If you care about Missouri animals in need, don’t send your money to national groups | Opinion
Missouri’s animal shelters are reaching a critical point as a surge in pet intake strains already tight budgets. Earlier this month, the Central Missouri Humane Society extended its adoption hours due to the overwhelming number of pets the facility has taken in.
The local animal shelter is emphasizing their struggle to accommodate the influx of animals, urgently calling for adopters and foster parents to provide homes for the pets in their care. Another local pet shelter in Kansas City reported being at “twice the capacity of what the shelter can hold.”
This issue isn’t isolated to Missouri. Nationwide, the number of shelter animals euthanized increased by 15% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Donors need to do their homework about where their contributions are going to ensure their money effectively addresses the pet shelter crisis unfolding in Missouri and across the country.
Many animal lovers donate to national organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States, influenced by commercials featuring distressed animals. But there’s just one problem: Most of the money donated to these national groups doesn’t reach local shelters as financial grants.
Despite having similar names, these national organizations are not connected to local humane societies or SPCAs. Over the past decade, the ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States have seen their budgets grow by more than $230 million combined.
According to their latest available tax returns, less than 2% of the ASPCA’s budget in 2022 was allocated to local shelters in the form of financial grants, with 23 states receiving no funding at all. The Humane Society of the United States is even less supportive, dedicating just 1% of its funds to local shelters. For Missouri, the ASPCA did not list any financial grants to pet shelters in the state in its latest available tax returns, while the Humane Society of the United States listed just one for $500.
Compounding this issue is a practice known as joint cost accounting, which blurs financial transparency. This accounting method allows charities to classify a portion of their fundraising expenses as “programmatic spending” by including educational messages in their solicitations.
The Humane Society of the United States, for instance, claims that 72% of its spending goes toward programmatic services. However, CharityWatch research suggests the true figure is closer to 50%. In other words, a substantial portion of donations could be used to fund direct mail letter campaigns or other functions many donors may not consider programmatic.
Confusion among donors further complicates the issue. Public polling reveals that 80% of Americans mistakenly believe the Humane Society of the United States is an umbrella organization for local humane societies, and 81% think the ASPCA represents local SPCAs.
This confusion exacerbates financial challenges for local shelters, with 74% of them reporting inadequate funding.
For Missourians who care about animal welfare, it’s crucial to direct donations where they’re most needed. Rather than supporting national organizations based in New York and Washington, D.C., consider contributing directly to local shelters or animal rescues. These local facilities are in dire need of your support.
Edwin Sayres was the president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 2003 to 2013. He is a senior adviser to the Center for the Environment and Welfare.
