A Simple Adieu

Well, this is it!  Finally!  Believe it or not, this final posting has been in the making since January 2006; and now that the end of the WAO case is finally upon me, I have so much to reflect and ponder upon.  

There are still a lot of questions that were never answered such as "why didn't the Texas OAG/Charitable Trust Division prosecute the WAO board of directors when there was overwhelming proof of misappropriate of funds" and "why didn't the USDA/APHIS prosecute the WAO board of directors when there was overwhelming proof that the WAO violated the Animal Welfare Act numerous times?"  I am frequently asked these questions and all I can say is that there was no justice for the WAO animals that died because of apathy and greed.

I am haunted by so many WAO animal faces--I see them everywhere and I still tear up when I talk about the amazing animals that lived at the WAO. I don't think my heart will ever be completely healed until I see them again in Heaven someday.  I've been assured by my Heavenly Father that I will see them again.  Only then will my heart will be completely restored.  For you see, God knows how much I love the WAO animals and how much they mean to me. The Bible doesn't directly address whether animals will be with us in Heaven, but I do know that God loves us and wants us to be happy. The Bible says, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11, NKJV). I  can trust God that Heaven will be a place filled with everything necessary for my happiness--and that includes the WAO animals and my pets that passed away!

I want to thank all the wonderful people who helped me with this case!  I cannot thank each and every person enough for their contributions over the last eight years:

Thank you to all who wrote and called the Texas OAG and USDA in support of the WAO animals;

Thank you to all who went on undercover tours at the WAO, documenting the life and loss of so many WAO animals--especially the lady who traveled all the way from New York;

Thank you to the gentlman who put me in touch with several key people who helped me with the WAO case;  

Thank you to lady who helped save the CU monkeys from coming to San Antonio and who gave me encouragement to carry on -- my fellow animal warrior!

Thank you to the people who wrote to the WAO to obtain valuable information needed as part of the WAO investigation; 

Thank you to all who gave me wonderful advice on how to proceed in this case;

Thank you to all who listened to my cause and gave me the encouragement to continue on;

Special thank you's to Fatima M., WOAI (Maritza Nunez Salazar), KSAT-12 (Shari St. Clair), San Antonio Current (Enrique Lopetegui), and KONO 101.1 radio--all were an amazing group of people who helped me get the WAO story out to the public; 

Thank you to the folks who sent me WAO newsletters so I could track the false statements made by the WAO board of directors to the general public--your help from CA, CO, and TX was very instrumental! 

 A huge thank you to Laurie R. and Jan M. who went above and beyond the call to help me and the WAO animals--you ladies were fantastic;

I want to thank all who provided me intel on the inner workings of the WAO at great cost to either their employment, health and personal safety--you made a difference; 

Thank you so much to my NC friend, Sue B., who stayed in contact with me until the end of the case (and beyond) and was willing to listen to me almost every day of the week for many years!  I just want you to know that your friendship means the world to me!

I give thanks to those people who are no longer with me to see the end of this case.  I will always hold a special place in my heart for Linda, Jeanette, and RG; 

Thank you Zuzana for posting the WAO story on your website.  Thanks to your website, a lot of animals were SAVED from being shipped to the overcrowded WAO. We were also able to inform folks on what was happening at the WAO--something no one else was willing to do.  Because of you, LIVES were SAVED.  

(http://www.rexano.org/WAO.htm).  Thank you!

I also want to thank In-Sync Exotics for taking in Sabu, giving him a loving home when no one else would.

And a huge thanks to K-Love radio and its supporters.  Without all the inspirational songs and words spoken at the right time when I needed encouragement the most, I don't know if I could have gotten through the "fire" without you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I also want to thank all the local law enforcement and government workers who provided me valuable insight and information regarding the WAO case.  I learned so much from each and every person who took the time to educate me on how to prepare statements, conduct investigations, and most importantly, conduct research into the WAO.  I spent hours and hours and hours of research and thankfully I had some really great guides who pointed me in the right direction.  These amazing folks wanted to see justice for the WAO animals and were just as disappointed as I that the Texas OAG and USDA failed to protect donors and animals alike. I still cannot believe the Texas OAG agreed to close the WAO case without prosecuting the criminals in exchange for the WAO's closure.  All that money, gone.  All those lives, lost.  And the criminals got away, scott-free. 

