Holy cow!
Oh dear. What a rant. That certainly doesn’t end things well.
You know people are angry getting caught being shady when they refer to having legal teams or attorneys in the family, etc.
[QUOTE=maunder;7475753]
Oh dear. What a rant. That certainly doesn’t end things well.[/QUOTE]
sometimes things just have to end…
We have a similar situation in Louisville with No Kill Louisville (dog and cat rescue). I suspect it’s going to play out the same way as Frog Pond.
http://thevillevoice.com/2014/03/10/no-kill-louisville-now-a-meaningless-money-pit/
http://thevillevoice.com/2014/03/11/the-no-kill-louisville-scandals-begin-to-unravel/
http://thevillevoice.com/2014/03/12/patterns-of-recklessness-begin-to-emerge-at-nkl/
Nothing says “professionalism” quite like a passive-aggressive Facebook status.
[QUOTE=Sticky Situation;7475901]
Nothing says “professionalism” quite like a passive-aggressive Facebook status.[/QUOTE]
Yup.
Wonder how long the FPF “auction” site will remain active…
When I first heard of FPF on facebook, I too thought they were just great. And I do think the horses are well taken care of (which was never the issue being taken up with them as so many people failed to see with the recent legal troubles). The exception being Ollie, because I think that horse should’ve been euthanized LONG before he was. However after seeing her responses to things on facebook and seeing the articles recently and the lawsuit paperwork, I think she did a good job of getting followers on Team Lisa and pulled the wool over a lot of people’s eyes.
The wool is starting to lift for me…
I first heard of them when the Ollie thing happened and I really thought the horse needed to be seized and them prosecuted.
This “Ollie”…are you referring to Fox Valley Oliver, the Shire stallion? If so, I know more about that situation than anyone on here as I knew that stallion personally, know the people who did that to him, and even boarded there when he was still ok. I can tell you all that I am thoroughly disgusted by that whole situation prior to him going to FPF. I worked very hard with nearly every dept I could to get that place shut down and to this day I feel horrible that he went through what he did. There were other horses at that place that dies and nothing was done (not FPF, but Oliver’s farm.) I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in PA’s humane law enforcement because of that situation.
[QUOTE=LauraKY;7446074]
I’ve seen it play out over and over. Invariably, the people running it have no business experience, have friends and family on their board, don’t have two signatures on checks and never have their finances audited.
It’s a recipe for disaster.[/QUOTE]
Many years ago (I have selective amnesia) I helped start a “horse adoption” non-profit with a group of people. I did all the incorporation paperwork and got the group 501(3)© status in lightning speed. Almost immediately, other board members started breaking rules, and I was labeled a b*tch for simply wanting to follow our own guidelines. I resigned from the board within a couple of months. It was one of the most disheartening experiences of my life. Even though I structured the organization so that, in theory, there were checks and balances, it didn’t work that way in practice. Over and over, I see the same thing: people with no business or legal experience who think they don’t have to follow rules because they are “doing good.” There is nothing harder than to reason with someone who genuinely believes they are in the right and that laws/rules are just an inconvenience 
Just yesterday FPF showed up on my FB page announcing an auction she was running. I didn’t read it all, but she said opened her page back up for the fund raiser, I think it is to help someone who just lost their newborn baby boy. I wasn’t interested enough to read her post. It just shocked me to see her starting a fund raiser again.
[QUOTE=TemJeito;7476535]
Many years ago (I have selective amnesia) I helped start a “horse adoption” non-profit with a group of people. I did all the incorporation paperwork and got the group 501(3)© status in lightning speed. Almost immediately, other board members started breaking rules, and I was labeled a b*tch for simply wanting to follow our own guidelines. I resigned from the board within a couple of months. It was one of the most disheartening experiences of my life. Even though I structured the organization so that, in theory, there were checks and balances, it didn’t work that way in practice. Over and over, I see the same thing: people with no business or legal experience who think they don’t have to follow rules because they are “doing good.” There is nothing harder than to reason with someone who genuinely believes they are in the right and that laws/rules are just an inconvenience :([/QUOTE]
They immediately adopt the “you’re with us or against us” attitude as well. I have to say, I’m really discouraged with rescue and perhaps with the way many small 501©3s are run. They seem to lose sight of their good intentions at the outset and it becomes more about power, control and cliques than the actual work of rescue.
We really should get a handle on this…it’s taking quite a bit of money out of the tax receipts. But the IRS seems to be unwilling or unable to go after them. Look at AC4H. Many of us have been complaining and reporting for years…nothing, nada until the FBI got involved. The state AG’s should be willing to go after them as well.
