No Kill's campaign of lies, hate and deception

As Nathan Winograd prepares to kick off his "No Kill is Love" tour later this summer its time for then rescue advocacy community to open its eyes to many of Nathan's "partners" who are deeply involved in a campaign aimed at attacking anyone who dares question the authenticity of a movement rift with fraud and animal suffering.

This blog has become to focal point for an attack lead by No Kill Nation's leader Debi Day that people who seriously love animals must open their eyes too.  Included in this organized attack are the creation of several fake twitter accounts which were used last summer to threaten, slander and defame this writer into silence by targeting the senior hounds living in my Georgia "no kill sanctuary" to force this silence.

One of those fake twitter accounts was a person who went by the name "The Idiot Whisperer". 
It is my assumption based on other claims from No Kill Nation's leader that she was willing to "pay for information" on her "haters" that person is what is referred to in cyberspace as a cyber thug that carries out an attack leaving the person who organized the attack with "clean hands". 

This picture was hijacked off my Facebook page.  This tweet was posted in the late hours of June 13th 2013.  There is nothing humorous about making jokes about dogs who have been rescued from kill shelters.  Obviously this person is an idiot or he would have thought far enough ahead to be able to explain how these "corpses" he is accusing me of killing came "back alive".  What does this have to do with "no kill"?

This is a second picture of alleged "corpses" caused by hoarding posted about an hour later on twitter as well.  As you will see this attack crosses way over a line of common decency and boundaries that are acceptable in any advocacy movement.  This is slander, this is pure hate and its pure character assassination - with everything leading to the board room of an organization known as No Kill Nation.

Some of the comments including in the "conversation" are equally disgusting.  These tweets were set up with this tweet coming from Debi Day's twitter account @seeside with this tweet.

I'm not sure what No Kill Nation's leader finds disgusting in a picture that includes an eighteen year old senior Belle who was rescued eight years ago from a local kill shelter, a ten year old beagle dumped in our driveway or our American bull dog but most animal lovers would never make such comments about someone else's dogs.  What is telling is the copy list @seeside used to "share" this tweet. 

This is part of No Kill Nation's "team" assigned to post highly insulting and defamatory statements directed at me.  How this type of organized attack fits into the "No Kill Equation" is anyone's guess.
No Kill Nation's attack team includes Marilyn Reese @plantfhreak , Teri Fulks (Dyer) @TKFulks , Camille Loge (@Clo1117 and a new addition who goes by the name of Idiot Whisperer.
So what positive information do these cyber thugs have to offer that might lead a community towards "no kill"?  You be the judge.

Since he started out posting pictures of dogs he claimed were dead this was a natural follow up tweet.  No Kill Nation has stepped over a line now accusing me of killing fifteen of the old hounds (many of whom were personal dogs) living in our sanctuary.  The truth tells a far different story with ALL of these passing's being old age issues.

So, what expertise does the Idiot Whisperer bring to the no kill discussion that would enable him to make these less than intelligent claims?  Again in his own words.

Admittedly, like No Kill Nation, this guy is clueless on rescue but he is an expert on the politics.  Is he a paid cyber thug?  It certainly has the appearance of being a paid contract cyber hit.

What direction will this attack take - armed only with ignorance the Idiot Whisperer starts down a path of filing false neglect and abuse allegations with any agency that would listen.

Note a new addition to the team - none other than Maria Venuto aka Lucy Van Pelt.  Complaints were fled with GA Dept of Agriculture and our local shelter Gwinnett Animal Control.

No Kill Nation's leader Debi Day brought in the Idiot Whisperer for a reason - this is where her efforts to have my hounds seized and the no kill sanctuary that had saved hundreds of hounds over the last dozen years CLOSED DOWN.  Problem is - I am NOT a rescue group therefore I am not required to be licensed by the Department of Agriculture.

On June 22nd 2013 No Kill Nation's leader is clearly aware and responsible for false allegations being filed with the Georgia department of Agriculture hoping to close down our senior sanctuary for hounds and send those dogs to the nearest kill shelter.

