Animal Rights Activists Protest HSUS Over Cruel Conditions at Project Chimps
The News
Animal rights activists in New York City staged a sixth protest at Upper East Side home of Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) board member Sharon Lee Patrick over the mistreatment of animals at its Project Chimps sanctuary in Georgia. The #ChimpsDeserveBetter protests, which have also been staged in Los Angeles, San Francisco and The Hamptons, are part of a nationwide campaign to compel HSUS to transform Project Chimps from a chimpanzee warehouse into a true sanctuary. At Project Chimps, the 77 chimpanzees are held in concrete enclosures for all but about 10 hours per week. Advocates argue that the chimpanzees, who spent up to several decades locked up in laboratories, should have access to an outdoor habitat every day.
The protest marked the one year anniversary of a lawsuit that Project Chimps filed against two whistleblowers who came forward publicly with extensive evidence of animal cruelty, including the absence of skilled veterinary care, poor safety protocols, substandard facilities, infrequent access to the outdoor yards, overcrowding and rushed introductions.
Whistleblower Lindsay Vanderhoogt writes about being sued by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sanctuary Project Chimps after coming forward publicly with evidence of animal cruelty
Protests organized by animal rights groups at the homes of HSUS board members in New York and California triggered Project Chimps to drop the lawsuit two months after filing it. Nevertheless, the whistleblowers had to raise $30,000 to cover their legal expenses.
Animal rights activists with Progress for Science protest HSUS board Member Steven White over poor animal welfare conditions at Project Chimps
In recent weeks, activists working on the #ChimpsDeserveBetter campaign have turned their attention to the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), an organization that accredits animal sanctuaries that meet its rigorous standards. Confused about why GFAS accredited a sanctuary that doesn’t meet many of its standards, the activists researched the relationship between GFAS and HSUS and discovered several conflicts of interest.
Just five of the 236 acres at HSUS sanctuary Project Chimps serve as outdoor habitats for the 77 chimpanzees
Since 2007, many people who have worked at GFAS or served on its board have been affiliated with HSUS. One of the GFAS founders was the Chief Operating Officer of HSUS, and another served as treasurer of a political action committee founded by HSUS. Today, these individuals serve on GFAS’s Board of Directors. A Senior Vice President at HSUS also serves on the board, and an HSUS employee works at GFAS. In addition, one of the GFAS employees who inspected Project Chimps in 2020 is a former HSUS employee. HSUS also provides financial support to GFAS, according to GFAS’s 2018 and 2019 annual reports. Advocates assert that GFAS cannot make unbiased assessments of an HSUS sanctuary if it is comprised of people affiliated with HSUS; is partially funded by HSUS; and has administrative ties to HSUS.
How can GFAS independently assess a sanctuary operated by an organization funds it?
On May 10th, 2021, Donny Moss of TheirTurn sent a letter to the President of the Board of Directors of GFAS to express his concerns about the conflicts of interest and to ask GFAS to enforce its own standards in order to improve chimpanzee care.
On May 13th, the Chairman of the Board responded to Moss’s letter. “We are involved and working with Project Chimps. I’m at least guardedly optimistic that GFAS will have more forthcoming related to Project Chimps that we can speak to publicly within a week or so.”
In addition to grass roots animal rights organizations, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) have publicly called on HSUS to improve animal welfare conditions at Project Chimps. In several letters to HSUS CEO Kitty Block, NhRP has asked that Project Chimps provide their chimpanzee clients Hercules and Leo with daily access to the outdoor habitats.
In March 2021, the Nonhuman Rights Project asked its supporters to call on HSUS CEO Kitty Block to provide their clients, Hercules and Leo, with daily access to the an outdoor habitat
HSUS has ignored NhRP’s request, and, in its public statements, asserts that the chimpanzees have daily access to the outdoors on “porches.” Advocates argue that the porches, which are concrete enclosures with a view of the outdoors, are not outdoors.
HSUS claims that the 77 chimpanzees at Project Chimps have daily access to the outdoors on “porches”
The #ChimpsDeserveBetter campaign organizers have vowed to continue advocating for the chimps until HSUS acknowledges the welfare problems and demonstrates that it is addressing them. On June 13th, the animal rights group Progress for Science is staging a protest at the home of HSUS board Member Steven White in Santa Monica, California.
The Southampton Press published a story about one of the protests targeting HSUS board member Brad Jakeman
In order for HSUS to uphold the mission of Project Chimps “to provide lifelong exemplary care” to the chimpanzees in its care, it must do the following:
- Begin constructing additional yards on its 236 acre forested property so that the chimps have access to the outdoors every day instead of every third day.
- Rotate two groups of chimps (instead of one) into each of the two yards every day (one group in the morning, and the other in the afternoon) so that the chimps have access to the outdoors between 4 and 5 times each week.
- Hire an Executive Director who has chimpanzee experience; who instinctively prioritizes the welfare of the animals and who has the respect of his or her peers in the primate sanctuary community.
- Hire a veterinarian and vet tech who have chimpanzee expertise.
