Funding No KIll Nation's War on Free Speech?

　"Was anyone else aware that NKN is involved in a lawsuit with an animal rescuer?!?! If you read about this lawsuit, some of the allegations about NKN are very troubling! Did you know that they take donations that are supposed to be used for animal rescue and then they (allegedly) spend them on lawsuits, paying employees and other various things? When you donate to NKN or any other animal welfare organization, is that how you expect your funds to be used? Thoughts?" 

Posted on Facebook Nation Animal Rescue - Miami Dade Animal Shelter

Kimberly  I believe NKN won the lawsuit, therefore the allegations should be put to rest. Also, their form 990 from the IRS is available on their website.

Many non-profits pay employees, so I fail to see anything wrong with that. And the lawsuit was said to be privately funded, and does not show up on their tax returns.
While none of the merits in this case where ever heard it is important to understand timeline facts that are in dispute. This case was filed in Broward County court in November of 2011. At that point No Kill Nation was still running it’s Everglades Project with Kathy Santomero and Amy Restucci administering the "100+ Abandon Dogs in the Everglades" page. As of November 2011 No Kill Nation had not released any financial information on money already collected.

In May of 2012 No Kill Nation filed in 2011 990EZ tax return. This tax return dated May 24, 2012 and signed by NKN president Debi Day. The return included over $22,411 in professional fees, it is assumed that these professional fees were retainer fee paid No Kill Nation’s law firm Tripp Scott.

The return also includes a "Schedule O" liability of $247,000 "loan payable" to Lincoln Day and a "loan receivable" amount of $227,736. It appears that while Lincoln Day did issue loan of $247,000 to No Kill Nation the terms of that loan were not disclosed. It would also appear that approximately $22,411 of the loan was issued to No Kill Nation and used to pay the retainer fees.

What isn’t included in the May 2012 tax filing is any reference to costs, liabilities or pay outs for the Everglades Project. This despite several months having transpired in a "rescue" project that No Kill Nation formally cut ties in in early February of 2012.

On November 9^th 2012 No Kill Nation was awarded a "default judgement" in the civil suit in Broward County court. What a default judgment means is that since Miami Dade Rescue Railroad failed to hire an attorney to defend itself on the merits of the case MDRR

On No9vember 14, 2012 No Kill Nation released an "amended" 2011 "990" tax reform signed by No Kill Nation’s president Debi Day. The changes in this return include (but not limited too) removing the $22,411 paid out as professional fees and listing no expenditures for professional fees. The return does list line item accounting of "program accomplishments" including the Everglades Project $87,317 in revenue and $70,172 expenses. It also listed program expenses of $25,066 for NKN employees to attend the No Kill Conference in Washington DC (yes YOU paid for that), $10,075 for No Kill conferences in Austin Tx, Maui, Hi and Albuquerque NM. Yes, donors paid for those NKN excursions as well.

In order to get a detailed breakdown on the funds collected under the Everglades Project No Kill Nation provides a link to another No Kill Nation project called the "No Kill Fund". The No Kill Fund appears to be a deliberate effort on the part of No Kill Nation to solicit funding that can be used in filing court cases against anyone so bold as to dare oppose No Kill Nation’s political agenda. Those cases would include the current cases already filed against advocates like myself, filed against the non profit (now dissolved) group Miami Dade Rescue Railroad and against Fort Lauderdale rescue group No Paw Left Behind.

No Kill Nation through it’s attorney has also sent out numerous "cease and desist" warnings to a number of other rescue advocates warning them of pending civil cases if they continued to make any negative comments about No Kill Nation or it’s president Debi Day. One advocate received a cease and desist for posting a single comment that questioned Day’s leadership skills and her previous lack of experience in shelter reform.

Advocates are free to support any political organizations that provide advocacy that supports their needs. But advocates also have a right and responsibility in knowing whether the funds donated to No Kill Nation is indeed used to "save" animals or whether those funds are being used to stifle free speech while supporting a political agenda that is not rescue friendly. 
To be clear, No Kill Nation through it’s own admission DOES NOT DO RESCUE.

