2009-05-26: Fundraising? What Fundraising?
You'd think an organization that hired a full-time Executive Director with a sterling fund raising background would have a full calendar of ongoing fund raising events large and small. But if you look at the Hermitage's Event Calendar, the only upcoming activity you'll see is a solicitation for riders for the upcoming El Tour de Tucson in November.
If you dig deeper, and click on the icon to see photos of past events, you'll see the Food for People's Pets Food Drive, Litterbox Lariat, Indoor El Tour, Santa Claws, and the dedication of the Bonnie Kay Healing House. There are a number of problems with that list, from the perspective of keeping the shelter in the black.
1) The Food for People's Pets is a worthy program; I know, because I was the one who coordinated it when I worked in the back office. But, the monies raised do not go to the shelter's coffers, that food goes to outside groups for distribution to the poor.
2) The Litterbox is traditionally the shelter's biggest fundraiser. In the now-deleted official Hermitage blog, Executive Director Mary Jo Spring stated "It was a resounding success. There were over 100 people in attendance enjoying the entertainment and food, and just getting to know others who are supporting The Hermitage. The silent auction and live auction brought in a lot of money (details to follow)," Yet, as is typical, the financial details never did follow.
3) The Indoor El Tour was a very modest first-time event and did not raise much money. That's fine for the first time out, but it's not something to rely on as a major source of income. And Dick Blanchard, the El Tour coordinator for the Hermitage, has left the building (and the board).
4) The Santa Claws event did not even merit mention in the Hermitage's own official blog, whose purpose, before it was deleted, was "to inform our sponsors, donors and adopters of the ongoing activities and programs of the Hermitage Cat Shelter in Tucson, Arizona." Therefore, I think it safe to assume it was not a major source of revenue.
5) I suppose the Bonnie Kay Healing House is lovely, but I'm not sure, because the 50-some former volunteers, sponsors and donors that I knew at the Hermitage were all excluded from the event, because they are banned from the Hermitage. I would assume that Ms. Kay contributed a very significant amount of money, so it is again surprising that the dedication was never mentioned in the official Hermitage blog. Ms. Lundberg and Ms. Parker-Hotchkiss, you may want to ask your friends in other organizations if they have ever heard of a nonprofit banning 90% of its volunteers in a three-month period, concomitant with a complete turnover in paid staff, and ask yourselves if you can think of any circumstances where that would be appropriate. I encourage you to contact former board members and ask them why they left.
Ms. Spring makes just under $50K per year. The fundraising events above cover 8 months. I'd be very interested to see if the net proceeds even cover her salary for that time period, let alone make a significant contribution to the shelter's budget.
If you dig deeper, and click on the icon to see photos of past events, you'll see the Food for People's Pets Food Drive, Litterbox Lariat, Indoor El Tour, Santa Claws, and the dedication of the Bonnie Kay Healing House. There are a number of problems with that list, from the perspective of keeping the shelter in the black.
1) The Food for People's Pets is a worthy program; I know, because I was the one who coordinated it when I worked in the back office. But, the monies raised do not go to the shelter's coffers, that food goes to outside groups for distribution to the poor.
2) The Litterbox is traditionally the shelter's biggest fundraiser. In the now-deleted official Hermitage blog, Executive Director Mary Jo Spring stated "It was a resounding success. There were over 100 people in attendance enjoying the entertainment and food, and just getting to know others who are supporting The Hermitage. The silent auction and live auction brought in a lot of money (details to follow)," Yet, as is typical, the financial details never did follow.
3) The Indoor El Tour was a very modest first-time event and did not raise much money. That's fine for the first time out, but it's not something to rely on as a major source of income. And Dick Blanchard, the El Tour coordinator for the Hermitage, has left the building (and the board).
4) The Santa Claws event did not even merit mention in the Hermitage's own official blog, whose purpose, before it was deleted, was "to inform our sponsors, donors and adopters of the ongoing activities and programs of the Hermitage Cat Shelter in Tucson, Arizona." Therefore, I think it safe to assume it was not a major source of revenue.
