Former Employee speaks out

45,500 people have now signed this petition. Please continue to share it to spread awareness of the horror occurring at Brother Wolf in Asheville, NC.

It is unfathomable how anyone can continue to be an employee at Brother Wolf. Unemployment is at historically low levels in Asheville and there are plenty of jobs available. If any of your friends continue to work there, please encourage them to leave and to work somewhere more compassionate. Many employees have left or been fired for standing up to Executive Director Leah Craig Fieser and her move from a ‘low-kill’ animal rescue to a ‘high-kill’ pet store focused on high inventory turnover.

Leah has killed at least two dozen healthy dogs and we will not stop the pressure on her until she is arrested or removed. We know she is feeling great financial pressure as her donations are drying up. If you are aware of any financial crime being committed (such as misappropriation of funds) or a crime involved in the killing of the dogs please contact Buncombe County District attorney Todd Williams here:

http://www.ncdistrictattorney.org/28/contactus.html

Here is the story of one former employee who is standing up to Leah. Please share this e-mail with your friends:

Angelica A. Thompson

January 19 at 4:42 PM

How we got here, The Bigger Picture /OPINION

Dear Asheville Citizen Times,

Since you have posted the OPINION of Leah Craig Fieser and Jesse Winters, I was wondering if you could also publish the backstory of how BWAR got to where they are today. I would think that you would want our community to have the other important details, since you are allowing opinions to be published, many feel that people could come to their own informed opinions’ if allowed to share other details of this ongoing situation.

I was hired at the very beginning of the kickoff for the BWAR sanctuary that was to become the new Best Friends version of the east coast. This gorgeous piece of property was DONATED to them along with a few cows. To my knowledge this property was donated and to be used for a rescue/sanctuary and those were actually real terms and conditions to receiving the property. You should highlight this point now, because part truths have been told on this situation. This land was not intended to be sold or to go to any type of land development for condos or for any other development purpose’s it was supposed to be used for a sanctuary.

As months went along fundraising went full speed ahead for the sanctuary, our former CEO pushed the vegan campaign, this did not set well with some of the community, but some it did. A team of folks were hired on just for this vegan /sanctuary campaign and paid significantly a lot more than the staff that worked at the shelter with our animals. A west coast person was even hired to bring in funds for us, the events person for the vegan campaign and others would travel all over the US doing events to bring in funds. I started to see a huge division in staff, as not everyone followed the vegan diet and the salary pay differences were starting to be discussed amongst the staff at how much of a higher rate they were being paid causing bad feelings.

Fast forward down the road. The dates of when the sanctuary would be completed KEPT CHANGING. I had been hired as the Offsite Adoption Manager to oversee the adoption center at Petco and later on PetSmart as well. I then also took on the position of Events Manager. I had spent weekend after weekend taking a few dogs around the community, setting up tables and telling people to give to this sanctuary cause. I showed the plans of the Learning Center that would be built there, the guest cabins , showed them the dog park, hiking trails, the cat building with the outdoor catio and the huge medical center where we were going to save thousands of dollars by not having to outsource a vet. This would be the first building set out there on the property we were told so we could start cutting down medical costs. I worked with many people in the community that had personally wanted to help see this built. Our harder dog residents would have a better place to decompress and our cats could enjoy the sunshine and it would all help with adoptions.

The question that kept being asked was, when is this going to be finished. People started to be skeptical as it was taking a long time and each time, they went out to the sanctuary it did not look like anything had progressed. I myself after a staff vegan barbecue event held there, could see why people were being skeptical as it had already been a year into the project and nothing looked done, there were several pigs in a fenced area and a few cows on top of the hill. Nothing looked like it had been touched. I asked questions, I was told the buildings would be put in storage at Deltec. I was told $50K went to just having a person come out and draw up the plans and money was spent to have the road graded. I was told that their had been miscommunication-that it was just taking longer than they originally thought, but that it was going to happen.
Then one day, the announcement was made the ED Paul Berry was let go along with his wife and one other staff that focused on the sanctuary campaign. I did not ask why and to this day do not know why.

The snowball effect began after this however, as it was not long after that the CEO decided to leave to pursue her vegan agenda. The new ED Leah who was at BWAR previously doing events and she had been laid off and used as a sub-contractor for the big fundraising events like Drag Queen Bingo and BWAR vegan fest and myself as the adoption events manager I worked with her so knew very little of her, but now she suddenly had our former CEO’s blessing to step up and take over BWAR. The former CEO sent an email stating Leah had her full support. Many were shocked and questioned it because she did not have any shelter manager experience. We were ensured however she could pull BWAR out of a financial mess. Little did we know then that this would include euthanizing all of our long stay resident dogs and the method that would take place to make this a profitable business again.

