Landers misguided

Rich Landers just isn’t rational when it comes to The Humane Society of the United States (Oct. 15).

Landers takes issue with our defense of a federal law barring the interstate sale of videos depicting illegal acts of cruelty. This law has been used only to stop people from selling videos of dogs tearing one another apart in organized dogfights. Its greatest effect, however, has been to dry up the supply of “animal crush” videos, where women, often in high-heeled shoes, impale and crush to death puppies, kittens and other small animals.

Landers’ fanciful argument that the law could be applied to hunting is just a canard. In the 10 years the law has been in place, no one has ever suggested the law be applied to hunting. And hunting is legal – while dogfighting and stomping animals are illegal.

Landers also questions our other work, without merit or the facts. HSUS provides direct care to more animals than any other humane organization. Landers finds fault because he believes that anything involving hunting – including particularly inhumane and unsporting forms of hunting and trapping, such as bear baiting, canned hunts and steel-jawed leghold traps – is beyond reproach or criticism.

Wayne Pacelle

President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States