5) I suppose the Bonnie Kay Healing House is lovely, but I'm not sure, because the 50-some former volunteers, sponsors and donors that I knew at the Hermitage were all excluded from the event, because they are banned from the Hermitage. I would assume that Ms. Kay contributed a very significant amount of money, so it is again surprising that the dedication was never mentioned in the official Hermitage blog. Ms. Lundberg and Ms. Parker-Hotchkiss, you may want to ask your friends in other organizations if they have ever heard of a nonprofit banning 90% of its volunteers in a three-month period, concomitant with a complete turnover in paid staff, and ask yourselves if you can think of any circumstances where that would be appropriate. I encourage you to contact former board members and ask them why they left.
Ms. Spring makes just under $50K per year. The fundraising events above cover 8 months. I'd be very interested to see if the net proceeds even cover her salary for that time period, let alone make a significant contribution to the shelter's budget.
2009-05-22: More Musical Chairs and Disappearing Acts
Category: Hermitage Board Resignations
Posted by: admin
Update May 26: The newest board member's name is now fully listed as Susan Parker-Hotchkiss.
And the Hermitage Board changes its composition yet again. Kenna Smith has vanished, and been replaced by a board member who apparently only has a first name, "Susan", according to the website. I guess having only a first name makes it easier to avoid the riff-raff. Other positions were shuffled around among the remaining players.
So, that makes 10 board member changes since May of last year: Dan Moynihan, Denise Moynihan, Rachel McCaffrey, Kenna Smith, and Kendra Kent all left; Vernon Alexander, Dick Blanchard, Dawna Spencer and Judith Showers all joined and then left; and Lori Lundberg just joined. Not exactly a testament to the stability of the organization.
In a related note, the official Hermitage blog, whose purpose is, in their own words, "to inform our sponsors, donors and adopters of the ongoing activities and programs of the Hermitage Cat Shelter in Tucson, Arizona." has suddenly been completely and entirely removed from the web. It appears they no longer feel a need to inform sponsors, donors or adopters about anything.
And the Hermitage Board changes its composition yet again. Kenna Smith has vanished, and been replaced by a board member who apparently only has a first name, "Susan", according to the website. I guess having only a first name makes it easier to avoid the riff-raff. Other positions were shuffled around among the remaining players.
So, that makes 10 board member changes since May of last year: Dan Moynihan, Denise Moynihan, Rachel McCaffrey, Kenna Smith, and Kendra Kent all left; Vernon Alexander, Dick Blanchard, Dawna Spencer and Judith Showers all joined and then left; and Lori Lundberg just joined. Not exactly a testament to the stability of the organization.
In a related note, the official Hermitage blog, whose purpose is, in their own words, "to inform our sponsors, donors and adopters of the ongoing activities and programs of the Hermitage Cat Shelter in Tucson, Arizona." has suddenly been completely and entirely removed from the web. It appears they no longer feel a need to inform sponsors, donors or adopters about anything.
2009-05-20: Hermitage Official Blog
The Hermitage has now removed its picture link to its blog, but you can still get there by going to:
http://hermitagecatshelter.blogspot.com/
They dabble in a bit of revisivionist history on even this blog though, since they have come to realize that some items that they originally trumpeted from all four corners of the shelter actually reflected pretty poorly upon them, they removed them. I guess they are unfamiliar with the idea of a search engine cache, or a screen save, or even saving a text file. If there's something you saw before there, and can't find it now, just use OUR search, we've kept copies of all their postings.
http://hermitagecatshelter.blogspot.com/
They dabble in a bit of revisivionist history on even this blog though, since they have come to realize that some items that they originally trumpeted from all four corners of the shelter actually reflected pretty poorly upon them, they removed them. I guess they are unfamiliar with the idea of a search engine cache, or a screen save, or even saving a text file. If there's something you saw before there, and can't find it now, just use OUR search, we've kept copies of all their postings.
