Social media. Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay.
Social media is a great way to reconnect with old friends, and it is a quick way to let lots of people know about changes in your life, like the birth of a child, a new job or a marriage. Nothing better than telling 1,000 people your news at one time with just a few stokes on the keyboard.
I like to post things on social media about the fun times at the Crawford Ranch, be it Bill saying or doing something that makes me laugh or the antics of our dog, Nell. I like to laugh, so I want people to laugh and trust me, Bill and Nell are pretty comical.
However, social media has it’s downfalls, and people have the tendency to believe everything they read – no matter how outrageous it might be.
Anti-agriculture organizations have harnessed the power of the web to spread misinformation – and the public is listening.
PETA’s Facebook page has 3.3 million followers and a photo of a dairy animal as its cover photo. The photo description says “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way.”
There are some bad guys out there, but the vast majority of farmers and livestock producers have hearts, big hearts, and spend countless hours ensuring their animals are well cared for.
What many of these organizations don’t share with their social media followers is exactly how few of the donated dollars they receive actually go to caring for animals. For example, according to HumaneWatch, a not-for-profit organization that monitors the Humane Society of the United States, the HSUS doesn’t actually operate a single animal shelter. Also, less than 1 percent of its more than $100 million annual operating budget even goes to shelters in the form of grants to help provide for the care of animals.
The Humane Society of the United States generally responds to the criticism by saying that it focuses on the larger, systematic issues affecting animal welfare, but that is also misleading. The HSUS spends millions on lobbying, including ballot initiatives that target family farmers. We’ve seen that right here in the Ozarks. The organization also has a farm animal protection campaign that targets farmers, so it’s not just about dogs and cats, despite the majority of their TV commercials showing pets.
But will these organizations actually pitch in when it comes to helping to care for livestock?
There are rescue organizations that will take in mistreated horses and other livestock, but when faced with a large crisis situation, do the organizations really think of all animals?
I know first-hand that the answer can be “Sorry, we can’t help you.”
To those who think their $19 a month is going to help animals in need, think again. Not all animal welfare organizations are against farmers. There are many in the Ozarks that do wonderful things and help animals in need, but be very particular when selecting an organization to give to.
Next time you are on social media, seek out pro-agriculture organizations and show your support for family farms by simply clicking the “Like” or “Follow” button.
Let’s show that we have a voice on social media as well.
Julie
