Is The Wildcat Sanctuary Another WAO?

It is no secret that I am not a fan of The Wildcat Sanctuary. It has been my opinion for some time that TWS operates very much like the WAO used to when it was open and under the control of the Asvestas.  So it did not come as a surprise when I learned that the Minnesota OAG found that the director, Tammy Theis, was a thief--apparently she misappropriated sanctuary funds for her own personal use (surprise surprise) and then tried to cover-up her crimes. To put this story in prospective, you may want to read some background information regarding the thief's activities at the sanctuary by clicking here.

Okay, now fast forward to recent events...

Star Tribune Article on Wildcat Sanctuary

And now, for your reading pleasure, the MN OAG's findings.  As you read this report  (you have GOT to read the entire report), simply substitute TWC with WAO and you will be reading the same allegations made against Ron and Carol Asvestas:

Minn OAG - Assurance of Discontinuation - Wildcat Sanctuary 

Looks like Theis was using TWS as her personal piggy bank.  Makes me wonder how many other sanctuaries "co-mingle funds" "accidentally" ?

So what was the sanctuary's pathetic response (I say pathetic because TWS director lied to the public once before in her public statement last year saying NO funds were misappropriated)?

http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/a-letter-from-the-founder-of-the-wildcat-sanctuary-our-financial-future/

A Letter from the founder, Our Financial Future

As an important part of The Wildcat Sanctuary, I wanted you to know that you may hear some criticism of The Wildcat Sanctuary in the near future.

This last year has been one of the most difficult of the 15 years I’ve been running The Wildcat Sanctuary.  During these years, I have acted as executive director, animal care director, keeper, construction manager, fundraiser, financial manager, and overnight caretaker of the facility. Often all at the same time.  Anybody who has started a business understands the commitment and sacrifice it takes. Starting a sanctuary is no different, except there are 100+ animals whose lives depend on us.

When I started the sanctuary, for the first several years, I worked both a full-time job and also ran the sanctuary. I received no salary from the sanctuary and invested tens of thousands of dollars of my own money to build habitats and care for the animals. I also paid to build a home on property so there was always overnight coverage at the sanctuary during the build-out of the new site. This is because it was, and still is, a labor of love.

The sanctuary grew from nine cats housed on ten acres to having a population of more than 100 on a well-run facility on almost 40 acres.  Because of our high standards, devotion, great volunteers and donors, we have become an industry leader. During this growth, the priority was the best possible care for the animals and free-roaming habitats. The support for our mission by all of you has been wonderful! Thank you to each and every one of you.

As we strived to be the best at animal care, our operations quickly outpaced the business infrastructure. It left us without adequate policies or dedicated staff to manage administration. We are not alone in these challenges, many in the animal rescue field have faced similar scenarios.

A year ago, complaints surfaced from some staff that I was using funds to purchase personal items. These items ranged from lip gloss, cell phone bills, to a dog run at my home that sits within the Sanctuary property.  Some items may have appeared to have been personal, but were actually for business use. Others were board approved, but with inadequate documentation. And there were errors that were recently brought to my attention. Please know that I would never do anything to put the Sanctuary and our animals in harm’s way. I deeply regret any mistakes I have made, but please know they were never intentional. I, along with many of you, have dedicated myself to TWS and will continue to do so.

The media coverage and negative comments are hard to hear, but I am not concerned about myself.  Instead, I remain focused on what is right for The Wildcat Sanctuary and its residents.  I am willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sanctuary and its residents.  I am committed to you, our supporters, and above all the cats that call The Wildcat Sanctuary home.

Both the board of directors and I are committed to learning from these lessons and are taking every step necessary to ensure we keep your trust.  You deserve nothing less.  We have already made headway in several areas to professionalize our processes:

• Engaging industry experts to provide recommendations on human resources and financial policy
• Outsourcing our accounts payable and other bookkeeping duties
• Hiring a new independent audit firm
• Added oversight of expenditures by the board
• Upgrading our overall financial policies, including petty cash
• Upgrading our overall human resources policies
• Creating an office manager position that will support financial and human resources functions
• Professionalizing our volunteer program and engaging dozens of our volunteers

The board of directors and I sincerely believe The Wildcat Sanctuary will come out a stronger organization.  Each of you has stood by us and our mission and we cannot express our appreciation enough.  Our donor support has been steadfast. The animals continue to depend on us all to stay focused on our mission and vision and provide them a safe home where they can be wild at heart.

If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

With deepest gratitude,

Tammy Thies

Founder & Executive Director

cat@wildcatsanctuary.org

320-245-6871

Let's face it--she's only sorry that she got caught.  Stealing charitable contributions meant for the animals was no accident.  I have no doubt that like the Asvestas', Theis thought she was "entitled" to the money because of all her "hard work" and "good intentions."  She refused to turn over incriminating documents to the state OAG.  She lied to the public--saying no funds were misappropriated last year.  Her "board" lied to the public on her behalf as well.  As far as I am concerned, the entire board of directors should be FIRED right along with Theis.  

Below is a video that was on the same "letter from the director" TWS web page--all meant to pull at your heartstrings. How dare they use the animals in such a deplorable manner--they should have been left out of this entire disgusting affair:

If other sanctuaries and accrediting organizations are smart, they will immediately distance themselves from this woman and her so-called "board of directors."  What breaks my heart is that former WAO animals still live at this place.  I have to wonder now, did Sierra really receive the best treatment available, or did Theis steal money that could have been used to save her life.  

I guess I will never know.

