Stories about the famous wolf in sheep’s clothing have been around since before the days of Christ, originally coined by Aesop in ancient Greece. The familiar tale is old, but is as relevant today as it was many centuries ago.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) brings this fable full circle in their battle currently being waged against animal agriculture in the U.S. While disguised as a gentle lamb seeking to improve care for animals, the group is actually a vegan version of Aesop’s carnivore much more interested in eliminating meat production in this country and forcing meatless diets upon Americans.

In the New Testament, Jesus later alluded to Aesop’s fable, talking about false profits in Matthew 7: 15-16, and how “They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them."

If a skeptic takes the time to study HSUS, the fruit of their efforts tells a tale very different than the animal welfare image they portray. A recent advertisement placed in the USA Today by the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) points out that HSUS shares less than one-half of 1 percent of the donations it receives with local pet shelters. Instead, the massive HSUS budget goes to pushing legislation and ballot initiatives to implement laws that hinder meat production and forward their goal of a vegetarian society.

"HSUS is a humane society in name only,” said David Martosko, CCF Director of Research. "The Humane Society of the United States raises tens of millions of dollars annually from Americans who believe their donations filter down to local pet shelters, directly improving the lives of dogs and cats. But instead, their donations support a huge staff of lawyers and lobbyists, bloated executive pension plans, exorbitant fundraising expenses, and PETA-style propaganda campaigns. Animal lovers should start holding the group to a higher standard.”

The “fruit” of HSUS is so rotten in so many ways that Martosko has dedicated a blog and Web site at HumaneWatch.org to point out the deception of HSUS. Through its effective tactics, HSUS has already imposed its agriculturally crippling measures in several states, including Michigan and California. This fall, HSUS is setting its sites on Ohio (now in the disguise of the group Ohioans for Humane Farms) by attempting to get an issue on the ballot that would set the rules for the recently passed Issue 2 Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.

“While Ohioans overwhelming supported Issue 2 --The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board -- in November, HSUS is trying to overturn the will of the people,” wrote John Torres, the Farm Bureau organization director in Ross, Pickaway, Hocking and Fairfield Counties, in a recent editorial. “Rather, the referendum by the people was designed to establish a board of Ohio experts in food safety, animal welfare, veterinary medicine, academia and farming to properly research and establish high standards for Ohio's livestock farmers to abide by in an open and transparent process. It's clear HSUS will not be happy until they can force their extreme animal rights views on Ohioans. While they claim that they are asking for ‘modest’ reform, don't be fooled. They want to dismantle the breadbasket of America by chipping away at it one ballot initiative, one bill and one lawsuit at a time.”

In contrast to the strong-arm tactics of HSUS, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland recently signed into law the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. The Board consists of 13 appointed members including include three family farmers, two veterinarians (one of whom is the state veterinarian), a food safety expert, a representative of a local humane society, two members from statewide farm organizations, the dean of an Ohio agriculture college and two members representing Ohio consumers. The Board will set standards for livestock and poultry care that take into account issues of food safety, local availability and affordability of food, and best farm management practices for animal wellbeing.

“HSUS wants to dictate the rules before those 13 Ohio experts have had a chance to review for themselves what needs to be done to improve livestock farming in Ohio in an open and transparent process,” Torres wrote.

So please, be on the watch for HSUS and the Ohioans for Humane Farms and expose this animal welfare lamb for the vegan wolf that it really is.

For more information visit HumaneWatch.org.

Matt Reese writes for Ohio’s Country Journal and lives in Baltimore, Ohio. For questions or comments, please contact him at mkcreese@yahoo.com.