I see animal cruelty non stop here it breaks my heart. For that eight bucks a month, or whatever you can afford, you expect hard work, dedication, and performance on a multitude of fronts: on behalf of wildlife, farmed animals, dogs and cats, horses, animals in laboratories, marine mammals, and the list could go on for quite a while. It looks like they could save them all by themselves. It is sad. CEO of HSUS earns about $400,000 and no others much over $200,000. It is not because of anything Matthew Bershadker did, nor because of anything his predecessors did, nor because of anything his counterparts at the other big national animal charities didcertainly not by themselves. Those of you who work in shelters know first-hand the immense challenges this crisis created for your work and, in many cases, your very existence. In truth, ASPCA fundraising directly benefits only the ASPCA itself. A few days ago we happened to have occasion to look at the recently posted American SPCA filing of IRS Form 990 for 2020. Bershadker has now been at the ASPCA for 21 years. The ASPCA has never had affiliates anywhere else. Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. The nonprofit told CBS News it spends 77 cents of every dollar on its mission to rescue, protect and care for animals in need, which, in addition to hands-on services, includes expenditures on mission-related public education and engagement. When everyone in the community is working together and focused on keeping people and pets together, most animals will hopefully never need a shelter, and those animals who do need sheltering can get targeted help and resources, including medical care and behavioral rehabilitation. This $5 million effort included free pet food for dogs, cats, and horses in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Asheville; grants to struggling animal welfare organizations; emergency pet boarding services; expanded stationary and mobile veterinary care; and other vital resources for animals, people, and shelters coping with this crisis. The American SPCA (ASPCA), whose president received $852,000 in 2017, has not done cruelty investigations since 2013, formerly did cruelty investigations only in New York City, and since 1994 has operated only one animal shelter, in Manhattan. But more than $28 million of the total money raised in 2019 was not reflected in spending that year. According to the newly released tax returns, ASPCA CEO Matthew Bershadker received about $770,000 in compensation in 2018. Matthew Bershadker was named President and CEO of the ASPCA in June 2013. Just us. Then in 2019 Bershaker's total compensation rebounded to $843,539. Its a no win situation. Many of our vets are paid more than Vinod and Dawn! A professor in a university animal ethics course, who indicates that her students include everyone from ranchers to vegans, near universally weep in class when she plays the ASPCA commercial. What is their thinking on how much of the publics donations should go to the animals? A few had received grants worth a few thousand dollarsfrom the ASPCA, which they had applied for. What all of us do every day matters, and it will continue to matter until we live in a world where animals are thoroughly respected and cherished in our communities, our laws, our systems, and our values. ", The ASPCA provided the following statement in response to CBS News' questions: "For more than 155 years, the ASPCA has been steadfastly dedicated to our mission 'to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.' Matt: My inspiration comes from the animals and the dedicated animal welfare professionals and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect them. The nonprofit told CBS News it spends 77 cents of every dollar on its mission to rescue, protect and care for animals in need, which, in addition to hands-on services, includes expenditures on mission-related public education and engagement., However, warned Ohio State University professor of accounting Brian Mittendorft, If wejust look at how much of the spending goes toward shelter andveterinary services, and toward grants to local humane societies, its hovering around 40%., Axelrod, Towey, and Bailey affirmed that assessment. What that survey did not ask was whether donors knew thedifference between giving to the ASPCA and giving to other localSPCAs nationwide., Countered 30-year Houston SPCA president Patti Mercer, I would challenge the fact that 84% of people know thedifference when the fundraising tactics would lead you to believethat money given to the ASPCA trickles down into localorganizations.. Who shot pregnant harbor seals? I BELIEVE IN WELL PAID EXECUTIVES. The song Arms of an Angel was originally released in the late 1990s and was meant as a tribute to a fellow musician who had died of a drug overdose. No one running either organization now was involved. The 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization was based in New York, New York. "The major problems that most SPCAs have is that the ASPCA does not fund these agencies," Rogers told CBS News chief investigative correspondent Jim Axelrod. With over 1,000 employees, the ASPCA's mission is to rescue, protect and care for animals in need through a wide range of activities like animal relocation, advocacy, training, legislative and veterinary services. But maybe something can be done with more publicity on these matters. I WAS GOING TO DONATE TILL I READ THIS. But trying to avoid donating toward advertising expense is a very naive and impractical idea in the first place, since every nonprofit organization needs to raise funds somehow, and even if an animal shelter, for example, does no advertising for fundraising purposes, it will still have to advertise animals for adoption. Liars and egotism lead the fall. The next year, 2018, Bershadker was paid $712,397, plus $57,129 in benefits, for total compensation of $769,526. