The BCAS facebook page is a true in depth account of not only the lives of dogs that come through our doors but of my life as an animal rescuer. In my opinion this is a unique platform for sharing, one that our followers seem to find interesting and sometimes captivating. As I often say, I share the good, the bad, the ugly, and the emotions that go along with that can be intense. We are on the cusp of having 4000 followers. Ive never lived in such a small community as Delta County Colorado, and there is an amazing concentration of non-profit organizations competing for funds to carry out each unique purpose and mission. There are four animal rescue/shelter organizations alone in our sparsely populated county, and the world of animal rescue can be a tough business in more ways than one. I recently shared my experience as a donor to CAWS, one of the four animal rescue organizations. In 2005 David and I donated a 40ac parcel that we purchased for $100,000 and gave to them for the purpose of creating an animal sanctuary....not a conventional animal shelter. They sold the land for $85,000 without even a phone call to discuss giving it back because they didnt like the location or to divulge their intent to sell it. A lawsuit ensued, and we settled for $40,000 being returned. That amount was paid by their Directors and Officers Liability Insurance policy so I assume CAWS kept the entire $85,000. This is when BCAS was born on our personal ranch. If not illegal, we felt that it was unethical behavior on the part of the Board of Directors in place at the time of the sale. As I think most major donors would react to their donation being sold and with the announcement that the proceeds were to be used to fund another purpose than we intended, we were angry and felt cheated. The CAWS organization chose to portray our anger as narcissistic villains trying to ruin them....we were the bad guys. I dont know if what Im about to share is actually believed by the complainants or if it is a desperate attempt to destroy the BCAS reputation. Make of it what you will. Last Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, the PACFA inspector (the state licensing agency for pet animal facilities) appeared at the sanctuary unannounced. She said she had received two complaints....one from JoAnn Kalenak the Volunteer Shelter Director of the CAWS Adoption Center and Secretary of the CAWS Board of Directors. Shes also the one that orchestrated the land sale. This is not the first time Ms. Kalenak has filed a complaint against BCAS with the state and probably wont be the last. The other complaint was from an anonymous complainant with the credentials of being a former animal control officer and certified vet tech. There is a woman involved in the CAWS organization that has these same and very unique credentials. Im attaching copies of the complaints and the inspectors conclusion that her inspection showed that BCAS is compliant with the PACFA rules and regulations, and the complaints have been deemed Closed. After reading the bizarre complaints I called the Delta County Sheriff and the City of Delta Police Chief directly, because I know them both personally, to discuss whether or not I have been or are now under investigation for stealing dogs. By the way....never in my entire life have I ever been arrested for anything. Both assured me absolutely not, and that they would set anyone straight that come to them repeating these allegations. I then called the vet clinic that was mentioned in the complaint. I read it to them and they were very taken aback. I had used this vet when BCAS first opened its doors, but we agreed I would no longer use them because of a disagreement over me getting second opinions at times. They assured me they had never said I was fired as a client for shady practices nor had they ever known me to steal a dog. In regard the reportedly high death rate......I posted along with our actual stats at the beginning of 2014 that our death rate was high due to our taking many elderly dogs for our Silver Whiskers progam and in 2013 several litters of puppies came in with parvo. In a small community the rumor mill can be fierce, and these allegations are vicious. BCAS prides itself on being honest, ethical, transparent and accountable thus the reason and need to share this event.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:25:22 +0000
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