When the new Executive Director took over, the new thing stressed to us as staff was an apology to us that our dream of this sanctuary that we have spent years collecting money for, was now not going to happen. Not only that, but we also now were in a 1-million-dollar deficit and in a huge financial crisis.

Several of us wondered if this would be the end of BWAR then, several started looking for other jobs and left the organization. Another extremely valid point here is STAFF TURNOVER, because this also AFFECTED the animals. New employees began to trickle in, they did not know the animals, did not know the adoption processes, newer staff were training new staff, handling mistakes were being made with the dogs and their behavior plans, we lost fosters and volunteers that had donated to the sanctuary cause and it began to affect every single department at the rescue. It felt like a sinking ship and the staff morale was horrible.

So now the plan was laid out to us, how we could save BWAR and that was NOW to be “ transparent “ to the community, hope for forgiveness that all the thousands of dollars given to the sanctuary was spent, the project’s cost was over projected and not going to happen. The plan was to sell this property for $600K to $680K were numbers tossed out to our staff while crammed like sardines in a small room at Lenoir Rhyme University for a meeting. Then our director of sales spoke to us to explain we were going to also “restructure” our look. The old BWAR look, the original red color was too aggressive, we were now changing to mustard yellows, greens and browns. We were taking out the Un compromised compassion off all of our marketing as that was to be part of the sanctuary logos only. The new BWAR would begin, we would host some very moderated community forums so they could answer questions previewed by a moderator..

Now as I sat there in this meeting my mind was wheeling with so many questions. I worked with many people in the community that had personally donated to help see this sanctuary built and I knew right off the bat; this would not go over well for some. I also wondered why we are talking about merchandise and buying all these new colored t shirts and propaganda when you just told us we were a million dollars in the hole! I could not understand how she thought she could manipulate an entire community that we just had a big old OOPSY on this oversight and all this money was GONE. I also thought the sanctuary property-when donated to us had the terms that it could only be used for animals, how were we going to find another rescue that could afford this costly venture ,but maybe I was wrong , just a rumor I suppose. Or is it?

We were allowed to ask questions at the meeting, I am a question person. My first question was, would we be sued for misappropriation of funds. I had come from rescue work and nonprofit background, so I knew this was a real possibility as this was not the first time in non-profits, that I had seen funds mismanaged. I was told no, that the new ED had reached out to the donors and everybody was all good. Wow, I thought how generous of them. I left the meeting like many others did that night feeling that NONE of this was good. Many of us still confused was this just a project that was too costly and the money ran out, if so there was still nothing out at the sanctuary, no buildings, nothing, but even so how did we get into the million dollar deficit on top of all those funds being gone.

Over the next few weeks, it felt like everyone was getting fired. The Director of Development was let go, The Marketing Manager was let go (to note may not be official title but she assisted with marketing and even though I know names I am choosing not to use them) then the Donations Manager let go the Administrative Secretary that handled payroll and bookkeeping, our Grants writer. The Rapid Response would not continue the one thing that set BWAR aside from many other rescues..It was all mind blowing and felt like a sinking ship.

Now at the animal center people on our medical team let go, kennel staff hours were cut back, front desk hours were cut back. People that were full time like me were cut back to part time and the offsite adoptions program would be eliminated. We would pull out our animals from both offsite adoption locations and only do two events a month there. Once all this began, staff were leaving also as you’re not paid well in rescue but on top of this to have part time hours many could not even pay bills.

I personally picked up hours from all the positions that people left. Our behavioral manager left, our volunteer manager left, our foster manager left all within months of each other. So many of us started working different positions picking up hours where we could. As if that was not enough change, now my events job would change as well. The new ED immediately shared that we were BWAR we didn’t need to beat the bushes with little adoption events anymore, we would do one or two a month as she felt our focus needed to only be on the larger fundraising events. That we really do not adopt out a lot of animals at events, that it was more about keeping our face out in the community. I agree and disagree as I have seen dogs like Lucy a 3-year resident at BWAR that was overlooked at the shelter but get adopted out at our Sunshine Chevrolet Adoption event. Also, a lot of people do not like to go to the shelter as they feel sad for the animals there and events give them a good opportunity to adopt without seeing all that.