On this Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks to the Lord that many of the WAO animals have a second chance at happiness.  I pray several times a week for the WAO animals, on Earth, and in Heaven, that they are happy,  healthy, and strong.  While I still check for story updates former WAO animals on Facebook, I find that I spend less and less time doing so and spending my time enjoying life again.

I plan on releasing this blog very soon; between now and then I plan on rereading the blog and perhaps clean it up a bit.  While I am concerned that this blog will upset a lot of people, I hope that it will serve as a guide for those individuals who are facing a similar situation on what to do and not to do.  If you wondered what happens behind the scenes at a wild animal sanctuary, well here ya go--this blog will give you this type of information...and then some.

Anyhoo, as I look back at this case, I've come to realize I only have three regrets.  Many years ago, a person who was instrumental in the beginning of the WAO case gave me a bottle of wine.  I was suppose to toast a happy ending for the WAO case whenever that took place.  Sadly, I never got to enjoy the wine because my foster dogs knocked it off the shelf, shattering it into hundreds of little pieces on my tile floor.  My point in sharing this with you is this; if you are waiting for a special occasion to enjoy a certain bottle of wine, open it today!  For you see, the special occasion may never come. 

My other two regrets are personal and are between me and the Lord.

Other tips I learned from the WAO case include:

• Never rely on the government to do the right thing;
• Learn to forgive those who will tell lies and half truths to the public and government regarding your personal character and actions;
• Don't take "no" sitting down;
• Never stop believing in miracles--know that God has a plan and it it may not be the one you are praying for;
• Measure good deeds not by words, but by actions; 
• Accept the things you can change, and let go of the rest;
• Network, network, network -- you don't have to connect with animal groups, just with like-minded people willing to seek justice for the animals; and
• When the case is over, move on with your life.

Here's my final tip for individuals that may be facing a similar situation that I went through for the last eight years => if you are on the fence and you don't know whether or not you should go forward with an investigation for fear of what may happen to you or the animals, all I can say is go with your heart.  If the good Lord is nudging you in a certain direction, you really should get off the fence, do the right thing, and save the animals--for if not you--then who?  

Well, enough said for now--it's time to move on with my life.  If I learn additional WAO information in the future, I will be sure to post it to the blog.  I consider this blog a work in progress, and I have a feeling that it will never truly end...

So until later, I bid you a simple adieu...

I have fought a good fight, 

I have finished my course, 

I have kept the faith.

May God Bless You.

Oh, and remember that despite all the pain, suffering, and apathy you see directed at God's creatures, you have the ability to 

#SpeakLife, 

#SpeakLove, 

#SpeakCompassion...

...you just have to #SpeakUp!

No WAO Tax Returns Filed - Big Surprise

So I was curious to see if Cryer-Anthony (or whatever her last name is now) filed tax returns for the now closed WAO for 2012, 2013, and 2014.  This is what I found on GuideStar.org:

Legitimacy Information

This organization is not registered with the IRS.

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

This organization's exempt status was automatically revoked by the IRS for failure to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF for 3 consecutive years. Further investigation and due diligence are warranted.

 

I'm shocked!  In my opinion, the WAO was robbed of valuable assets up until the very end.  Gee, no surprise there.  And no surprise that the "do nothing" Texas OAG Office refused to follow-upon all the missing WAO money and property. 

A very sad ending to a very sad case.

 

 

How Do You Make Republicans Care About Animal Testing?

