Shelters not Humane Society focus

The March 10 article about animal shelters is troubling. Equally troubling was the lack of follow-up reporting on the comment by Kathryn Callahan, Kentucky director for the Humane Society of the United States: “A shortage of money is no excuse …”

All of the shelters mentioned in the article need funding. The Humane Society budget in 2008 and 2009 was more than $100 million. Of that, only 0.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively, went to fund shelters. That equates to $500,000 to $800,000 for shelters in the United States, which amounts to $10,000 to $16,000 per state.

It is a shame that an organization solicits fund based on misrepresentations. That contribution request with the cute kitten is unacceptable when $33 million is spent on lobbying and $16 million goes to executive officers’ pensions.

I contacted the animal shelters in Fayette and Woodford counties and was told they do not receive any support from HSUS. Send contributions to local or other animal shelters instead.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Shelters not Humane Society focus."