I run a privately funded sanctuary for senior hounds that are all "owned" personally.  I am only required to comply with Gwinnett County animal ordinances with which I have a flawless record on care and compliance issues.  If No Kill Nation's leader Debi Day had a clue what the laws were she would have realized her ignorance.  The real unanswered question is WHERE in No Kill Nation's mission statement does it call for the leadership to bring in outside thugs to distort and lie about conditions in a sanctuary resulting in placing many of those dogs in grave danger.

Who does that anyway?  So what were the allegations being levied by a person who admittedly knows nothing about rescue?  It should disgust you to know.



It is disgusting to think that No Kill Nation would even stoop so low to enter into such an ignorant discussion about senior dogs who have closed out there lives at our sanctuary, especially in lieu of all the seniors that No Kill Nation allows to die in south Florida shelters all the time. 

No Kill Nation admittedly DOESN'T do rescue - I do.  Even more insulting is the fact that several of those fifteen dogs misrepresented by this tweet were personal dogs who had died of OLD AGE issues. 

For an advocacy group to make such ignorant comments with participation and direction coming from its totally clueless President speaks VOLUMES as to why Debi Day is not qualified to lead an A.A. meeting let alone a fraudulent advocacy group with a mission statement beholden to irresponsible breeders.

Yet, the comments get worse - this gets personal and it gets disgusting.

As of last June while No Kill Nation could not clearly show any programs that might save lives or help communities reform their shelters what they did have in place was a number of Debi Day's followers who were part of a team assigned to stalk every word I posted on Facebook. 

In this mischaracterization a foster beagle named Juju developed a prolapsed rectum which required surgery to repair.  I leave the rest to your imagination.  Ask yourself where THOSE comments fit into any discussion on "no kill"?  You will also see how ALL of these comments were directed towards my twitter account. 

Yet, when I answered some of these nonsensical tweets with return responses Debi Day's attorney filed a motion claiming I was in violation of a "no contact" order the court granted without allowing me to participate in that hearing.  That is NOT due process - its a kangaroo court.

I won't even respond to this ignorance.  Hundreds of beagles and bassets who have used our sanctuary as a safe haven would think differently.  Obviously No Kill Nation and the "no kill" movement it claims to represent places very little value in rescuing seniors in even participating in this type of ignorant and ill informed discussion.

Death camps are "sanctuaries like Spindletop Refuge or Caboodle Ranch - where dogs and cats clearly died from abusive conditions.  Strange that No Kill Nation's leader Debi Day would defend both of those sanctuaries while trying to close down a sanctuary with a flawless history of providing much needed services for special needs senior hounds.

Not satisfied with an ignorant attack directed at our hounds the discussion gets way too personal.

Expecting a sixty year old man suffering from severe crohn's disease that has left him walking with crutches at the time to replace an old carpet shows a lack of understanding and compassion for the disabled.  We'll ignore the fact that Debi Day has NEVER complained about the fact that many of the Spindletop Refuge pit bulls she defends lived in small cages for months eating and sleeping in their own waste and drinking their own urine to survive.  Many didn't survive. 

Where is the outrage over THOSE conditions?  In future blogs we will discuss No Kill nation's investment in a boarding kennel called the Dog House in Pompano with a history of squalor like conditions where Debi can dump dogs "saved" from local kill shelters. 

Now that's mature. 



Making jokes about a person's health issues is extremely classless and in pour taste.  Wishing someone to die is beyond classless.  As you will see Debi Day "retweeted" that info therefore taking ownership as well.

A conversation with an eight year old - how classic.

Yet, another "eight year old" thanks the Idiot for his support?  Note how even though she clearly sets all this up and participates through twitter comments of her own Debi still tries to play the victim.  Debi thinks every one is as stupid as she is and can't see though her childish games.

No Kill Nation's leader Debi Day didn't simply use one cyber thug to harass, slander and attack both me personally and the no kill sanctuary that I manage but as evidence will show used several "team players" to commit these egregious acts.  All of the players in this facade worked from the same play book - repeating the same lies and dishonest dialect as part of a larger scheme committing "character assassination".

Those who participated in this attack which started as far back as the fall of 2012 include the infamous Maria Venuto (who masquerades as the comic book creature "Lucy Van Pelt"), Camille Loge (who runs a Facebook rescue page called Camille's Rescue), Marilyn Reese (a Winograd groupie who lives in California), Teri Dyer (founder of a Facebook group called No Kill Brevard and No Kill Nation's board member Kathy Santomero.

