The Humane Society of the United States is one of the Top Ten Charities on the TisBest Philanthropy platform. Their mission of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty is one that deeply resonates with many recipients of TisBest Charity Gift Cards. We asked Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, to answer some questions about the good they are doing for animals everywhere.

Who does your organization help?
We are the number one animal care organization in the world and also the number one [animal]  advocacy organization. HSUS was primarily founded to confront cruelty to all animals and to professionalize the entire field of animal protection. We take on factory farming, animal fighting, puppy mills, horse slaughter, seal clubbing, and so much more.

How do you help them?
We work in four core areas of focus: education and awareness, direct care and service, public policy and enforcement, and corporate policy reform.

Why was your organization founded?
We were founded in 1954 to tackle the large-scale abuses of animals that are beyond the reach of local humane groups.

What can your organization do with $30?
A $30 donation can help pay for enrichment like toys and blankets for animals rescued by The HSUS, or sterilize and vaccinate two animals in India.  It can also contribute to our lobbying in Congress, our ballot measures, our lawsuits against animal abusers, and so much more.

What is the best non-stuff gift that you have personally received?
In lieu of wedding gifts, my wife and I created a fund called the Emergency Animal Relief Fund, which provides emergency grants through HSUS to shelters and rescue organizations when they take in an injured animal with no safety net. Being able to share such an important event with friends and family in a way that also helps animals meant the world to me, and every time we issue a grant for a dog or cat who has been hit by a car, or an eagle suffering from lead poisoning, I’m so thankful to those who have contributed.

If someone received a TisBest Charity Gift Card, why should they consider your charity for their donation?
We help animals in crisis, but most importantly, we focus on the root causes of cruelty so that animals don’t get into a situation of distress in the first place. Take our anti-dogfighting work, as an example. Busting up a dogfight is just part of the process of eradicating the industry. We helped pass a federal law that made it a felony to bring a child to a dogfight, a crucial element because so many dogfighters start out as kids and attend dogfights, which normalizes this cruelty. We have a tip line for those who suspect dog-fighting is taking place, and work with law enforcement nationwide on bringing dogfighters to justice. Some of these cases span multiple states, such as the case we worked with the FBI on in one case, resulting in a multi-state raid of 367 dogs. But there is still work to do once the animals are rescued. A few years ago, we launched the Dogfighting Rescue Coalition, a coalition that focuses on successfully rehoming the dogs from these rescues, treating each dog as an individual. Since the launch, several hundred have found homes as a result. It’s this kind of all-encompassing approach that makes the HSUS unique and drives our successes, and donations make that work possible.

Tell us about a unique way your charity has impacted someone.
One case that stands out is Daniel’s rescue. Daniel was a little puppy, one of nearly 300 dogs rescued from a puppy mill by the HSUS Animal Rescue Team in the spring of 2016. When we found him, he couldn’t use his front legs due to extreme malnutrition. He crawled towards rescuers when he saw them, it was absolutely heartbreaking. Fortunately, he was provided with top-notch care that included daily leg massages as well as an additional treatment, and eventually, he was ready to go to the Great Plains SPCA, an Emergency Placement Partner of the HSUS, and be adopted into a wonderful home. Each animal we rescue is unique, but to think of a puppy who literally can’t walk due to malnutrition, who has lived his short life in such misery, and yet is so loving and eager to live despite suffering so much, can now live out his life in a wonderful home – that’s priceless.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about your organization or the people or mission that it serves?
Many people are surprised at the breadth of our work and our big tent approach. Earlier this year we announced we were partnering with SeaWorld, a company we’ve long had an adversarial relationship with. The CEO and I talked over several months after a mutual friend suggested we talk, and our partnership resulted not only in SeaWorld committing to no longer breeding orcas, but also increasing their rescue and advocacy efforts, changing the food sourcing for their parks (that attract more than 20 million visitors annually) to crate-free pork and cage-free eggs, and offering more plant-based options.  It’s a surprising partnership, but that’s exactly what we should be doing – taking companies that are part of the problem and making them part of the solution. For more information about The Humane Society of the United States and how you can help their mission visit www.humanesociety.org.

For more information about The Humane Society of the United States and how you can help their mission visit www.humanesociety.org.

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National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day comes every year on April 30^th. Many shelters around the country have special events and even discounted adoptions this weekend so if you have ever thought about adopting a pet find your local shelter and take a look.
If you adopt a shelter pet, or have in the past, tag us in the photo and use the hashtag #AdoptAShelterPetDay to share the love!
Need some help getting started? Here are a few of our national charity partners that can get you pointed in the right direction:
American Humane Association – http://www.americanhumane.org
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – https://www.aspca.org
Best Friends Animal Society – http://bestfriends.org

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This lab practices his agility skills in the auditorium.

This guy can’t wait to find a lap to call his own!

There were several more highlights on our tour of their campus.  Seattle Humane’s facilities are clean, cheerful, and have this great, bustling sense of optimism about them. The animals are treated with the greatest care and affection by a passionate and caring staff.  We look forward to serving their worthy cause in the future! Check ’em out at www.seattlehumane.org/.
Chad Edwards
TisBest Charity Gift Cards – www.tisbest.org

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I was reminded of the great work of Best Friends Animal Society while looking for a charity to recommend to my 10-year-old niece. My wife and I bought her a TisBest card for Christmas and wanted to give her a starting point for her search. I thought of her passion for helping animals as I read about the group of animal lovers who founded Best Friends as a small animal sanctuary 25 years ago. Their pilot program rescuing dogs and cats on their way to “E-Day” (euthanasia) led them to build a haven for animals at Angel Canyon in Southern Utah. Today, their 33,000-acre ranch is the nation’s largest animal sanctuary for homeless animals.

On any given day, the sanctuary houses about 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, burros, birds, rabbits, and an assortment of other creatures. Most of the animals have special physical or behavioral needs. Through the care of Best Friends’ veterinarians, trainers, and caregivers, most of these animals – approximately three out of four – are able to go to good homes after just a few weeks. Animals who are unable to be adopted because of major trauma, age, or chronic illness find a permanent home at the sanctuary.

Best Friends Animal Society has been a leader in the “No More Homeless Pets” campaign: a spay/neuter, adoption, and public awareness program to bring an end to the killing of homeless animals in shelters. They have partnered with organizations across the nation to provide assistance and training to groups looking to create “no-kill” communities. And they are seeing results. According to the website www.utahpets.org, the number of animals euthanized in Utah shelters since 1999 has decreased by 30%.

Best Friends provides a whole host of other services including adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs; the Best Friends Network; and Best Friends, the nation’s largest-interest animal magazine. I encourage you to hop, trot, prance, or strut over to the Best Friends website (www.bestfriends.org) where you’ll find incredibly cute pictures of the animals they work with and important information on their work.

We at TisBest congratulate Best Friends Animal Society on 25 years of building a better world through kindness to animals.

Chad Edwards
Charity & Community Relations Manager

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