2009-05-17: Delete Key
I noticed when writing the blog article for Sunday that the Hermitage has removed from its website its diatribe against former employees Rosalie Torske and Paula LaRue. I also noted several weeks ago they had removed their written link to their blog, although the picture link remains (the cat in the black hat). I assume that whoever removed the written link did not have the technical knowledge to either realize the job was only half done, or how to remove the picture link. I wrote a blog post on current employee Mike the tech's personal blog on the cat mauling at the shelter, and that blog entry disappeared within 48 hours . When I wrote about the hideously designed Hermitage myspace page that was soliticing funds using cat care numbers more than 200% above the actual number of cats, that page was quickly and completely redone. (I have been told, but not been able to confirm, that the myspace page was done by Executive Director Mary Jo Spring's sister).
But not everything in life can be fixed with a delete key. Ask the dead Hermitage cats.
But not everything in life can be fixed with a delete key. Ask the dead Hermitage cats.
I recently published a series of letters from the Hermitage to a volunteer who they had kicked to the curb, and from whom they were now seeking donations. Therefore, I was quite surprised, to put it mildly, to find in Saturday's mail a copy of the Hermitage's Spring 2009 newsletter, complete with an envelope for mailing in my no-doubt generous donation. Amazing, frankly, because
1) The Hermitage is suing me to stop this blog.
2) Since I left the Hermitage in September 2007, I have moved, and yet this mailing was sent directly to my new home address. In fact, in documents on file downtown at the Pima County Superior Court, the Hermitage claimed in March that they didn't know where I live, and filed a motion for an alternative method of serving legal papers. There is even an affadavit recorded on March 27, 2009, from (former) board member Dick Blanchard, saying he called my business phone and pretended to be a potential client in order to (unsuccessfully) attempt to obtain my home address.
3) Now, I live at an animal rescue facility, my new address is actually pretty public, and I'm not claiming any violation of privacy that the Hermitage has it. My point is that someone clearly went out of their way, very recently, to add me to a Hermitage database.
The Hermitage has been claiming to donors that they had multiple computer database glitches this fall (see our blog, 2009-05-04: Unmitigated Gall), while simultaneously claiming on their official blog that former employees trashed their computers (the same claims appearing in police reports and later in court motions). I would like to suggest a third possiblity: they are technically incompetent. Based on their fund solicitation to me, they are either so clueless that they added me to something like Donor.SQL instead of PeopleWeAreSuing.SQL; or they sent out their fund solicitation to all their databases, including ones like BannedVolunteers.SQL, FormerBoardMembers.SQL, or StaffWhoseUnemploymentCompensationPaymentsWehave UnsuccessfullyChallenged.SQL, and I was just caught up in that mass mailing.
There is one more possible explanation for why I received this mailing, which is that yet another employee (and I have never personally met any of the new empoyees) is fed up, and doing their best to help the cats. While this sounds unlikely to the uninitiated, it is not without precedent at The Hermitage.
I know that Ms. Spring reads this blog daily, so I can make my formal request here:
Remove me from all your mailing lists.
1) The Hermitage is suing me to stop this blog.
2) Since I left the Hermitage in September 2007, I have moved, and yet this mailing was sent directly to my new home address. In fact, in documents on file downtown at the Pima County Superior Court, the Hermitage claimed in March that they didn't know where I live, and filed a motion for an alternative method of serving legal papers. There is even an affadavit recorded on March 27, 2009, from (former) board member Dick Blanchard, saying he called my business phone and pretended to be a potential client in order to (unsuccessfully) attempt to obtain my home address.
3) Now, I live at an animal rescue facility, my new address is actually pretty public, and I'm not claiming any violation of privacy that the Hermitage has it. My point is that someone clearly went out of their way, very recently, to add me to a Hermitage database.
