Same Old Game, Just a Different Name

As 2013 comes a close, I spent some time reflecting upon some of the major events that occurred this year:  Jinxie died in January, WAO failed to file its operations report for the last seven months, the Leslie and Talley Roads were sold, and finally, Sabu died in December.

Needless to say, the passing of Jinx and Sabu weigh heavy on me as these two precious lions were very near and dear to my heart.

Was I surprised that the WAO refused to submit their operations reports and answer the questions as to why Michelle (Cryer) Anthony was still using the WAO bank card even though the WAO had already placed the animals months earlier?  No.  She and Carol Asvestas routinely spent contributions made to the WAO that was not theirs to spend on themselves, so no surprise there.

It was by chance yesterday, while on was checking out some non-profits’ tax returns on GuideStar.com (I always check out non-profits before I make my end-of-year donations), that I came across Carol Asvestas’ “non-profit” organization called “Animal Shelter Assistance Program’s” 2011 990-EZ form dated June 11, 2013.  Hmmm... I see her return is late again...really late!

In my opinion, this is not a non-profit organization, but rather a scam organization and in my humble opinion no one should ever donate any money because it will no doubt go directly to Carol Asvestas’ pocketbook.  Asvestas is unemployed so she lives off the money sent to the “shelter”—from what I am told by someone has seen the cats and dogs living outdoors on her property, the animals are forced to live in deplorable conditions with no heat when the winter temperatures drops below freezing.  Carol continues to treat animals as expendable creatures because she knows she can always find more on the streets.

As I reviewed the 990-EZ 2011, all I could think was how easy it is to scam people out of money and how easy it is to fool the IRS.  Keep in mind, the IRS refused to prosecute the WAO board of directors for misappropriation of funds, so Asvestas has no problem living off the backs of the dogs and cats, because after all, she has gotten away with it once before!

I've included below two 990-EZ forms that Asvestas’ “CPA” prepared by the clueless Linda Curry to sign as the organization’s Treasurer.  

As more contributions come into the organization, so does the organization’s expenditures. As you go through the returns, keep in mind that the so-called shelter cages were established outdoors near the Asvestas’ homestead and the fundraising operation takes place in Carol's house.   

990 - Animal Shelter Assistance Program - 2011

And here is the previous year's EZ-990 for ASAP:

ASAP 990 2010

You may be wondering how to identify a scam organization.  Well, here are a few things to look for:

Rent:  The organization charges "rent" to the organization after making the decision to start-up and keep the organization on the "founder's" land.  If the non-profit does not own the space it occupies, then any amount of money can be charged for "rent."  In 2010, Carol charged ASAP $9,506 for the use of the outdoor space that the dogs and cats are forced to live on.  Since there is no heat for the animals, no electricity is needed and the animals drink from the same well water as the Asvestas homestead, so there are no water bills charged to ASAP. In 2011, the "rent" increased to $12,879. Should be interesting to see how much "rent" Asvestas will charge ASAP in 2012.

Vague mission statement:  Sadly, the IRS will not verify if the mission statement provided on the tax return is true and accurate. Based on the flimsy mission statement ASAP provided, it's hard to believe Asvestas spent $43,361 on operational expenses.  What is really sad is that only $10, 605 was spend on food, medicine, vet care, and enrichment items for all the dogs and cats, estimated at about 20 or so animals at any given time--the remaining $32,756 is all overhead costs!  No mention of how many animals are taken in each year by ASAP and how many of those animals found new forever homes; not that accurate reporting would have been made on the return.

Board Members:  In the case of this organization, I seriously doubt the ASAP board members spend 5-10 hours per week on ASAP-related board duties.  Are they out there cleaning litter boxes?  Feeding the cats and dogs?  Have they seen the condition of the animals' living quarters?  Do they care that the dogs and cats had no heat during freezing temperatures this year?  Are they so heartless that they don't make sure every dime brought into the non-profit goes  towards the animals' care? 

"Program" Expenses:  How would you know if an organization really spent money on various program expenses (such as storage, travel, meals/meetings, etc) or if the "founder" misappropriated funds by accessing the bank accounts for personal use (in this case I have no doubt Carol Asvestas is the primary account owner for the ASAP banking account and the other board members have no idea what transactions are taking place with this account)? From 2010 to 2011, ASAP expenditures went up 44%--very odd, huh?  As soon as Carol reported more money coming in to the non-profit, her expenditures suddenly increased as well.  By my estimations, Asvestas could have scammed about $40k from ASAP in 2011--all tax free!

Unless the IRS demands a receipt for every expenditure, no one would ever know what happened to the donated funds made to the so-called ASAP "shelter."  

Curious questions:  I would be curious to know where Asvestas "advertised" ASAP; why did automobile charges about tripled in 2011--especially since Carol Avsestas cannot drive; why did computer and internet charges nearly doubled over the previous year; what equipment did she rent; what is actually covered under the "insurance plan"; why is ASAP paying for meals; why did the office expenditures doubled; why is she charging "storage fees" for ASAP; why did the phone bill increase by $1,539 over the previous year; where did she "travel" (Casino?  Beach?); and finally, did Asvestas pay back the so-called "loan" of $11,142 ASAP made to her in 2010?

