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The Watchdog monitors fundraising, spending, and political activity in the name of animal and habitat protection—both pro and con. His empty bowl stands for all the bowls left empty when some take more than they need.

JULY-AUGUST 2007

Noah's Wish settles with California A.G.

SACRAMENTO--The animal disaster relief charity Noah's Wish is back in business, after six months of investigation and restructuring mandated by California attorney general Jerry Brown.

"We have entered into an agreement that will permit Noah's Wish to continue serving the animal victims of disasters," the Noah's Wish board of directors posted on July 27, 2007.

"Under the settlement agreement," reported Associated Press writer Laura Kurtzman, "the state will take control of the $4 million," of about $8.4 million raised in appeals for help for the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, "that has not yet been spent. It is supposed to be given to help the animal victims of Katrina, which happened nearly two years ago, as well as to build a new animal shelter in Slidell, Louisiana."

Added Christine Harvey of the St. Tammany bureau of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "The agreement stipulates that Slidell will receive $1 million to build a new animal shelter, though city finance director Sharon Howes said this week that the Calif-ornia attorney general's office is willing to redirect as much as $3 million" for the shelter construction. California attorney general's office spokesperson Gareth Lacy told Harvey that he couldn't confirm that Slidell would receive the full $3 million, since the money first must be received from Noah's Wish.

Wrote Harvey, "The agreement stipulates that the organization must transfer $3.8 million by Aug. 17, 2007, with the remaining $200,000 due next July. The agreement also states that [Noah's Wish founder Terri] Crisp may not serve as an 'officer, director or trustee' with any nonprofit organization for five years, though she already has started a new organization called Animal Resources, which has a purpose similar to Noah's Wish. She said the attorney general's office knows about her involvement at Animal Resources and approves, as she is not on the board and has no fiduciary responsibilities."

"Terri Crisp was chosen to fill the position of disaster operations director," Animal Resources acting board chair Dean Richman told ANIMAL PEOPLE.

Animal Resources lists Sheri Thompson as disaster operations assistant director. Sacramento Business Journal staff writer Kelly Johnson reported in March 2007 that, "For the second half of 2005," in which most of the Katrina donations arrived, "Noah's Wish paid $405,948 in salaries and compensation, according to an IRS Form 990 supplied by a former employee. Crisp received $140,900. The next highest compensation went to Sheri Thompson at $118,125."

The Form 990 that Johnson obtained is not yet accessible via <www.Guide-star.org>, which posts charities' annual filings for the Internal Revenue Service.

"The attorney general's office notes in the agreement that Noah's Wish spent about $1.4 million on Katrina relief efforts," wrote Harvey, "and has $4 million left in the bank. It appears the organization spent the remaining money 'primarily to further the general charitable purpose of Noah's Wish, including overhead costs,' the agreement states."

But many expenditures were questioned by former Noah's Wish administrative assistant Thea Martin and former former Noah's Wish bookkeeper Mina Johnson. Among the questioned items, Crisp hired her daughter, Jennifer McKim, as communications director, and hired McKim's boyfriend to do database development.

She also "bought a new, fully loaded Ford Excursion for herself and a Nissan Titan truck for McKim, as well as horse trailers and an all-terrain vehicle that Johnson said Crisp's children rode on her property," summarized Harvey.

"The settlement includes a provision that Noah's Wish must review its vehicle inventory to determine whether the vehicles purchased after Katrina are being used in accordance with the organization's charitable purpose, and present its findings to the attorney general's office for approval," Harvey added. "Should the investigators determine the vehicles were not a legitimate purchase, Noah's Wish must sell the vehicles and transfer the money from the sale to the attorney general's office for distribution to charity."

Wildlife Fund Thailand shuts down

BANGKOK--Wildlife Fund Thailand president Pisit na Phattalung on June 19, 2007 abruptly suspended WFT operations and laid off all 40 staff and volunteers, effective on July 27.

"Pisit cited financial constraints. WFT staff were skeptical," reported Apinya Wipatayotin of the Bangkok Post, "saying Pisit used the financial problems to get rid of staff who had accused him of misconduct-- such as involvement [through his private company Asian Wildlife Consultancy] in the export of eight Thai elephants to Australian zoos [in November 2006], providing rare species of wildlife to the Chiang Mai Night Safari park, and using his position as foundation president to attain a post at the privately-run Siam Ocean World aquarium."

Former WFT secretary general Surapol Duangkhae "accused Pisit of having a conflict of interest and not being fit for the presidency of the organization," Apinya wrote. "In May, Pisit transferred Surapol and his aide Hannarong Yaowaloes to inactive posts. Their relationship soured when the two criticized Pisit's wildlife trading business."