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A housing crisis resulting from the pandemic is also a significant threat to animals. As many of you know well, the consequences of povertys impact on dogs, cats, and horses are felt very intensely by community shelters and rescues. ), On April 16, 2020, for instance, ANIMALS 24-7 decried leaders, who despite leading the humane cause blindly in the wrong direction time and again, nonetheless take home more money per year than the total annual budget of your local humane society, and remain quite unabashed about asking for even more money through pop-up ads that obstruct just about every online search for anything pertaining to dogs, cats, or the words humane and SPCA.. Millions of eight-dollar-a-month donors, and some $9.70-an-hour journalists, too, have accomplished all of this, and are continuing to accomplish quite a lot more, even as the biggest organizations make the most noise to donors, claiming most of the credit and raking in most of the donations. As of 2016, the ASPCA was founded in 1866 by Henry Bergh. But according to Jo Sullivan at the Houston SPCA, not everyone is granted access to the list, even if they are willing to pay. Unbelievable! They also started nesting there in the past few years. NOBODY!!! I will donate to the ASPCA when your ceo gives up 80% of his salary so the money actually goes to the animals! But during that same time period it spent nearly three times that, at least $421 million, on fundraising. It behooves potential donors to conduct their due diligence before deciding where to contribute. I am sickened to think that anything I donate would be to help pay his salary! This is why we provided $5 million in grant funding to help shelter and rescue organizations cover operating and program expenses and receive capacity support. Using either the name SPCA or humane society implies no relationship whatever with any other organization. Great work. The ASPCA, in short, at the end of 2020 was raising almost $180 million more per year than when Bershadker took over, so perhapsfrom a strictly business perspectivehe earned his nearly tripled increase in compensation over the preceding ten years. Merritt Clifton & feline news source, 1984. Just wondering how much of his salary, and the other executives, they donate to the ASPCA to help those suffering animals. Sharing, as always, with gratitude and all of the usual thoughts and emotions. The Anti-Cruelty Group evolved from a fledgling team of responders to a robust, national program that confronts animal cruelty and suffering on all levels across the country. But this is not to bash Bershadker himself, though we have significant differences with several ASPCA policies, all of them long predating his tenure, and question both his competence and accountability as a manager of humane programs. "The organization benefits greatly," Mercer said of the ASPCA. (See How the ASPCA cooked 26 dogs in a truck: source comes forward.). Darryl Hinton How can he sleep at night knowing that money could go to others or the animals! His annual salary as of 2017 was in excess of $600,000. In America, as Eric Hoffer put it, it is the destiny of every great cause to begin as a movement, become a business, and eventually degenerate into a racket. ASPCApro: Do you think the challenges weve seen from the pandemic will affect the future practice of animal sheltering? How the ASPCA cooked 26 dogs in a truck: source comes forward. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, was established to stop people from mistreating and harming animals in the United States. President And CEO Of The American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA) Bless your organization. I didnt get it, but 10 days later, I was offered a business development position at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. The ASPCA was established in 1866 by diplomat and animal welfare activist Henry Bergh in New York, where the organization still has its headquarters and offers the majority of its hands-on animal services, including sheltering, assisting with abuse investigations and spay/neuter surgeries. Jo Sullivan was an executive vice president at the ASPCA when the commercials came out and was part of the team that created them. So, how much is Matthew E. Bershadker networth at the age of years old? This is not something that can be discovered from public records. The term humane society is also generic, and is used by more than 3,000 independent animal charities in the U.S. alone; many more abroad. Every one of them needs to be fired ASAP.and I pray for for their demise. Matthew Bershadker is president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the first animal welfare organization in America and a national leader in the rescue and protection of at-risk animals. After I earned my MBA in 2001, I applied for a job at the ASPCA. Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy, 2023American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Explained State Humane Association of California executive director Erica Gaudet Hughes when the 2011 case was filed, The complaint alleges that ASPCA capitalizes on, and intentionally reinforces, the widely held mistaken belief that it is a parent or umbrella organization to the thousands of humane societies and SPCAs across the country. The staff was dedicated, but they simply didnt have the resources they needed to place more of their dogs and cats into loving homes. That is thievery no matter how you look at it. I HAD THE NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TO START DONATING AMONG OTHERS TO THE ASPCA. According to the nonprofit's tax returns, the ASPCA took in nearly $280 million in 2019. Contrary to what many people might think and despite the similar names and missions, the Houston SPCA, which operates a local shelter, a veterinary clinic and an animal ambulance amongst its services, isn't in any way affiliated with the national ASPCA. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Top Dems push Fox News to stop promoting "propaganda" about 2020 election, National animal welfare nonprofit ASPCA faces spending criticism, Lawsuits claim dental device wrecked teeth, Pandemic-era SNAP benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise, Eye Opener: Millions face deadly winter storm. Matthew's relationship status is single. Matt: Veterinarians play an enormous role in the health of animals in their communitiesnot just with their traditional clientele, but also with homeless animals, animal victims of cruelty, and animals whose owners are experiencing financial challenges. NEW YORK, N.Y.The heartbreaking commercials are almost impossible to ignore: Sarah McLachlan singing to images of suffering animals andmaking an urgent appeal for donations to the American Societyfor the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, CBS News anchor Jim Axelrod opened on August 2, 2021. the animal welfare community is very resilientperhaps taking our cue from irrepressible animals themselves. The ASPCA is among the oldest humane organizations in the world, founded in 1866, and has been among the richest right from the beginning, when founder Henry Bergh passed his famously deep top hat among fellow New York City investors, industrialists, and socialites to get it started. At the end of 2020, the ASPCA claimed more than $407 million in assets. . I do not need address labels or anything else. I cannot send money to a humane organization that pays their CEO that kind of money but cannot respond to a critical animal abuse report! I called their phone number and and reported animal abuse to dogs in my area. I am fine with a founder getting a fair salary. I have pleaded with the ASPCA to help animals in need in Oregon to no avail. Matthew Bershadker was appointed as president and chief executive officer of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in June 2013. If you love animals so much, your pay should not be your top priority. Even in a contentious political climate, maybe more than you think. I think I speak for all of us when I say our work is primarily inspired and grounded by our drive to help animals in need, a principle that has guided me both personally and professionally over the past two decades. Here, also, is the link to the CBS article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aspca-spending-donor-cbs-news-investigation/. How many people did it take to equal the amount of money this man was paid ????. Yes! At the age of years, Matthew E. Bershadker weight not available right now. Get them and read them please. Only two more people asked about it after we reluctantly pulled the plug on the project. In its commercials, the ASPCA says a $19 monthly gift could mean the difference between life and death for animals in danger. They have all meant so much to me and my family. Even after taking a pay cut of $91,975, which happens to be more than the top salary paid by most local humane societies around the U.S., ANIMALS 24-7 noted, Bershadker remained the highest paid person in the history of the humane movement, by a considerable margin.. The bad decisions that led to those payouts, however, were made two generations of HSUS leadership ago, and three generations of ASPCA leadership ago. The ASPCA provides educational services for animal owners, animal health services, anti-cruelty campaigns, community outreach . Last season there were hundreds of them smashed all over the road. (Beth Clifton collage). A major source of inspiration for me has been witnessing the growing understanding and application of behavior sciences in animal welfare and the lifesaving impact behavior rehabilitation has on shelter animals, specifically on victims of cruelty and neglect. CBS News also found that the ASPCA has been building up its net assets, going from just under $62 million in net assets in 2000 to over $340 million in 2019. Thank you for replying. There is no reason they should be making the kind of money they are getting. Pathetic and mendacious! Donation will be sent by my bank. Held live in . Steering donations away from these mega wasteful charities would be a benefit to the world. The ASPCA under Bershadker has expanded some aspects of program service, with some success, for example taking over the former Humane Alliance national spay/neuter education outreach program in Asheville, North Carolina, operating it as a subsidiary. I live in Concord, California, in a neighborhood called concord Northwood. ID MUCH RATHER MAKE LOCAL DONATIONS TO GROUPS THAT STILL REMEMBER THEIR TRUE PURPOSE . What else can I say about these mutants. The group is an advocacy organization that seeks to prevent cruelty toward animals. YouTube: AmericanTortRescue They have become just soulless, money-harvesting machines that specialize in sappy television commercials about how they just help animals and your contribution can save a life. Anyone who sends them a dime is just throwing their money away. / CBS News. Maybe more people would support the ASPCA if 90% of it didnt go for salary. The ASPCA employs dozens of full-time veterinarians and veterinary technicians at stationary and mobile facilities in New York City and Los Angeles, at our Community Veterinary Center in Miami, at our Behavioral Rehabilitation Center and ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) in North Carolina, and at temporary shelters for animals seized in cruelty cases and rescued from natural disasters and major emergencies. New York is where it started. As a business man, I know we have to pay serious money for special talent but close to a million USD to head a charity??? There must be a way to curb these salaries, more in-line with other animal support organizations. In that partnership, the NYPD leads in responding to all animal cruelty complaints in the five boroughs, while the ASPCA provides direct care for animal cruelty victims and assists law enforcement officials with forensics work and prosecutions. 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