Also involved in an  ongoing attack are several members of an ANONYMOUS hacker group which NKN's President routinely incited using false allegations as well.  All of this can be proven, has been shared with the U.S. Attorney's office in Atlanta and now will be shared on this blog.

Is this what the No Kill MOVEMENT has morphed into?   It should be absolutely disgusting to ANY dog lover that a group whose mission statement is to save lives instead focuses its assets gained through YOUR donations and its efforts attacking anyone who dares question or oppose that vision.

Is THIS really the intelligent conversation needed to reform our nation's sheltering system or would you call this type of behavior "childish behavior unbecoming of anyone claiming a leadership role in a movement that she is clearly not qualified to handle and in fact has no prior experience on her resume to suggest any previous success in those advocacy efforts.

No Kill Nation's Debi Day is a bored socialite with enough money that she THINKS she can BUY this fame, power and glory - it simply does NOT work that way in real life.

How does Debi Day's involvement work towards her goal of destroying my reputation and legacy in the rescue community?  What Debi does is employ cyber thugs to post false information which she simply "re tweets" to her 1,000 or so followers on twitter as if this information SHE PLANTS is indeed fact.  Amongst the slanderous rumors she has participated in spreading are that I am a hoarder, convicted felon, drug dealer, violent towards woman, kill my dogs through neglect and that "I" am the mentally insane stalker in this case.

The fact is my involvement in this case has ALWAYS been limited to seeking the TRUTH on what No Kill Nation and Debi Day did with the over $100,000 they collected in the fall of 2011 for No Kill Nation's Everglades Project - nothing more - nothing less.

Despite claims to the contrary the court case itself NEVER heard any witnesses, never held any hearings were evidence of slander was introduced nor were there any rulings on facts related to the alleged defamatory issues.  I simply defaulted on a court case rather than spend thousands of dollars in legal fees that would be better spent maintaining our sanctuary. 

In other words, I chose to spend my resources and time SAVING senior hounds while No Kill Nation obviously invests most of its efforts and money on lawsuits trying to close down rescues like mine and send the dogs BACK to local kill shelters.  How is that part of any NO KILL EQUATION?

 

 I started this blog with three pictures that were hijacked off my Facebook page to create a drama situation that did not exist.  Here is THAT picture again.  Where does this type of infantile behavior fit into a no kill movement that has failed miserably?  This is totally OVER the line of common decency and honest behavior we expect from those claiming a leadership role in any advocacy effort.  You don't see animal protection groups like HSUS, the ASPCA, Best Friends or PeTa employ these dishonest tactics so how is "no kill" any better?

The senior hounds in this picture ALL survived a stay at a kill shelter.  Debi Day was NOT there to rescue them when they faced death then and her behavior now that threatens their safety is repulsive.  All of these dogs are innocent creatures who have names, are happy on their new home and in fact love me as their caretaker.  It should disgust ANY animal lover to see them involved in No Kill Nation's little scheme.

This comment is nothing more than a threat that Debi shares with complete strangers in the hopes someone will act on it.  It's offensive - its criminal this type of behavior has NO PLACE in any social movement PERIOD.  Targeting a senior citizen with a disability with false attacks like this is the real act of cowardice - Debi should be ashamed - SHE IS the freak show.

Haven't WE had enough of a movement so childish that the only real suffering from this type of behavior is ultimately the shelter dogs and cats who continue to die because "No Kill" message is so far off track.  No Kill isn't about saving lives - its about greed, power and people more concerned about their own misplaced egos - the animals are irrelevant.  That is sad.

"Good night my friend?"  I rest my case.  Debi can stand by her beliefs that honesty is NOT important nor are the lives of dogs she is willing to kill by sending them back to a shelter. 

In the coming weeks I will share the rest of the story which sadly doesn't get any better.  Last Monday No Kill nation's leader organized another attack on our sanctuary which included having four people call in false reports of abuse and neglect to the Gwinnett Animal Control in the hopes that all twenty nine of the dogs who reside here would be impounded.  That story will disgust you even more.



