A Nanakuli man who called on the Humane Society of the United States for help with about 400 abandoned animals said the rescuers turned on him with “;wanton defamation”; spread in the news media and on the Internet.

Norman M.W. Pang claims in a lawsuit that the organization deceived him when volunteers came on his property July 19 and filmed the transfer of about 100 dogs and 100 cats held at his Paakea Road property.

The agency staff told him they were making a training video but “;the real purpose of the video was to create a carefully edited portrayal of animal neglect and/or abuse at Animal Haven for use in charging Mr. Pang with a supposed crime,”; according to the suit filed Friday by attorney Michael Ostendorp.

  Pang Files Suit Against Humane Society

 

Norman Pang, the owner of Animal Haven in Waianae, has filed a lawsuit against two animal groups he says defamed him.

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The film was posted on the agency's Web page along with fundraising solicitations, he said.

In a statement, the Hawaiian Humane Society said the lawsuit is “;unfounded and diverts resources from our mission of helping animals. ... Keeping more animals than you can properly care for, resulting in suffering, neglect and abuse, is a crime.”;

Pang called the agency for help moving the animals and about 200 chickens, ducks and other birds from the Animal Haven after his wife, Bonnie, who had operated the shelter for 17 years, died July 13.

The suit asks the court to order an end to “;dissemination of defamatory statements”; and calls for compensatory damages to be determined by trial.