Support Humane Society

To the Editor:

As a local member of the Humane Society of the U.S. (one of 220,000 in Wisconsin), I am writing to respond to the recent letter from the secretary of the Sheboygan Kennel Club denigrating the HSUS. Unfortunately, the allegations in Mary Kistner's letter are based on information from a group called the “Center for Consumer Freedom,” which she cites in her letter.

This group is run by Richard Berman, a public relations operative who gets paid millions of dollars by a small number of major corporations to attack public interest groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, The Centers for Disease Control, The Humane Society of the United States, The American Medical Association, among many others. Berman runs smear campaigns against issues that threaten the profit margins of the food and beverage industries that are his clients. In 2008, his Center for Consumer Freedom received $1.52 million in contributions, with 92.7 percent going directly to Richard Berman. There is a growing suspicion that Berman is simply funneling millions from anonymous corporate donors and trade associations into his own pocket.

There are several ethics complaints filed against this man. So I would caution Kistner and the Sheboygan Kennel Club to do more research before using this kind of information to defame a legitimate organization such as the Humane Society of the United States.

The truth is important no matter what it uncovers. In this case, I have uncovered enough information to know that I will continue to contribute to the Humane Society of the U.S., as well as our local shelters and rescue groups.

Janet Pauly-Bray

Plymouth