“Sometimes I am just so ashamed of people,” says longtime HSUS contributor Beverly Bryan, who recently supported our animal protection programs with a charitable gift annuity (CGA).
Beverly is referring to the horrors of the annual Canadian seal hunt, which inhumanely slaughters thousands of baby harp seals despite international outrage, and other shameless acts of animal mistreatment that nurtured her desire to support The HSUS with such a substantial gift.
Here's how a CGA works: You transfer cash, real estate, or marketable securities (e.g., stock, bonds, mutual fund shares) of at least $5,000 to The HSUS. In exchange, The HSUS pays you a guaranteed fixed income for life on a quarterly, semiannual or annual basis, and you also receive a tax deduction. By transferring these assets, you are giving a gift to help animals and guaranteeing income for yourself at the same time.
“I feel secure that The HSUS will use my donations wisely and for the purposes intended,” Beverly says. “I have visited its headquarters and just love so many of its programs – including the efforts to protect seals, help animals during disasters, and lobby for better animal-friendly legislation.”
In the case of Beverly’s CGA, she deferred payments to age 65, since she is still working and in no need of income. By foregoing payments for several years until retirement, she is significantly increasing her annual payment rate and her tax deduction for the gift.
“It’s a great feeling knowing I am helping those who have no voice; we need to be that voice. And The HSUS is our collective voice – in America and internationally. I love the idea that I am helping animals not only here at home, but also around the globe!”
* * *
An editor for one of the top local television newscasts in Washington, D.C., Beverly sees firsthand more footage than the vast majority of us on all the news-dominating stories of murders and other tragedies, including those animal cruelty stories so severe that they actually become local headlines.
One 2003 story that received a lot of coverage in the D.C. area focused on Champ, a small dog intentionally dragged 500 feet by a woman driving a car through one of the wealthiest communities in the Virginia suburbs. Beverly wrote to the new owner of Champ, whose paws were scraped raw, and they have become friends. She is happy to report that Champ now happily lives with his new family in California, where the one-time victim now frolics on the beach.
But the constant barrage of unfortunate news hasn’t hardened her heart.
Although she finds her ability to read tales of animal mistreatment difficult (“I can’t read much of it anymore because it just hurts too much.”), she still occasionally encourages reporters to cover more animal stories in the news.
Recently, Beverly asked reporters to look into the danger of some pet toys. She discovered that one toy she bought for her own Jack Russell terrier contained wires and sharp plastic inside. Made in China, neither the toy or its packaging offered warnings and the toy could have caused any dog to hurt herself, possibly in a fatal manner. Later, she learned that no governmental agency has any oversight over the safety of pet toys and no laws require any warnings. No reporter has taken the story and run with it yet, but Beverly is still pressing.
* * *
Born and raised in an area of Oklahoma with no animal shelter or animal control, Beverly was pleased to see The HSUS deploy in January 2007 its Disaster Animal Response Team to help assess the needs of over 1,500 sheep, cattle and goats allegedly starved near Vinita, Okla. These animals were reportedly living without adequate food or water access. Severe winter weather complicated local relief efforts and threatening the lives of these animals.
In addition to the pity she feels for animals treated inhumanely, her love for her own past and current pets prompts her to get involved. Her dog Jasmine (“Jazz”) also is an inspiration.
“Little Jazz was adopted from a co-worker's family. She didn't get along with their other dog. My other dog Spike died about three months before I adopted Jazz. I was looking to adopt and she just came along at the right time!” Beverly says.
Beverly, who regularly writes her legislators on animal issues after receiving emails encouraging HSUS members to take action, also finds that her faith stirs her to act on behalf of animals. “The Bible tells us that man has dominion over animals,” she says, “but that does not mean treating them any way we want to treat them. That means standing up for them and supporting them, because they surely can’t do it on their own.”
* * *
Beverly grew up with many pets but especially reminisces about two of them: Tobias, a cat who ran upstairs every morning to wake her up, and Pi, the family dog over whose death the family grieved a great deal.
“We were devastated,” Beverly says, “It was so sad when we buried him in the backyard. I still vividly remember that day. It was part of my developing compassion for all animals.”
She also remembers her father urging her in high school to contribute to animal organizations, in particular The HSUS.
“He always said that people will always donate to people organizations, so it was imperative to support animal welfare programs. I’ve never forgotten that.”
Both The HSUS and the animals that we help benefit from the kindness of Beverly and other people like her and her father.
And Beverly herself will benefit in her retirement too – as a result of her HSUS charitable gift annuity.
