From: "Eric Bernthal"
Subject: RE: Important: HSUS and SHARK
Date: May 18, 2018 at 6:52:41 PM EDT
To: "'Stu Chaifetz'"
Hello, Stu. As you may know, I’m the chair of the HSUS board of directors. We’ve heard from you and from a dozen or so of your supporters. I’m responding to you on behalf of all those in our organization who were copied on some of these emails, as well as for Kitty and myself.
Frankly, we put off responding to you for a couple of weeks because we've been in a critical and sensitive period, working closely with key members of the Maryland legislature, first to assure that the legislature in Maryland passed a bill that confirmed that pigeon shoots are illegal in that state, and then working to encourage Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland to sign the bill this week.
We're thrilled at the outcome in Maryland, take pride in the crucial role we played in achieving that result, and compliment and congratulate you and SHARK for helping to achieve this success, too.
In your recent online communications, SHARK has taken credit for the Maryland legislative success, noting its important undercover work to alert the state government of an imminent illegal pigeon shoot in Maryland. We applaud SHARK’s work in that regard. But SHARK unfortunately went further and has criticized our organization – repeatedly – for playing no role here.
Putting your attacks on our work, our motives and our character aside, Stu, you thank the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the new law.
This is not only false, but SHARK has completely misunderstood what happened in Maryland. In fact, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources sponsored a bill that sought to declare pigeons as “unprotected” and “feral” and would have opened the door to making pigeon shoots in Maryland legal. Fortunately, HSUS was there, and we made sure the Maryland legislature got it right. If you doubt me on this, please watch the following testimony, first by the Department of Natural Resources, and then by the Humane Society of the United States. You’ll see, literally, who said what, and who made sure there would be no live pigeon shoots in Maryland.
SHARK has long engaged in the dubious practice of criticizing others who are working hard toward the same goals. We generally refrain from criticizing other animal organizations because we like to think the best of all those who want to make this world a better one for animals. We hope you’ll celebrate the news of the outcome in Maryland with us, recognize that both SHARK and HSUS had critically positive roles to play here, and perhaps SHARK will point fewer fingers at their allies in the good fight for animals in the future.
Rick
