HSUS Writes Legislation Against Animal Welfare?

Nathan Winograd had been trying to bridge the divide with Wayne Pacelle head of HSUS, offering to meet to discuss how the two might be able to work together. Winograd recently received a copy of a letter to Wayne Pacelle, head of HSUS, from the head of the Humane Society in Indianapolis, John Aleshire, April 14. 

The letter revealed that while Pacelle was wrapping up the meeting in Las Vegas with Best Friends, et al, hammering out an initial agreement to save pit bulls left behind in fighting ring arrests from summary destruction, a team from HSUS was working with a “rogue member of the Indianapolis City Council” to help craft anti-pit bull legislation.

According to Aleshire, the “rogue” Councilman Speedy made HSUS involvement public on a local radio program. The legislation HSUS is helping to craft includes mandatory spay neuter, special dangerous dogs permits and liability insurance requirements. among other items, for the breed, and runs completely contrary to the position taken by the Mayor and the citizens. Certainly Machiavelli could not have put together a better play book.

Aleshire was dumbstruck that he might have to go up against HSUS.  He first wanted to know, to paraphrase, what HSUS was doing interfering in Indianapolis business, if HSUS backed any such legislation, is HSUS against this legislation and to provide a statement to that effect that could be used in the next council meeting.   I’ve been in the business of animal welfare for more than fifteen years, and I can hardly report these stories.  It’s too reminiscent of the worst of big business and it’s just wrong on so many levels.  But knowing the facts is what’s important.  I had called Aleshire’s office and left a message.  Then I saw the update.

Today, Winograd reports that HSUS backed down. Attempting to explain their position, HSUS announced it has withdrawn from the legislative process in response to the pressure from Indianapolis animal welfare advocates.

It is as I said in a recent blog: we never know what our representatives are up to when we are not looking.  HSUS is now in Chicago and working with PAWS to install similar legislation here.  It’s good to keep tabs on what’s going on, what laws are being introduced in our name, and communicate our positions to elected officials more often.