Persona Non Grata Flying Solo

A friend of mine suggested recently I should not be so hard on employees associated with organizations such as IFAW, SPCA, Humane Society, government agencies, and so forth.  I was asked to seriously consider revising my position regarding these people because I could hurt the animal rescue community by giving certain people a "black eye."

Okay, I gave it my two-second serious consideration, then decided I would not change my position regarding the above referenced organizations.   

Why?  Simple -- several individuals from large animal rescue and welfare groups turned their backs on the WAO when I first told them what was happening to the animals four years ago.  Instead of conducting an impartial investigation into the allegations brought forth to these organizations, the individuals I contacted elected to take the "word" of Carol Asvestas over proof of violations of the AWA and misappropriation of funds.  These people lapped up Carol Asvestas' description of me as a drug-user disgruntled ex-employee hell bent on destroying the Orphanage, without one shred of proof provided to them (refer to June 6-9 posting in the BB Notebook).  I even heard they laughed at me behind my back, making jokes about my supposed last day at the WAO  (December 17, 2005).

If the people I contacted had just opened their eyes to the conditions the animals were forced to live in for years, then perhaps many, many lives could have been saved.

Now that everyone I contacted has "egg" on their faces, I noticed no one is stepping forward to accept responsibility for failing WAO animals.  All those people out there that believed the lies that Carol told them about me being a crazed-drug user owes me and the WAO animals a HUGE apology for dismissing the WAO case out of hand without even doing the most basic research into the allegations made against the WAO's board of directors.

Today, I am still treated as the "enemy" by the animal world camp for exposing their hypocrisy.  So much for protecting the whistle blower, huh?  No wonder it's easier to walk away from a disaster rather than take a stand and make a difference in the lives of animals! 

But I can live with that -- after all, I would never want to be part of an organization that condoned the WAO's directors activities for years, despite all the evidence around them that the animals were in danger and hundreds of lives were lost over such a small period of time.

So no, I plan to continue putting pressure on animal rescue/welfare groups and certain government agencies who had a fiduciary responsibility to investigate animal abuse and misappropriation of funds charges and failed to do so.  All these groups need to come forth, accept their responsibility and role in the WAO disaster, and say with one collective voice "We are sorry for not defending the WAO animals and the public from the WAO's board of director's actions.  We really screwed up this case."

Will this ever happen?  No.  After all, this case has never been about the animals; this case has been about money.  And there is no money made admitting mistakes to the public.

I am sure when this blog goes public, I will become a persona non grata in the animal world.  My time helping the animals will come to an end.

So, I've decide to follow a new path.  Plant rescue. 

Yep, that's the ticket.  I can work solo, saving one plant at a time, making this world a much better place to live in.  And yes, I will still help the animals in my neighborhood.  I just won't align myself with a group or organization.  I will be flying solo from here on out!