The Hermitage has been claiming to donors that they had multiple computer database glitches this fall (see our blog, 2009-05-04: Unmitigated Gall), while simultaneously claiming on their official blog that former employees trashed their computers (the same claims appearing in police reports and later in court motions). I would like to suggest a third possiblity: they are technically incompetent. Based on their fund solicitation to me, they are either so clueless that they added me to something like Donor.SQL instead of PeopleWeAreSuing.SQL; or they sent out their fund solicitation to all their databases, including ones like BannedVolunteers.SQL, FormerBoardMembers.SQL, or StaffWhoseUnemploymentCompensationPaymentsWehave UnsuccessfullyChallenged.SQL, and I was just caught up in that mass mailing.
There is one more possible explanation for why I received this mailing, which is that yet another employee (and I have never personally met any of the new empoyees) is fed up, and doing their best to help the cats. While this sounds unlikely to the uninitiated, it is not without precedent at The Hermitage.
I know that Ms. Spring reads this blog daily, so I can make my formal request here:
Remove me from all your mailing lists.
2009-05-12: Show Me the Money
Category: Hermitage Financials
Posted by: admin
The Hermitage continues to fail to make financial documents readily available to the public in a timely manner, while simultaneously soliciting more funds from that same public. It is now approaching mid-May of 2009, yet the most current financial documents available on their official website are for 2007. And you can forget about seeing any of the the board meeting minutes online ever, because that would mean the quarterly treasurer's report was easily seen.
I'm also wondering whether the Hermitage has finally managed to get it's financial act together enough to actually have an audited tax return this year. That doesn't seem to be too much to ask of an organization with a half-million dollar annual budget.
In past years, the board has required a $5,000 contribution from each board member. It would be interesting to see the Form 990, which lists all donations of $5,000 and more; I'd like to see how much the board members themselves donated to the Hermitage.
I'm also wondering whether the Hermitage has finally managed to get it's financial act together enough to actually have an audited tax return this year. That doesn't seem to be too much to ask of an organization with a half-million dollar annual budget.
In past years, the board has required a $5,000 contribution from each board member. It would be interesting to see the Form 990, which lists all donations of $5,000 and more; I'd like to see how much the board members themselves donated to the Hermitage.
2009-05-08: Another One Bites the Dust
Category: Hermitage Board Resignations
Posted by: admin
The Board members at the Hermitage are coming and going so fast, it's starting to sound like that old Abbott and Costello "Who's on First and What's on Second" comedy sketch. Dick Blanchard joined the board not long after the sad incident on January 23, when eight year-old boys entered the shelter with dogs after hours, killing one cat and injuring others. Mr. Blanchard was present at the unlocked, unalarmed shelter with the Executive Director when the incident happened, and I imagine it was one of them most disturbing things he's ever witnessed. Today he disappeared from the "Who We Are" listing of the board of directors, which is now down to the minimum number of 5. As is their standard practice, there was no public note of thanks to the board member who is leaving, no thank you for coordinating the El Tour, no appreciation for doing the blog postings, or expression of gratitude for all the work on the website. No, there is nothing, just "poof" and his name is gone. I also note that this removal didn't even wait until after the monthly board meeting. Reminds me of the ancient Egyptian pharoahs who would order their rival's names cut out of the carvings on momuments and buildings, in the mistaken belief that if there was no official written record, then the opponent never existed and their deeds were never done.
Since last May, Rachel McCaffrey, Dan Moynihan, Denise Moynihan, Kendra Kent, Dawna Spencer, Judy Showers, Vernon Alexander and Dick Blanchard have all left. That means a board which requires a minimum of 5 people has churned through enough people to chair a second organization, and then some, in less than a year. Two of the departures have come within the past month.
There has been one new addition to the board, Lori Lundberg. I encourage Ms. Lundberg, who I believe is an attorney, to ask lots of questions at the upcoming annual board meeting on the 20th. I think you will be surprised at the hostility with which attempts to do due diligence is met. And Mr. Blanchard, I encourage you to do the right thing, and come forward publicly about what you have observed over the past six months. You'll sleep better.
