"Last week, in a cynical and destructive maneuver, the Ohio-based U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) targeted Meijer department stores for agreeing to donate up to $5,000 through a pet photo contest to a restricted fund administered by The HSUS to provide relief to pets abandoned during the foreclosure crisis. As you probably know, as people have had their homes foreclosed, we've seen a rash of animal abandonment cases, with dogs and cats even left in locked-up homes to languish and die. We've been hearing reports of this from shelters across the country, and we set up a fund to help shelters deal with the influx of animals.
The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer agreed to help with the foreclosure fund. But for some reason, Meijer capitulated to the extremists at the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, which is a de facto trade association for arms and ammunitions manufacturers, bowhunting companies, hunting guides and outfitters, and other suppliers of hunting equipment and services. The group has a very small rank-and-file membership, but it masquerades as a group speaking for sportsmen. It's really just an arms and bowhunting industry front group.
It's time to teach the USSA a lesson, and I hope you'll help.
So this group has denied pets the help they need. They'll continue to attempt to intimidate businesses from helping animals until they see that their actions are counterproductive.
Here's the plan. Let's raise at least $10,000 right now, with $5,000 to go to pets who are the victims of foreclosures and an additional $5,000 to fight the horrible wildlife abuses that the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance loves.
So, in short, every time USSA tries to bollix up a deal, they'll actually motivate us to generate more revenue not only for the specific cause we're looking to help with, but also to raise funds to fight the abuses that USSA so dearly wants to preserve—like captive shoots, polar bear trophy hunting, bear baiting, aerial gunning of wolves, and the use of steel-jawed leghold traps.
If the USSA nixes a $5,000 deal, we'll raise $10,000. If they disrupt a $10,000 donation, we'll raise $20,000. We'll use their tactics to motivate our supporters and double the money going to the cause of protecting animals. More money will mean more pet protection, but also more ballot initiatives to restrict inhumane and unsporting hunting practices, more state legislation, more local ordinances.
And when we succeed, USSA will have second thoughts about such petty tactics—and, more to the point, the group may realize that it makes no economic sense to launch these campaigns.
I'm putting in $250 today to start us off. Will you please donate $10, $50, $100, $250, or $1,000 right away? This is no gimmick. This is a fundraising plan with a programmatic purpose. I'll keep you apprised of our progress on the blog, and then I'll personally send a letter to USSA thanking them for helping us raise money to fight their inhumane hunting practices, as well as to help the pets that their misguided campaigns are structured to harm.
I assure you that the leaders of the USSA read this blog. They are now notified. They've awakened us now, and we are on their trail."
Links to donate at the below link:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2008/05/meijer-ussa.html
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