Included in the August Calendar of Events for the Humane Society of the United States (H$U$) are listed two town meetings for the State of Nebraska, one in Lincoln and one in Omaha, quickly followed by another one on September 1 of this year.

In November 2010, Wayne Pacelle, President of the H$U$, assured people attending its 'town hall meeting" that the H$U$ was not planning a ballot initiative there. In April of 2011, after the Governor's speech, the State Director for the H$U$ told the Governor that "the HSUS is indeed thinking about a Nebraska ballot fight." according to Humane Watch. According to their website, "The HSUS is working on several projects to improve life for Nebraska's animals, and we'd like you to be involved. If you are concerned about puppy mills, animal rescue, local animal issues, or just generally creating a more compassionate Nebraska, you should attend this informative and motivational meeting to learn how you can take action for animals." It seems they do not particularly care for Governor Dave Heineman's comments of December 2010. In a speech to the Nebraska Cattlemen's Group, he stated "The Humane Society of the United States is anti-agriculture and they're out to destroy animal agriculture—and if they want to come to Nebraska, we're going to fight them and we're going to beat them." In an interview with Brownfield Ag News for America following the speech, "In Nebraska, no deal, no compromise—we're going to stand up, we're going to beat them," he says. "They'd be better off going somewhere else because they're going to lose if they stay in Nebraska."

How many people in Nebraska know that the H$U$ have an Executive Director in the state? Or that until recently, former State Senator Don Wesely as a lobbyist? Dr. Jeff Ondrak, a beef cattle veterinarian and University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty member asked these questions to the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference in Kearney in February 2011. He also told them that with the growth of urban areas, most people are three generations removed from farming, and have no idea "what we do." "People are not familiar with agriculture." he said. In an article in the Kearney Hub.com, Staff Writer Lori Potter says "That detachment works against ag producers in an animal welfare-animal rights debate that often reduces complex issues to good guys versus bad guys."We think we're the good guys, and those people aren't," Ondrak said, referring to well-funded, focused activist organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States.

Ondrak went on to speak about the "Walt Disney Effect" as he calls it-the portrayal of animals in the movies and not in their natural settings. He states that the animal rights groups take advantage of this perception by featuring animal shelter dogs and cats in ads requesting donations. He feels this helps people make the Disney connection, and said "You can see why people not familiar with agriculture can have problems with some of the things we do." He went on to speak about the difference between the H$U$ and PETA, and requested members of the audience to "If you get a letter from HSUS, please don't send them money." He also related that the HSUS focuses on getting young Americans tied to a vegan lifestyle. "HSUS is in Nebraska, and they are here to stay," Ondrak said, partly because the organization targets states with an initiative process to get issues on the ballot. "... These people are moving in, and they have an agenda...They (the public) need to understand that we're real people. We have families and do things together, ... and that we're not corporate monsters." "It really needs to be an educational process to learn about animals beyond what they see from Walt Disney," he said. "The point is you need to be telling something to somebody," Ondrak said. "And you need to be doing it now. ... We need to be telling our story every day."

In a March 2011 debate in the Nebraska Legislature, State Senator Tom Carlson, Chair of the Agriculture Committee, calls the H$U$ "deceptive, misleading, unethical, overreaching, unscrupulous, underhanded, unprincipled, shameless and ruthless. They are a dangerous outside group. We don't need them in Nebraska, we don't want them in Nebraska, we won't tolerate them in Nebraska, we will defeat them in Nebraska, and then we will tell America how they operate and how to defeat them." He goes on to refer to the ties with companion groups, specifically People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). He also states that the H$U$ has a lot of money that he believes is obtained under false pretenses.

Nebraska Pet Breeders-write to your Congressmen, email them, phone them, and go to visit with them. They must hear from you that the pet industry is a vital part of the animal agriculture. It is not just cattle and other livestock. You need them to hear from you NOW. Do the same with your Governor. They must include you in this "Stay out of Nebraska" defense. One of the most important things you can do is to change public perception of a pet breeder. You are NOT "puppy mills"; you help to meet the demand of the American public for their pets. Familiarize everyone you can with how a responsible pet breeder runs their animal agriculture business, how you treat your animals, and how you greatly contribute to the economy of your state in sales tax revenue, income tax revenue, jobs for animal industry products and services, retails sales, etc. If you want the H$U$ and other groups to stay out of your state, you must join the fight NOW.

Researched and Written by Debi R***