Submitted by CEW
The Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW) released on Wednesday a report exposing the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for their abysmal financial support of local animal shelters in Indiana and across the United States.
Despite their names, the HSUS and the ASPCA have no affiliation with local humane societies and SPCAs operating in communities across the United States.
Editor’s note: The Humane Society for Hamilton County has always been clear it is not affiliated with any national organization.
While the ASPCA and HSUS are not affiliated with local pet shelters, their similar-sounding names have resulted in widespread confusion among the public, as evidenced by polling.
An evaluation of 2021 tax documents uncovered disturbing facts, including that in 2021:
- HSUS gave 1 percent of its $138 million budget to local pet shelters via financial grants.
- HSUS did not send a single financial grant to pet shelters in 32 states and Washington, D.C.
- ASPCA gave only 2 percent of its $302 million budget to local shelters via financial grants.
- ASPCA did not send a single financial grant to pet shelters in 21 states.
Where, then, are these organizations directing the millions they receive in donations? To the surprise of many donors, publicly available tax returns show the following:
- HSUS spent $4.3 million on executive compensation, $56 million on fundraising, and $1.2 million on lobbying in 2021 and had $67 million stashed in offshore accounts.
- ASPCA spent $5.5 million on executive compensation, $135 million on fundraising and advertising, had $11 million stashed in offshore accounts, and pays its CEO nearly $1 million per year.
CEW Executive Director Jack Hubbard had this to say about the findings:
“Each year, hard-working people in Indiana donate to the ASPCA and HSUS, believing that they are helping shelters in their communities. Donors deserve to know that groups like the ASPCA and HSUS are sitting on millions in investments and paying their executives sky-high salaries. Donors who want to support local shelters deserve to know the truth.”
The full report and methodology is available here. All findings are based upon 2021 publicly available tax returns and 2021 audited financial statements of both groups.