Scamming money from hard working people is very easy to do--especially when you use sick or handicapped animals or cute little baby animals as the main draw to the organization. Check out ASAP's new website at http://www.animalasap.org/ and what do you see?  Cute kitten and puppies, plus a handicapped dog.  This website shows no current "rescue" pictures or testimonials from others.  Where are the pictures of the cats and dogs living in the outdoor kennels?  The board members are not listed on-line either, you have to check the 990s to see who is supposedly on ASAP's board of directors.  Carol is very careful not to list her name anywhere on the website, but if you look at who owns the website, this is what you'll find:

Domain ID:D167732811-LROR
Domain Name:ANIMALASAP.ORG
Created On:29-Jan-2013 19:26:17 UTC
Last Updated On:31-Mar-2013 03:46:57 UTC
Expiration Date:29-Jan-2015 19:26:17 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Wild West Domains, LLC (R120-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:CR135545983
Registrant Name:Carol Avestas
Registrant Organization:Animals ASAP
Registrant Street1:9488 Leslie Rd
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:San Antonio
Registrant State/Province:Texas
Registrant Postal Code:78254
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.2102093655
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Admin ID:CR135545985
Admin Name:Carol Avestas
Admin Organization:Animals ASAP
Admin Street1:9488 Leslie Rd
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:San Antonio
Admin State/Province:Texas
Admin Postal Code:78254
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.2102093655
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:
Tech ID:CR135545984
Tech Name:Carol Avestas
Tech Organization:Animals ASAP
Tech Street1:9488 Leslie Rd
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:San Antonio
Tech State/Province:Texas
Tech Postal Code:78254
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.2102093655
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:
Name Server:DNS2.STABLETRANSIT.COM
Name Server:DNS1.STABLETRANSIT.COM
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
DNSSEC:Unsigned

Domain ID:D157839125-LROR
Domain Name:AUCTIONSFORANIMALS.ORG
Created On:17-Dec-2009 22:20:44 UTC
Last Updated On:19-Dec-2013 19:29:53 UTC
Expiration Date:17-Dec-2018 22:20:44 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Wild West Domains, LLC (R120-LROR)
Status:OK
Status:AUTORENEWPERIOD
Registrant ID:CR68851785
Registrant Name:Carol Asvestas
Registrant Organization:Animals ASAP
Registrant Street1:9488 Leslie Rd.
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:San Antonio
Registrant State/Province:Texas
Registrant Postal Code:78254
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.8882752587
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Admin ID:CR68851815
Admin Name:Carol Asvestas
Admin Organization:Animals ASAP
Admin Street1:9488 Leslie Rd.
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:San Antonio
Admin State/Province:Texas
Admin Postal Code:78254
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.8882752587
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:
Tech ID:CR68851800
Tech Name:Carol Asvestas
Tech Organization:Animals ASAP
Tech Street1:9488 Leslie Rd.
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:San Antonio
Tech State/Province:Texas
Tech Postal Code:78254
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.8882752587
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:
Name Server:NS41.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server:NS42.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
Name Server: 
DNSSEC:Unsigned

And let's not forget Carol's latest scam (I wonder if the ASAP board of directors know about this!):

Domain ID:D168729624-LROR
Domain Name:ANIMALSHELTERAMPUTEEPROGRAM.ORG
Created On:19-May-2013 17:27:06 UTC
Last Updated On:19-May-2013 17:27:07 UTC
Expiration Date:19-May-2014 17:27:06 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, LLC (R91-LROR)
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Status:TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:CR143578989
Registrant Name:carol Asvestas
Registrant Organization:Animal Shelter Assistance Program Inc
Registrant Street1:9488 Leslie Road
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:San Antonio
Registrant State/Province:Texas
Registrant Postal Code:78254
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.2106883343
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:asapcarol@hotmail.com
Admin ID:CR143578991
Admin Name:carol Asvestas
Admin Organization:Animal Shelter Assistance Program Inc
Admin Street1:9488 Leslie Road
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:San Antonio
Admin State/Province:Texas
Admin Postal Code:78254
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.2106883343
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:asapcarol@hotmail.com
Tech ID:CR143578990
Tech Name:carol Asvestas
Tech Organization:Animal Shelter Assistance Program Inc
Tech Street1:9488 Leslie Road
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:San Antonio
Tech State/Province:Texas
Tech Postal Code:78254
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.2106883343
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:asapcarol@hotmail.com
Name Server:NS53.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server:NS54.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
DNSSEC:Unsigned

I found this new ASAP web address when I Googled ASAP's telephone number found on the 2011 990 and found this ad:

      MEDORA CRIPPLED DOG NEEDS YOUR HELP - Craigslist

sanantonio.craigslist.org › CL › san antonio › all community › pets

Oct 16, 2013 - PLEASE CALL US AT: 210-430-2834 OR MAKE A DONATION ON LINE: www.animalasap.org THE WEBSITE IS BEING UPGRADED AT THIS ...

and then there was this from Carol Asvestas' Facebook page...

