Do you donate your hard-earned income to animal welfare/rights organizations? Do you know how your money is being used or spent within the group? Does your money help animals in need that are depicted in the many commercials gracing the airwaves?
Large-scale animal organizations, such as the HSUS or the ASPCA rake in millions of YOUR money to support their cause each year. Some of these operations, in my estimation, are run much like tv evangelists. They’re slick, savvy and always make pleas for your money.
I do not trust most, if not all, tv evangelists. Once Tammy Faye and Jim Baker, formerly of the religous group PTL Club TV fame, came under scrunity and eventually with Jim being arrested after it was found that Jim not only had a one-night stand but also bilked millions out of people so he and his family could live a lavish and luxurious lifestyle. Many tv evangelists still are reaping the rewards from your money. While there is nothing wrong with prospering, something is infinitely wrong when these preachers keep asking for more money so they may continue to live that type of lifestyle instead of using more of your charitable donations for helping others.
I find a similar, unnerving effect with large-scale animal organizations. How much of your money goes directly to helping the animals? Your local humane society isn’t likely to be funded by the HSUS. According to HumaneWatch, in 2009, the HSUS had a budget of $121 million with $6 million used for outgoing grants and $977,000 to hands-on shelters. They gave St. Bernard’s Parish in Louisiana a grant of $284,625 for the construction of a badly needed pet shelter. This is not the norm, according to Humane Watch.
I knew St. Bernard’s Parish was in desperate need of a new shelter after Hurrican Katrina. I traveled to Lousiana to help with another animal organization, Noah’s Wish, after the devastation left behind by Katrina. The first day I arrived, I gave Noah’s Wish founder and President, Terri Crisp, a check from the ARL of Berks County. St. Bernard’s Parish’s former animal shelter director, Tina Bernard and (Noah’s Wish)- Terri Crisp, came under fire for misusing monies donated to their causes. Ironically I was in touch with both as I listened to their horror stories after the devastating Hurricane ripped apart Louisiana. I saw the devastation up close.
I talked with Tina and listened to her plight about the horrid conditions the shelter was in. She also told me there were barely any volunteers. I listened to her attentively as she told me the shelter was in desperate need of help. People didn’t adopt and basically it became a holding place for former pets/strays until they met their untimely death. Everytime I spoke to her she sounded defeated. I had given that shelter a check as well on behalf of the ARL.
Tina was arrested in the investigation of missing drugs used to euthanize those animals. The Louisiana SPCA noticed something awry in the amount of sodium bentobarbital used at St. Bernard’s shelter. The drug is subject to state and federal oversight.
Getting back to Terri Crisp of Noah’s Wish…as I said I met her personally. I was in Slidell, Lousiana to help the animals but also to do a story. Terri couldn’t have been nicer to me. Terri gave me a personal tour of the entire facility that Noah’s Wish created to hold 2,000 animals. An overwhelming experience, to say the least.
After traveling with two women for 16 1/2 hours straight and barely eating, I began helping with the animals after the initial visit with Terri. We left at the end of September with fall-like temperatures. Upon our arrival, we watched the car’s thermometer that showed the outside temperature rise to over 100 degrees. Once we opened the doors, the heat and humidity were so sweltering, you thought you were going to melt. I became overheated and couldn’t do anymore. I was literally ready to fall over. I was told I wasn’t allowed to go to the condemned motel that Noah’s Wish was allowed to use until the end of the day. I couldn’t escape the heat.
As I was lying exhausted, beside a building, it was Terri who came to my rescue. She had me driven back to the motel where I could get rest and cool down.
Imagine my surprise when I heard that Terri and Noah’s Wish had come under fire for misusing the 8 million they received in donations after the Hurricane. According to catchannel:
“An investigation was launced in June 2006 and examined several allegations, which suggested the money wasn’t used for caring for Hurricane Katrina animals, that Noah’s Wish did not properly classify an account for hurricane donations, that the nonprofit did not exhibit adequate control over the money and that problems existed on the governing board.
Noah’s Wish officials dispute and deny all allegations.
In a financial statement for the 2005 fiscal year, the nonprofit reported it spent nearly $1.5 million on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and of the $8 million collected, the nonprofit reported it had $4 million left. The settlement agreement states that the remainder of donations appeared to have been used to “further the general charitable purpose of Noah’s Wish, including overhead costs.”
As part of the settlement, Noah’s Wish must hand over the $4 million to the attorney general’s office. The money will be placed in a special account and distributed to beneficiaries that assist animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. Of the $4 million, $1 million was contractually agreed to go to the City of Slidell, La., to construct a shelter to replace one that was destroyed in the hurricane. Money will be reserved specifically for that purpose to fulfill the agreement. In addition, approximately $125,000 will be used to reimburse the attorney general’s office for costs incurred during the investigation.
Important:
The settlement also states that Terri Crisp, board member and founder of the nonprofit, may not be employed or attached to Noah’s Wish in any manner. Crisp also is forbidden from serving as a director, officer or trustee with any other nonprofit for the next five years.”
To my amazment, I had heard about Terri while I wrote a story about Sgt. Gwen Beberg and Ratchet, a puppy she saved in a burning fire of debris in Iraq. She wanted to bring Ratchet home but the Army wouldn’t allow it. Gwen’s story paved the way for Baghdad Pups to be formed and allow soldiers to adopt pets where they were deployed. Terri heads up the group, Operation Baghdad Pups. I wrote about this story in 2008. I was also in contact with Gwen’s good friend, Katie Konrath to confirm Gwen’s story while Gwen and Ratchet were reunited with Terri Crisp at the scene.
Terri has led the Baghdad Pups operation under the group, SPCA International and now it, too,has come under fire for misusing $26 million it has received from donations. According to a CNN reporter, the group hasn’t saved retired military dogs and cats to be adopted by soldiers. Instead, the group has brought 447 animals (mostly strays), 26 contractor dogs to the U.S. This hardly doesn’t add up to the over $26 million dollars worth of your moeny. But,that is where your money went. According to this report, Terri is writing a book about the cause, as she has in the past when dealing with disasters involving animals.
According to Guidestar, an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. non-profits, the numbers don’t add up for SPCA International and Baghdad Pups. You can view the CNN report here.
So where has the nearly $27 million gone: fundraising efforts. The company SPCA International uses for fundraising is the same agency the HSUS uses: Quadriga Art, a direct-mail firm. The HSUS paid Quadriga nearly $20 million in 2009 and 2010 for direct-mail and marketing services. This same firm was used by a veteran’s charity group- The Disabled Verterans National Foundation. The monies they raised didn’t go to disabled veterans but to Quadriga.
So the plot thickens. Do you really think your money goes to help those animals or people you see in commercials, on their website or elsewhere? You tell me.
That is why I prefer to give to grass-roots organizations. They need money to survive but they don’t profit and live lavish lifestyles as some of your major corporations do that supposedly help animals.
Will you continue to donate to these groups knowing your money most likely isn’t being used to help animals or people but for advertising and their salaries?
Think twice, even three times before you give to such charities. You can’t always believe what you see or read. Just as tv evangelists call on you for more money so are large-scale animal organizations are reaping the rewards of taking in your hard-earned money and not using for those who need it most.
What will you do when bombarded by emails, alerts and snail mail making a plea for your money? Don’t you think your money would be more wisely spent by those who have a true vested interest in the welfare of animals and not lining their wallets with your dollar bills?