If your intent is to donate to groups that "save" animals No Kill Nation is not that group. By it’s own admission No Kill Nation is not a rescue group. No Kill Nation is a rather small organization of less than six people who do not foster shelter animals but instead focus as Nathan Winograd puppets perpetrating myths about no kill that include a relentless attack on anyone who dares disagree with Winograd’s twisted, demented thinking. That thinking includes unsupported concepts that pet overpopulation is a myth and a divisive attack on the animal protection community and the rescue community who both do have programs that help rescue animals not only from shelters but from puppy mills and hoarding sanctuaries as well.

The current leadership of No Kill Nation including show breeder Karolyn Rico, bored socialite Debi Day and Kathy Santomero have absolutely no prior success in reforming shelters including those extremely high kill shelters located in Broward or Miami Dade.

While it is certainly admirable that communities consider passing "no kill resolutions" as we have seen in Carrabus County NC that these resolutions are entirely useless without the local funding needed or a clear implementation plan being included. It is simply a shell game used to solicit more support and more funds without ever being held accountable for success.

It has been close to two years since passing a no kill resolution in Carrabus County. The shelter has yet to hire or fund a shelter manager two years later and still kills over half of the cats and dogs entering its shelter. Carrabus County does not do off site adoptions, does not have an endorsed TNR program, has not promoted any new spay neuter programs nor is there any type of volunteer program focused on promoting life saving initiatives including the infamous No Kill Equation.

Yet, in its almost daily pleas for donations No Kill Nation wants followers to support "forging ahead" with its mission?   Mission for what? We are still all ears but we are looking for ANSWERS not mindless rhetoric coming for the leadership of No Kill Nation. Please explain exactly how spending tens of thousands of dollars attacking those who don’t support your mission moves us closer to building a no kill nation.

MDRR Founders put shelter rescue back on track

For those who don't quite grasp what the shelter dogs and cats have lost with the forced demise of the Miami Dade Rescue Railroad by No Kill Nation';s director Debi Day.

MDRR served the shelter animals in MDAS faithfully for eleven plus years.  Here's a story from the early years.  I'll note the lack of hostility that is so prevalent within the rescue community which has reached a state of shamefulness in having advocacy groups attacking volunteers whose only mission is to share some love and save a few lives.

Posted on Thu, Dec. 30, 2004

Many of you are aware that I have long had an interest in the plight of homeless pets from the Miami Dade shelter. Both Sydney and Agnes were rescued from Miami Dade along with the basset Gilmour who later was placed in his forever home.

In early December of last year relations with local rescue groups and the shelter management had reached a all time low point with a high likelihood that rescue might be prevented from rescuing from the shelter at all. In the hopes of preventing such a step which would have resulted in the last remaining safety net for hundreds of homeless pets being removed I formed a group that would become known as the Miami Dade Rescue Railroad.

From the onset my commitment was to put together the best of local rescuers who were willing to withstand the heartbreak and anguish that rescuing from a shelter like Miami Dade.

December 30, 2004

Against all odds the group recently celebrated it's first anniversary. With over 200 members the group now meets every weekend at the shelter to pull out often times the sickest and unadoptables offering them one last freedom ride on the Miami Dade Rescue Railroad.

With the efforts of dozen of truly compassionate rescuers over 500 of Miami Dade's homeless dogs and cats destined to die in Miami Dade were instead moved into the loving care of various no kill shelters throughout the state.

One of my earliest memories in forming MDRR was in a conversation I had with one of the groups original member's Lorraine who had offered to enter what was at the time a war zone at the shelter in the hopes of taking pictures of dogs scheduled to die. Lorraine called me afterwards all excited that she had succeeded in getting the shelter management to alow her to take pictures of a few dozen dogs. When I asked her how she was able to get them to change the rule which prevented pictures from being taken she replied "I started crying..."

