[FEL-L] RE: HSUS and Doris Day League Merge

[Bigcats10 at aol.com]

     The  Humane Society of the United States and Doris Day Animal League 
Announce  Merger and Join Forces to Enhance Work for  Animals     September 1, 
2006


WASHINGTON – Two of the nation's top animal protection organizations  
announced today that they are joining forces in a corporate combination that  will 
result in increased public policy activity and coordination on animal  welfare 
issues and further streamline operations among national animal advocacy  
groups. 
"The Humane Society of the United States is delighted to join with the Doris  
Day Animal League to create an even more powerful voice for animals," said 
Wayne  Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO.  "I have been an admirer of Doris Day 
and  her organization for many years, and it is a privilege now to be able to 
work so  closely with her and the organization." 
The combination follows The HSUS' merger with the Fund for Animals in 2005,  
which was formed in 1967 by author Cleveland Amory, and the group's recent  
hiring of former United Animal Nations president Jennifer Fearing and Compassion 
 Over Killing leaders Miyun Park and Paul Shapiro. "Our members often wonder 
why  groups and individuals with a common purpose do not join together, and we 
are  heeding their call to do just that," adds Pacelle. 
Legendary actress and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Doris Day founded 
 the Doris Day Animal League in 1987 to work on animal welfare legislation at 
the  federal, state and local level. DDAL has more than 180,000 members and  
supporters and has worked over the years for the passage of bills to end the  
sale of videos that depict animal cruelty such as fetish animal "crush" videos 
 and to require the use of alternatives to animal tests. It has strongly 
backed  efforts to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and worked 
to pass  laws in the states to regulate the sale of puppies, require counseling 
for  animal abusers, and reduce or eliminate animal testing for cosmetics. 
DDAL has partnered successfully with The HSUS on many issues over the years,  
including aid for Hurricane Katrina victims, greyhound racing, animal testing 
of  household products and cosmetics, and the addition of bittering agents to 
 anti-freeze to protect children and animals. The Doris Day Animal League  
combination paves the way for increased public policy activity by The HSUS'  
affiliate, The Humane Society Legislative Fund, by combining the existing  
organization's membership and donor support with DDAL. 
"There is no other group like The Humane Society of the United States," Day  
said. "We are very enthusiastic about being part of this organization and  
combining our resources to help the animals."  
Day and Pacelle met recently at Day's home in Carmel, Calif., and discussed  
plans for the possible combination of operations. "Our visions are in lock 
step  now," Pacelle said.  "We both want to strengthen the capacity of the humane 
 movement, and we recognize that we can achieve that by combining our 
operations,  in order to eliminate duplicative programs and to create a more powerful 
force  for animal protection."  
DDAL Executive Director Holly Hazard will become Chief Innovation Officer at  
The HSUS, where she will focus on new initiatives for two of HSUS' existing  
programs – Wild Neighbors and Pets for Life – and develop new business 
ventures.  Sara Amundson, DDAL legislative director, will become executive director 
of the  Humane Society Legislative Fund.  
The HSUS has pursued an aggressive growth strategy since Pacelle took over as 
 president and CEO of The HSUS in 2004. The combination with the Fund for 
Animals  led to the creation of a campaigns department that focuses on four major 
areas –  animal cruelty, fur, factory farming and abusive sport hunting 
practices. The  HSUS has also created an in-house litigation team that has more 
than 40 active  cases in state and federal courts. The group's list of on-line 
animal advocates  has also developed dramatically.  The HSUS' 2006 budget is 
$103 million,  more than double the 1996 annual budget of $42 million. The 
organization  employees more than 400 people, a 60 percent increase from 2000. 
The HSUS' growth reflects the growing popularity and strength of the animal  
protection movement.  With the commitment and support of its robust  
membership, HSUS has spearheaded successful efforts to pass more than 60 state  laws 
this year, won several cases to protect wildlife and enforce laws banning  
trapping and cockfighting, and helped pass legislation in Congress to protect  pets 
in disasters and close a tax scam by trophy hunters. 
-30- 
The Humane Society of the United States is the  nation's largest animal 
protection organization with more than 9.5 million  members and constituents. The 
HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with  active programs in companion 
animals, disaster preparedness and response,  wildlife and habitat protection, 
marine mammals, animals in research, equine  protection, and farm animal welfare. 
The HSUS protects all animals through  education, investigation, litigation, 
legislation, advocacy and field work. The  nonprofit organization is based in 
Washington and has field representatives and  offices across the country. On 
the web at _www.hsus.org_ (http://www.hsus.org/) . 
_http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_doris_day_anim
al_league_merger.html_ 
(http://www.hsus.org.http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_doris_day_animal_league_merger.html) 

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