help fight the extremely, cruel abusive “hunting” practices that the USSA encourages and supports. The latter was not the original intent, but once pushed by the USSA, we decided to fight back…and will continue to do so every time the USSA pulls another outrageous stunt like this one. So, to the USSA, I say thank you so much for giving us the idea and the incentive to come up with this plan, as well as helping us raise over ten times the original amount. Well done; we couldn’t have done it without you!!
one thinks of the phrase “the law of unintended consequences”- i seriously doubt that the “Sportsmen”s Alliance figured their vendetta would actually turn out to be a fund raiser for HSUS. terrific- terrific- though what is really sad is to see women hunters coming forward to defend this hunting group.
sorry, women… but we are supposed to nurture, NOT kill. you’ve got your roles mixed. there are the testosterone laden males who can justify killing… animals, birds, humans. women should not “lower” themselves to killing for pleasure. it’s not genetically appropriate!!
Thanks, Judy.
Below is a letter I shotgunned to many newspapers in the Meijer based states.
Note that I use direct quotes from The USSA newsrelease.
Also, I am aformer hunter, who grew up on a hog farm, worked in a slaughterhouse and have been a vegetarian for over 20 years. Not to mention living on a privately owned/financed/tax generating wildlife sanctuary.
Be careful how you respond to me as I am no “Bambi Hugger”.
The reason I am now an ardent anti hunter is due, directly, to the actions of hunters when refused access to the property, which at the time was only 100 acres.
Editor,
United States Sportsmen’s Association (USSA) members, clad only in spiffy camouflage loin cloths from the Ted Nugent designer collection, are currently beating their chests, and yodeling while standing over the groups latest trophy.
Said trophy being the cancellation of a partnership between the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) and Michigan-based retailer Meijer Inc. The partnership involved a pet photo contest in which Meijer would donate a dollar for each photo entered, up to a total of $5,000, to the HSUS Foreclosure Pets Fund which supports domestic animals victimized by the current housing market collapse.
The program in no way involved hunting, a fact which is acknowledged in the USSA press release, yet the organization “sent out a call to action” with USSA members “flooding the retailer with phone calls, faxes and emails.”
The press release goes on to state: “This once again proves that the sportsman’s voice is not to be taken lightly,” said USSA senior vice president Rick Story. “We hope that in the future, companies such as Meijer will consider how partnerships will be received before launching them.”
Such bully tactics, by an organization that represents the single digit minority of self proclaimed “sportsmen”
nationally, are not new. They have been deployed to intimidate other companies such as, Iams, General Mills, Pet Safe, Sears, and Ace Hardware, to name a few. Basically any company that the USSA sees as partnering with the HSUS, regardless of it’s direct impact on hunting and trapping, negative or otherwise.
That “sportsmen” organizations, nationwide, lobby successfully to have taxpayers money used to support their bloodlust is bad enough. Now they are attacking a nationally recognized animal welfare organization, which operates primarily via private donations and in turn helps reduce taxpayer monies needed for shelters.
As none other than Daffy Duck would say, “How despicable!”
David Kveragas
I have listed some places where you can leave your pets in the pittsburgh area if you need to relocate. There is no need to abandon your pets.