Since last May, Rachel McCaffrey, Dan Moynihan, Denise Moynihan, Kendra Kent, Dawna Spencer, Judy Showers, Vernon Alexander and Dick Blanchard have all left. That means a board which requires a minimum of 5 people has churned through enough people to chair a second organization, and then some, in less than a year. Two of the departures have come within the past month.
There has been one new addition to the board, Lori Lundberg. I encourage Ms. Lundberg, who I believe is an attorney, to ask lots of questions at the upcoming annual board meeting on the 20th. I think you will be surprised at the hostility with which attempts to do due diligence is met. And Mr. Blanchard, I encourage you to do the right thing, and come forward publicly about what you have observed over the past six months. You'll sleep better.
2009-05-04: Unmitigated Gall
Category: Volunteers and Donors Banned
Posted by: admin
Nick Calkins was a volunteer, sponsor and donor at the Hermitage until he, like many others, was banned from the premises in the spring and summer of 2008. Strangely, that hasn't stopped the Hermitage from continuing to solicit funds from him, however. Below are two letters they sent him this winter, his email response sent directly to the ED's personal email address, and their follow-up. It's a lengthy exchange, but well worth the time to see the pattern which appears.
*********** Hermitage Letter 1 *************
December 5, 2008
Dear Dawn & Nick,
The Hermitage would first like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of our cats and all of our efforts in taking optimal care of the kitties living in the Shelter. We appreciate your sponsorship of Harley until he was adopted out.
There have been some changes in personnel at the shelter this last year along with revamping and improving some of our programs. "Sponsor-a Cat" is one of those programs. In order to bring our computer records accurately up-to-date we are asking that you confirm the name(s) and the cat(s) you sponsor. The wonderful news is that in October and November many of our sponsored cats were adopted! Unfortunately, because of a computer glitch at the same time much of our computer data base was lost. There were notices sent out a month ago assigning new cats to sponsors whose cats had been adopted out. Many of these new assignments were also lost. Please include your current address and telephone number.
It would be an enormous help to us if you would contact us either by telephone - leaving the name of that cat that you sponsor on the message if we are unable to speak directly at (520)571-7839. Sending an email is a great way - hermitagecats@aol.com. Or write us at:
The Hermitage Cat Shelter
PO Box 13508
Tucson, AZ 85732
This would also be an optimal time to update your payments if you haven't already done so and please be specific. Once you confirm the name of the cat you are currently sponsoring, we will be able to send new pictures, keep you posted on their health condition and verify payment information.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best work in maintaining the shelter while caring for and adopting out our lovable cats.
Regards,
Hermitage Staff & Kitties
********** Hermitage Letter 2 ****************************
Dear Dawn and Nick,
The Hermitage Cat Shelter would like to inform you that your sponsored kitty, Harley has recently been adopted, Harley was adopted from The Hermitage by a wonderful family. We assure you that he will be well cared for and happy,
This is part of our mission here at The Hermitage, to find our kitties loving homes.
You may have already received notice of the adoption. The computer system at The Hermitage has recently been updated and we lost some of our data and files, therefore, we are writing in order to be sure you were contacted.
--There is an insert with a cat photo, and a paragraph in bold--Hi, my name is Mumzy, and I came to the shelter some time ago. I have some medical problems which need constant care. The staff takes good care of me here, and I have many people and kitties to play with. Please sponsor me.
If you decide that you would like to sponsor a different cat, or more than one, please let us know. We have other cats who would be thrilled to have you sponsor them.
The staff and cats very much appreciate your support of The Hermitage. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Mumzy
********* Nick's Response ********************
In response to a letter from the Hermitage, dated 05 December 2008 advising me of Harley's adoption and requesting information on any other cats I sponsor, I submit the following:
I am very pleased that Harley now has a home and people to love him; however, I was completely unaware that I was sponsoring Harley. The last cats I sponsored, before I was banned from the Hermitage in June 2008, were Kino, who was euthanized in June, and Wally, who I am informed was adopted in June. I received a letter about Kino's death but not about Wally's adoption.