Carol Asvestas

April 29, 2013 via YouTube

• I had such a good time in Austin. Hope you enjoy my Unchained melody. Im going to do a proper cd. so I can raise money for Medora My crippled dog. I will post more on her later. Keep your eyes out. Thank you everyone. I have missed you all but I am getting back to the land of the living.

  

  
  

  CAROL ASVESTAS LIVE AT "EGO'S" "Unchained Melody" NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

  
  

  Move over Etta James. Brit soul singer Carol Asvestas blows the roof off the dump at "Ego's" in Austin, TX April 26, 2013

From what I understand, Carol still sends out newsletters and makes t-shirts (for a donation fee), and she is "trying" to care for the cats and dogs.  I hate that she is using Medora as a money maker and sadly, people will blindly send money for Medora's care.  I wonder if this dog is alive and well today? Does Medora live outside with the rest of the animals?

I worry because it is so cold outside right now and the animals are probably not doing as well as they should.  I've been told they have dog igloos that the dogs and cats can enter to keep out of the cold winds, but no heat.  Who could be so heartless as to make animals suffer so during freezing temperatures?  Carol Asvestas, that's who.

Before donating money or placing your pets in a sanctuary or a rescue, always ask for references and check for credibility. Donors should check the organization's tax return (IRS 990) to see where the sanctuary receives its funds and how much actually goes towards the animals (ie. food, vet care, and new enclosures). Good resources areActivistCash, Charity Navigator, iGive, GuideStar, etc.  You may also want to check to see if the sanctuary is a member of the BBB Charity Wise Giving.  Be sure to see how much is actually spent on animal care versus office/storage/travel/meal/etc. expenditures.  

If the shelter or sanctuary only shows cute pictures that tug at your heart strings or close-up shots of the animals, with no background landscape seen then beware!  You need to see how the animals really live each day.  If you only see the animals' faces, then the non-profit does not want you to see how the animals' quarters look and that should send up some warning signs.  Look for current videos and pictures of the animals.  If the organization posts rescue stories, ask for follow-up reports on each animal's progress at the sanctuary/shelter. If the organization refuses to provide an update on the animal, chances are the animal is either dead or relocated somewhere else and you are not to know this information. Review comments made about the organization on www.GreatNonProfits.org or www.GuideStar.org. If there are no comments, then this should be another warning sign to you.

Sadly, there are too many scammers out there who do not want to work for a living.  Pseudo-sanctuaries and shelters give all non-profits a really bad rap.  I will not donate to a non-profit until I have inspected their tax returns.  I really get suspicious when an organization is late in submitting its returns to the IRS or does not post their tax returns on their website--where's the transparency?  I also check out their websites and read testimonial on the organization.  Yes, it can be a lot of work, but I'm not going to send another dime to a scam organization, like the now closed Wild Animal Orphanage or the now open Animal Shelter Assistance Program.

The IRS and the Texas Attorney General Office refused to prosecute the WAO Board of Directors and they have also refused to look into Carol Asvestas' latest endeavor, ASAP. So for now, I guess people will continue to be swindled by Asvestas.  If you decide to donate your hard earned money to a non-profit, please do your research so you money does not end up in the pocketbook of a crook.

Later - January 2, 2014

I learned today that Carol brought the dogs into the small room off the side of the house -- the dogs are crated and they have heat.  The cats, however, were left outside to endure the cold temperatures with no heat. It is supposed to get down to 32 degrees tonight.  God bless the cats that have to live outside in freezing temperatures with no heat...

Later:  February 2014

It was brought to my attention that Carol Asvestas is indeed using Medora as her handicapped poster dog for her organization! I was able to obtain a copy of the newsletter from a source that does not want to be identified, so I have not included the newsletter portion with the person's address.  Even without this page, I think you'll get a good idea of Asvestas' latest "scam."

ASAP Newsletter Jan 2014 

You know what scares me?  People may actually leave their pets and money in their will to ASAP, so that God forbid, if they should pass away, Asvestas will be there to make sure the pets are "taken care of."  I've seen how she "took care of" other people's pets...it's call "welcome to Talley Road--now fend for yourself!"  Then there's the picture of former WAO animals on her t-shirt order forms!  Auuuggghhh!! These pictures have nothing to do with ASAP.  Shameful.  Shameful.

And what can I say...Dr. Erhlund (aka Dr. Animal Kevorkian) is still in cahoots with Asvestas.  Does wonders ever cease? 

And did you see the back of the envelope text that listed ASAP's "projects and goals."  What a joke!  Carol operates a so-called "pet shelter" in her backyard.  Did you see past ASAP's tax returns posted to this blog?  Most of the money goes towards "ASAP's" overhead "office" costs -- very little went towards vet care and pet food!  Can you imagine sanctuaries calling Carol for advice on how to run a successful organization when her own sanctuary was a complete disaster?  What a joke!

