Credit Card Fallout

Welcome to Open Range, I’m KayDee Gilkey. Stay tuned I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.

I’m Greg Martin with today’s AgriBeef Minute. Bank of America has a Humane Society of America’s themed credit card that is not being well received. Sarah Hubbart, Communications Director for the Animal Agriculture Alliance.

HUBBART: HSUS works to partner with high profile companies to gain their financial support and to promote them as this mainstream animal welfare voice when in reality HSUS is a very extreme organization.

Bank of America was one of those partners.

HUBBART: Which was offering a Affinity card program that for every card account that was opened up HSUS would receive $60 for each card and would also help promote HSUS further. So the Animal Ag Alliance reached out to Bank of America to ask them about this program and to help them understand the threat that HSUS brings to American animal agriculture.

The Alliance has since moved their banking to another institution as a result of inaction by BofA. Hubbart says that the HSUS has no affiliation with your local animal shelters.

HUBBART: But I think the whole importance of this incident goes beyond Bank of America. It’s really ensuring that those companies you work with on your farm or in your community that they understand number one the value of animal agriculture but number two what these animal rights groups represent and what their tactics are and why they shouldn’t support them financially or through other means because they really are a threat to farmers and ranchers way of life.

I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.

Thanks Greg. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m KayDee Gilkey.