I would be glad to sponsor Mumzy or another cat in need, provided that I am allowed to visit them. I understand that you do not need volunteers as before, but banning me from visiting the shelter was unduly harsh. I have been advised that you ordered my banishment because of my concurrent association with Casa De Los Gatos. If you were genuinely concerned about cats and their welfare, you should have been approving of my work with them. It is long past time for you to end your silly feud with the Casa organization.
If, in the future, you should change your mind, and allow me to visit The Hermitage, I will consider further donations and/or sponsorships. By the way, between January and June of 2008, I gave Anna Yoshino a total of six hundred dollars ($600) in cash donations. I expect a letter of acknowledgement from The Hermitage for these donations in the very near future. I remind you of this, as my information is that you and The Hermitage board members are grossly ignorant of IRS requirements for non-profit organizations.
Nick Calkins
** Hermitage Response, sent after Nick's email **********
March 2, 2009
Hello from your Hermitage Cat!
We haven't heard from you in a while and worry you've forgotten about the kitties at The Hermitage! Is everything okay? I've begun to think that maybe you don't care about me anymore. I'm doing just fine these days. I live a pretty good life here in the shelter staying in the "village area". I'm still pretty shy but I have friends among the cats.
I just want you to know how much your sponsorship means to me, Because of you I get the food and veterinary care I need each year--don't let me down.
--There is an insert of a photo another cat, labeled "Moses 2009"--
Love and purrs from your friend,
Moses
P.S. Remember, it only costs $20 a month to save the life of a kitty!
===============================================
Nick isn't the only former supporter who has been banned from the premises, but continues to receive donations requests, I'll be printing more this week.
*********** Hermitage Letter 1 *************
December 5, 2008
Dear Dawn & Nick,
The Hermitage would first like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of our cats and all of our efforts in taking optimal care of the kitties living in the Shelter. We appreciate your sponsorship of Harley until he was adopted out.
There have been some changes in personnel at the shelter this last year along with revamping and improving some of our programs. "Sponsor-a Cat" is one of those programs. In order to bring our computer records accurately up-to-date we are asking that you confirm the name(s) and the cat(s) you sponsor. The wonderful news is that in October and November many of our sponsored cats were adopted! Unfortunately, because of a computer glitch at the same time much of our computer data base was lost. There were notices sent out a month ago assigning new cats to sponsors whose cats had been adopted out. Many of these new assignments were also lost. Please include your current address and telephone number.
It would be an enormous help to us if you would contact us either by telephone - leaving the name of that cat that you sponsor on the message if we are unable to speak directly at (520)571-7839. Sending an email is a great way - hermitagecats@aol.com. Or write us at:
The Hermitage Cat Shelter
PO Box 13508
Tucson, AZ 85732
This would also be an optimal time to update your payments if you haven't already done so and please be specific. Once you confirm the name of the cat you are currently sponsoring, we will be able to send new pictures, keep you posted on their health condition and verify payment information.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best work in maintaining the shelter while caring for and adopting out our lovable cats.
Regards,
Hermitage Staff & Kitties
********** Hermitage Letter 2 ****************************
Dear Dawn and Nick,
The Hermitage Cat Shelter would like to inform you that your sponsored kitty, Harley has recently been adopted, Harley was adopted from The Hermitage by a wonderful family. We assure you that he will be well cared for and happy,
This is part of our mission here at The Hermitage, to find our kitties loving homes.
You may have already received notice of the adoption. The computer system at The Hermitage has recently been updated and we lost some of our data and files, therefore, we are writing in order to be sure you were contacted.
