Humane Society Finds Its Inner Pit Bull

The Humane Society may spend a lot of time fighting for cute, furry creatures, but it's been  shedding its mild-mannered, do-gooder image under the direction of CEO Wayne Pacelle, writes the Los Angeles Times. Pacelle, a 42-year-old vegan who admires the NRA's steamroller approach, has turned the organization into a much more aggressive protector of animals over his 4 years in charge.

Pacelle has doubled the organization's assets to nearly $207 million, increased the number of undercover investigators, polished video exposés and set up a political wing to put pressure on lawmakers. He has been catching flak both from those who think he is too radical and those who believe he doesn't go far enough, but few can argue with achievements like February's industry-shaking hidden-camera slaughterhouse video. (More Humane Society stories.)