Organization notes

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2004:

The Humane Society of the U.S. board of directors on April
24, 2004 elected senior vice president for government affairs and
media Wayne Pacelle, 38, to succeed Paul Irwin as president and
chief executive. Irwin, senior vice president under John Hoyt
1975-1996, and president since then, is retiring. Pacelle joined
HSUS in 1994, after five years as executive director of the Fund for
Animals. Pacelle was selected over chief of staff Andrew Rowan, who
continues in that position, and former Maryland governor Parris
Glendenning.

Farmed Animal Watch founder Mary Finelli on April 17, 2004
turned the electronic newsletter over to new editors Hedy Litke and
Che Green, after two years and 47 editions. Litke also directs the
New York City-based Animal News Center. Green is a longtime member
of the Seattle-based Northwest Animal Rights Network. Farmed Animal
Watch is jointly sponsored by Animal Place, the Animal Welfare
Trust, Farm Sanctuary, the Fund for Animals, the Glaser Progress
Foundation, and PETA.

A Market & Opinion Research International survey of 1,977
British adult tourists done for the Society for the Protection of
Animals Abroad found in March 2004 that 64% had seen cruelty to
animals while traveling overseas. 42% had seen cruelty to dogs and
donkeys. A third had seen “distressing scenes” or cruelty involving
horses and cats.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy in March 2004 published data
from Harris Interactive Inc. indicating that PETA, Greenpeace, and
the human rights organization Global Exchange are the three least
trusted U.S. charities. The most trusted are Doctors Without
Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and the Salvation Army. Harris
surveyed 5,000 adults to develop a list of the 20 charities most
familiar to Americans, and then surveyed 21,942 adults to find those
with the best and worst reputations.

The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. in a March 4, 2004 complaint
to the Federal Communicat-ions Commission challenged the right of the
Fund for Animals to use the web site names <www.NeimanCar-cass.com>,
<www.NeimanCar-cass.org>, and <www.NeimanCar-cass.net>. The parody
web sites attack Neiman Marcus fur sales. Affirming intent to
continue the parodies, The Fund filed a defense on April 19.

Executives of the Ottawa Humane Society, Guelph Humane
Society, and Hamilton/Burlington SPCA in April 2004 complained to
CBC/Ottawa that fundraising solicitiations in their communities by
the Toronto Humane Society misled donors into believing that THS
provides services in their respective territories, hurting their own
fundraising. Responded THS spokesperson Amy White, “Some humane
societies are more successful. As a charity we are always looking to
be creative.”