# Horse rescue FRAUD -rant-



## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

WEll.. I used to vollenteer at this rescue. After being there a year and a half, I realized what shes all about. basically shed post adds on craigslist,facebook, equine sites begging for "donations", fences, Tack,building supplies have donation jars everywhere , and use the money to pay for things like her water bill, HER draft horses feed, and beg for vollenteers to care for HER horses. The horses she adopted out For CHEAP were used to buy her horses feed.ect, and she never worked with them. (i did) and when they went to homes she never did a homecheck first. not to mention she bred horses, cats, chickens whatever could reproduce.. and still to this day contuines to post adds begging for supplies... She gave me a horse for my silence.. But im TIRED of seeing THOSE ads.. She claims shes for the animals but in reality shes a money hungry B that has no intrest trying to operate a rescue.. She doesnt EVEN RIDE or know how to work with them... She asks for hay donations and donations to feed and this and that and 80% of the horses there ARENT rescues! UGH. Should I report this to the cops or let it be? is this illegal? I know its an odd question.. but the way she makes it come off its not but it doesnt seem right, She was trying to give my horse at the time it was the rescues to a farrier horse trader for trimmings and hes a hot headed arabian who bucks 50% of the time like a bronco but is perfect the other 50% So she has no intrest in the well being of the horse. I asked for him she said no then I talked to the previous owners and told them im perfect for him and they convinced her to let him be mine..


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## OliviaMyee (Jul 31, 2012)

Tell the police ! It is every ones duty to report criminal activity, and its obvious this lady is a fraud ! You know what to do, just do it.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Is she a proper rescue, a 501c3 or just someone who claims to be? That would make the difference in whether her actions are criminal or not.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

I wonder if it's the same rescue down the street from me doing the same thing... -.-'

I run a rescue, well more of a sanctuary, and to be honest it infuriates me to see people like that. Our rescue is a small, local place, we started with the hope of rehabbing and rehoming, we have a few 'permanent fosters' out in the world, but the majority of the horses we ended up with are 'lifers'. They are at the end of their line and for one reason or another can't be rehomed (from unsound, to blind, to neurological). In any other situation they would have been euthanized, but here we let them 'live it out'. We rely on public donations, grants, and volunteer help. But our horses appreciate it all. The woman who runs it all is 63 years old! She is there every day without fail, cleaning all the stalls, turning in and out all the horses, feed, water, fixing things around the barn. I'm there multiple times a week, I used to go every day until I realized I really needed a paying job too xD Both of us are full time volunteers, neither gets paid, we live off our own income, the horses off the donations. We have phases throughout the year of volunteers, kids and adults, some stay - some go. We're kinda run down, but the horses are happy, healthy (to the best of their ability) and safe. 

There are people around who claim to be rescues, lesson barns who dub their retired horses 'rescues' in order to get money to support them. There are 'rescues' who are actually more like horse traders, going to auctions and buying horses cheap, sending them to fosters who train them all nice and sell the horses for top dollar. Ever know a rescue horse to sell for $20,000? I know one -.-''. I was infuriated by people like this for a very long time. People who trade horses under the label of 'rescue' so people can feel righteous about buying the horse and tell all their buddies 'my horse is a rescue'. 
But then one day it clicked with me. While these people may be scammers, they may be bleeding money out of people, or not really caring about the horses, but whether intentionally or not the horses _are_ getting a second chance. Horses are being taken from auctions and given another shot at finding a home. Horses who would have been euthanized or auctioned when lesson programs can no longer use them can now be supported and allowed to live out their retirement. Whether the intentions are right or not, the horses are being helped. And while it's hard for me to bite my tongue and not yell at people who are 'using the system', the horses are being given another chance and that makes me tolerate this.

I'm assuming you're in the US, I'm not sure the laws in all the states, but I believe you need to have 501c3 status to legally fundraise. Most actual rescues have it, if this woman has it and you care deeply enough you ought to see about challenging her status, especially if she's supporting non-rescues with that money.
There's a new law I _heard_ about, I don't know all the details. But it specifies that horses can only be officially classified as 'rescues' if rescued within the state or maybe country? But it's to force people to 'act locally' rather than buying up the nicest horse from another country and calling it a 'rescue'. Being as there's no clear guidelines as to what makes a horse a rescue it's tough to enforce any laws. 
Some people may only call a crippled or diseased horse with a sob story an 'actual' rescue, while others may say 'any horse headed to slaughter', while others may say 'any horse no one else wants'. It's hard to say, but if she's operating outside of the law I hope you do something, people like that are what ruin it for actual rescues.