When I first read this article title from the HuffPost Green, I was shocked into reading the rest of the story.  Media for a long time have accused Republicans and conservatives of not caring for animals and the environment, which, by the way, is absolutely NOT TRUE!  For you see, I know a lot of conservatives that care about animals--testing or otherwise, and have championed their own animal causes for years.  To say "conservatives" do not care about animals is an insult to all the people who helped me with the WAO case; for you see, some people were conservatives and some were not.  We were, however, united for a common cause--save the WAO animals.

Looks like I'm not the only one uniting people; a bipartisan group working together to right a very terrible, terrible wrong...  I pray Anthony is successful.  Read on...

How Do You Make Republicans Care About Animal Testing? Anthony Bellotti Has A Plan

 10/07/2014 11:21 am ET | Updated Oct 07, 2014

• Arin GreenwoodAnimal Welfare Editor, The Huffington Post

ANTHONY BELLOTTI

Anthony Bellotti's day job is working as a Republican strategist specializing in opposition research, with clients that have included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign, anti-Obamacare efforts and various pro-life campaigns.

"But by night I advocate for animals trapped in the government’s taxpayer-funded experimentation laboratories," he says. "Ending forced taxpayer-funded animal experimentation is my life’s work. It’s my calling. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, it’s the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep."

A few years ago, Bellotti merged these two paths with White Coat Waste, a nonprofit whose aim is making folks on the right care about the estimated 25 million vertebrates used every year in U.S.-based laboratories -- many in horrific-soundingexperiments, many of which are funded with taxpayer dollars.

How many dollars? Bellotti estimates at least $12 billion in tax funding per year goes toward animal testing; PETA puts the figure at over $16 billion. One of White Coat Waste's projects is advocating for more transparency in the federal budget, so it will be clearer how much money is actually at issue.

The Huffington Post recently caught up with Bellotti by email to find out more about how and why he intends to get right-leaning political animals involved in this fight.

The Huffington Post: What prompted you to start White Coat Waste?

Anthony Bellotti: Back in 1995, between junior and senior year of high school, I worked as an intern in an animal experimentation laboratory in New York City. For eight weeks I watched horrifying experiments on animals that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. I witnessed, first hand, the harsh reality of modern animal experimentation, up close and personal, on pigs, primates, beagles, rabbits and smaller animals.

At 17, I didn’t know anything about wasteful government spending on these experiments. I just knew that something was wrong with this picture.

The experience immediately and forever changed my life. In fact, I remember saying to myself: “if this is one of the good animal laboratories, what the heck are they doing in the bad ones?” It was a horrifying experience -- talk about shock and awe -- but it was also the best thing that ever happened to me because it changed me so profoundly.

Why are taxpayer-funded animal experiments a problem? What arguments do you use with people on the right to make your case?

It’s a problem because the government’s secretive and out-of-control animal experimentation budget forces you to pay for something that you don't like, don't need and doesn’t work. We can save lives and money by cutting wasteful government spending that funds animal abuse. There are better things to waste your money on than cruel and unnecessary animal experiments.

Fortunately, the science has moved entirely in our direction in recent years, and is proving that experiments on animals have largely been a miserable failure. But don’t take my word for it; even the FDA admits that 92 percent of all drugs tested successfully on animals will fail in humans. 92 percent! If NASA had a 92 percent failure rate, we’d shut the program down stat.

Look, there’s a reason you don’t go to the veterinarian when you are sick; animals and humans are different. And when you do get sick, there’s also a reason why your doctor doesn’t call the “white coats” in the monkey lab asking them how to treat you.

What happens to animals in a laboratory is not relevant information to a medical doctor –- a real doctor, not a taxpayer-funded college professor in a lab -– you know, someone who actually treats patients.

Besides, if you don’t support “socialized medicine,” why on earth would you support socialized "medical research?” And even if you support animal experimentation in principle, do you really want to pay for it with higher taxes?

Why are you focusing on bringing your message to folks on the right? Are you also working with people and groups on the left?

This absolutely must be a bipartisan issue. So we are working with, and taking our message to, folks on both the left and right. Concern for animals is not a left/right issue; it’s a matter of mercy and justice. These are values espoused by each side of the aisle, and our message deeply resonates with people and groups on all sides.