This was a typical newsletter from Carol -- full of "lies and good intentions."  There was not one mention of the shelter animals living in her backyard.  Where are the pictures of the ASAP animals living in their "quality indoor housing"?  Where are the pictures of animals going to their new forever homes thanks to ASAP?  The happy adoption stories?  Yeah, right.  ASAP is just another scam brought to you by Carol Asvestas.

WAO Refused to Provide OAG With Requested Documents?

It's hard to believe that another year is going to set upon the WAO case.  I can still remember the first time I had to say good-bye to the WAO animals on December 17, 2005.  My heart was broken and I knew that I was up against immeasurable forces that would do anything to keep me quite. 

Now eight years later I am still sending out the alarm that WAO charitable donations may be in danger of misappropriation by Michelle (Cryer) Anthony--and like the years before, the Texas OAG continues to ignore the warnings.  So I'm sad to report that there has been no change as to how the state government handles this case.

Every three months I ask for open record documents from the OAG just to see what whether or not they are pursuing justice for the animals and donors.  Each return requests brings forth more disappointing news. Here is another example where the Texas OAG just does not care whether or not the WAO monies are stolen by Michelle (Cryer) Anthony:

First, here is my request for the documents.  Notice the date range I am requesting documents for...

From: Kristina Brunner
To: "publicrecords@texasattorneygeneral.gov"
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 12:18 PM
Subject: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

Public Information Office
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711 2548

Re: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

This is a request under the Public Information Act.

I request that a copy of any and all correspondence, including its attachments, provided to and from the Office of the Attorney General, from the period of June 1, 2013 - November 12, 2013, pertaining to the afore mentioned case, be provide to me by return mail or email (preferred).

I am also requesting documents pertaining to the July, August, September, and October 2013 ASUS/WAO monthly operating reports and any information pertaining to the motor vehicle accidents possibly involving two WAO trucks that were under the control of Michelle Anthony. 

If the document(s) cannot be presented at this time, I would like to be notified as to the exact date, time, and place the records will be made available to me.

If any records were filed with the judiciary, I would like instructions on how to receives these documents.

If there are any documents which the Office believes to be "confidential" products, I waive my right to request an OAG opinion, however, I would like a copy of the standard letter you've been sending me regarding this group of "protected" documents. I will be requesting all documents labeled "protected" at the conclusion of the investigation.

In order to help determine my status fee, you should know that I am seeking information for personal use and not for commercial use.

I request a waiver of all fees for this Public Information Act request. Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the Texas Office of the Attorney General/Charitable Trust and Bankruptcy Divisions.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Regards,

Kristina Brunner

Okay, now here is the one (and only) document I found that the OAG addressed the missing operational reports to the WAO attorney--notice the date of the email:

WAO Missing Operations Reports

It appears the WAO attorney failed to provide the requested documents because there were no other WAO operation reports filed with the bankruptcy court and there was no response on file to the questions asked above regarding the questionable spending of the WAO funds included in my open records request.  It is my opinion the OAG doesn't care if Anthony steals from the WAO--they just want this case (and me) to go away.

To ensure my supposition becames a matter a record, I sent the OAG this email:

From: Kristina Brunner
To: "publicrecords@texasattorneygeneral.gov"
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

Office of the Attorney General

Public Information Office
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711 2548

Re: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG

This is a request under the Public Information Act.

I request a copy of any and all correspondence, including its attachments, pertaining to a response made either by WAO representative or its attorney, to an email query sent by Christopher Krhovajak dated Thursday, September 19, 2013, RE: ASUS Operating Reports.

I am also requesting copies of the ASUS/WAO July - November 2013 monthly operating reports and any documents pertaining to the motor vehicle accident possibly involving at least one WAO truck that was under the control of Michelle Anthony (2005 Pickup Truck VIN 1FTWW33P65ED00042) during the summer of 2011.

I also would like confirmation that there were no records available to the public for the periods of June 4 - July 31, October 1 - November 12, 2013.

Documents pertaining to the afore mentioned case, may be provide to me by return mail or email (preferred).

I request a waiver of all fees for this Public Information Act request. Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the Texas Office of the Attorney General/Charitable Trust and Bankruptcy Divisions.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Regards,

Kristina Brunner

I have no doubt that the response I will receive from the Texas OAG will be that there were no requested documents on file and no deadline for the receipt of these items from the WAO attorney. 

...my tax dollars at work.

Later...

From: publicrecords

To: 'Kristina Brunner'

Sent: Monday, December 30, 2013 8:23 AM

Subject: RE: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

December 30, 2013

Dear Ms. Brunner:

The Office of the Attorney General has received your request for records. However, in order to process your request, we need you to clarify the following sentence: I also would like confirmation that there were no records available to the public for the periods of June 4 - July 31, October 1 - November 12, 2013. In your sentence, you do not identify the subject matter of said records. Please clarify the subject matter of the records you are requesting. I may be reached at publicrecords@texasattorneygeneral.gov.