Later:

You may recall last year, Gail Plewacki told the public that there were no misappropriated funds at TWS. Now she changed her tune, with a few excuses thrown in for good measure,  in a letter from the Chair of The Wildcat Sanctuary Board of Directors to the public found on TWS website--I don't believe a word this woman says as she is reportedly a "long time friend"of Theis and has a history of lying to the public:

http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/a-letter-from-the-chair-of-the-wildcat-sanctuary-board-of-directors/

A letter from the Chair of The Wildcat Sanctuary Board of Directors:

You may have seen recent news reports about an investigation into The Wildcat Sanctuary by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. While we’ve tried to keep you as informed as we could in the past few months about the fact that there had been complaints against TWS, until now we couldn’t share details about these particular proceedings.

The TWS Board of Directors has entered into an agreement with the Attorney General’s Office that responds to the concerns raised in the investigation. We realize that you may hear specifics about the investigation and we want to respond.

First, we want to assure you that the cats have always been and will always be our first priority. Our mission is to provide the best of care and this sanctuary is a national role model both for public safety provisions and animal well-being.

Second, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to the donors who have stood by us while we grow and learn how to be even better. Without the donors who love and give to these animals, we could not accomplish what we have during the past decade. We can’t even begin to explain the depth of our gratitude for your generosity.

I don’t want to forget our volunteers either. The work we ask for is not easy. And yet this core group of animal lovers has stood by TWS through tough times. Thank you.

The Board began working to address issues that had come to our attention even before we knew there was an Attorney General investigation. We put safeguards in place to ensure that every dollar donated to the Wildcat Sanctuary is appropriately used to care for the cats. We began revising policies. We went through a major reorganization in our staffing positions to be more effective and efficient. We took these steps in a manner that would ensure the animals in our care and TWS were protected and not compromised. But we have even more work to do, and the results of the investigation will help us be focused.

The Attorney General’s investigation concluded some of the following:

• That the TWS credit card was used to purchase personal items for the Executive Director
• That TWS had mistakenly paid $550 of personal property taxes for the Executive Director (her home is on property surrounded by sanctuary property).
• That charitable assets had been spent on DVD’s, hair products, books and other personal items
• That some double reimbursements were made to the Executive Director for expenses
• That some items paid for were not sufficiently documented—cell phone costs, propane for the Executive Director’s home and home improvements, including a dog run and gravel for the driveway
• That there were missing receipts for some reimbursed expenses
• That TWS lacks sufficient policies regarding the type of expenses that are reimbursable
• That TWS paid for executive coaching for the Executive Director without documented approval by the board
• That the Board of Directors had been informed by previous audits that the organization lacked comprehensive internal controls
• That bookkeeping and financial policies for the organization were inadequate

I want to touch on a few of the allegations:

• The Board of Directors absolutely should have provided thorough oversight and direction regarding financial management
• The property taxes in question were paid by mistake and have since been repaid to TWS
• The board had approved paying propane expenses because the Executive Director’s house was being used to store equipment, house some sanctuary animals, and was a frequent setting for business meetings, but we failed to document the approval
• The Board should have established a policy outlining the circumstances under which TWS will provide the cell phone stipends and executive coaching that were both reasonable and necessary expenses
• There are now policies and processes in place to prevent the comingling of funds when using the TWS credit card

Additional policies and processes are in development, including those requiring detailed documentation of all purchases made on behalf of TWS. This includes everything from building materials for a dog run that houses and provides heated enclosures for both TWS’ rescue dogs and a second run for employees’ pets, to a lamp for the intern trailer, to scented candles to cover the smell of kitty litter.

While the Board of Directors does not agree with many of the findings by the Attorney General, we will be the first to admit we have a lot of improvements to make and are therefore agreeable to all of the terms for improvement set by the AG.

The Wildcat Sanctuary grew from about a dozen cats on 10 acres to more than 100 lions, tigers, cougars and more on 40 acres almost overnight. That is how great the need was. We thought we knew what we were doing, but in fact a very smart group of people comprising the Board of Directors simply failed to provide all of the oversight, guidance and resources needed for the Executive Director to run a sound business operation.

Most of the board is new and are not accountable for the past. We’ve had a lot of comings and goings in recent months. But I have been with the Wildcat Sanctuary Board of Directors for years. And I should have known better.

I am now the current chair of the board. But for years I did not serve as an officer, I was just the communications director. I worked on media relations, fundraising and events. I left it to others with more expertise than I have to take care of everything else. That wasn’t fair and it wasn’t responsible. I will own that failing.

So, what now?

Well, we’ve done a lot of work already and we have a lot more to do. We’ll weather the inevitable negative media and keep taking excellent care of the cats. We’ve already turned to experts to help us develop stronger policies and procedures. We’ll diligently comply with everything being asked of us by the agreement with the Attorney General. We’re working to add skilled board members. And we will strive mightily to keep the trust of our donors.

As I’ve already said, I’ve been with The Wildcat Sanctuary board of directors for many years. I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t believe that this is a stellar nonprofit organization with integrity and tremendous heart. We’ve made mistakes that we can fix. We can be even better and we owe it to our donors to do just that.

Please don’t hesitate to ask me anything. Here is my personal email and my home phone number. Give me a call. And thank you again for being the lifeblood of an organization that gives captive cats a chance to live wild at heart.

Gail Plewacki
651-351-5018
gplewacki@gmail.com

- See more at: http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/a-letter-from-the-chair-of-the-wildcat-sanctuary-board-of-directors/#sthash.ouwa9TqX.dpuf

This organization will never be a reputable sanctuary as long as they continue to lie and make excuses as to all the charitable contributions stolen by Theis and possible other members of the board of directors. I'm afraid we are looking at another WAO folks--another WAO.