Everything I had done for two years, all the hard work , endless hours now done now all being micromanaged by the director of sales . I was shown a total lack of disrespect and I started looking for new employment as well.
It is important for me to note, I actually left on good terms with a 4 week notice , I did not sign an NDA and had fully planned on coming back to volunteer after getting settled into my new job.

I had not come out to say anything about all the on goings, until I received a phone call that one of the dogs, I had grown really close to Marcella, a long stay dog was sent to be euthanized for biting the adopter’s kid that was sleeping with her. I was shocked as there should have been a 10-day bite hold that had always been the procedure but yet they were immediately euthanizing her and I would have taken her even with my other dog and my son at home because her personality was not of a vicious nature. I would have been willing to manage it somehow. Jess Winters I was told the person now under Leah since the other shelter director had left made the call to put her down. I also saw a post on social media where Leah stated Marcella has several bites to people, which this was just absolutely not true. I knew Marcella’s background had been that she did not get along with other dogs, but she loved people. I immediately felt the kid must had rolled over on her startling her, as it just would not be like her to attack for no reason. I had taken her to the Asheville Christmas parade in a muzzle due to the other dogs, you could hold her, kiss her she was a small dog. I will never forget the moment when a mom stopped me at the parade and asked if I minded if she allowed her child to pet Marcella as she wanted to educate the community that muzzles were a good thing. Marcella did have a bite on her record from another county, but she had always been managed. I was in total shock. BWAR had always taken the dog back, placed on a bite hold and tried to adopt again.

I was still feeling sad about Marcella when a few weeks later I heard about the decision to euthanize two more Rhubard and Ferguson. I read a post on Facebook where a scared cat that was never feral would be released outside BWAR in the feral cat area. This cat had not been a feral cat . When volunteers and staff expressed concerns on the decision, they were asked not to come back or let go. Now being that I helped with the volunteer side of things while they hired a new vol manager (to note this manager also left after only a few months) I know one thing for sure, rescues need good volunteers, the first few volunteers that were asked not to come back until they could get their attitudes on board, were long stay volunteers that religiously showed up for these animals on a weekly sometimes daily basis.

When I tell you that the reason, I speak out now in disagreement it is because they failed these dogs. This is extremely hard for me because I absolutely loved BWAR, I learned a lot and made some good friends and its heart wrenching for me to watch all this as two people and others before them have destroyed what used to be a really tight pack of wolves that would go out into a parking lot to save tadpoles in a puddle. Staff that would show up at 3 am to help with the rapid response team bringing animals back from flooding. This has now all been destroyed because some of us feel very compassionate about what has happened. There are also still staff there that I will always care about. I just feel very strongly this was so wrong and did not have to be this way.

It is not about no kill, it is not about warehousing, because as you saw, they strategically waited until 2020 to euthanize 6 at one time to try and stay within the No Kill ratio 2019. Stop comparing apples to oranges also, county shelters get funding. Rescues like BWAR are at the mercy of their donations and if you can still donate after all this, then go ahead. This all stems from mis managing of funds, a board of directors who looked the other way.

In my OPINION it is about there was a plan put in place for these dogs, that did not happen, the staff and vols worked so hard to gain their trust and help them, loved them and wanted them to live so many of them joined together when they heard the dogs would be euthanized and worked endlessly to find good trained people and even a sanctuary to take them but BWAR said no way. The dogs had made huge progress. Watch the videos of them before you say, it's fine because they are within no kill percentage so just kill them. Stop saying “these dogs behaviors would always be unpredictable” yes, yes they will, because ALL ANIMALS ARE unpredictable THEY ARE ANIMALS. With hours cut back due to financial problems and there is no way they were able to give the dogs the time for rehabilitation needed, with the volunteers that worked with them asked not to come back, some dogs declined, as it was all staff could do to clean runs , and help with adopters. No one wants animals to be warehoused, no one actually wants animals to even have to live at a shelter, but when you originally pride yourself as a nonprofit rescue that does not cherry pick from shelters and you take in the harder dogs to help them, promise them homes and then people get greedy and mis manage the funds that people in the community trust you with so you have now change the entire mission statement to now become a boutique style rescue to become more profitable and promote a campaign on using all your resources for easier adoptable dogs. This was all about the financial crisis, this snowball effect started there from that sanctuary vision, and THOSE DOGS WERE NOT MURDERED, THEY WERE SACRIFICED, ,SACRIFICED so that you could save this business. Rescues around the United States operate on less funds than BWAR did. The truth always comes out