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July 21, 2008

Leader of Humane Society Presses for More-Aggressive Activism

The chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle, has helped the organization become a more aggressive advocate for animals, in part by using publicity campaigns and lobbying for animal-friendly legislation, reports The Los Angeles Times.

Under Mr. Pacelle, the Humane Society has doubled its assets to $207-million and increased its lobbying and publicity efforts. After the group released a video of cows being dragged and abused at a California slaughterhouse, the plant was closed. Mr. Pacelle has also set up a branch of the Humane Society that goes after politicians with poor animal-welfare records.

Mr. Pacelle’s actions have drawn criticism both from those who think he is too aggressive and those who think he is not aggressive enough. He says he knows that people have such different views on animals that he cannot please everyone. His own view, he says, is that animal advocacy is “really about human behavior and less about the animals. Animals for the most part just need to be left alone.”

To read more about the humane society’s approach, see this profile in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

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Monday July 21, 2008 | Permalink

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