We focus on center-right outreach because taxpayer-funded animal experimentation is a big government program. And if someone thinks big government programs are inherently inefficient, ineffective and wasteful, then they must also question the government's $12 billion annual animal experimentation budget.

White Coat Waste is the only organization reaching out to mainstream audiences and center-right, conservative-leaning folks about animal experimentation precisely because we’re a taxpayer watchdog. Our message is crystal clear: spending is the problem. And we’re the only taxpayer-watchdog attacking the root cause of animal experimentation: wasteful government spending.

What's your overall goal? Do you have incremental goals?

White Coat Waste wants to be the eyes and ears of the American taxpayer inside the government’s animal laboratories. Through cutting-edge, campaign-style techniques in research, advertising and lobbying, we’re laying the groundwork for an unprecedented issue advocacy and public affairs effort. And we’re forging a grassroots army to rally politicians and bureaucrats to ultimately de-fund and roll back forced taxpayer-funded animal experimentation.

We have a number of incremental steps and goals. For example, the [National Institutes of Health] should be opening its books and the National Institute on Drug Abuse should be immediately audited and investigated by Congress.

Look, $12 billion tax dollars per year for animal experiments is simply the floor, not the ceiling of the government’s animal experimentation budget. It’s just what the NIH publicly admits to (and doesn’t even include EPA, USDA, Pentagon and other government agency spending).

The federal budget is a nightmare so we have to jump through hoops to FOIA these bureaucrats because there’s no transparency here. We think taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent.

But there’s a bigger picture here: we also want to provide a voice for centrist, mainstream and conservative audiences, by speaking to fiscal responsibility in animal protection. We want to enlarge the coalition and redefine animal advocacy by bringing new blood into the movement. We bring a fresh, innovative line of attack that reframes a 150-year-old debate for new audiences. This is uncharted territory.

Have there been any victories so far?

Right now, we’re developing the very first campaign-style, public affairs advertising campaign for television, print and digital channels on this issue. We just cut our first spot this summer and have a handful of other hard-hitting ads planned. We’re also in the middle of a long-term, investigative research project that we think will rattle a few cages in 2015!

What is the group's makeup? How are you funded?

We’re a bipartisan mix of Republicans, Democrats, libertarians and populists. We're political consultants and public affairs professionals. We’re advertising executives with experience ranging from Madison Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue. We’re campaign warriors. We’re doctors and scientists too.

But most importantly we’re all new blood. We’re largely outsiders to the old animal movement. That’s the common denominator that binds us. That, and of course, the principle that we don’t think taxpayers should be forced to pay for painful, wasteful and unnecessary animal experiments.

It’s truly become a grassroots movement. We are organized as a nonprofit and we’re funded entirely by donations from the public. All contributions to White Coat Waste are fully tax-deductible. Unlike the animal experimenters, we can’t rely on handouts from the government!

What's your strategy?

The strategy is simple: drain the swamp. Because when the tax dollars are gone, the animal abusers are gone. We think White Coat Waste can save these animals and a lot of tax money through enforcing fiscal discipline in government and cutting wasteful spending.

Tactically, we want to clean up the government’s waste and hold the animal abusers accountable through a three-step, campaign-style approach:

• Identify the Waste: follow the money through research, investigation and analysis of
taxpayer-funded animal experiments.

• Expose the Waste: permanent advertising to raise awareness and rally a new
generation of taxpayers against animal experiments.

• De-fund the Waste: grassroots activation, lobbying and coalition building with animal lovers, fiscal hawks and other taxpayer watchdogs.

Do you think that all animal experimentation is wrong or is some OK? When is it OK?

White Coat Waste is very clear about this: We only fight animal experiments that are funded by taxpayers. It’s not that private sector animal abuse is OK. It’s just that the biggest funder of experimentation on animals isn't big cosmetic companies or big pharmaceutical companies. It’s big government.

