Comments on: U.S. Sportsmans’ Alliance Fights Aid to Pets Abandoned in Foreclosure Crisis

By: Jeanne Laymance

Jeanne Laymance — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:02:01 +0000

Your comments are just so stupid they don’t even need a rebuttal.

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:13:03 +0000

Also, Jane, I don’t need sexist people like you trying to tell me what my “role” is or what is “genetically appropriate” for me. I am a woman who hunts and I am proud of that fact, and I don’t feel bad about it one bit. And I’m glad that that I don’t feel the same as you, that women should be bullied into providing some “nurturing” role that many of us are not very well suited for. You even go as far as to say that men are justified in the same practices that you perceive as barbarous because of testosterone but we women should just know better and be held more accountable just because we had the misfortune of being born as the “weaker” sex. That idea is disgusting to me and women like you are doing more to hurt women’s rights than any man on this earth. I also find it funny that the vast majority of animal rights activists are female and it makes me angry to be associated with them just because of my gender. I am against animal rights and I’m a proud member of the USSA, putting people first!

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:46:57 +0000

This article is very one-sided and does not show the whole picture of the situation that is going on between these two interest groups. The USSA opposes all donations to the HSUS, and always has, regardless of what they say the money is being used for simply because the HSUS is openly opposed to ALL forms of hunting, not just “canned” hunts as this article suggests. The USSA opposes all animal-rights legislation that is constantly being pushed through our court systems by people who want to outlaw all forms of animal usage one way or another, to strip people of their basic rights so that veganism can be mandated by law. They always have and always will do this, it’s what they are all about and the sole reason why they exist. The goal of the USSA is not to harm any pets or prevent people from donating to legitimate animal welfare causes, it only seeks to oppose blatant animal rights groups such as PETA and the HSUS, groups that suck money out of meat-eaters by tricking them into thinking that they only support legitimate levels of animal welfare instead of full-blown animal rights, that extract their funds from gullible people that will ultimately be used against the vast majority of their own supporters in anti-meat, anti-hunting, anti-fishing, and even anti-pet campaigns. Animal rights groups are shady organizations that never like to reveal the full truth of what they are about because they know that the public reaction will be negative, unlike the USSA which has nothing to hide. Therefore, I will happily give any donations that I can afford the USSA instead of the HSUS because the USSA puts people first, and although I am against animal cruelty, I feel that right now people need to be protected from animal rights extremists more than animals need to be protected from real animal abusers. And, by the way, I have absolutely no trouble sleeping over this. Maybe you should if you are donating to the HSUS instead of a more worthy organization that protects human rights instead.

By: Warner

Warner — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:57:43 +0000

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.

By: David Kveragas

David Kveragas — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:32:04 +0000

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

By: NorCal Cazadora

NorCal Cazadora — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:00:55 +0000

Thanks, Judy.

By: jane

jane — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:41:07 +0000

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!!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:09:41 +0000

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!!

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:59:56 +0000

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.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:34:13 +0000

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.