*steps off her soap box* ^^' sorry


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

no! she claims to have that but they don't shes trying to do it but got denied... I think. I dont know the laws or anything, wish I did.. basically shes using the rescue to support her personal horses she has 2 rescues/ out of 16 horses two of them are boarders..


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

That is so infuriating!

I know of one that, while completely legal, is nothing but a tax shelter for several wealthy people. They also like skimming from the grant money they get by having college students to their places for various, minimally useful activities.

I'm not usually in favor of more government regulation, but the only rescues I've seen (less than 10) have all been either like the OP's example or the one I mentioned.

Thieves.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

pyrokat555 said:


> no! she claims to have that but they don't shes trying to do it but got denied... I think. I dont know the laws or anything, wish I did.. basically shes using the rescue to support her personal horses she has 2 rescues/ out of 16 horses two of them are boarders..


Then she's not actually a rescue. There are very few rules governing how she runs her business then. If she were a 501c3, it would be easy to go after her - as she is not, then it's not that simple.


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

But how about the donation jars? and begging for money everywhere? thats not illegal?


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

too bad I cant post her website link on here I just dont want the drama


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

*"_______________ Horse Rescue" *


We are funded solely by ***** and adoption fees, and we ask for your support by*****http://www.luckyduckhorserescue.org/#, volunteering, adopting or simply by spreading the word about our effort. We work cooperatively with our local sheriff's office and other rescue organizations by providing or trying to locate safe haven for abandoned, neglected and abused animals. We hope you enjoy looking through our photo gallery and reading about our mission (and passion).



*________________ Notes:*

*-__________is ALWAYS in need of hay* if you have horse quality hay or can help purchase some please let us know. If you wish to purchase hay directly please contact __________ at _______Tell ___ it is a donation to _____________! Or you can donate directly through our website.
shes in the shoppers,craigslist,FB everywhere I look.
Why can she claim rescue and not be one?


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## Samstead (Dec 13, 2011)

Some people are just low. Sounds to me like she's greedy and entitled and needs a smack upside her head.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I am not familiar with Texas law, so I just had a quick google search. It would appear that she can ask for donations if it is bringing in less than $5k a year, which I imagine it would be. 

*14. Does a small organization really need to apply?*

Tax law does not require a 501(c)(3) application when an organization normally has gross receipts less than $5,000 per year. A small organization may want to apply anyway to save donors possible inconvenience in an audit, to be able to apply for grants, or to obtain a bulk mailing permit. An organization which no longer qualifies for this low gross receipts exception must submit its application to the IRS within 90 days of the end of the year in which average gross receipts exceed $5,000.


501c3 Advice | Nonprofit & Tax Exempt Status Law FAQ


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

pretty sure shes making more then 450 a month in donations.. But Im not sure if I want to get into it.. I got my horse out of it and hes happy and in responible hands.. karma will catch up to her


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Get acquainted with a local paper or TV station reporter. 'Suggest' that they look into it and do a story on how people are giving money in good faith and are being used. Public exposure does more good than anything.

I'm sorry, but I have just not seen very many well run 'rescues'. I think about all of them rescue the wrong horses and waste money in the wrong places and line their pockets. 

I just about grind the enamel off of my teeth when I see those sad-eyed puppies on the HSUS ads when I know that less than 1/2 of 1% [.5%] of their budget actually goes to animal care and rescue. The rest goes for outrageous salaries, exorbitant life-time pensions, ads, lobbying for more restrictive laws and fund raising for more money donations. That is about par for the course.

So, this 'rescue' probably spends more of their donations on animal care than the HSUS does.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Going to play devil's advocate here, so some ofof y'all may have a screaming fit.

It's not illegal to beg for money. If it was, panhandlers would all be in jail. If people are so stupid to throw money at this woman without requiring any accountability of where it goes, then that's on them.

If she's claiming to be a 501(c)3 and in fact is not, that can get her in trouble. However, if she's saying no such thing and people still give her money to support her personal hobby, they're stupid.

If I'm giving to a charity, I expect to be able to see their financial statements. If they're a legal 501(c)3, their records are supposed to be available to their supporters.