So that’s why we point the tip of our spear at wasteful spending. With the doubling of the National Institutes of Health's budget last decade, government has become the market maker for animal experimentation. So we understand that spending isn’t the solution here; it’s the problem. That’s our focus. And it will continue to be our focus.

Is all taxpayer-funded everything wrong? If not, what do you think it's appropriate to spend taxpayer money on?

We’re not against taxpayer-funded everything. But we are certainly against taxpayer-funded experimentation on animals; this is not the proper role or responsibility of government. It’s also an immense money pit of waste, fraud and abuse.

In reality, every dollar the feds spend on this senseless waste and abuse is one dollar less for disaster relief, education, air traffic controllers, national defense or any number of other worthy programs. So take your pick; virtually anything is better than what we’re spending it on now.

This issue is winnable. White Coat Waste’s team spent a great deal of time in 2014 laying the groundwork for this campaign and that meant studying the polls and focus groups.

Here are the facts: public opinion is moving in our favor. The number of people who think that animal experimentation is “medically necessary” has fallen 20 points in 20 years. And between 2000-2008, overall support for animal experiments dropped 16 points in public opinion polls. In my business, that’s not a bleed; that’s a hemorrhage.

We’re on offense. The "White Coats” are on defense. So it’s going to be an exciting 2015.

Do you yourself have any pets?

Ha, well, I don’t have any pets right at this moment. But I’ve had animals most of my life. Dogs, cats, turtles, fish, even mice and Norwegian fancy rats.

One day, I’d like to adopt a beagle who was rescued from an animal experimentation laboratory. I travel a lot these days so I’m not well suited to care for a special-needs dog at the moment. But hopefully one day!

This interview has been edited for length.

Find out more about White Coat Waste on the group's Facebook page.

And get in touch with HuffPost's animal welfare editor at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share!

Get the Story Right

One of my pet peeves is folks using former WAO animals to further a person or non-profit's agenda; failing to tell the truth about the WAO animals' history.  Look, I get it--BCR is now against breeding, private ownership, and taking pictures of cats with people for money.  If you look into BCR's on "Easy Street" history you'll see that at one time this non-profit organization had no problems with breeding, owning exotics, or having souvenir pictures taken with the cats.  Now that they have "seen the light" they intend to use their animals in any way they see fit to further the organization's political agenda (after all that's where the money is...).  It's very disturbing.

I just wish they'd leave the WAO animals out of their political "campaigns."  It's just not right.  Editing the tigers' story does an immense disservice after what the animals went through at the WAO.  History should NOT be erased, else how will others learn from past mistakes?

Big Cat Rescue

September 24·

Born 1/1/96 Rescued 9/28/11 (Arthur Tiger)

Arthur, Andre and Amanda were born in 1996 in New Jersey to be used as pay-to-play photo props. It never makes sense to breed more cubs to raise money to feed last year’s cats, and the New Jersey facility fell into disrepair and then was shut down after USDA revoked their license following a tiger escape.

Arthur loves his brother Andre dearly and the ...two are often found cuddled up in the same den or lounging together in one of their pools.

Arthur is the dominant tiger in the group and shows off his fierce attitude at dinner time.

Learn More: http://bigcatrescue.org/2011/advocat-news-2011-10

See Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkUJKcNntqw See More

Top Comments

• Glenn Gauci and 10,452 others like this.
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  Mark Hernandez You missed the rest of the story -- On November 13, 2003, the three NJ tigers were relocated to the Wild Animal Orphanage, a non-profit exotic animal sanctuary located in San Antonio Texas, where they live in substandard enclosures with no enrichment, poor diet, and no medical care. The WAO eventually closed its doors and the USDA revoked its license due to numerous violations of the AWA. The WAO residents were relocated throughout the United States. Sadly, many of the WAO big cats have since passed away due to a variety of health care issues they contracted before they left the WAO). It's good to see three former WAO tigers enjoying life at BCR.