Winograd's CAPA - will it legimatize hoarding and no kill sanctaury abuse?

About those "No Kill Nation" squirrels and nuts......

In Nathan Winograd's world it's not the irresponsible pet owners who are responsible for shelter killing nor is it the irresponsible people who allow pets to be bred indiscriminately nor is it the many well meaning "rescuers" and transporters who "rescue" these animals sitting on death row in our many high kill shelters - the fault for killing lies entirely with shelter directors who lack compassion and enjoy killing innocent pets.

Winograd and his cultist followers determined to build a "No Kill Nation" claim that there is no "pet overpopulation" problem in states like Florida but instead plenty of "good homes" for all of these creatures too go to.  The vision for The No Kill Nation website was to work towards seeing a day when no savable animal is senselessly killed in an animal shelter.  But does that goal include making sure we see a day were animal suffering is ended as well?  Each and every person who cares about companion animals has a role to play in helping our nation reach this goal - of not only ending the killing but more importantly of ending the suffering as well.

"The No Kill movement’s break with traditional sheltering is less about saving “pet” dogs and cats and more about focusing on the individual animal. Regardless of whether a shelter takes in 30, 300, 3,000 or 30,000 dogs and cats each year, No Kill is premised on—in fact demands—fundamental fairness to individual animals." - Nathan Winograd

The question that remains unanswered by Winograd's approach at "mandating" the saving of animals doesn't take into account that each animal "saved" needs this fundamental fairness that is missing when you fail to properly define and qualify what "responsible rescue is.  Obviously, none of the victims of sanctuary abuse have been moved into a safe environment where their individual needs are nurtured but instead they are simply dumped into overcrowded environments where situations arise that has money donated for their care absconded in same foul smelling wind that takes any hope of a future as well.

But the truth is far from the many myths, half truths and misconceptions portrayed by the 'no kill" movement as it attempts too legitimatize their movement.  It is not a myth that many of these creatures are not "saved" but end up becoming victims living tortured lives in squalor conditions with diseases and illnesses that last for months even years before death takes it's toll. 

While Winograd was building his career at a rural shelter in Tompkins County NY the only people who denied the existence of pet overpopulation were the mass breeding elements either running puppy mills or an underground commercial enterprise of backyard breeders who didn't have a clue what responsible breeding was or simply didn't care. 

Many advocates have started to question some of the concepts portrayed by Winograd while pushing his version of the "no kill" movement.  Perhaps the most glaring is Winograd's claim that there is NOT a pet overpopulation crisis in this country.  No only is there an easily recognizable pet overpopulation crisis in every public shelter in the state of Florida but we also can play witness to the thousands and thousands of homeless animals who are forced to survive on our streets and who are forced to endure abusive conditions in overcrowded sanctuaries as well.  Living on the street is not a home nor is living in a sanctuary absent of human care, companionship and the basic survival needs that define an animals quality of life.

Ironically, it is not the overwhelmed rescue community that benefits from "laying to rest" this so-called myth of pet overpopulation but it is the same irresponsible breeders who now have even more reason to justify there ignorant existence.  Not surprisingly, it is these same irresponsible breeders who are Winograd's most vocal supporters in his trash and burn onslaught against large animal protection groups not limited to the HSUS, the ASPCA, Best Friends and even Maddie's Fund. 

One thing is certain, anyone who dares speak out against Winograd does so with the full expectation of becoming a target of trash and burn as well.  This writer is no exception.  Unfortunately for Winograd - he's taken his best shot - I'm not Pat Dunaway - I have no intention of going off message to simply appease his desire to become famous..Over the years my reputation of being overly candid and thorough in my investigations speak for themselves. 

Unlike Winograd who only draws his experience from a few short years as a shelter director I draw my experience from a hands on approach pulling, responsibly rescuing, rehabilitating and ultimately either finding homes or providing hospice care for over three hundred animals who have been given refuge in my home.
Many of the success stories evolved into writing projects to help define the role of responsible pet ownership and build a consensus of what responsible rescue defines as well.

One frequent target for Winograd's rants is the Humane Society of the United States.  In Winograd's world companion animals would be much better off if we advocates work together to expose HSUS and in effect put them out of business.  One would assume that since Winograd also denies the existence of hoarding cases or sanctuaries gone wrong that this important milestone would be the stepping stone to building a "No Kill Nation". 