--There is an insert with a cat photo, and a paragraph in bold--Hi, my name is Mumzy, and I came to the shelter some time ago. I have some medical problems which need constant care. The staff takes good care of me here, and I have many people and kitties to play with. Please sponsor me.
If you decide that you would like to sponsor a different cat, or more than one, please let us know. We have other cats who would be thrilled to have you sponsor them.
The staff and cats very much appreciate your support of The Hermitage. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Mumzy
********* Nick's Response ********************
In response to a letter from the Hermitage, dated 05 December 2008 advising me of Harley's adoption and requesting information on any other cats I sponsor, I submit the following:
I am very pleased that Harley now has a home and people to love him; however, I was completely unaware that I was sponsoring Harley. The last cats I sponsored, before I was banned from the Hermitage in June 2008, were Kino, who was euthanized in June, and Wally, who I am informed was adopted in June. I received a letter about Kino's death but not about Wally's adoption.
I would be glad to sponsor Mumzy or another cat in need, provided that I am allowed to visit them. I understand that you do not need volunteers as before, but banning me from visiting the shelter was unduly harsh. I have been advised that you ordered my banishment because of my concurrent association with Casa De Los Gatos. If you were genuinely concerned about cats and their welfare, you should have been approving of my work with them. It is long past time for you to end your silly feud with the Casa organization.
If, in the future, you should change your mind, and allow me to visit The Hermitage, I will consider further donations and/or sponsorships. By the way, between January and June of 2008, I gave Anna Yoshino a total of six hundred dollars ($600) in cash donations. I expect a letter of acknowledgement from The Hermitage for these donations in the very near future. I remind you of this, as my information is that you and The Hermitage board members are grossly ignorant of IRS requirements for non-profit organizations.
Nick Calkins
** Hermitage Response, sent after Nick's email **********
March 2, 2009
Hello from your Hermitage Cat!
We haven't heard from you in a while and worry you've forgotten about the kitties at The Hermitage! Is everything okay? I've begun to think that maybe you don't care about me anymore. I'm doing just fine these days. I live a pretty good life here in the shelter staying in the "village area". I'm still pretty shy but I have friends among the cats.
I just want you to know how much your sponsorship means to me, Because of you I get the food and veterinary care I need each year--don't let me down.
--There is an insert of a photo another cat, labeled "Moses 2009"--
Love and purrs from your friend,
Moses
P.S. Remember, it only costs $20 a month to save the life of a kitty!
===============================================
Nick isn't the only former supporter who has been banned from the premises, but continues to receive donations requests, I'll be printing more this week.
2009-05-03: Hermitage MySpace Page
There has been a rather poorly designed Hermitage MySpace page on the internet for quite some time now, soliciting funds thusly:
We are in desperate need of a new shelter. The building is falling apart and it is costing thousands of dollars to fix and the fixes are only temporary. We need to move our kitties (400) out ASAP.
I find it rather galling that when trying to raise monies from the public, they continue to claim 400 cats, when that number is actually in the area of 150.
Since I'm sure they'll pull this, just like they have the link to their official blog, and their employee's personal blog on what happened the evening when the ED didn't lock the shelter and children let dogs in, here's a screen shot that they can't pull.
Update: As soon as this blog posting went up, they redesigned their site. It's now more visually attractive, but the information is just a rehash of the Who We Are page and the old ED's welcome, nothing new there.
We are in desperate need of a new shelter. The building is falling apart and it is costing thousands of dollars to fix and the fixes are only temporary. We need to move our kitties (400) out ASAP.
I find it rather galling that when trying to raise monies from the public, they continue to claim 400 cats, when that number is actually in the area of 150.
Since I'm sure they'll pull this, just like they have the link to their official blog, and their employee's personal blog on what happened the evening when the ED didn't lock the shelter and children let dogs in, here's a screen shot that they can't pull.
Update: As soon as this blog posting went up, they redesigned their site. It's now more visually attractive, but the information is just a rehash of the Who We Are page and the old ED's welcome, nothing new there.