  Like · Reply · 2 · 10 hrs

God Bless You Kovu...

I just saw this posting on Facebook today...  needless to say, this posting came as a complete surprise as I have not seen any other past postings that Kovu was doing so poorly at "Safe Haven."

Safe Haven Rescue Zoo

September 9, 2014

 

We are very saddened by the loss of our beloved African lion Kovu Over the past eight months, Kovu had exhibited weakness in his back legs and was less active. He had difficulty jumping up on his platform and into his lockout. His legs would buckle and then he would gain control of them, but his condition continued to worsen.
Dr. Lesli Hewitt, Safe Haven’s facility veterinarian, sedated and examined Kovu, took Xrays of his spine and back legs and ran blood work. His spine... showed significant degeneration and unfortunately, our only option was to put him on Prednisone. The Prednisone had worked for several months but whenever we tried to reduce his dosage with the hope of weaning him off, he would again, lose control of his back legs and he would have to go back to his higher dose for him to have any quality of life. Long-term use of Prednisone has many negative effects including liver and kidney damage.

He stopped eating over the weekend and became listless to the point where he was no longer moving about his enclosure. We felt the most humane option was euthanasia. He was sedated and passed peacefully.
An unfortunate aspect of rescuing exotics is that many come in with previous health issues. Kovu had arrived at Safe Haven in 2010 with signs of ataxia (shaky, wobbling gait) in his front legs that was believed to have been caused from an inappropriate diet as a juvenile.
My favorite memories of Kovu will be his sprinting after Ifaw to tackle him and start grooming him. Sadly, he had stopped doing that for some time now. This is a terrible loss for us and he will be very much missed at Safe Haven.
We will keep our doors open in the event another lion needs a new home and hopefully Ifaw will someday have a new friend.

 

 

 

Right now I am feeling very sad that another beautiful WAO animal has passed away.

 

WAO believed Kovu was born on or about July 14, 2000 and relocated to the WAO on December 4, 2001 along with 22 tigers and lions from the so-called Gate Keepers Animal Sanctuary formerly run by Ken Alvarez near Rapid City, South Dakota.   Kovu was such a handsome young cub when I first saw him so many years ago.  He spent the majority of his years at the WAO and yes, I agree that he received a horrible diet during his juvenile development years, to include most of his adult life. 

 

An animal sanctuary, yep you read that right, an animal sanctuary was directly responsible for Kovu's poor health care and not a private animal owner.  Now you know why animal sanctuaries should be under the same, if not greater, scrutiny as private animal owners.  Too many animals died a horrible death at the WAO and no one, I repeat no one, in the government did a darn thing to help save those animals. 

 

I don't think I will ever overcome the sadness I feel when of I think of animals, such as Kovu, who should have lived a long and happy life, had his life cut short because of the poor care he received from an exotic animal sanctuary.

Poor IFAW...he will miss his brother very, very much.  He must be so lonely now--he is all alone.

 

God Bless you Kovu...may the Lord walk with you in Heaven forever and ever...Amen.

 

Kovu - August 5, 2014



Kovu - April 10, 2014

 

Trust But Verify

As I wait and wait and wait for the results from my Public Information Request from the Texas Office of the Attorney General (they have until October 3, 2014 to respond), I got to thinking about non-profits in general.  I'm asked all the time what I think of non-profits.  I feel like I'm in an excellent position, after eight long years of writing about various so-called "non-profits," to render an opinion on the subject.  Here is what I have learned thus far:

It is super easy to apply for non-profit status:

It is super easy to obtain "charitable" status with the IRS--all you have to do is fill out a few forms and presto you too can have instant tax exemption status for your brand new "charity."  According to America's 50 Worst Charities Exposed, 99.8 percent of applicants were approved after they simply filled out a form!

Scam artists show up in the wake of every disaster. Like vultures circling above road kill, they swoop in on any opportunity to take advantage of the disadvantaged, capitalizing on your compassion and manipulating your emotion.