As the past several months have shown along with the many tears of joy over those who have been saved there has also been countless tears shed over those poor souls who despite all good intentions weren't able to be saved. To each person who has given a piece of their own heart in the hopes of saving one dog or cat at a time the rewards of those who are saved will be memories that will remain forever. You have given the gift of life to a helpless and innocent creature that society has all but forgotten.

MDRR Founder's message

Story Posted December 30, 2004

Stray dogs, cats on track to new homes

The Miami-Dade Rescue Railroad took a dozen dogs and cats from the county's animal shelter on a road trip to new adoptive homes and no-kill facilities.

Rosa Martinez and her two daughters arrived at the Miami-Dade County Animal Shelter with heavy hearts. Draped sleepily in their arms were four curly, cocker spaniel-mix puppies in need of new homes.

Onsite was the Miami-Dade Rescue Railroad, a nonprofit organization that finds refuge for homeless animals in no-kill shelters and adoptive homes around the state.

Volunteers agreed to take the puppies, though they usually reserve their services for the shelter's neediest animals.

''We feel better that they're going to take them,'' Martinez said, as she waited for the puppies to be loaded into a rental van bound for Naples, Fort Myers and Bradenton.

In all, about 20 dogs and cats boarded the rescue railroad and were granted a reprieve of sorts.

Most came directly from the county shelter's B Ward, the end of the road for scores of unwanted dogs and cats each week -- mangy old mutts, sick puppies, strays, invalids unlikely to be adopted.

A sort of doggy Death Row, animals in the B Ward usually have 24 hours to live before being euthanized by lethal injection. Last year, the county put down an average of more than 50 dogs and cats daily.

It's a sad, but necessary process, say those familiar with the routine, but one that frees up badly needed kennel space at the county's largest animal shelter.

''People need to know that when they adopt a pet they need to be willing to keep the animal for its entire life,'' said Toni Lynn, the organization's president, shaking her head. ``These animals still have a chance.''

HUNDREDS SAVED

The shelter euthanized more than 21,000 animals last year. There's no way to save each one, of course, but Lynn said the railroad has placed more than 500 dogs and cats since the organization's founding in 2003.

''These animals are the very definition of true, unconditional love,'' she said.

The ''railroad,'' so called for the caravans created by members when they drive around the state, picks up animals from the shelter, 7401 NW 74th St. in Medley, almost every other weekend.

But a daily effort is made to keep tabs on new arrivals and animals being moved into the preeuthanasia ward.

Volunteers from the railroad do walk-throughs of the shelter every day, take photos and send e-mail alerts to a nationwide network of animal lovers, rescue facilities and activists who assist in finding homes.

That's promising news for Princess, a scruffy Shih Tzu, who looked more like a dirty mop, and a nameless, trembling, one-eyed Chihuahua, who were among this week's B Ward inmates.

Every effort is made to find permanent homes for them, but when that fails, foster homes and no-kill shelters pick up the slack.

''No-kill shelters take animals for us only as space becomes available, but we're in contact with them all the time and they tell us what they can take,'' said Jana Sheeder, one of the organization's co-founders.

The railroad coordinates with other rescue operations that may cater to certain breeds like basset hounds and boxers by checking the Miami-Dade shelter for surrenders.

IN NEED OF HELP

Despite taking Martinez's puppies, the railroad generally only rescues from public facilities. Sheeder and other volunteers were glad to help, but wished they could do more. They need help themselves -- especially with those on death's doorstep.

''There are so many dogs in the B Ward that can't wait for the weekend to come. Their time is up,'' she said. ``We really need foster homes to take the animals until they can be placed.''

Of course, the public has a role in helping, especially the pet-owning public.

''We can avoid so many of these problems if people get their pets spayed and neutered,'' Sheeder said.
To learn more on the sad demise of MDRR read my blog "The Death of MDRR"

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/death-of-miami-dade-rescue-railroad.html