A Partnership for Animals

FUND FOR ANIMALS Two horses at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch.

In January 2005, The Fund for Animals and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) joined forces in an unprecedented and historic combination. This was the first time in the history of the animal protection movement that two national, high-profile organizations have united in order to advance their common mission.

The groups continue operating as independent organizations, but the new partnership has allowed for the launch of several new programs, savings in administrative costs, and more effective results for animals. The Fund for Animals carries on the legacy of Cleveland Amory with the hard-hitting programs for which it has been known for 4 decades, and with a renewed emphasis on hands-on animal care services.

A New Approach to Advocacy

The union of HSUS and Fund staff members has allowed for the formation of a new Campaigns department to focus on major, defining issues such as fur, sport hunting, factory farming, and malicious animal cruelty, including animal fighting. We pursue these goals with a multifaceted approach involving investigations, litigation, lobbying, communications, corporate reforms, and professional campaigning.

The union also made possible the formation of a new Animal Protection Litigation section, with eight full-time attorneys—joined by a corps of law students and pro bono attorneys—fighting in court for animal protection laws. The section is already the largest in-house animal protection litigation department in the country, serving as a training ground for the next generation of animal lawyers and law students. Our legal team is involved in more than three dozen active cases throughout the country.

And finally, the union of our two groups allowed for the formation of a third organization: the Humane Society Legislative Fund, a new 501(c)(4) political entity designed to augment our existing public policy work and allow for a more substantial investment of resources in political and lobbying activities. This new lobbying arm of our groups will enable an expansion of our public policy work, an enlargement of our network of trained activists, and a more level playing field with the industries that promote and condone cruelty to animals.

This newly configured partnership between The HSUS and The Fund for Animals represents the largest and most effective animal protection force in the United States.

A Helping Hand and a Strong Voice

The Fund for Animals continues its work as a leader in direct animal care centers providing veterinary care, rehabilitation and release efforts, and sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals throughout the United States. While The Fund and The HSUS are partners in these efforts, donations to The Fund for Animals are used specifically to support Fund programs, such as the direct animal care centers and a docket of animal protection litigation in which The Fund is a plaintiff.

• The flagship legacy of author and Fund founder, Cleveland Amory, is the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch. This 1,300-acre refuge in Murchison, Texas, provides permanent sanctuary for more than 1,400 rescued animals. The ranch still cares for some of the original burros saved from the Grand Canyon, the dramatic helicopter rescue in the late 1970s which led to the establishment of Black Beauty Ranch, in addition to primates, exotic animals, horses, bison, prairie dogs, and many others.
• The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Ramona, California, provides 24-hour medical care to rehabilitate and release injured native animals. The center specializes in large predators such as coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions and has one of the world’s largest free-flight aviaries for birds of prey who are recuperating and regaining their flight. The facility is also a safe home for some exotic animals who cannot be released to the wild.
• The Cape Wildlife Center in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, provides veterinary care and rehabilitation for many species of native wildlife such as raccoons, squirrels, foxes, seabirds, and turtles . The center also runs an active wildlife veterinarian training program, where wildlife veterinarians receive on-the-job training.
• The Rural Area Veterinary Services program provides much-needed medical care to animals in low-income areas, such as Indian reservations, the hill country of Appalachia, farms in South America, and even on remote islands. Skilled veterinarians operate the clinics, and are aided by veterinary students and other volunteers. Each clinic is uniquely designed to address the needs of the community by providing veterinary care for the animals and education to prevent future disease outbreaks or injuries.
• The Rabbit Sanctuary Inc., located in Simpsonville, South Carolina, provides, as Cleveland Amory said, “hope for the hopless.” The sanctuary, supported by The Fund for Animals and HSUS, is a permanent refuge for many dozen injured or displaced rabbits who were abused or discarded as “throwaway” pets.

And finally, The Fund’s litigation efforts apply needed pressure when other means have failed. Whether defending animals against large corporations or even the federal government, The Fund speaks for those who can’t.

Posted March 22, 2006