Charities and nonprofits are the perfect vehicles in which these scammers can hide in plain sight. “Charitable organizations” run the gamut from upright and successful, to well meaning but incompetent, to corrupt, greedy and devious—and everything in between.

How do you know where a particular organization fits along this spectrum? We’d all like to think our hard-earned dollars are going to be used for the highest good,but how do we really know?

Yes, how do we really know?  It became clear to me during the WAO investigation that the IRS does not verify the information printed on the non-profits' 990s (tax return) nor does it conduct random audits of those tax-free charities.  It was obvious that the IRS does not verify the Board or highest paid salaries of employees working for the non-profit against their actual individual tax returns.  A classic example of this type of fraud can be seen here.   I would not be surprised if this type of illegal behavior happens a lot more than most people think.

Then there's the tax exemption status that non-profits love to use at grocery stores, home improvement stores, etc.  Who's going to challenge a non-profit's purchases for various personal items and trips as seen by the WAO and the recent thievery case by  TWS' executive director?  The IRS?  I don't think so.

All those expensive trips taken...all the gifts purchased for family and friends...all the non-charitable-related items acquired by the thieving executive directors at the organization's expense...whose going to challenge those purchases?  The IRS?  The non-profit's board of directors?  I think not.

There is an incredible lack of accountability by the IRS when it comes to charitable organizations.  The IRS was informed as to the illegal activities that took place at the WAO and they did nothing to stop them. Just a wink and nod and it was back to business as usual for Carol Asvestas.  I have no doubt that TWS received the same wink and nod from the IRS for all the thievery that took place by "Thieving Thies".

I especially love when non-profits submit their tax returns one to three years LATE and no one from the IRS charges these non-profit with "late penalties."  Why should any non-profit organization submit its tax return LATE if it is keeping track of the monies coming into the organization and how much money was used to fund various program expenditures.  A credible organization should have its books in order and in inspectable condition at all times--there is no excuse why a non-profit should not proudly display its last five (5) tax returns on the website homepage.

Shouldn't you know how your donations are used?  Did you know that many non-profits now use your donations to fund political action committees?  So let's say you think you're donating towards animal care and feeding, when in reality your money is going to a PAC--would you be happy to learn how your money was really used?  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to see the non-profit tax returns BEFORE you donate one thin dime. Look at the salaries paid to the managers/directors and workers.  Look at the salaries paid to the BOD.  Look at how much money goes toward other "causes" than the ones you thought you were donating towards.  You will be amazed at how some of your donations are really used.

How some non-profit advertises on Facebook, Twitter, and it's Newsletter.

Nothing tugs the old heart strings than a cute picture of a kitten, tiger or lion cub.  Often times, the pictures you see of the animals are close-up shots--where all the animals look fluffy, cute, and adorable.  Look closely...is the background faded out?  Can you see the full-length of the animals' body and his enclosure or outdoor space?  Are there more pictures of the cubs and kittens, and less and less pictures of the older adult animals?  This is all about deceptive advertising.  For you see, you'll be more incline to donate towards a cute little critter than a full-grown adult.  If the enclosures are small or on concrete, well that's no problem for today's photographer--all you have to do is take a head shot and fade out the background.  Cat too skinny to show the body?  No problem, just show the cat's head only.  Is the animal sick?  No problem--just don't take a picture of the sick cat and no one on Facebook or Twitter will ever know.  Animal passed away--no problem...just don't make mention of the animal's passing on Facebook or Twitter.  Or even better, mention the animal passed away in a newsletter weeks later so that no one can respond to the death in a public way.

What breaks my heart is when an animal dies at a sanctuary, for whatever reason, and the workers/volunteers are told not to post or tweet about the animals' passing.  Sssshhhh...it's a secret. Don't want the media or donors to learn about the animals deaths or answer any "awkward" real-time questions on the Facebook or Twitter pages, now do we?

