In response to Will Coggin’s letter (June 18, “HSUS should have spoken up”) regarding the recent investigation of a notorious Maine egg production facility by The Humane Society of the United States, Gov. Paul LePage’s wishful thinking is false. The HSUS reached out to the Maine Department of Agriculture, an agency LePage is responsible for managing, with a formal complaint five days before we released our findings.

The investigation has paved the way for improved inspections and agency action by providing irrefutable proof of conditions in the barns overseen by Hillandale and owned by Jack DeCoster, and has opened the eyes of many consumers about where their food comes from.

The HSUS will continue its mission to create a humane and sustainable world for all animals, a world that will also help humans, while LePage continues to be a menace on animal welfare.

Katie Hansberry, Portland

Maine state director for The Humane Society of the United States