The Virginia Thoroughbred Association is a member of the Virginia Alliance for Animal Agriculture. The new alliance was formed by the Virginia Farm Bureau and 11 other agriculture-related industry groups to support the state’s animal agriculture industry and inform the public about how farmers care for their livestock.With the average American now at least three generations removed from the farm, animal rights activists have been aiming at agricultural and sporting uses of various animals including racehorses.
“One of the general education issues the Alliance is promoting is about taking a realistic look at animal rights,” said Glenn Petty, executive director of the VTA. “Simply put, some animal rights activists are spinning what we do to suit their agenda. What we find disturbing day in and day out is the blurring of lines between animal welfare and animal rights.”
A prime example, is the on-going confusion by the general public of the role the Humane Society of the United States plays in the process. Over the years, it appears that HSUS has shifted it’s focus from assisting unwanted animals to championing animal rights along with PETA and other similar groups.
This week, a full page add in the Washington Post highlights the failure of the HSUS to donate a significant portion of the public’s donations to America’s underfunded dog and cat shelters. The sponsor of the ad, the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), is pledging to shut down its popular HumaneWatch.org website if HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle donates just 50 percent of his group’s income to hands-on pet shelters in the United States. In February, HumaneWatch exposed HSUS’s practice of giving less than half of one percent of its budget to dog and cat shelters.
HumaneWatch is a CCF watchdog website devoted to analyzing HSUS’s activities. In just twelve weeks it has attracted more than a half-million unique visitors, and collected more than 42,500 Facebook friends.
In March, CCF commissioned Opinion Research Corporation to poll Americans’ beliefs about HSUS. Seventy-one percent said they believe HSUS is “an umbrella group that represents thousands of local humane societies all across America” when records indicate the group is not affiliated with a single one. Also in this poll, fifty-nine percent of Americans falsely believed HSUS “contributes most of its money to local organizations that care for dogs and cats.”
The Washington Post ad is available for download here.
“One of the general education issues the Alliance is promoting is about taking a realistic look at animal rights,” said Glenn Petty, executive director of the VTA. “Simply put, some animal rights activists are spinning what we do to suit their agenda. What we find disturbing day in and day out is the blurring of lines between animal welfare and animal rights.”
A prime example, is the on-going confusion by the general public of the role the Humane Society of the United States plays in the process. Over the years, it appears that HSUS has shifted it’s focus from assisting unwanted animals to championing animal rights along with PETA and other similar groups.
This week, a full page add in the Washington Post highlights the failure of the HSUS to donate a significant portion of the public’s donations to America’s underfunded dog and cat shelters. The sponsor of the ad, the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), is pledging to shut down its popular HumaneWatch.org website if HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle donates just 50 percent of his group’s income to hands-on pet shelters in the United States. In February, HumaneWatch exposed HSUS’s practice of giving less than half of one percent of its budget to dog and cat shelters.
HumaneWatch is a CCF watchdog website devoted to analyzing HSUS’s activities. In just twelve weeks it has attracted more than a half-million unique visitors, and collected more than 42,500 Facebook friends.
In March, CCF commissioned Opinion Research Corporation to poll Americans’ beliefs about HSUS. Seventy-one percent said they believe HSUS is “an umbrella group that represents thousands of local humane societies all across America” when records indicate the group is not affiliated with a single one. Also in this poll, fifty-nine percent of Americans falsely believed HSUS “contributes most of its money to local organizations that care for dogs and cats.”
The Washington Post ad is available for download here.
5 comments:
I have know this for a long time. They support terrorist organizations and contribute to left wing radicals that care nothing about the health and welfare of animals. It is about time that they be exposed.
I'm struggling to be polite, professional and intelligent in the spewtum that is self-serving, bucks first and slaughter of equines that become unprofitable, unremarkable and deductable via a really useless mouthpiece like the VTA.
Let me do it by the numbers (no odds and ain't got the time to figure out which parlor features, gives the best odds or payout.... just fact):
(1) Your blog generates little to no interest; I got it off of Paulick Report.
(2) Virginia racing and breeding (what is left of it) has nothing to do with the VTA...you are "overcome by events (OBE)". The other less known "public orgs" (HBPA, VSA, etc...worth the effort) do it regardless of monies and mostly as a passion (yeah, money counts...but not like what you guys do); you guys are very inept lobbying entities.
So let's get to the beauty of the Farm Bureau-CCF connections that you, as the mouth piece for the VTA have deemed (a) legitimate (b) valid (c) factual and, (d) my personal favorite...a supporter of equine slaughter of the very athletes that you encourage, cannoodle, tout, yoodle, and essentially encourage birth, use and ignore inhumane death issues because it's about the humans, not the horses.
You folks are a hoot!!!
CCF is an industry/corporate sponsored joke (check out the tabacco linkage...but you know that right? I don't think your readers do.). Farm Bureau is basically a freaking insurance company with a ton of membership not officially voting and thereby peddling corporate ag issues without true voting as fact and essential....AVMA, AHA AQHA, AAEP have never taken a poll about horse slaughter for human consumption AND reported the results, especially verified at vote.
You support (feature?) CCF because they bash HSUS? BTW, just exactly where has it become required that the HSUS support state mandated pounds and shelters????? What has CCF given? What has any animal use biz or org done? Be careful of what band wagon you attach yourself to.
And honestly, no one posts. You put this less than humane equine post up that essentially supports beating the snot out of horses that are either stolen, slow, owned by ass-hats, injured and you fiddle with a paid ad by pieces of bought trash.
Thanks for reminding me not to renew my VTA membership (you trolls wouldn't even help folks access hay). Hint...yeah some powerful folks want what you posted. There are a ton with big bucks that don't care one booger what you think obout Virginia Racing....they race, breed and humanely handle their charges without the likes of you (and you don't race VTA).
Moderate Petty...moderate. Enjoy as long as it lasts because you and your org do absolutely NOTHING for the folks that live every day racing with or without your wisdom.
Stick with CCF and FB... you'll keep raking in quality folks.
I've been following (and joined for a couple of years) the so called VTA for 8 years. I want my money back...but have a jolly time praying at the next CD stakes races stepin' and fetchin' with the politicians that can't figure where the windows are or what a trifecta is....but you and the other race org's don't help Virginians figure that out either.
And now I'm going to get angry. That the VTA supports the FB, VHC, AQHA, AHC, AAEP, AVMA, CCF just sends me to the point of activism.
I suspect these orgs also support BP, the Department of Interior and USDA because, well they just know what is right for the world...just like VTA.
You are becomeing
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Another HOOT!!!!!!!
The self-appointed king(s) will allow posts or NOT.
And you wonder why people don't post???? Hmmm. I apologize. One must feign journalism and relevance.
Who is CCF to tell ANY organization how to spend their donations? That is between the organization and the donors. If donors don't like how their donations are being spent, they can choose to not donate.
Is CCF going to donate 50% of the millions they have raked in and donate it to shelters? What have they done to help? How many thousands did they spend on the ad that could have been used for animals in need?
CCF is nothing but a front for Ag and is against even the most meager animal welfare. Do some research folks. Start with googling Richard Berman. CCF donated over 90% of their 2008 donations to his FOR PROFIT PR firm. Your "tax deductible" donations are going for lobbying against animal welfare.
HSUS donates millions to fund lawyers that represent terrorist that burn businesses that they dont agree with. Terrorist that have killed and murdered humans that they dont agree with.
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