- Appoint two people to Board of Directors of Project Chimps who have captive chimpanzee experience and are willing and able to function independently from HSUS
At Project Chimps, an HSUS sanctuary, the 77 chimpanzees languish in concrete enclosures for all but a few hours once every three days
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Animal Rights Activists Protest HSUS Board Member Brad Jakeman Over Animal Cruelty at Project Chimps and Lawsuit Against Whistleblowers 
Animal Rights Activists Protest HSUS Board Chair Susan Atherton Over Cruelty at Project Chimps Sanctuary 
Animal Rights Activists Protest Humane Society Board Member Sharon Lee Patrick over Animal Cruelty at Project Chimps
Since Hurricane Katrina These HSUS defrauded donors and caused the death of thousands of pets
Their shipments from China and Korea have caused Deadly Virus Outbreaks thats Killing Domestic pets and Wildlife.
The HSUS has been men only for 50 years they have a Exploited Hurricane Survivors PETS and were nearly Indicted After Hurricane Katrina
The only way to solve this problem is to disband the HSUS and the rest of the executives behind the crimes
Heartbreaking
According to the 2019 HSUS tax returns, HSUS CEO Kitty Block, makes over $400,000 a year. She is not a sociopath like Pacelle, but she did stand idly by while Wayne and his buddies attacked and tormented women. Kitty Block continues HSUS’s unethical financial and fundraising practices. She does not care about individual animals; they are vehicles exploited to push for laws and regulations. HSUS controls the money raised for Project Chimps and other affiliates like Humane Society International. Some of that money is used for the donor’s intended purpose. HSUS spends the rest on itself. Lobbying is HSUS’s major program. For one example, HSUS spends more than $20 million for (one or more) lobbyists in every state. Many people are unaware that for 501(c)(3) charities, lobbying and political activities are not allowed to exceed a small percentage of the budget. Lobbying by volunteers is restricted as well. HSUS leaves most of Schedule C (lobbying and political activities) on their tax returns blank, concealing the real purpose and omitting salaries of their “State Directors.” That is tax fraud.
HSUS uses “rescue,” “shelters,” “disaster relief,” and “wildlife sanctuaries” to fund a bloated, wasteful empire with over 100 in-house fundraisers and numerous fundraising and marketing vendors. HSUS has a D grade from Charitywatch and 2 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator for 4 consecutive years with 4 consecutive 1 star ratings for Financial Management.
That’s who is in charge of the 77 surviving chimpanzees at Project Chimps. People like you give them money because they keep asking for money- using false and misleading claims. The worthy animal charities do not manipulate donors. They deserve – and need- funding.
I am outraged and feel betrayed. I’ve been a supporter of the HSUS for more years than I can count. This goes against everything they are supposed to stand for. There needs to be an investigation into where all the money donated goes. Wayne Pacelle made a fortune as leader. I had hoped the new leader would do a better job. Guess I was wrong. Keep up the good work you protesters. Remember, “ persistence outweighs resistance”. Please keep us informed. I’m sharing all you do. Thank you. God bless you!!!
So basically you are a mob of terrorists who have nothingelse to do. Protest all you want….but when you go to someones personal house and threaten them to bow to your demands you are nothing but a lynch mob and should be treated as such.
Please help the monkey let them go
This is so cruel. Please rescue these chimps. They deserve a safe and happy home.
Harass? Threaten? Parents and children from the neighborhood have come outside to join us and to thank us for advocating for the victims. We are exercising our first amendment right to free speech, and you’re free to do the same on any public sidewalk. As an aside, we sent polite letters and conducted other forms of outreach for months before protesting in front of Sharon Lee Patrick’s building. We don’t want to be on your block (assuming you live there). We want to be at home with our families. However, we have an ethical obligation to help these chimpanzees, who suffered enough in lab cages for decades. We will keep coming back until Ms. Patrick and her colleagues on the board of the Humane Society of the United States provide the 77 chimpanzees in their care with a humane retirement.
This is so wrong .I would put these people who are abusing these chimps in the concrete enclosure with no sun light but for every 3 days. I hope everyone who is donating stop this instant. Go to jail pay restitution.or really go to jail for not providing them with proper care.
Can I come to your neighborhood and harass you and your neighbors because I don’t like your website? How about I bring 30 people? You wouldn’t mind?
Please release these chimps, they deserve to live their life out with trees and not living on cement slabs, such cruelty free them . Shame on you all.
Please remove these chimps from these horrific conditions please put them in a safe place at a sanctuary where they can live out their life in peace in the natural outdoors when they belong.
Nothing like threatening someone and their neighbors for a good cause.
What is the threat to which you’re referring? Also, are you under the impression that compelling the Humane Society to improve animal welfare at Project Chimps could be achieved in a different manner?
How can people help to get the chimps to a real sanctuary?
Relocating the chimps to another sanctuary isn’t an option for a variety of reasons, but HSUS has the ability to transform Project Chimps into a true sanctuary right now. The most obvious fix, which is addressed in the article, is creating additional outdoor yards on the 236 acre property so that the chimps can get outside every day instead of every third day. We don’t understand why HSUS is making this a priority in light of the fact that the chimps in their care are now languishing in concrete enclosures (without expert vet care, no less).
glad for all this info…..will unsubscribe like a bat out of hell…thanks so much for your incredible effort spent in exposing these monsters
very sad and disgusting-how do these H$U$ officials sleep at night? they are just as bad as the animal exploitation industries themselves if not worse as they are fundraising huge dollars to supposedly help protect non-human victims while refusing to address the issues with these chimps. for an organization with a book value north of $250,000,000, moving them to a proper sanctuary would be a drop in the bucket financially & anyone with an ounce of humanity and empathy would have made this happen long ago.