Friday, January 8, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Beyond A Buddy Foundation Board of Directors

E-Mail: contact@beyondabuddy.org

BEYOND A BUDDY FOUNDATION STATEMENT ON RECENT ALLEGATIONS

Earlier this week, there were a series of allegations brought against this organization, its Board and Staff. Following a review of all the information and after speaking to the alleging party multiple times, we have determined they are false. 

The alleging party posted to Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor stating that this organization intentionally misled them in an effort to have them release custody of a foster dog in their care. The facts of the matter are that this individual has actually cared for two of our foster dogs, the first being a puppy named Nala. Shortly after placing this puppy with this individual, Nala was bitten by an aggressive dog that was far bigger and older during a backyard “playdate”. While the individual did contact us immediately about this incident, we were amazed to hear that blood was drawn. After we had the dog examined and looked over at a local pet hospital, we determined that this was likely a one time error on the part of a first time foster. In fairness the individual did express remorse over the issue and was very forthcoming with information about the other dog and their owner. We were assured by the individual that they would follow our instructions to the letter and that there would not be any further issue. 

Sadly, this was not the case because not more than a week after Nala was bitten, our team got another call from the foster, where Nala was coughing heavily and hacking up mucus. On the advice of our staff, we told the foster to bring Nala back to the vet for an exam and she was given antibiotics, she was diagnosed with Kennel Cough. When her cough did not improve, we had Nala sent to a specialty pet hospital where she was given IV medication and told to continue the course of antibiotics from the prior appointment. After several discussions with the individual they had finally admitted they had been “too social” with this young puppy by taking her to restaurants, dogs parks and other outdoor areas. We explained clearly that this was not acceptable under our rules and policies for caring for a young puppy and the decision was made internally to remove this puppy from the care of this individual and we did just that. Later placing an older dog with them to foster as it was clear they still wanted to be active in the program. Nala was then placed with a trusted foster and is now happy and healthy. 

Winnie was the next trainee to be placed with this foster and everything seemed to be progressing in a positive direction. Aside from the consistent harassment of our Board and Staff over reimbursement for voluntary expenses and the expenses for the vet visits following Nala being bitten and then getting Kennel Cough. Winnie continued to show improvement and our team was in constant communication with the foster regarding the expenses she would be reimbursed for.

Then on Jan. 5th, our trainer contacted the foster about collecting Winnie for training the following day, to which their response stated they would be retaining possession of Winnie until they were reimbursed for expenses and had their deposit returned. After our staff explained that they could not retain possession of Winnie, since on Jan. 6 the dog was going to be placed with her permanent handler for the final two phases of training, they insisted that the dog would not be returned until their demands were met. Our staff continued to explain that this was in clear violation of the foster contract (example below) which they had agreed to prior to having a dog placed with them. This information further infuriated this individual and caused them to state via email to some of our Board Members that our staff had threatened them stating “a scary person is going to come to knock on my door to take the dog forcefully tomorrow morning.”, which was something that was not said by anyone affiliated with this organization. This of course prompted our Board Members to contact the individual where it was further explained that they were unhappy with their treatment. Upon review of this information the judgement call was made by our leadership to deliver a check to the individual for the total of the claimed expenses and their deposit. We were not going to allow this individual to hold one of our dogs hostage, when our foster contract clearly states that the deposit will be returned pending a physical exam of the dog and will be returned in full if there are no issues deemed to be at the fault of the foster. 

On Jan. 6 at 2:30pm, our Executive Director and Trainer arrived at the individual’s home to collect Winnie for training and they delivered the check to the individual. Upon further discussion and review it was discovered that Winnie did not undergo a physical examination prior to the deposit being returned, in clear breach of the terms and conditions of the foster contract. At 2:44pm the individual was informed that a stop payment was placed on the check they were given and that reimbursement for expenses would be delivered later in the week. While the deposit would be returned after completion of a physical examination, administered by a Veterinarian was completed and so long as there was no issue or problem detected, their deposit would be returned in full. This physical examination is scheduled for next week, where we expect there to be no problem and after seeing the results we will issue this individual their full deposit and reimbursement for expenses incurred. 

This was not acceptable to the individual and they sent threats of legal action, contacting the media and regulatory agencies. Several of our Board Members and staff reached out via phone and email to the individual where they continued to explain how poorly they were supposedly treated by members of the organization. We attempted to resolve this matter in accordance with our foster contract and in a civil manner, but this individual did not want to work with us. 

We are fully prepared for any and all questions or concerns relating to this incident and it has been an excellent lesson for which we are learning from as we continue to move forward. While we are a small organization, we continue to make a difference in the lives of persons affected by mental health related challenges. If you have questions or concerns about this matter please feel free to contact us. 

###