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HSUS trying to improve image with farmers

It appears the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is trying to change its image within the ag community.

HSUS’ director of rural outreach and development, Joe Maxwell, says one way it’s doing that is by stepping up its support of family farmers and ranchers.  A recent example, Maxwell says, is HSUS’ recent support of the GIPSA livestock marketing rule.

“The best place we can find good stewards of the land and the animals is with our family farmers,” Maxwell says. “We really believe giving that farmer access to open markets allows them to survive and be sustainable—and then they’re the best folks who have a conscience towards their land, towards their animals.

“We think, overall, the animals benefit from it.”

Maxwell, a Missouri pork producer, acknowledges that there’s a lot of distrust of HSUS in farm country. 

“I think the Humane Society of the United States got behind on messaging.  It didn’t see big ag and a lot of corporate ag—Farm Bureau—coming out so negatively,” Maxwell says, “and so a lot the distrust is really myths and based on lies—it’s not the truth.  But it’s there, so that become the reality.”

But what about past statements by some HSUS officials calling for the elimination of animal agriculture?

“A lot those are taken out of context.  They’re one sentence out of a long speech,” Maxwell says. “But the best way to overcome that—and Wayne Pacelle understands that and I understand that—is to get out here and show.

“So the proof’s in the pudding.  We’ve got to demonstrate that we are for farmers.”

Maxwell’s comments came in an interview with Brownfield at the recent annual meeting of the Nebraska Farmers Union.

AUDIO: Joe Maxwell (4:37 MP3)

  • One thing for sure Joe Maxwell will never have to worry about HSUS confiscating animals from his farm.
    That would prove to be embarrassing. Mr. Maxwell has yet to realize that Wayne wants no animal use, large or small farms. One would think that an attorney, more than likely partly educated in law school, by the vegan animal rights agenda, would already know this. This is simply a vegan animal rights social movement to protect all animals from human, meaning non use of any animals for anything ever. Perhaps Maxwell can make a deal with Whole Foods, another of Wayne Pacelle’s VBF. After all the large farms are “outlawed”, HSUS will surely come after the small farmer. Guess Joe has not yet figured how Wayne Pacelle and other animal rights organizations puts a block between people and animals, legally, every way possible. Instead of causing human harm in the end maybe Wayne P. should have hunted out crack houses raided and confiscated goods, he would have been a real hero. Somewhere along the line he decided that animals should be liberated from humans and that humans were causing the end of the earth. We do need animal welfare laws BUT it looks like “rights for animals is in the future” but it appears we now need laws to protect humans against the vegan animal rights movement and the resultant loss in the economy from their endeavors in lobbying with our government officials who more than likely think that HSUS is an animal welfare movement.

  • ANYONE who truely believes that HSUS cares about ANY farmer- or ANY animal, for that matter-is a victim of the brainwashing scheme of HSUS. When HSUS first started attacking farmers, they began with the larger farms, assuming the smaller farmers would fall for their lies and deceptions and then join them in their attack…however, we smaller farmers saw through their smokescreen and clearly saw their evil agenda-that , if and when larger farms were eliminated, the smaller farms would be targeted next.. It was also clear that HSUS was targeting smaller , easier groups such as horse owners and breeders and exotic owners/breeders, and- using emotion and false public perception-creating discord and divisions within groups, turning them against each other, causing these groups to crumble and fall prey to the wicked influence of HSUS. HSUS was caught offguard when small farmers joined and supported the larger farms-and this is the result…a sickening facade that HSUS cares about small, “family” farms. Bull-feces!!!! They are still an evil demon in sheeps clothing-trying a different approach in their vile agenda to eliminate ALL animal based agriculture. I am ashamed that there are some fellow “farmers” who are not bright enough to see that they are only being used by the HSUS as bait to “hook” others on the deceptions and lies of HSUS. And, for those who think HSUS truely cares about animals, do some investigating….aside from the Michael Vick news, and their “euthanizing” promotions, look at their pro-wolf push. It is completely OK for them to have wolves brutally rip livestock (and wildlife) apart and eat them alive-yet they viciously attack modern practices of livestock husbandry that are hands-down more humane. It is NOT the animals-but the control of people that is the TRUE agenda of HSUS .

  • There IS a lot of distrust of HSUS in farm country. Much of this is due to Pacelle’s perpetuation of myths and outright lies, his arrogance in political and policy debates, and the vitriolic side that emerges whenever he is criticized. These character issues have plagued him throughout his entire 25 year activist career. And anyone who believes that agricultural interests represent Pacelle’s biggest credibility problem should read “The Indictment of Wayne Pacelle,” by animal sheltering pioneer and award winning author Nathan Winograd. Everyone who loves animals should read it.