[QUOTE=Chachie;7476528]
This “Ollie”…are you referring to Fox Valley Oliver, the Shire stallion? If so, I know more about that situation than anyone on here as I knew that stallion personally, know the people who did that to him, and even boarded there when he was still ok. I can tell you all that I am thoroughly disgusted by that whole situation prior to him going to FPF. I worked very hard with nearly every dept I could to get that place shut down and to this day I feel horrible that he went through what he did. There were other horses at that place that dies and nothing was done (not FPF, but Oliver’s farm.) I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in PA’s humane law enforcement because of that situation.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I agree he was in poor hands prior to FPF. However, the vet bills alone that he accumulated under Lisa’s care was just over the top. All that money that people donated when the horse couldn’t even stand on his own could’ve been donated to help other horses that HAD a chance. It was painful to pictures of him with stall sores from not even being able to stand on his own, yet FPF kept plugging away trying to “save him” and fundraise for his cause. It was just sad. Had that been MY horse, I would’ve euthanized him long before he was.
Seems to me it’s a bit of that soccer mom syndrome.
Nobody can do it as well as them, not to mention they have more time than sense…I think it is no coincidence that most ‘rescues’ are run by middle aged women…
We really should get a handle on this…it’s taking quite a bit of money out of the tax receipts. But the IRS seems to be unwilling or unable to go after them. Look at AC4H. Many of us have been complaining and reporting for years…nothing, nada until the FBI got involved. The state AG’s should be willing to go after them as well.
That is interesting. They are all over John Q. Public for rather small amounts, why do they not go after long term frauds?
Not to hijack your OT, SuckerforHorses, but I know that the vets in that area would not service the farm shortly after I left. They ran up bills everywhere and that community only had 3 maybe 4 vets at best and they burned their bridges. Not that I’m making excuses but that’s the truth. Those people should NEVER have had him, but he was a kind sole. I was lucky to ride him a few times and he was amazing. It makes me sicker beyond belief how his story ended.
I would love to chat with you or anyone about him via Pm because tge intervention of FPF came while i was dealing with some issues with my mother so I get bits and pieces of what happened to him after I stepped out of the picture. I know lots about the pre-FPf days for Oliver.
There is a similar situation going on here in Georgia currently. A horse rescue in the area who has 8,000+ FB followers (from all over the world, but have never been to the farm) recently started posting “drama” rants on their page, and then suddenly the county in which they operate had lawsuits listed against them, and MORE drama.
[QUOTE=LauraKY;7476701]
They immediately adopt the “you’re with us or against us” attitude as well. I have to say, I’m really discouraged with rescue and perhaps with the way many small 501©3s are run. They seem to lose sight of their good intentions at the outset and it becomes more about power, control and cliques than the actual work of rescue.
We really should get a handle on this…it’s taking quite a bit of money out of the tax receipts. But the IRS seems to be unwilling or unable to go after them. Look at AC4H. Many of us have been complaining and reporting for years…nothing, nada until the FBI got involved. The state AG’s should be willing to go after them as well.[/QUOTE]
It makes it hard for me to bring new people on our BOD and it makes it hard for me to think of ever stepping down. We have policies and I work hard to make sure we follow them consistently. I worry others might not. At the same time, I don’t want to be the person who can’t let go when it is time. 
I spoke last weekend at an Unwanted Horse Summit (preached might be more like it!) on best practices for rescues. I said (more than once!) that one of the keys is having good policies, making them public, and then FOLLOWING them.
(Ok, divergence from the original topic over for me :)).
I just want to clarify that you are speaking of the farm PRIOR to FPF who didn’t take care of Ollie, correct? The reason he ended up at FPF?
[QUOTE=Chachie;7476915]
Not to hijack your OT, SuckerforHorses, but I know that the vets in that area would not service the farm shortly after I left. They ran up bills everywhere and that community only had 3 maybe 4 vets at best and they burned their bridges. Not that I’m making excuses but that’s the truth. Those people should NEVER have had him, but he was a kind sole. I was lucky to ride him a few times and he was amazing. It makes me sicker beyond belief how his story ended.
I would love to chat with you or anyone about him via Pm because tge intervention of FPF came while i was dealing with some issues with my mother so I get bits and pieces of what happened to him after I stepped out of the picture. I know lots about the pre-FPf days for Oliver.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;7477290]
I just want to clarify that you are speaking of the farm PRIOR to FPF who didn’t take care of Ollie, correct? The reason he ended up at FPF?[/QUOTE]
As far as I’m concerned prior or otherwise. When his original breeder /owner and her mother stepped forward and desired to have him returned. Her refusal and complete dismissal of them the MOMENT she found out he was semi well known proves all the intent needed.
