HSUS called out on ads

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF)—a nonprofit which acts as a watchdog group against other nonprofits—sent a letter to the acting director of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Dec. 19. The letter claims the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is engaged in deceptive advertising. It lists several examples of this along with supporting evidence that the examples represent willful deception on the part of HSUS. “There is significant name confusion between HSUS and the many humane societies that operate pet shelters in local communities. Polling has found that most Americans incorrectly believe that HSUS is an ‘umbrella group’ for pet shelters,” reads the letter. It claims HSUS is aware of this confusion and actively exploits it to its own benefit. “HSUS perpetuates this confusion in its advertising … even though HSUS does not run a single pet shelter and much of the money HSUS raises is used on issues unrelated to pets, such as promoting vegan diets.”