Wisconsin Humane Society released a statement on political ads after they have been flooded with inquiries.

Here is the statement from the Wisconsin Humane Society: "We have been flooded with inquiries about the political ads endorsing Russ Feingold in Wisconsin’s senate race. These political ads are not backed, endorsed, coordinated with, or paid for by the Wisconsin Humane Society.  We never endorse candidates in political elections.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is funding and airing these ads through its political arm, “Humane Society Legislative Fund.” We understand that people may be confused, as our names are similar, but we are in no way a part of, nor a member of HSUS. There is no national umbrella organization for animal shelters and WHS is an independent, local nonprofit animal shelter.

We reached out to HSUS to request that they clarify that the Wisconsin Humane Society is not linked to this campaign in any way. At this link, you’ll find this passage in their official press release:

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare. HSLF raises its own money and has its own governing structure that is independent of The Humane Society of the United States, which is expressly prohibited from endorsing candidates in elections. What’s more, HSLF is in no way affiliated with the Wisconsin Humane Society or other local organizations, which generally are also expressly prohibited from making candidate endorsements.

We proudly work with legislators on both sides of the aisle on laws that affect Wisconsin’s animals, like the “puppy mill bill” signed into law with bipartisan support in 2010. We never make candidate endorsements. Our adopters and friends come from a variety of perspectives and beliefs; we serve all of them to ensure a better future for Wisconsin’s animals."