So OP, what you have here is nothing more than a hoarder who has conned other people into giving her money. It's skeevy and underhanded, but if people aren't willing to do their due diligence, that's their own fault. I'm as emotional as anyone when it comes to animals, but I'm smart enough to not just blindly throw money at someone because they have a sob story.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

The first lesson in life-Life is Unfair! As stated-you've got the horse, you're willing to let karma deal w/her. It's sad so much of this is going on.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Well, it's not like the OP's hands are exactly clean, either. She was willing to go along with the program until she got the horse, and is only now outraged. I don't really think she has the moral high ground here.

So if karma's going to 'get' the faux rescuer, I'm sure it must have a little something in store for the OP as well.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Well in the US right now our government wants all the taxes they can get and I can guarantee she is not reporting some or all of this income. So my first stop would be to file a complaint with the IRS. They have an easy way to do it and encourage it. An audit could easily shut her down.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Yes, the IRS is relentless.


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## Gypsybell (Sep 28, 2012)

I don't know that reporting to the IRS would be my first choice. Donations, tax deductible or not, are considered a gift, so they wouldn't be taxable income. If she is running the rescue like a business, then the animals she "re-homes" for a fee should be considered income, but any of her out of pocket expenses could be used to offset that. 

Yes, she sounds like a poorly run rescue. There are many of them out there. Some are strong on horse sense, and weak on business sense, and some just have no sense at all. 
Any time someone chooses to give of themselves - time talent or resources, it would be smart to know where their gift is going, and what it is going to be used for. Anyone can ask for donations, so it is basically buyer beware. 

My personal pet peve is the phone calls asking for donations to support my "local" police and or fire department. These professional fund raisers only give about 5% of what they raise to the charities they claim to support. It is considered legal though, because they declare what they are doing.

Eventually, people like this run out of gullible victims to get funds from.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Unless the donations were in the form of a check or an easily traceable online type of donation, there's no way the IRS can ding her for under reporting. Cash is untraceable, and if she's not a 501(c)3, no receipts were given to anyone.

Really now, people. Why do you think so many folks work as hourly, tipped employees? As long as they claim enough of a percentage to be believable, the IRS isn't going to question them.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Rescues often sell horses otherwise the number would become unmanageable. Rescue is also about rehomeing. Rehoming isn't always about someone riding the horse. Some people just love to look at them and be around them and are willing to foot the bills and care for the animal.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

If she deposited the money or they can find assets worth way more than she reports she makes in a year they can easily find ways to find that income. It's scary when you know what they can find and do to be able to find your money. Of course that is all if they estimate they make more than it will cost them. 

Unless you send the state after them. State taxing agencies report to no one so they govern themselves and change the rules as they go and it's completely legal.

It's free to file a complaint. Also people can only receive so much as a gift before it's considered income. It could be considered a hobby at which point you must report income but can only deduct expenses to the point of income so you cannot generate a loss as a hobby.


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## pyrokat555 (Sep 22, 2011)

_Its really too hard to prove and i doubt anyone would go through with everything. I just think all the money could go to a more deserving rescue. I first got outradged when she tried to TRADE a horse to a horse trader for her draft horses to be trimmed... I stayed in there so long for the horses I loved like they were mine and I was the only one working with them, and they got attached to me too. (mainly the drafts) took a while for everything to add up and the lady had an excuse for everything in the book.. Then later when it got down to just three rescues and 12 of her own and 2 horses she gets paid to board I knew something was fishy. And now that I got my horse I quit going there,talking her her.. I know theres only two rescues there and to this day .. "I need hay" I need money" "I need feed"in the shopper,the news paper, craiglist, Fb, flyers and donation jars at the feed store TSC, tack store" Its just irritating me, and Im not the only person whos found a probelm with her, I see people saying things and her and her boarder and her daughter go on there yaking and it starts a Facebook war. Shes rasied money for a horse that needs surgrey (which was never done), shes even had the Girl scouts rasie money for her._


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Craigslist is free to post. When you see her ads, flag them an post warnings to other readers. You will likely be flagged too. It is annoying, but you can just repost. Make sure you don't post an email address, and don't write anything that will tie you directly to the lady. "On the Internet no one knows you are a horse-lime." She needs to never think that you are the one that posted it. Also, if she calls you up and asks about it, deny deny deny. Be shocked anyone would do such a thing and end the conversation.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Facebook, you can alert mods and page admins. Local stores you can alert management. If you see a flyer, you can take it down. Start a quiet campaign to alert everyone who has been duped by her. Maybe post on that vile site Topix. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

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