Joplin Humane Society Forced To Change Name

April 28, 2010
No Affiliation
By Karen Aquino Special to The Globe

JOPLIN, Mo. — As more and more Americans are putting the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) under the microscope, I would like to clarify a common misconception. A recent national study reveals that 7 of 10 Americans believe that the Humane Society of the United States is an “umbrella group” for local humane societies. This is not the case and seems to be the belief of many people in our region.

The Joplin Humane Society is in no way affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States or any other national organization. The Joplin Humane Society receives no funding or support from HSUS and we are an independent entity from a funding, oversight and philosophical perspective.

This misconception is so pervasive in our region that the Joplin Humane Society’s board of directors has made the difficult decision to change the name of our organization to reflect the fact that we are independent, local shelter. Our new name will also encompass our mission to promote the human-animal bond, prevent cruelty to animals and elevate the standard of care for animals in the four-state region.

The new name of the Joplin Humane Society will be announced at noon April 30 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Joplin Humane Society was founded in 1948 and provides care for 12,000 animals each year. All of our funding comes from private donations and fees for service.

Karen Aquino

Joplin


Many local pet shelters are suffering due to the deliberate confusion being caused by the HSUS. Consequently, the animals are the ones that pay the biggest price. The constant ads asking for money by the HSUS would make anyone believe that they are involved in direct pet care, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a shame that so many local shelters are having to change their name in an attempt to distance themselves from the worlds wealthiest animal rights group. While the HSUS puts millions of dollars into salaries, fundraising, lobbying and buying stock in companies, our local shelters continue trying to operate on the pennies put in a pickle jar on the counter. If you want to help pets, please donate to the local shelters in our communities that actually help pets in need.