UPDATE 5/23/23
When the merger is completed, the Fund for Animals will become part of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). While the merger is dependent upon obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals, we anticipate the merger will be completed in 2023.
Upon completion of the merger, the HSUS will become the sole surviving entity, and all estate gifts established for the Fund for Animals legally pass to the HSUS for the benefit of facilities and/or programs previously operated by the Fund for Animals. The HSUS will continue to operate all current Fund for Animals programs (Black Beauty Ranch, Duchess Sanctuary and Rural Area Veterinary Services) and will honor any restricted gifts to support these programs.
Need more info?
If you have questions about an existing bequest or future planned gift to the Fund for Animals, please email or call 1-800-808-7858 and speak with our Planned Giving team. If you are attempting to settle an estate for the Fund for Animals, please contact the attorney who is handling all new cases after May 1, 2023:
Karol Corbin Walker
Kaufman, Dolowich & Voluck, LLP
Court Plaza North
25 Main Street, Suite 500
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-708-8245
kcorbinwalker@kdvlaw.com
If you have additional questions, please contact the HSUS Office of the General Counsel:
Office of the General Counsel
The Humane Society of the United States
1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20037
202-955-3675
OGCestateteam@humanesociety.org
The Fund for Animals and the Humane Society of the United States announce intent to merge
WASHINGTON—After more than 15 years of affiliation and a growing alignment of mission and priorities, today the Fund for Animals and the Humane Society of the United States announced their intent to merge. The Fund for Animals—which operates Black Beauty Ranch, Duchess Sanctuary and Rural Area Veterinary Services—has been an affiliate of the Humane Society and part of its family of organizations since 2005.
In announcing the proposed merger, Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said:
“We have been collaborating with the Fund for Animals for many years, always with a shared goal to save and protect animals from cruelty and neglect and create a more humane society. As an affiliate, the Fund for Animals has maintained a separate identity but as our priorities and goals have more fully aligned, it is in the best interest of our organizations and our mission to fully integrate our efforts. Merging the two organizations will provide more opportunities, resources and attention to streamline and fuse our work, enabling us to have an even greater impact for animals.”
“This evolution in our relationship will make us even more effective in providing care for animals in crisis, and in taking on the broader societal challenges facing all animals,” said Nicole Paquette, who serves as both the president of the Fund for Animals as well as the chief program and policy officer of the Humane Society of the United States. “We are so proud of our longstanding relationship and affiliation and look forward to further increasing our strength and success as a blended family.”
The Fund for Animals was founded in 1967 by author and animal advocate Cleveland Amory, and spearheaded significant events in the history of the animal protection movement. Among its historical work, the organization implemented a massive four-year airlift to rescue burros scheduled to be shot by the National Park Service in the Grand Canyon; launched a three-year rescue of burros in Death Valley National Park; rescued 3,000 goats from San Clemente Naval Weapons Facility; and halted some hunting seasons of wolves, bison and bears across the U.S. In 1979, the Fund for Animals purchased land in Texas to build Black Beauty Ranch, now a 1,400-acre sanctuary for nearly 800 animals—40 different species—rescued from cruelty and neglect, including tigers, bears, primates, burros and horses.
When the merger is completed, the Fund for Animals will become part of the HSUS. The merger is dependent upon obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals. The two organizations hope to finalize the merger later this year.