    If Joe Maxwell would like to rehabilitate HSUS’s well-deserved reputation for dishonesty and greed, he should start by setting the record straight about one of HSUS’s most egregrious lies – its membership numbers. Just yesterday, I read an article about HSUS and the Nebraska Farmers Union that repeated the false figure of 11 million members, including “51,000 in Nebraska.” During 2010’s Prop B campaign in Missouri, the phony statistic of 320,000 Missouri members was fed to the media. Prop B barely passed, and was then modified and improved (over Pacelle’s objections) by ethical, Missouri-based animal charities. In 2010, Pacelle tried to intimidate Ohio legislators with threats of “440,000” card-carrying members. Then-Governor Strickland caved – and lost his reelection bid.

    According to HSUS’s current tax returns, just 450,000 copies of its membership magazine are produced. According to its own fundraising department, about 1.3 million people have donated $1 or more to HSUS in the past three years. Pretty embarassing, considering the $47 million HSUS spent raising money last year. If a presidential candidate lied about his base of support the way HSUS does every day, the media would be all over it, and the candidate deservedly ridiculed and labeled a fraud.
    Animal rights organizations that want to help craft national and local policy and legislation should be held to the same standard.

    Finally, there is distrust because Pacelle has failed to be consistent – or even coherent – on key animal welfare issues. HSUS was pushing hard for a “cage-free nation” shortly before reversing course with an agreement with United Egg Producers. HSUS was for euthanizing fighting dogs until they got caught in a huge dog-killing scandal (see Winograd). HSUS was against No-Kill sheltering and TNR for feral cats until they were pressured into to give lip service to both. HSUS railed against Michael Vick while using his dogs to fraudulently raise millions, and then helped Vick rehabilitate his image as a worthy future pet owner.

    Ineffective “messaging” is not the reason for HSUS’s problems. HSUS lacks ethical leadership, a moral compass, and adequate oversight. Until those issues are addressed, HSUS does not deserve the benefit of any doubt.

  • “Proof is in the pudding”? would that be suet pudding? if so you won’t find it at the HSUS.. vegan recipes ONLY at that website.. no dairy.. no meat.. no poultry.. no eggs…and for Mr Maxwell.. NO PORK.. except of course the pork he receives from the HSUS donors who think their dollars are going to save puppies and kitties..
    He says .. HSUS does not want to ‘eliminate animal products”.. really here is what they say:
    “The good news, and what is really going to help immensely, is the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) just passed their vegan policy. They are seen as the mothering organization for the SPCAs,
    shelters and animal control agencies. And the fact that they have adopted a vegan policy may just be the major breakthrough to bring others along. All HSUS expos, trainings, conferences will be vegan. It is huge.” Kim Sturla, SATYA Nov/Dec 04 “The Barnyard Campus: Teaching Compassion for All”

    or:
    “… nothing is more important than promoting veganism.” Paul Shapiro, who heads HSUS’ anti-Factory Farm Campaign, addressing the National Student Animal Rights Conference, University of California – Berkeley, Oct. 31, 2004

    or :
    . We want Americans to eat fewer animals,” Wayne Pacelle, DVM News, Jan 1, 2008.

    these are not ‘taken out of context”.. these are direct quotes. you can parse them all you want.. they still come down to one thing.. HSUS is an animal rights organization..

  • Janette Reefer of the DC metro HSUS in Va, with the help of Norred & Assoc. ‘Investigated’ me all the way in Ca without ever stepping foot on my property. Although all charges and allegations were disproved, they still ruined me financially and besmurched my good name and community standing. Now, im on them like a pitbull
    *slight edit by admin.

  • Comments were not really out of context–just “inconvenient” for the AR charlatans that want to re-write their own history in order to further lie to the American public and naive wealthy supporters who have drun k way too much of the AR-koolaid. H$U$, at least at the top (which makes policy and direction) is ANIMAL RIGHTS and that is *way different philosophically* from animal welfare. I’m so glad to see more mainstream articles exposing the “animal rights” INDUSTRY participants for the anti-societal and greedy actions that they continue to foist on Americans.

  • Let’s not forget the animal rights movement was formed in the UK with many of the vegan animal rights agenda organizers moving to the USA to spread the propaganda. This was right on the heels of Band of Mercy, and SHAC, and ALF in the UK. The UK turned a deaf ear, to these groups and the destruction they caused, so the “group” met for a while and formulated their plan and moved to the USA and many worked to spread the propaganda, as philosophers and learned professionals, taught in major universities, oh, and one physician who shared the same beliefs.. It seems they stirred, law schools, grade schools, the FBI into believeing that animals were much more important than humans and the non use of animals will keep the earth clean and the world would just be a better place to live with all people being more humane!.
    And…..people think this is a movement about the welfare and care of animals. It simply is a group of antivivisectionist, abolitionist who skipped across the pond to the USA who feel that no one should ever use an animal for anything ever. It has taken 40 years to advance the animal rights movement. The bad part is they convinced our government officials, which says little of our public officials. Think about where all the modern animal rights activist came from the UK to the USA. Just don’t know where Wayne Pacelle got the idea of being a hunt saboteur while still in college and afterward in his stint at Friends for Animals. Let’s get real..How much money has HSUS and other noted AR activist and this social movement cost the USA in the animal industries? Billions and Billions.

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