Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Column 707
How Not to Get Played by a Puppy Pic
EDITOR’S NOTE: The information contained herein is opinion – the author’s perspective as a long-time observer of nonprofit fundraising practices. Its purpose is not to discourage charitable giving, but to encourage informed giving. Any references to executive compensation, fundraising methods, or operational practices are based on publicly available nonprofit disclosures and widely documented industry trends. No allegation of illegal activity is made against any organization or individual. The editor and author strongly support legitimate animal welfare organizations and the individuals who perform hands-on rescue, veterinary, and caregiving work – often under difficult and dangerous conditions. Readers are encouraged to review public records, independent watchdog evaluations, and regulatory filings when deciding how and where to donate. Transparency strengthens trust. Asking questions protects compassion.
A couple of days ago, I gave you a behind-the-scenes peek (with a slight darts twist) at the dark side of animal charities – the kind of fake, soul-sucking operations that turn compassion into clicks and heartbreak into cash.
It hit a nerve. Some of you laughed. Some got mad. A few sent messages like: “Wait a minute… I think I’ve donated to that guy!”
Of course, a few readers asked. “What’s this got to do with darts?” The answer is simple: most dart players (like 66% of families in America) have a dog or cat or several living in their home. Any many donate to charity.
So, let’s slow down and talk seriously – my tone might be sharp, but the stakes are dead serious.
There are people out there doing gritty, exhausting, life-saving work to help animals who have no one else. And then there are others who have figured out long ago that if you slap a sad puppy on an appeal and tell the right kind of sob story, the money pours in.
The question is: how do you tell the difference?
A legitimate animal charity is run by people who actually know the animals, who actually care about them as sentient beings – innocent lives that feel fear and pain. They’ve been bitten, bled on, cried in the back of a truck while a dying dog wheezed in their lap. They can tell you exactly how many animals they helped last month, where it happened, and what it cost. They’re not slick. They’re busy. They’re sometimes slow to update their website because they’re out in the field rescuing and saving dogs and cats. These are darters grinding at the oche, not throwing for show.
A less than scrupulous charity, on the other hand, is usually run like a marketing firm. It’s built on image. They’re great at begging for your hard-earned dollars, not so great at showing what actually gets done. Every post is a crisis. Every story is urgent. Just similar recycled pleas, over and over – like a pub hack who hits big scores one leg but can’t finish on a double to save his life.
Here’s a tip: real rescuers don’t fundraise for generic “emergencies.” They are specific, “Our roof collapsed and we need $1,470 to fix it.” They give numbers. They show photos of the roof. They tell you when the job’s done – and thank you when it is. That kind of transparency is a green flag.
Real rescues often operate on a shoestring. Most of the money (80% or more) goes straight to the animals – rescue, shelter, food, medicine, surgery, clean water. The people doing the work? They’re volunteers or paid modestly. They aren’t making six figures, or in some cases a half million or more.
The ASPCA’s CEO, Matthew Bershadker, compensation package comes to $1,226,402. HSUS’ CEO, Kitty Block’s package equals $676,674. WWF’s President and CEO, Carter Roberts, compensation package is $1,290,569. Just these three executives are compensated at an eye-watering total of $3,193,645.
If you doubt these figures, don’t take my word for it – take the IRS’s and the individual organizations. The figures quoted above come directly from publicly available IRS Form 990 filings and were submitted for calendar year 2024 by each of the organizations – the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals), and the World Wildlife Fund. The compensation isn’t hidden. It’s right there in black and white for anyone willing to look.
And yes, it’s legal but when it takes almost 128,000 donations of $25 each to pay just three executives, donors are entitled to ask a blunt question: is your money rescuing animals – or subsidizing an executive class that lives very comfortably off your compassion?
It is hardly unreasonable to ask whether donors who give and believe their $25 is rescuing animals would make the same choice if they fully understood how much of that money flows upward – money that could have funded food, medicine, and care for animals who desperately need it. If that makes you uncomfortable, good. It should. The numbers are sitting there, waiting – like a double that doesn’t move. Either you look, or you may be tossing your dart in the toilet.
Transparency isn’t an attack on charity. It’s the price of trust. And pointing to public records isn’t an attack. What is offensive is pretending donors shouldn’t notice where the money actually goes.
Check the Numbers Yourself. It’ll take 60 seconds. You don’t need a law degree or insider access to verify executive compensation at any U.S. nonprofit. Simply go to Charity Navigator or ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, type in the organization’s name, and open its most recent IRS Form 990. Executive salaries are listed clearly – usually on Part VII.
Or just follow these links:
ASPCA – https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131623829
HSUS – https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530225390
WWF – https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521693387
This will tell you exactly where the money goes once it leaves your wallet. Scroll down a little in the reports – you will be flabbergasted at the number of employees who take home $300,000 or (much) more.
And here’s the big one: if you ask a question – about finances, about outcomes, about how they operate – a legitimate charity will answer you. They respect you. A shady one will block you, insult you, or act like your curiosity is an attack.
I get it. We all want to believe the stories. That sad-eyed dog in the photo? He does deserve a second chance. That starving kitten? She does need a warm bed.
But your donation shouldn’t be paying for someone’s absurdly inflated compensation package.
One more thing: never donate to an organization that is requesting funds to help a “partner” – always give directly to the partner. This ensures that your contribution does the maximum good and that a huge percentage isn’t taken off the top.
So, give. Please, give. But give smart. Ask questions. Look deeper than the photo. Read between the lines. Follow social media. Ask others. Check with charitable oversite boards. Check with the Better Business Bureau, IRS, the UK Charities Commission, or your state charity regulator (usually the office of the Attorney General or Secretary of State). If there have been complaints or if an investigation is underway, you get a quick clue.
Be as kind with your money as you are with your heart. Compassion without curiosity isn’t kindness. It’s revenue.
There are amazing people out there – people who live in the mud, sleep on concrete, and spend every ounce of themselves helping animals no one else sees. They deserve your support.
The others? They deserve a dart – figuratively – between the eyes. Game shot – and good riddance.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
Dartoid