Sincerely,

June B. Harden

Assistant Attorney General

Assistant Public Information Coordinator

General Counsel Division

From: Kristina Brunner
To: publicrecords
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2013 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

Greetings June:

I noticed in my last public information request there were no documents provided for the periods of June 4 -July 31, October 1 - November 12, 2013 from your Office. I just want to confirm that there were no records available during these time periods - thank you.

Regards,

Kristina Brunner

Later:  So I received my open records request, but surprise surprise, there was no mention of the vehicle or missing operation reports.  But I did receive a lot of documents that should have been provided to me in a previous open records request.  Makes me wonder what other documents the OAG failed to provide to me as part of past open records requests!  Anyhoo, I sent a follow-up message requesting the missing ops reports and vehicle information.

From: Kristina Brunner
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2014 5:22 PM
To: publicrecords
Subject: Re: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

Office of the Attorney General Public Information Office
 P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711 2548

January 13, 2014

Dear Mr. Burkhart:

Thank you for sending the PIA documents via email. After careful review, I was unable to find a response made either by WAO representative or its attorney, to an email query sent by Christopher Krhovajak dated Thursday, September 19, 2013 (RE: ASUS Operating Reports) nor was able to find copies of the ASUS/WAO July - November 2013 monthly operating reports (MOR) and any documents pertaining to the motor vehicle accident possibly involving at least one WAO truck that was under the control of Michelle Anthony (2005 Pickup Truck VIN 1FTWW33P65ED00042) during the summer of 2011.

May I have these documents, please?

Thank you!

**************************************************************

From: publicrecords
To: 'Kristina Brunner'
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 7:20 AM
 Subject: RE: Public Information Act - ASUS, dba WAO, et al (Charitable Trust, Bankruptcy Division, and any other Division within the Texas OAG)

January 14, 2014

Kristina Brunner
VIA E-MAIL ONLY

RE: Public Information Request No. 14-37894

Dear Ms. Brunner:

The Office of the Attorney General has provided you all of the documents it maintains that are responsive to your request.

Sincerely,

June B. Harden
Assistant Attorney General
Assistant Public Information Coordinator
General Counsel Division

...that's what I was afraid of... state government failure strikes again!

Heaven Welcomed Home Sabu

This is without a doubt the hardest blog posting I have ever written.  But before I say why, I'd like to thank my friend at ISE for providing me with updates on Sabu each week.  I cannot thank this person enough for taking the time to regal me with Sabu's latest antics, pictures of Sabu's handsome face, and the occasional video of our boy at play.  This person will never now how eternally grateful I was to receive information on Sabu's health progress. Weekly Sabu updates truly made me very happy.  Thank you so much my friend.

Thanks to this person, I was not completely surprised when I received notification from ISE saying Sabu 's health took a turn for the worse.

For weeks prior to the notification, I became very concerned when I learned Sabu refused to come out of his den to play or even lay in the sun.  I was concerned because a lion at his age with leg-related issues needs to move around so his leg muscles would not suffer from disuse atrophy which happens because of a lack of physical activity.  

So when I was told Sabu could no longer use his hind legs, I knew Sabu's time on earth was going to end soon.  I was told it took three people to assist Sabu up and help him walk to the playground so he could lay out in the sun or relieve himself.  I prayed for a miracle, but I knew in my heart that Sabu's time on earth was coming to and end.

The most heartbreaking news I received was when I was told Sabu was going to be put to sleep last Friday.  When the weather took a turn for the worse, with temperatures dropping into the 20s, blanketing his home with sleet and ice, the date was changed from Friday afternoon to Monday. Then on Sunday I received this heartbreaking news...

From: In-Sync Exotics
To: Kristina WAO Brunner
Sent: Sunday, December 8, 2013 10:37 AM
Subject: 

Hey I may have to let sabu go today if the vet can get out. He's not able to stay warm. I have blankets on him and we are putting another heater on him and an electric blanket, but I don't like that he is shivering. He can't load into roll cage or I'd take him to VC and he's not going to let us carry him into roll cage. If we can't get him warm I'm going to seriously have to consider it.

I received this same message via text along with this photo of Sabu:

On loan from God, Sabu returned Home to be with Him.

Then sadly, I received this text from Vicky that changed my whole world:

"OK I made the call it will be done in a couple of hours. I hate this so much."

Vicky text me again, asking if I wanted to speak with Sabu before he passed and I thanked her for the opportunity. I couldn't think straight and I was afraid I would only cry through the entire call.  Jesus suggested I write down what I wanted to say to Sabu before he passed away so I wouldn't spend my time crying over the phone like I did when I spoke with Okemo before he passed away.  

