Standing Up and Refuting All the Lies

One of the tactics Carol Asvestas used against me, in an attempted to discredit me with federal, state, and local investigators, was to make up the most horrendous stories about me and my services to the WAO animals. 

Michelle Cryer learned a lot from Carol Asvestas, as she too, tried to discredit me with the OAG and the general public by lying about my service to the WAO.  She knew these statements made to the OAG were lies and yet she had the audacity to think I would not find out and then challenge her "claims!"  What is worse, she encouraged her employees to spread these very same lies.  It seems to me the WAO employees were happy to spread the lies about me to anyone willing to listen while on tour.  It just goes to show that the Cryers and the Asvestas are cut from the same "lying" mold.

Below is the libel letter sent by Michelle Cryer to the OAG:

Michelle Cryer's report to oag email - 050610

Now listen as Kelsey Dyer trashes me during a tour taken by a friend of mine on July 24, 2010:

I know it is hard to hear all of words, so I provided the text of the conversation below:

Guest: I kinda helped a lot when they bring the ah, you know the kids that went through ah, like Juvenile Detention.

Kelsey: Oh okay

Guest: So I was there, there doing a lot of those projects, kinda of helping…

Kelsey: Were you with Kristina Brunner on that?

Guest: Yeah, I haven’t talked to her in such a long time.

Kelsey: Yeah, yeah, okay.

Guest: Is she still here?

Kelsey: No.

Guest: Oh, really?

Kelsey: She actually technically did not work here. She did a long time ago, but she got kicked out because she tried to remove a monkey by hand and she also let a tiger get out. So they fired her.

Guest: Ohhh

Kelsey: And then, umm, well she was not ever supposed to come back, but the previous owner, I mean previous management, let her come back and she was doing all the volunteer stuff and then we had another change in management back at the end of April, and so umm the owner or the CEO took over and she wasn’t allowed back.

Guest: Oh, and so it’s under new management now?

Kelsey: Oh yeah.

Guest: Wow, when did this happen? Last April?

Kelsey: Yeah, yeah.

Guest: Wow, I’ve missed so much. Wow. Who’s doing it now?

Kelsey: The volunteer stuff?

Guest: Oh, or in general who is the management?

Kelsey: Umm, we have the board of director’s president.

Guest: Oh, okay

Kelsey: She is the one that walked by.

Guest: Oh, Michelle, right?

Kelsey: Uh, huh. And then ah, her husband, Jamie, is the director right now. So they’re both running it.

Guest: Oh, okay. I had no idea. Gosh, I was gone longer than I thought.

After I learned about what Kelsey Dyer said about me while giving a public tour, I immediately wrote the OAG to set the record straight.  By the way, Kelsey, I was a paid employee at the WAO from August - December 1996.  I voluntarily quit because of all the office drama and instead resumed volunteering for free (hence the word "volunteered") until I left the WAO on December 17, 2005 (once again, voluntarily!).  Kelsey, learn to get your facts straight before you start spouting off garbage!

From: Kristina Brunner

Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2010 5:15 PM

To: James Anthony

Cc: Elizabeth.C.Pannill@aphis.usda.gov; christopher.krhovjak@oag.state.tx.us

Subject: Memorandum to the ASUS/WAO File

VIA E-MAIL:

TO: james.anthony@oag.state.tx.us

CC: christopher.krhovjak@oag.state.tx.us

Elizabeth.C.Pannill@aphis.usda.gov

July 10, 2010

Please accept this memorandum to file in response to statements made by Michelle Cryer previously submitted to your Office on May 6, 2010. The information contained herein pertains to my original complaint regarding alleged Animal Welfare Action violations and misappropriation of funds perpetrated by the non-profit 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization’s owners/operators of the Animal Sanctuary of the United States, d/b/a Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO); f/k/a the Primate Sanctuary of the U.S. (PSUS), f/k/a the National Sanctuary for Retired Research Primates (NSRRP), f/k/a The San Antonio Wildlife Emergency Centre, f/k/a Primate Sanctuary of America (PSA); f/k/a Chimp Aid; f/k/a Cat Haven; and f/k/a Feral Cat Rehabilitation Center and Whisker’s and Wag’s Humane Society.

