Group Files FTC Complaint Against HSUS

The Center for Consumer Freedom filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission regarding the Humane Society of the U.S. The non-profit CCF says the Humane Society is responsible for a deceptive advertising campaign, and they also passed along 77 donor complaints submitted through its website, HelpPetShelters.com. The Center for Consumer Freedom says HSUS drove traffic to a web page that contained false information back in November. The web page said only 19% of total donations went to fundraising. But, the Form 990 tax return filed in 2016 by HSUS shows that it actually spends 29% of its donations on fundraising.  The CCF said if joint cost expenditures that are allocated to management or program spending are factored in, the total fundraising number climbs to 52%.

The Center points out that charities have been known to classify at least some of its fundraising as “educational” expenses in order to seem more efficient with donations. The CCF also says that, in spite of its name, the Humane Society of the U.S. is not affiliated with many of the pet shelters across the country. CCF points out that HSUS doesn’t run a single pet shelter, in spite of solicitations suggesting otherwise.

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