When my phone rang and Sabu was on the other line, I didn't think I could get the words out because I was crying so hard.  I was able to tell Sabu that even though our journey on earth was coming to an end, I would see him again in Heaven.  I told him that it was my honor and privileged to have known him for eight years as his former animal caretaker and later his champion.  I told him I was thrilled that the Lord placed his hand of protection over him so that he could enjoy living at a place where he was loved and adored by so many people.  I told him I was amazed how much he changed from a shy lion living at the WAO to such a happy and playful fellow who enjoyed life at ISE.  I told him that I could see in his face how much happier he was living at ISE and for that I will always be grateful for the care and attention he received from all.  I told him that he was a one-of-a-kind lion; that the Lord broke the mold on the day he was created.  I told him I would miss his crazy and goofy antics and his love for life.  I told him I was eternally grateful he came into my life while at the WAO--for without him I may not have the courage to help save him and his animal friends when called upon to do the right thing.  I told him it was time for him to join Jinxie and the other WAO animals in Heaven.  I asked him to tell them that I was thinking of them and praying for them all the time.  I told him I missed him but that I would see him again soon.  I told him that I loved him very much.  I told him his job here on earth was done and that it was time for him to join the Lord in Heaven.  I kept telling him "job well done, Sabu...job well done."  Then I told him I loved him very much and I slowly hung up the phone. 

I wanted to create a special memorial for Sabu since he was the last of the original four animals (Sabu, Jake, Bubba and Princess) I tried so hard to save so many years ago.  I didn't know what type of video to create, so I took the Lord's suggestion of creating a video that would herald Sabu's arrival to Heaven. It was the hardest video I have ever created.  It was so surreal, creating this memorial video because Sabu was still alive and fighting for his life. There were several times when I just wanted to stop working on the video, but the Lord encouraged me to continue until it was almost finished late Saturday night.   I just didn't have the heart to produce the final Sabu video until the He said he was on his way to see Him.  

I was inspired to use the same song I originally chose for the WAO's first video created back in 2005 and then reused again for the "New Beginnings" video updated in 2010.  I guess it was appropriate to use this song for the last time, this time featuring Sabu.  Now whenever I hear this song, I won't think about the failed WAO or it's failed "New Beginnings."  I will only think of Sabu.

For this video presentation, I used a couple of WAO pictures I took of Sabu back in the day--one from Leslie Road (when he had his magnificent mane) and one from Talley Road when I first saw him after several years separation (2010) along with a lot of ISE pictures and videos taken during the various stages of his life. I am absolutely amazed at how much Sabu changed over the last two years.  The last pictures and videos in the presentation were taken the last week and they show just how content Sabu was until the end.

When Vicky communicated to me that Sabu was going to pass away within a couple of hours, I frantically tried to finished the video, so that when Sabu was entering Heaven, I could hit the produce button alerting the Lord that Sabu was on his way.  

As soon as I knew Sabu's soul was no longer with us, I hit the "produce button" and sent this video out on the web, announcing to the Lord and to the world that Magnificent Sabu was on his way to Heaven.

http://animoto.com/play/u0P6UlIAz41KMIOLVaVBtA

A broken heart is the worse.  It's like having broken ribs.  Nobody can see them, but it hurts everytime you breathe.

   

It was not lost on me that the sale of the last piece of the WAO property happened this month.  Finally, the WAO Talley Road land will no longer be in the hands of the WAO--finally after seven long years it looks like the WAO nightmare will finally coming to an end.

WAO Bankruptcy Court - Sale of Talley Road - 120213

Yesterday, Vicky said she's going to send me a plaster of paris paw print mold and whiskers from Sabu--and I am very grateful.  I guess when the package arrives I'll be bawling like a baby again.

Thank you Lord for introducing me to Sabu and all the animals of WAO.  I am eternally grateful to have cared and championed for your handsome Sabu. Please bless and protect Sabu in Heaven and let him know that I will always love him--he is and always will be--my hero.

I always thought this picture of Sabu was captured at a time when he was praying!
May 15, 2005

So Whose Fault Was It?

Now that some time has passed since the tragic death of Ms. Renee Radziwon-Chapman, lead animal caretaker at the Wildcat Haven Sanctuary, I'd like to share some insight into wild animal sanctuaries that you may not get anywhere else.

Back in February 2011, I wrote a blog post titled "Two Sides to the Same Story," which describes the close and personal relationship many sanctuary founders have with their own exotic animal pets.  Would it surprise you to learn that the majority of wild animal sanctuaries were started with the founders' pets that were bred or acquired over the years and then later turned into the sanctuary's "rescues"?  

For you see, just 25 years ago, there was not the same stigma to own and breed wild exotic animals in backyards. Sanctuary directors such as Carol Asvestas, Carol Baskins, Pat Craig, Tammy Theis, Tippi Hedren, Cheryl Tuller, Kari Bagnall, Vicky Keahey, and many others started out as private backyard exotic animal pet owners.  As private pet owners, these people were expected to pay out of their own pockets food, shelter, and medical care for their exotic pets. However, as these exotic pet owners acquired more and more animals, the need for additional funds became crucial in order to care for their growing "family." Laws were slowly changing, making it more difficult to own private exotic pets within city limits, so at some point, these folks made the conscious decision to turn their pets into "rescued" animals and incorporate their backyard hobby into non-profit organizations. Instead of paying for the animals' care out of their own pockets, these folks were able to get YOU to pay for the life-long care of their animals, along with the perks of being a tax-exempt "business".  Many of the founders' original exotic pets have since passed away, replaced with new arrivals from individuals who were either not able to care for their own pets and elected to rehome them, or they were seized by government agencies for various reasons.  But make no mistake, all of these people were exotic pet owners at one time or another, they elected to keep their pets until they died, and then were able to legally "acquire" more exotic wild animals, under the guise of being a non-profit organization.

