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Dear Editors:
Pasado’s Safe Haven, as of today, has received two identical certified letters from your reporter
requesting interviews for the story published in your paper regarding “money we raised” during the
Lewis County floods. The letters indicated we haven’t responded to his requests for an interview.
For the record, Pasado’s responded via e-mail, last week. We requested questions be submitted in writing
as is routinely done with many local, regional and national news organizations to avoid misunderstandings
and ensure accuracy.
While many news organizations and reporters will submit written questions, and accept written responses
to ensure accuracy, your reporter refused.
Why Pasado’s Safe Haven insisted on providing answers in writing:
- The reporter compiled his first two stories based on a contested divorce where one party was seeking
50 percent of a Pasado asset after leaving the marriage, personal pets, and this amazing organization.
(Pasado’s prevailed as it should have.) Sources for the stories included disgruntled former employees
(some involved in potential criminal trespass and impersonating a manager with veterinarians to further
a fringe agenda); individuals issued cease and desist orders at the request of Pasado’s board, and an
individual issued a permanent restraining order and no trespass order by a Snohomish County judge. These
sources have sought out any individual or entity that has had an axe to grind with Pasado’s founder, or
Pasado’s Safe Haven, including other animal shelters that lost substantial donations to Pasado’s Safe Haven
(such as large parcels of land).
- The reporter conveniently omitted critical information that would have told a complete and balanced
story; chose to ignore some of our answers entirely or failed to provide us with an opportunity to respond
to some of the allegations he included in his coverage. It was apparent that his slanted selection of
information to include in earlier coverage would again insinuate that Pasado’s Safe Haven is somehow engaged
in improper behavior.
We stood behind our statements by placing answers in writing. We trusted this information would be used in
good faith. Imagine how our statements could be spun if only given orally to your reporter.
Your readers have not been provided the truth about your reporter’s contact with Pasado’s Safe Haven
- The latest letter from your reporter indicates “…there is no easy way for a reporter to simply show up
at your doorstep and attempt to answer these questions…” .
- This is another falsehood purporting that Pasado’s Safe Haven has denied access to your reporter.
- In fact, your earlier story conveniently failed to report to your readers that our founder asked
your reporter to come out to see her the same day he called: no delays, no time to edit, remove or
delete records or hide the condition of the animals.
- Your reporter declined ("too late in the day” as it was 4:00 p.m.).
- Later your reporter would admit in writing that it was our founder who "insisted (he) come out in
person." Yet the published story made note that interviewing her "was a challenge."
When the meeting with your reporter occurred the next morning, we made sure Board notes, financials,
and other documents we were not required by law to produce, were ready. He did not review or copy
any of these factual documents.
- Further, in a show of complete transparency, Pasado’s Safe Haven provided approximately 60 pages of
documents in response to your reporter’s inquiries. Yet, to readers of your story, even this transparent
offer of records was made to appear unseemly.
- Our accountant was present and ready to be interviewed about our finances. Your reporter never spoke to him.
- You still haven’t attempted to contact our accountant, who knows our books inside and out; or the board’s
CPAs who voted on issues on which the coverage focused.
- Today’s article regarding fundraising for the Lewis County floods never mentions this.
Full financial and veterinary audits offered by Pasado’s Safe Haven
- The day of publication of your first stories, the PSH Board of Directors publicly offered your newspaper the
opportunity to conduct a full financial and veterinary audit.
- This offer was posted by Pasado’s Board of Directors on your story blog for all to see. This offer required
audits be conducted by an independent third party and be paid for by your newspaper (our donors should not have
to cover such an expense).
- It has been twelve days since our offer to audit; Pasado’s Safe Haven has received no response.
Despite records and credible sources we offered openly to you, we received reports from individuals
and companies Pasado’s has engaged in business with for 11 years. They reported that your reporter
called them and asked them to guess at financial data or donations related to the Lewis County floods
off the top of their heads dating back to December 2007 or January 2008.
But once again, inaccurate and unsubstantiated information was used to set a tone of scandal in your coverage.
Having offered complete transparency, and being refused the ability to receive and answer questions in writing
to avoid just this kind of coverage, we believe our long-term volunteers and supporters would now have us use our
time more productively caring for the animals.
Our priorities are and will remain caring for the animals and ensuring that we have the financial resources,
caring donors, committed volunteers, dedicated staff and necessary facilities to continue fulfilling this mission
for the long-term. We have been doing this successfully since our organization was founded the day after Pasado
the donkey was killed in 1992 – and since 1998 when the sanctuary rescued its first animal.
None of the long-term volunteers who have seen this miracle rise from nothing – those who still come after seven,
eight, nine, 10 or 11 years, were interviewed for your stories. Finally, your readers should be made aware of an
important omission: Pasado’s Safe Haven has been rated a 4-star charity (the highest rating) by Charity Navigator,
America's premier independent evaluator of charities, for five consecutive years.
Respectfully,
The Pasado’s Safe Haven’s Board of Directors
______________________________________________________________________________________
Saturday May 23, 2009
- A Message to our Supporters
Pasado’s Safe Haven has recently been targeted by a small group of individuals who are spreading rumors
and misinformation about our organization, our founder and the programs we provide. Rest assured that we
will not tolerate unfounded allegations that seek to destroy all the good this organization has achieved,
nor will Pasado’s allow these attacks to distract us from our Mission.
Pasado’s Safe Haven will defend itself and take appropriate action against the parties and entities
that have engaged in a smear campaign against an organization with a decade-plus record of accomplishment for the animals:
- A 4-star charity rating by Charity Navigator, the nation’s premiere independent evaluators of charities, for five consecutive years
- The authoring and passage of record animal cruelty bills
- Prosecutions and convictions or felony guilty pleas of animal cruelty perpetrators based on Pasado’s Safe Haven’s cruelty investigations
- Tens of thousands of free or low-cost pet sterilizations provided to pets of the low-income in an effort to end pet overpopulation
- Disaster Aid involving the rescue of 1,200 animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the evacuation of 300 New Orleans shelter animals in direct path of Hurricane Gustav in 2008, and countless other animal rescues.
On behalf of our dedicated staff, long-term volunteers and supporters, and in the name of
Pasado the donkey, Pasado’s Safe Haven will continue to work tirelessly, in the most
efficient manner possible, and will use its time solely for the animals in our care
and those who will need our future assistance.
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