Grand Rapids Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
My Heart Sank
When I read this:
http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/four-fifths_of_one_percent/
Do you think it is true? If yes, where should I be donating my money so it actually goes towards the shelters? That was what I thought I was doing with the Humane Society!! I also contribute to the ASCPA.. Now wondering about that too.
Re: My Heart Sank
I don't know -- it's possible.
But do you contribute to the Humane Society at the national level, or the local Kent County Humane Society? Because, despite their name, my understanding is that the local humane society isn't actually affiliated with the national one. So, if you're donating to the local one, hopefully the money is going more directly to helping the animals.
Wow. I guess it could be true.
Like Kasa suggested, I think making sure your donation goes to a local shelter/rescue might be the best bet. We're fans of Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary but there are quite a few other local shelters and organizations to choose from.
Here is a list broken out by city:
http://www.midwestpetfinder.com/michigan_shelters.htm
I contribute to three and one of them is the Kent County Humane Society, the other is the ASPCA, and then another Humane Society one that I can't think of. I'll look at last year's tax return to know for sure. Juli - thanks for the other recs too.
OK, I think that is the third one. Thanks!
OK, so the HS of West MI is independent. Does anyone know about the Humane Soceity of Kent County? I donate there, and they are constantly sending me return mailing address labels. Nice for me, yes. However, I'd just assume they spend that money on the animals - I can't imagine how much that costs sending those out to all the donors.
It's the same one, actually. Within the past six months or so, the Humane Society of Kent County changed their name to the Humane Society of West Michigan.
Hi. Unfortunately this is completely true. Both HSUS and ASPCA have over $120 million dollars in their coffers and only a miniscule little of that goes into actual hands-on animal care. They both use the pictures of the sad puppies and kittens to reel big hearted animal loving folks like you and me into thinking it is going to help animals, and it is not. They are both masters of pulling at the heartstrings of the public, so don't feel bad for falling right into the trap. I did too, but found out several year ago what they were really about.
They are both mainly behemoth national lobbying organizations. Just today I saw something that said 5 or 6 legislators are calling on the IRS to investigate excessive lobbying activity by HSUS. Because their monies are tax exempt and the organizations get great benefit from being "charity," 501(c)(3) non-profits are limited in the amount of lobbying they can do and are not supposed to try to influence public policy. Both HSUS and ASPCA do both activities to a great degree. Neither are an umbrella organization to local humane societies or SPCA's.
Give your money to your local humane society, or better yet, to local rescue groups who are usually struggling far more than the bigger, more public (and better organized with regard to fundraising-for instance our local humane society and SPCA have millions in their coffers as well) groups. The local rescues are forever grateful for any donations of either money or supplies and you know it is going directly to the animals.