When I volunteered at the Wild Animal Orphanage, I was often asked if I knew the dangers of working around wild exotic animals.  I have to admit, I had no idea the types of behaviors I should expect from  captive tigers, lions, cougars, bears, wolves, etc when I first started.  When I saw captive animals in zoos, they look so cute and harmless--especially the little monkeys and chimps who seemed to have so much fun entertaining the visitors.  I truly had no idea what I was getting into--it just seemed like fascinating work--something I would always remember, knowing that very few people got an opportunity to get nose to nose with a tiger or a lion.  I felt truly blessed to be caring for exotic animals--especially the big cats.

Large animals living in cages tend not to move around a lot.  Let's face it, there's not a whole lot of things for the animals to do to keep busy.  The most excitement the animals receive is at feeding time.  That is when the calm and gentle looking animals seen on "display" changes into hungry eating machines.  Most people never see this side of a wild animal and so it becomes quite a shock to first-time animal caretakers to see big cats fight for food or become food aggressive as they are being fed, tearing at the enclosure "wall" for their chicken or beef.  There is no formal "school" for new animal caretakers; the students must learn from the more experienced caretakers--and the years of experience may vary greatly.  With volunteers and paid workers coming and going it's a wonder something terrible hasn't happened to a paid or volunteer caretaker much sooner.

It is not unusual for caretakers to enter an exotic wild animal enclosure to clean out poop, bones and food debris.  At the WAO, the workers rarely entered the animals' enclosures without locking out the large animals first.  The animals at this sanctuary were very aggressive, no doubt from the poor food, lack of vet care, and no enrichment.  I made the mistake of entering an enclosure to try an coral an angry bobcat into a pet carrier on behest of the two animal caretakers encouraging me from the outside of the cage.  I made the worse mistake ever when I tried to exit the enclosure after I gave up trying to get the cat into the carrier--I turned my back on the bobcat.  The result:  one very angry bobcat attached to the back of my skull, with her claws digging into my head.  There was a lot of blood  and several little gashes along my scalp.  I was very lucky.  I was able to get the cat off my back and exit the cage before sustaining additional damage to my body.  

I let my guard down because I thought the bobcat would never hurt me. I was very wrong.  You can never let your guard down, ever, because it only takes a second for a bobcat to jump you from behind and take you down.  Big exotic cats, little exotic cats--it doesn't matter--if they have teeth and claws and they can be very dangerous.

There are other wild animal sanctuaries that allow their workers and volunteers into bobcat and cougar cages to clean and tend to the animals.  Exotic Feline Rescue Center was recently written up by OSHA for numerous safety violations, to include employees entering bobcat, serval, cougar, and lynx cages without locking out the cats first.  No doubt these employees felt it was "OK" to enter the enclosures with the cats still inside because it was done by others without any major incident.

At another sanctuary I've seen volunteers and workers inside the enclosure with cougars and the other small exotic cats with only small bottles of vinegar in hand or attached to their clothing for protection.  Do these folks truly know the risk they pose to themselves as well as the cats?  Often if a cat hurts or kills a person, the animal is destroyed.

It is not unusual for a sanctuary to have written guidelines for its employees on file, but sadly no one reads them and management does not enforce them until something goes wrong.  What may be policy is often not procedure.  I have cleaned tiger and lion cages without a second person to help me, even though there was a WAO verbal policy that no one may clean the cages without a partner.  When I helped out on Sundays at the Leslie Road property, there was often only myself and one other person to clean cages, feed the animals, and give visitor tours.  So yes, we were forced to clean cages and feed animals alone. 

If the sanctuary has limited staff, like at the Wildcat Haven, it is not unusual for one person to provide care for the animals.  Often good sense goes right out the door when the animals need to have their cages cleaned and later fed that night.  Routine sets in and so does complacency.  That is when disaster strikes.

In Ms. Radziwon-Chapman's case, the ones to blame for this disaster were the animal caretaker herself, the board of directors, and Mr. and Ms. Tuller. The long-time employee knew it was dangerous to work alone and yet she continued to do so.  The founders knew they were placing their worker at risk, and they didn't care enough to hire additional help. The board never bothered to asked important questions like "Do we have enough trained staff to care for all these dangerous animals? or "Should we be taking in additional animals when we don't have enough trained staff right now?"  

Routine+Complacency+ Ignorance = Disaster.

What appalled me was how GFAS blamed private pet ownership for Ms. Radziwon-Chapman's death.  Please read the following "Press Release" from GFAS to the very end:

Www.sanctuaryfederation.org Gfas Wp-content Uploads 2013 11 Wildcat-Haven-Press-Release

How irresponsible for GFAS to make this inflammatory statement to the public:

Ultimately it is the breeding of these cats into a life of captivity that is to blame for this tragic death. Sanctuaries, relying on public donations, end up paying the price for this needless breeding. Tragically, Renee Radziwon-Chapman paid the ultimate price.

