Very sloppy reporting.
Just posting the Human Society fund raising letter without even bothering to ask the local store or company for a response.

It took two seconds for me to find the response on the Petland site.

I have no connection to Petland, but I noticed that we tend to get these sensational stories this time of year (about pets, toys etc...) so I try and find out both sides.

For balance - Here is what Petland posted:

http://www.petland.com/PetlandInformation/HSUS.htm

Petland responds to HSUS report

At Petland, healthy, happy, well-socialized pets within our care are our number one priority as they have been for 41 years.

We do not support substandard breeding facilities and we provide each Petland store with “Humane Care Guidelines,” that were developed in conjunction with the U.S.D.A. to assist with breeder facility inspections as it pertains to pet selection.

Reports such as those posted on the HSUS web site surface every year around the holiday season in conjunction with their annual fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, we were not interviewed or consulted nor were we a part of any of the editing process. This is sensationalism at its best. HSUS has a history of publicizing false information in an effort to raise money. They do not operate a single pet shelter or pet adoption facility anywhere in the U.S. To the contrary, over the last 10 years, Petland has adopted out more than 270,000 homeless puppies and kittens nationwide.

Additional information to understand about HSUS:

1. During 2006, HSUS contributed only 4.2 percent of its budget to organizations that operate hands-on dog and cat shelters. In reality, HSUS is a wealthy animal-rights lobbying organization (the largest and richest) that agitates for the same goals as PETA and other radical groups.

2. HSUS raised money online with the false promise that it would “care for the dogs in the Michael Vick case.” The New York Times later reported HSUS wasn’t caring for Vick’s dogs at all. HSUS president Wayne Pacelle told the Times that his group recommended that government officials “put down” the dogs rather than try to adopt them out.

3. HSUS senior management team includes a former spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a criminal group designated as “terrorists” by the FBI.

4. Less than 12% of money raised for HSUS by California telemarketers actually ends up in HSUS’s bank account. The rest is kept by professional fundraisers.

5. HSUS raised a reported $34 million in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, supposedly to help reunite lost pets with their owners. Little of that money was spent for its intended purpose. Public disclosures of the disposition of the $34 million in Katrina-related donations add up to less than $7 million.

"Terrorist supported Humane Society makes fund-raising press release,
local media supports"

In addition to the story, the headline is the same sensationalist headline they were peddling with there press release.
Figured I would follow with an equally sensationalist start.

As to your question - I did what I learned from college Journalism friends - I second sourced the information to confirm them.

I found more than one source for each of the five points.
(An independent confirmation, not just someone repeating the information)
something that can not be said of the Humane Societies fund raising press release reprinted here.

Pat,
What you are saying is you published a story that is one groups opinion without corroboration
(a group with an established history of sensationalism for fund raising and they point to there own sources, not independent sources)

What I responded with were not accusations, they are established facts (with primary and secondary sources).

By the way, what was your credible source and second source?

Pat,

I think the saying goes, "When in a hole, stop digging".

We published accusations made at a national news conference by a national organization. We published the national news release provided by a national chain of stores.

Both sides were heard regarding the initial claims. At this point, that's all we know. If more information is released, we'll publish that information as well -- and any response from the other side.

I'm not in any hole, Robert. But we'll continue to dig on local news stories as well as we can.

Meanwhile, I understand WCCO-TV is planning a story on an alleged puppy mill. (Not sure about this.) You might want to watch for it and keep your fingers limber because the Humane Society is involved in the story, I believe.

Well that was fun reading. It sounds similar to the national mainstream media. A Democrat politician or democrat friendly group hold a press conference and will say something like this; "Republican Senator So and So wants to starve women and children because of his policies". The national media then goes on the air and they say this; "Today, Democrat politician Snuffy accused republican Senator So and So of wanting to starve women and children due to his policies". And that is the news story! And it constantly happening with the Republicans being on the wrong side of that type of reporting.

I have to concur with Mr Thibodeaux

Pat,

You're right, it works both ways. More often than not, against the right. With that, you and I will have to agree to disagree. I am with Robert and kidjon on this one. By the way, Robert did not say you were in a hole; I did.

Hello, Pat T.

This is fun. I love this back and forth bantering. America is great.