I am in possession of an email dated 5.6.10, Subject: 05/06/2010 day at wao, which I obtained from your Office under the Public Information Act.

Normally I do not respond to false inflammatory statements made by individuals associated with the WAO, but I felt it prudent to respond since this particular email is a matter of record.

Here is a portion of the email in question:

(See email above for complete text)

I am going to see if I can obtain the San Antonio police report made apparently against me last month to ascertain what type of information was provided to this agency by Ms. Cryer. I have not made a single complaint against Ms. Cryer with SAPD and so I am interested in learning the details regarding this meeting she had with SAPD officers.

Ms. Cryer lied when she said I started my own sanctuary in the past and that it “didn’t work out so now shes trying to take over existing ones if she can [sic].” Since 1987 I have distinguished myself as a Human Resources professional and my work history does not include starting a “sanctuary” and I am certainly not interested in “taking over” an existing sanctuary.

Ms. Cryer lied when she reported I tried “to steal a copuchian out of Quarantine 5yrs ago and got caught and was asked to leave…[sic].” I would never attempt to steal an animal from any facility. Unlike the Cryer family, I do not have any criminal history on file, including theft. I do not know where Ms. Cryer came up with this libelous comment as there are no facts to support this statement.

Ms. Cryer further stated there were “other crazy stories of her putting a tiger in a situation where it almost got out when she tried to go in inclosure to get a stray cat out that wondered through. I was there and saw it with my own eyes and she was asked to leave the property and all hell broke loose ever since…[sic]”

This is a complete falsehood as this 'event' never occurred and I have never met Ms. Cryer. I would never attempt to enter a tiger cage to save a stray cat as this action would no doubt cause serious injury or death to my person. This was the most ludicrous and vague statement I have ever read in regards to the characterization of my past volunteer work at the WAO.

There is absolutely no proof that these libelous ‘events’ ever took place and Ms. Cryer should be asked to provide proof supporting her claims of these damaging statements. I believe Ms. Cryer’s inflammatory false statements were made maliciously in an attempt to besmirch my reputation with the Office of the Attorney General/Charitable Trust Division and she should be held accountable for her actions.

Her libelous comments, in my opinion, are further indications that Ms. Cryer is neither qualified nor capable to lead the Wild Animal Orphanage as Board President and should be removed immediately.

Thank you for including this statement to the ASUS/WAO file.

Kindest Regards,

Kristina Brunner

Michelle Cryer stated in an email to me that we are on the "same side." Yeah, right.  Our short dialog below:

From: Michelle
To: Kristina Brunner
Cc: ""
Sent: Sat, September 18, 2010 9:53:27 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:


The slander has gone both ways - and I'm not doing it any more [emphasis added] my focus is on the animals - your other comments are your opion


I am not hateful and your thoughts on me are yours to have


Again tks for the dontation


Michelle Anthony-Cryer
Wild Animal Orphange
Board of Directors
President


On Sep 18, 2010, at 9:45 AM, "Kristina Brunner" wrote:


Michelle:


I wish I could believe you, but unfortunately I have read the libel comments you wrote the OAG about me and the slanderous comments you instructed the tour guides to provide to individuals inquiring about my service at the WAO.


Yes, we are all supposed to be working for the animals, which is why I do not understand why there will be no one at the WAO today receiving phone calls from concerned citizens wanting to help and accepting cash and in-kind donations. I also cannot understand why there will not be a person there to help me unload the truck and provide me a donation receipt -- all very reasonable requests considering the dollar amount of the items provided. Is this how you plan to work with other contributors? Or was this treatment singled out just for me?

If you truly want to help the animals, then step down and allow my team of professionals to go in and help save the WAO animals before it is too late. We have the resources, the connections, and the volunteers willing to help the WAO animals. And despite your assertions that I want to "take over other people's sanctuaries" I can assure you that as a 22-year HR professional, I have never owned a sanctuary, nor do I have any designs of owning one myself. I will advise the board on HR, marketing, and public relations matters, so as to not cause the WAO any greater harm than has already been inflicted on the organization.

Clearly a change in leadership is required. I hope for the animals' sake you make the right decision before it's too late.


Kristina