Ex-pet owners, who have now seen the "light", operating a non-profit exotic wild animal organization, taking in more re-homed or rescued exotic animals than capable to care for, loses the life of a valued employee to a cougar--and it's the "private owners" fault that Ms. Radziwon-Chapman died?  Ridiculous!

Later:

http://www.oregonlive.com/sherwood/index.ssf/2014/05/wildcat_haven_sanctuary_to_dis.html

By Everton Bailey Jr. | ebailey@oregonian.comOregonLive.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 09, 2014 at 5:15 PM, updated May 10, 2014 at 6:58 AM

A Sherwood-area wildcat rescue is appealing penalties assessed by a state agency in March linked to a fatal cougar attack on an employee.

Representatives from WildCat Haven Sanctuary are scheduled to have an informal hearing with the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division on Wednesday to dispute the agency's investigation findings and $5,600 in fine assessments, said Melanie Mesaros, an Oregon OSHA spokeswoman. If an agreement cannot be reached during the informal conference, a formal hearing with an administrative law judge would be the next step.

Renee Radziwon-Chapman, 36, an animal care technician and WildCat's head keeper for eight years, was killed Nov. 9 when she was attacked while cleaning a cougar enclosure alone. She apparently tried to lock out three cougars in the enclosure but was unable to do so before at least one attacked her, authorities said.

The sanctuary was issued a $2,800 fine for the safety procedural violations and another $2,800 fine for the unsafe cougar enclosure design features.

Michael and Cheryl Tuller founded WildCat Haven Sanctuary in 2001. The organization rescues cougars, tigers, bobcats and other wildcats and sits on about 8 acres of land near Sherwood. The Tullers still run the nonprofit with Michael as its president and Cheryl as its executive director. The sanctuary is closed to the public.

WildCat Haven Sanctuary said in a statement after the citations were announced that it has addressed safety concerns highlighted by Oregon OSHA.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

Much later:

Okay, how much did the loss of the sanctuary's employee cost WildCat Haven?  According to the USDA, the fine was only...

USDA - Or140006 AC SA Wildcat Haven 041114 Final

Wch Osha - May 14, 2014

Inadequate communication of the sanctuary's policy?  What a crock.  It was a willful violation of the policy--plain and simple in my opinion.  I've seen workers in two other sanctuaries that cleaned animal cages alone (without a partner) while the animals were still in the enclosure.  It's a choice. And because the workers believe the cats would NEVER hurt them, they are willing to enter a bobcat, cougar, or serval enclosure with the cat in the cage, without a partner.  Sanctuaries that allows a workers or volunteers to enter enclosures with the animals inside are asking for major problems because they are underestimating the cats.

http://www.oregonlive.com/sherwood/index.ssf/2014/06/wildcat_haven_sanctuary_drops.html

WildCat Haven Sanctuary drops appeal of fines related to fatal cougar attack on employee

By Everton Bailey Jr. | ebailey@oregonian.com 
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 04, 2014 at 11:55 AM, updated June 04, 2014 at 3:05 PM

·         WildCat Haven Sanctuary drops appeal of fines related to fatal cougar attack on employeeWILDCAT HAVEN SANCTUARY

·         WildCat Haven Sanctuary to dispute penalties related to fatal cougar attack investigation

·         WildCat Haven Sanctuary 'has been very cooperative' during investigation from D.C. organization

·         WildCat Haven Sanctuary fatal cougar attack: what we know

·         WildCat Haven keeper's mother lauds OSHA fines but says family is still reeling from loss

All Stories |

A Sherwood-area wildcat rescue has withdrawn an appeal of fines assessed by a state agency and has agreed to pay penalties related to a fatal cougar attack on its head keeper.

A settlement agreement between WildCat Haven Sanctuary and Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division says the nonprofit sanctuary will drop its dispute of $5,600 in citations that were initially assessed in March.

The sanctuary was issued a $2,800 fine for safety procedural violations and another $2,800 fine for unsafe cougar enclosure design features. The fines were the maximum amounts allowed.

Related: Read the settlement agreement for the WildCat Haven citations issued by Oregon OSHA

Renee Radziwon-Chapman, 36, of Portland, an animal care technician and WildCat's head keeper for eight years, was killed Nov. 9 when she was attacked while cleaning a cougar enclosure alone. She apparently tried to lock out three cougars in the enclosure but was unable to do so before at least one attacked her, authorities said.

Michael and Cheryl Tuller founded WildCat Haven Sanctuary in 2001. The sanctuary is closed to the public.

WildCat Haven Sanctuary said in a statement after the citations were announced that it has addressed safety concerns highlighted by Oregon OSHA.

Melanie Mesaros, an Oregon OSHA spokeswoman, said WildCat Haven Sanctuary will be making monthly payments for 10 months. The payments begin in June.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.