"We will file a complaint with the court because his wildlife trading business is against the foundation's objectives," Surapol threatened.
Pisit reportedly also owns a restaurant called Puen Deratchan, which includes a private mini-zoo.

Ten Thai organizations including Friends of the Asian elephant in May 2007 announced they would boycott involvement with WFT unless Pisit resigns.

The WFT closure may jeopardize the 13-year-old Khao Phaeng Ma reforestation and wild gaur rehabilitation project, Apinya said.

"Once a bald mountain, Khao Phaeng Ma is now covered with dense forest. The number of gaur has increased from less than 10 a decade ago to more than 100 today," Apinya recounted.

However, "Khao Phaeng Ma is now under threat from encroachment and wildlife poaching due to staff shortages," Apinya continued, "because the National Park, Wildlife & Plant Conservation Department could not provide staff" to replace WFT personnel.

"WFT executives reportedly circulated a letter to the project's financial supporters, informing them that the foundation is no longer responsible for Khao Phaeng Ma," Apinya said.

Hannarong told the Bangkok Nation that while Pisit claimed WFT had run out of cash, it had about $125,000 each in donated cash, bonds, and an unused building fund, about $19,000 in money allocated toward unpaid salaries, and a headquarters worth about $475,000.

"Should the foundation be dissolved, these assets must be returned to the Siam Society or the family of Dr. Boonsong Lekagul," said Hannarong.

Boonsang (1907-1992) started WFT in 1983 under the patronage of Queen Sirikit, 21 years after founding the Bangkok Bird Club. The Bird Club was reputedly the first indigenous Thai conservation society in modern times. The organization was long associated with the World Wildlife Fund, which is now represented in Thailand by the WWF Thailand Country Programme.

House Rabbit Society is hopping mad at PetSmart

PHOENIX--Just as PetSmart Charities should have been basking in success, the nonprofit subsidiary of the PetSmart pet supply chain found itself uncomfortably caught between the parent company and the humane community.

PetSmart Charities on June 25, 2007 celebrated the three millionth animal adoption through the 928 PetSmart in-store adoption centers since the PetSmart chain started in 1987--five years before PetSmart Charities was formed to manage the adoption program and help fund the work of the 3,400 participating animal welfare agencies.

Within days, however, PetSmart announced that it "is testing the sale of spayed and neutered dwarf rabbits as part of the selection of small pets we offer for sale," at 25 selected stores."

PetSmart sales of other small mammals, birds, and reptiles have already occasioned considerable friction with humane organizations.

PetSmart Charities was founded in part to ease the relationship between the for-profit store chain and the humane community--and all but one of the five heads of PetSmart Charities to date has recommended that PetSmart stop selling any animals, each has told ANIMAL PEOPLE.

"Our decision to sell dwarf rabbits does not change our relationship with adoption agencies who facilitate rabbit adoptions," PetSmart claimed, mentioning that it "partners with 40 rabbit-only shelters and many other rabbit-friendly shelters in the U.S. and Canada," and has helped to adopt out 2,900 rabbits since 2002.

But House Rabbit Society president Kathleen Wilsbach told PetSmart chief operating officer Robert F. Moran that, "To say that we are disappointed by PetSmart's violation of its own commitment to save rescued animals would be a gross understatement."

The House Rabbit Society statement was soon seconded and amplified by the Best Friends Animal Society, followed by many other leading animal advocacy organizations. "Although spaying/neutering does prevent reproduction, it does not prevent--or even acknowledge--the myriad other reasons why rabbits end up in shelters," Wilsbach wrote.

"Contrary to popular belief, rabbits are not low-maintenance," Wilsbach continued. "Compared to dogs and cats, they are high-maintenance. While you maintain that your veterinarians will teach your staff about rabbit care, pet store staff are generally short-term or part-time employees, often teenagers, most of whom have never lived with even one rabbitS¹They simply do not have the knowledge, skills, or inclination to properly educate the public about these complex animals."

"We were asked to provide our input on the dwarf rabbit test," PetSmart Charities director Susana Della Maddelena told ANIMAL PEOPLE. "We advised PetSmart that the introduction of any new species into the stores would invoke a negative response from the animal welfare community. Our role is to advise in these situations," she said, "but we do not have final authority over the decisions made. We are planning to compile information regarding rabbit relinquishment for PetSmart to analyze as part of the test."

ANIMAL PEOPLE found in a 2006 review of data from 15 dog-and-cat humane societies that accept rabbits that rabbits were about 3% of their total animal intake. They received from three to 76 rabbits, with a median and average of 34.