However, there is a serious myth involved in Winograd's preaching - those involved in advocating for homeless dogs and cats in Florida have experienced the horrible truth that not all sanctuaries have the animals best interest at heart. 

In April 2011 came the horrible news of abuse of animals, many of which were dogs with disabilities, the the Sanctuary Animal Rescue run by Palena Dorsey.  According to her website:

 

The Sanctuary Animal Refuge is a Non Profit Registered 501(c)3 Organization dedicated not only to the rescue of animals but also to the education of the community.

Our Sanctuary was founded by Palena Dorsey in March 2004.

Her mission was to help those animals that were considered fearful and aggressive or who were old and ill and about to be put to sleep because of the overwhelming influx of animals at local shelters.

Her dedication to work with these animals to help them overcome their fears and to nurture them back to health has been a lifelong dream come true. To watch her work with and love each Dog, Cat, Pig, Horse and other animals brings such joy and tears to ones eyes.

To keep this love going she needs the support of all animal lovers.

By making a small monthly donation she can make this dream a reality for so many animals to live out their lives in peace.

For years kind hearted animal lovers not only opened up their hearts for Palena's efforts but their wallets as well.  Sadly, many would feel violated when the news about how the animals as officials moved in too close down the sanctuary this spring.  Disabled dogs who came with sponsors were either found in horrible squalor that no animal lover would ever want a pet to endure.  Some were missing and assumed dead. 

One can only imagine the heartbreaking suffering these poor souls experienced when their rescue went so horribly wrong.  As much as this writer despises the idea of killing an animal while there is still hope - this type of rescue is not hope - it is in the plainest of terms a betrayal that leads an animal to endure unconscionable suffering at the hands of their savior. 

When news of the sanctuary raid first hit Dagmara Monsalve, president of Rescue Adoption Inc. in Fort Pierce, shared her observations with reporters,

"I've never wished myself to witness anything like what I saw over there. Very bad. The filth, the amount of cockroaches, rats. We were killing huge spiders out of the bowls of water the dogs had."

Other volunteers wrote poignant eyewitness accounts of the horrible suffering of the animals, many of whom had lived at the sanctuary for years, in such vivid details that even the strongest person couldn't help but experience tears of betrayal.  Those of us committed to responsible rescue understand that this torture and lack of basic humane treatment is totally opposite of everything we stand for.

Many animal lovers who helped sponsor dogs who were supposed to live out their lives in the grandest of settings pleaded for information on their whereabouts.  Sadly, many came to grips that these creatures were not only not saved but in many cases forced to live out there days in an even more abusive situation then where they were rescued from.

How did Palena Dorsey, who was once considered for Animal Planet's "Rescuer of the Year" award fall so incredibly far that she would allow this type of abusive care for the animals she loved?  How did the rescue community not see this drastic change in conditions at the sanctuary as well?  Somehow the many remarks praising the work at the sanctuary do not explain the conditions found this past spring when authorities stepped in and closed it down.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_st_lucie_county/fort_pierce/investigation-continues-at-a-fort-pierce-animal-facility

Ironically, Winograd's "No Kill Nation" isn't involved in cleaning up the mess left behind from years of sanctuary abuse but instead it was the HSUS who stepped in to try and help with this horrible situation.  Winograd's and his cultists followers barely discussed the implications of abuse in ":rescue" sanctuaries with the exception of a few snide comments insinuating that HSUS was only interested in killing the survivors.

Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary

A fancy picture on a website seeking donations doesn't define a caring sanctuary

Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary is a private, no kill animal shelter owned and operated by Steve and Pennie Lefkowitz. Located on 8 acres of rural, agricultural land in Alachua County, FL on the outskirts of the city of High Springs, Steve and Pennie share their home with 200 cats, a dog, several horses, and some roosters.

Concerned about the high euthanasia rate at Animal Services, Steve and Pennie decided to incorporate and became Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary, Inc. In 2003 and were granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2005.  Since its inception, no cat that has needed help has been turned away.

On Tuesday, June 7, 2011, the Humane Society went into Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary in Alachua County, Florida to save the precious cats there.

Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary is located at 21023 NW 168th and owned by Steve and Pennie Lefkowitz of Hillside, Florida. Alachua County Animal Services had been investigating reports of animal neglect there.

To watch a video of the seizure:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lEi2Lk2itM&feature=player_embedded

There needs to be some serious changes in how large sanctuaries in Florida are allowed to operate virtually with no government oversight in the quality of care being provided the animals held in rescue.  Shelters by definition should be required to make sure animals released from the shelter through adoption or through "transfer to rescue" are not victimized in that process.  There is a moral obligation that we as a community find safe refuge for this onslaught of pets being dumped in our shelters are protected from future abusers.

In typical knee jerk reaction the No Kill Advocacy Center in partnership with a new south Florida advocacy group "No Kill Nation" is pushing for a state wide Companion Animal Protection Act or "CAPA" that would require shelters to turn over dogs and cats to any rescue group that operated as a 503 C non profit.  This law would do nothing to protect animals from hoarders and abusers who quite frankly are not only ignoring their responsibility to the animals they claim to be rescuing but are also using donations for purposes that have nothing to do with the sanctuary's operations. 

What does CAPA mandate?  If passed CAPA  makes it illegal for a shelter to kill an animal if a rescue group or No Kill shelter is willing to save that animal.  In other words, rescue "groups (even though Florida is one of many states that doesn't require persons representing themselves as rescue to be licensed or inspected) and "no kill" sanctuaries would only need to be "willing" to take an animal in as opposed to being capable of responsibly caring for that animal with an end goal of seeking a "forever" home for the pet being saved. 

While I understand that there are many responsible sanctuaries like Best Friends who are capable of providing true sanctuary of animals that are possibly un adoptable I defy any reasonable rescuer to explain how over 90% of the animals who survived the squalor and suffering at these two sanctuaries were NOT adoptable?  This type of operation is NOT rescue - it is hoarding in the plainest terms. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lEi2Lk2itM&feature=player_embedded

Over the past few months I have made the decision to highlight the weaknesses in this Facebook "trend" some are calling a "No Kill Movement".   In response to many of my articles the No Kill Movement has quite typically decided to lash out at my articles even by attempting to call me an "apologists" for the killing and to suggest my advocacy work is part of the problem. 

As an long time advocate who has worked and helped define issues that include shelter reform, puppy mill reform, a discussion on the role of temperament testing in shelters and one who has helped define the differences in what is responsible rescue and what is not it is not only my right to speak openly and candidly on these issues but more importantly it is my duty.  I am not  not have ever been indebted towards any one particular group, mission or movement.  

My advocacy voice will always represent what is in the best interest of the animals I advocate for.  The purpose of my writing should never be misconstrued as an attempt to convince anyone to agree with me but more importantly hopefully some of the information, experiences and observations I share will help fellow advocates use reason to draw their own analogies on these critical issues.

In the end, my decision to continue to speak out comes not from a perspective of not supporting a dream of a "no kill nation" but in making the determination that there is a lack of leadership in these groups who want to claim a mandate on a movement that they have little or no knowledge on the direction they are taking.  It is NOT the mission I abhor - it is the simple minded leadership of that movement that must either be replaced or ignored as part of the problem and not part of the solution..

http://www.pictures-of-cats.org/at-least-700-cats-seized.html

In the end those of us advocating for a compassionate cruelty free no kill nation still have it in our hands and eyes in helping to make this dream come true.  That reality won't come from buying more books or attending more cheer leading seminars given by people who have lost touch with the concerns of the true rescue community but instead will come from inside your own hearts. 

It is YOUR choice whether you want to join the band of thugs who have simply reverted to a lazy mentality of blaming shelter directors for all the killing when in fact there's is enough blame that should be shared equally by those who breed irresponsibly - those who rescue irresponsibly - those who own pets irresponsibly and the community politicians who support irresponsible high kill shelters that are not representative of their community's values for our companion friends.

It is up too YOU to question what you don't agree with and too insist on answers and not pigeon hole comments that you bare part of the problem because you refuse to follow the preaching of the cult.  You not only have the right to ask these questions but more importantly you have a duty.