Tag: Paul Irwin

Wayne Pacelle Appointed HSUS CEO

On April 26, 2004, the Humane Society of the United States announced that Wayne Pacelle would become its next chief executive officer. Pacelle will fill the vacancy left by retiring CEO Paul Irwin.

Pacelle has served as HSUS senior vice-president for the last 10 years. In a press release, HSUS chair David O. Wiebers said,

I am pleased to announce that The Humane Society of the United States has named a dynamic, aggressive, and visionary leader to direct our domestic and global efforts to protect animals, to halt animal cruelty and abuse, and to protect their habitats. Wayne Pacelle has long been one of the nation’s leading advocates of social reforms to benefit animals, and our Board of Directors recognized that we need a leader of his determination and inspiration in facing the challenges of the 21st century.

In a press releasing announcing his appointment, Pacelle said,

The HSUS will continue to focus on protecting companion animals and wildlife, but we will make aggressive and unprecedented efforts to halt institutional forms of animal abuse, including the mistreatment of animals on industrial factory farms. In order to succeed, we need the participation of millions of Americans in our cause to root out suffering and abuse. I want to invite every American who cares about animals to join with us in pursuing our important mission.

The press release notes that HSUS has “an annual budget in excess of $80 million . . . [and] a staff of nearly 300 people. . .”

Source:

The Humane Society of the United States Appoints Wayne Pacelle as Chief Executive Officer – Designate. Press Release, Humane Society of the United States, April 26, 2004.

Ark Trust Becomes Part of HSUS

The Ark Trust recently announced that it is being absorbed by the Humane Society of the United States and will henceforth become The HSUS Hollywood Office.

In a press release Paul Irwin, president and CEO of HSUS, said of the announcement,

This is a very significant development for our organization. The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the entertainment and news media’s attention to animal issues. The Ark Trust’s extensive relationships in this industry and its record of success encouraging vigilance in the treatment of animal issues in the medical, coupled with our expertise on animal protection issues, give us an even stronger voice in our common effort to change the hearts and minds of the public when it comes to animals.

It is interesting that HSUS feels comfortable with the sort of extreme animal rights sentiment espoused by Ark Trust. This is consistent, though, with HSUS’ ongoing habit of sending one message to the public and another message to the animal rights community.

Source:

That Ark Trust, Inc. to Become Hollywood Office of the Humane Society of the U.S. Press Release, Humane Society of the United States, August 27, 2002.

Former Employee Makes Allegations Against Human Society of the United States

The April 2001 issue of Animal People contains a story detailing charges against two high level employees of the Humane Society of the United States. A former employee claims she was fired by HSUS for questioning the use of the non-profit’s resources to apparently aid in the management of a for-profit business.

Former HSUS Legal-Exectuvie Secretary/Office Manager Nancy E. Dayton claims that HSUS president Paul Irwin fired her after she complained about what she believed were extensive and unaccounted excess benefit transactions by HSUS general counsel and vice president Roger A. Kindler and HSUS senior counsel Murdaugh Stuart Madden.

Kindler and Madden jointly do business as the law firm of Murdaugh Stuart Madden and Roger A. Kindler which handles cases in the area of tax-exempt law, trusts, wills, and other matters.

In a formal complaint to the Internal Revenue Service, Dayton alleges,

I have witnessed Roger Kindler[‘s] use of the following HSUS resources for private profit and personal gain: office space and meeting room with a prestigious business address; support staff time and services including receptionist, secretarial, accounting, runner/messenger, legal publications filing; computers, printers, copier, facsimile machine; computer software programs; office supplies; storage facilities; mailroom staff time and services; Internet access. Murdaugh Madden enjoys the same benefits.

The allegation that the duo utilize office space of the nonprofit is interesting, since Animal People reports that HSUS’ most recent IRS Form 990 filed on June 28, 2000 reports that the nonprofit received $607,231 in rental income in the previous fiscal year but doesn’t list where that rental income came from.

This is not the first time that the HSUS has been accused of illegally mixing its nonprofit ventures with private financial transactions. In the late 1980s HSUS actually bought President Emeritus John L. Hoyt’s house for $310,000, but allowed him to continue to live there rent free until critics began making a fuss. In another action designed to benefit the animals, HSUS provided the financing for Irwin to purchase beach front property in Maine during the same period.

And, of course, there was also the HSUS scandal involving their former vice president of investigations, David Willis, who was fired from HSUS for embezzling at least $93,000 from the organization.

In fact, with assets approaching $40 million, it sometimes appears that HSUS is less interested in animal rights than in making a quick buck. Animal People passed along a hilarious contradiction from the group that was originally dug up by The Whole Dog Journal. In a June 2000 edition of its e-mail newsletter, “Humane Lines,” HSUS denounced an experiment to use shock collars to condition wolves to avoid livestock. But at the same time, HSUS endorsed the PetSafe Radio Fence shock collar. Why? Because they get a small royalty from the manufacturer in exchange for their endorsement.

Source:

IRS probes alleged self-dealing by Humane Society of the U.S. Lawyers. Animal People, April 2001, p.12.