HSUS Spending Donor Money on $1,100-per-Night Resort

News emerged last week that HSUS has sold its Washington, D.C. office to developers who will tear it down. HSUS, which bought the building in the 70s, will likely move to a location not too far away—with $11 million in its pocket from the sale.

Will the money go to shelters? Unlikely. Only 1% of the money HSUS raises is given to a local pet shelter, and it runs zero pet shelters despite calling itself a “Humane Society.”

Instead, expect the money to get stashed away in a Caribbean hedge fund or two. In 2012 and 2013, HSUS put $50 million into Caribbean and Bermuda funds. In 2014 alone, it made another $50 million in “investments.”

Meanwhile, HSUS executives will be getting some sun themselves. On March 11, HSUS will be hosting a benefit gala at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort near Miami. Room rates for that weekend are currently starting at $1,101 per night and going all the way up to $3,952.

Much like Caribbean hedge funds, the resort is for the 1%. HSUS’s CEO, who recently bought a mansion nearby for $1.1 million in cash, no doubt wants to include himself in that elite class. But should donor money be used on sycophancy?

People give to charity because they hope their donations will go to help make things better, not get stashed away in an offshore account or get spent on resorts. As HSUS fundraising material is sure to remind people, animals are in need right now. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t give to HSUS—but to a more reputable animal group.