Bonnie

Would you want to donate money to a sanctuary that tells its workers/volunteers to keep secrets from the public?  Would you want to donate towards a sanctuary that sugar-coats what really happens to its animals? Here's an example:  It came to my attention that In-Sync Exotics has not been posting updates on the serious illnesses or deaths of some of its residents on  Facebook anymore.  Here is a Facebook thread where one person questioned why the deaths of Bonnie and Kshama were not made public:

Kelley Harshman‎In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center

August 1 at 12:42pm · Atlanta, GA ·

Were there posts about Kshama and Bonnie? I don't remember seeing anything. 

In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center We didn't necessarily make public posts, but we have been answering anyone's questions about them.

Like · Reply · August 3 at 10:27am

Cynthia Almand What happened to those beautiful tigers?

Like

 · August 10 at 8:15pm  

Kelley Harshman Very sad. They were beautiful ladies :(

 · August 3 at 10:38am

• In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center Thanks. We are all pretty devastated

  Like · August 4 at 8:00pm

Kshama

As of  this date, there was no response made to Facebook regarding Cynthia's question. So much for answer any one's questions about them, huh?  Remember workers/volunteers/donors/visitors...Kshama and Bonnie's death is a secret...sssshhhhh....

Should folks only donate money towards those sanctuaries that are either verified or  accredited by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) or American Sanctuary Association?

Just because a sanctuary receives verification or accreditation status does not mean the sanctuary uses its donations wisely; ensures a safe and secure environment for its animals and staff; or adheres to the philosophy or standards since forth by the accrediting agencies.  Let's face it, there are GFAS and/or ASA members whom have violated GFAS and ASA's own criteria and should have been discredited by now.  Unfortunately, politics have a way of infiltrating accreditation organizations.

GFAS and ASA, like the IRS, requires interested sanctuaries to fill out an application and be willing to meet with a representative for a scheduled facility visit to verify that the "new" member operates under the GFAS or ASA's established guidelines. I seriously doubt there are annual surprise follow-up visits to ensure the sanctuary maintains the standards set forth by the agencies. 

How do I know this?  Well, let's look at Wildcat Haven, a GFAS verified and ASA accredited sanctuary, where in 2014 the only employee working that evening, caring for all the big and small exotic cats, died in a cougar enclosure. Did this situation meet GFAS or ASA's worker to animal ratio criteria?  How about the actions of "Thieving Thies"?  Did her pilfering of the sanctuary's coffers meet accredited GFAS criteria?  How about In-Sync Exotic, a sanctuary that allows free roaming public access to the sanctuary and its animals. Granted, there are staff and volunteers cleaning cages during "touring" times, but not enough folks to cover the entire facility.  

Several of the ISE board members are very passionate about ordinary people owning and playing with exotic animals, saying that this type of "ownership" should be prohibited, yet their very own executive director is often seen publicly hugging and petting ISE tigers, lions, cougars and other exotic cats as if they were her own pets. This is not a secret as the director is often seen entering animal enclosures, playing with the cats during public events or during "tour" times.  It does make me wonder how GFAS and ASA feels about one of its sanctuaries publicly playing with exotic animals since animal interaction is supposed to be a no-no. Now I personally do not have anything against ISE staff and board members petting and playing with its animals. If they do not have a problem with it, then why would I have a problem with it.  I do have a problem with GFAS accreditation process though.  It's just not, well...credible.

Had GFAS or ASA followed up on these sanctuaries and many more, with no notice, I'm sure they would be very surprised at what they would learn.  Of course the excuses would flow--not enough paid workers, not enough volunteers, not enough donations, blah, blah, blah--and I'm sure the inspected facility would get a pass for its good intentions and not actually for its "deeds."

Am I saying there are no good sanctuaries out there?  No, I'm not saying that. Nor am I saying ISE is a bad sanctuary because it allows its staff to interact with its animals--it's obvious they care about their animals very much, but it's more on the level of "pet ownership" than  a true "sanctuary ownership". 

It's always a good idea to thoroughly check out any non-profit before you donate-- and remember...trust but verify.  You can't go wrong if you do.