When animal lovers learn about the cruelty and killing that are rampant in U.S. shelters, and that national animal protection organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) defend these shelters and thwart efforts at reform, the first and the most logical question they ask is: Why? Why are organizations which are supposed to protect animals the biggest defenders of the very shelters that systematically abuse and kill them? Exploring the historical, sociological and financial motivations behind the unlikely support these shelters receive from HSUS, the ASPCA and PETA, among others, Friendly Fire answers this confounding question while telling the stories of animals who have become catalysts for change: Oreo, Ace, Patrick, Kapone, Zephyr, Hope, Scruffy, Murray and many others. Contains graphic images. Black and white. There is also a full color edition.