Date: 2008-12-19, 6:56AM EST

Read KittyKind’s 990’s on the Attorney General’s website.  Compare the numbers.  I doubt you’ll want to have anything to do with this less than transparent organization

KittyKind’s current Newsletter states that, “The TNR (trap, neuter, release) initiative has allowed feral cats to remain in a familiar environment without multiplying, but a resolution for rescued cats with behavior issues is more problematic.  There are limited quality homes and sanctuaries and most are at capacity.  Nevertheless, KK has responded to this dilemma by developing a permanent, long-term care program for our unadoptable cats.

Your contribution is most needed this year as the cost of maintaining this program rose dramatically due to the escalation of commodity prices such as food and fuel.  We greatly appreciate contributions made specifically to this program.”

A rather long quote but here’s this woman’s take on that statement.  A resolution for rescued cats with behavior issues has always been problematic for KittyKind who I took to court in 2007 when they fleeced me for $25,000 for just these same cats who along with behavior problems had medical problems that KittyKind’s then Director, Marlene Kess, kept promising would be reimbursed when their Petco grant was received at the end of 2005.

I received reassurances for 2 years while still fostering cats with no provisions for food, litter or medical care and finally approached their new director, Hilary Harris, who claimed to know nothing about the situation.  Hilary Harris, who drove me home with cats in her car for purposes of fostering, claimed to know nothing of this situation?!  Their next position was that KittyKind had no policy to pay for fostering, that they never paid for foster care.  While I never charged for the actual care of the cats:  Cleaning their ears, clipping their claws, making sure they were fed, watching their health, charging for boarding (warehousing) of the cats or giving them love and attention, it is ridiculous to think that at over 50 cats and 10 litterboxes I should not receive reimbursement for at least those expenses.  The medical care was simply solved by telling me to “take him to your vet and we’ll reimburse you”.  Why take him to my vet: Because their vet was in Manhattan, total travel time with sick animal 1 ½ hours each way; because their vet was sometimes closed during a time when the animal needed immediate veterinary care and because my vet was more convenient.  Has anyone yet heard all this before?

When I took this group to court, no foster papers had been signed by me because of my trust in Marlene Kess and Hilary Harris.  I believed I was helping an honorable organization to save these poor animals.  No papers had been kept by KittyKind and the Judge had to dismiss the case.  He made it clear to their attorney that he believed KittyKind had taken advantage of me.

KittyKind was given support by the Mayor’s Alliance whose President, Jane Hoffman, said at what I thought was a Mediation meeting, “We’re not paying any of the bills for 2005.”  They then agreed to pay for the following 6 months of food and litter while the cats remained in what was at this point KittyKind’s hostage shelter.  Basically, “going forward” meant no reimbursement, just that they’ll pay going forward as they should have in 2005 as they promised and for the four years prior (which I did not charge them for and for which I spent close to $12,000).

My home was at capacity in 2005 with over 50 cats when my Landlord threatened to evict me.  KittyKind’s response: When I took them to court their lawyer demanded to see a copy of the Eviction Letter sent to me by my Landlord.  At that time Cathy Cristel, who was the secretary showed up at one of the hearings and perjured herself by saying to the Judge and to the KittyKind attorney that I had signed a contract at mediation with the Mayor’s Alliance clearing KittyKind of the $25,000 obligation (first they claimed it had been a personal loan to Marlene Kess).  When the Judge requested a copy of this contract, KittyKind could not produce it – because it never happened!

Maintaining this program rose dramatically when 2 ex board members apparently wanted to be given food, litter and medical care for the many cats they still had in their homes.  I know for a fact, that these two ex board members had (still have?) feline leukemia cats, fiv cats and cats with other medical problems.  So KittyKind must now be paying for their expenses.  Do they now pay ALL foster care people or just certain Special people? 

KittyKind has a way of changing the truth to suit their version of life.  In a letter to the Attorney General’s office in December 31, 2006 they claimed not to have correct paperwork for their taxes because, “Difficult circumstances in 2005 led to the resignation of the former President who managed the organization’s financials affairs.”  Was the President of KittyKind also the Treasurer and Secretary?  All Board Members are supposed to be on the same page – was Marlene Kess running KittyKind alone?  “Difficult circumstances” is KittyKind’s vague way of dancing around the truth to avoid saying that Marlene Kess was convicted of animal abuse and was forced to resign. 

Today they say these cats are unadoptable and they’ve developed programs for permanent, long-term care.  What program is this?  This Long-term care program sounds a lot like adoption with a long trial period.  You think you’re helping to domesticate the animal and when you try to return it to them are told, “he’s not adoptable and we have no place else to put him”.  This is exactly what happened to me except now KittyKind admits it’s a problem. 

How many “foster” homes are out there with unadoptable cats?  Are you paying for all the food, litter and medical care while KittyKind posts it as a program expense?  So, for program expenses on all their 990s  - if KittyKind was not paying for cat food, litter and the vet care that I paid out, did they list it as donated services?  This has been in the thousands of dollars for years not just for me but I’m sure for others deceived by KittyKind’s foster “program”.

Read these websites for more “Special Needs Foster Care” details using keyword(s) KittyKind Complaints; KittyKind; Marlene Kess.

Scribd.com

Commentsearch.com

Craigslist:  Union Square

Kijiji.com

RECEIVED RESPONSES:

I am so sorry to hear that you had such an awful experience fostering for Kitty Kind.  I am unfamiliar with them but I can tell you that they were not being fair to you.   I did some fostering and I paid for food and litter myself BUT I fostered five not 50 cats.  What breaks my heart about this situation is once AGAIN the animals suffer.  Now because of what Kitty Kind did to you, I bet you won't foster for any other rescue which is very sad.   Well, sorry you had such a bad experience but you now how rewarding and fun fostering is....please try it again with a more reputable rescue.  Remember Kitty Kind isn't suffering, but the cats are.    MERRY CHRISTMAS and bless you for your kindness.

Regarding The Person Always Posting About KittyKind (Greenwich Village)

Date: 2008-12-20, 6:56AM EST

As the lies and misinformation continue to grow about KittyKind, I have to finally respond to the nut job who has been constantly and annoying posting her outrageous claims against Kittykind. I cannot count the number of lies and respond to them individually but to sum it up, she sued KittyKind for the money she claimed she was owed and she LOST THE CASE!! If her case had any merit she would have won but she lost because the Judge and the lawyers clearly saw that she was a con artiist and her case against KittyKind was false. KittyKind did provide her with food and litter and support as a foster home and her claim that they did not is an outright lie. She says she was "forced" to take cats home. How is that possible. Did they put a gun to her head and put her in a cab and make her take the cats home. Ridiculous. She always offered to take them.

What is particularly disturbing is how she puts words in people's mouths, claiming they said things they never said or would never say. She does this over and over and makes up new and unbelievable stories about her experiences with KittyKind every time she posts. She is clearly a disturbed person who is bitter and angry and wants revenge. She has no life so she is obsessed with posting on craigslist. She constantly makes up these outrageous and mean spirited lies about KittyKind and all people she knew at there who had always helped and supported her. There isn't much more to say except that she is a liar and a con artiist and emotionally disturbed. Hopefully, people are intelligent enough to see through her nonesense and flag her or just ignore her ridiculous rantings.

Re: KittyKind

Date: 2008-12-20, 11:12AM EST

Sue her for defamation.

Date: 2008-12-20, 6:42PM EST

To the poster that denies my claims, please identify yourself to the public so that we can all understand your complaint.

My complaints were believed by the judge at the trial even though I was denied compensation for lack of PAPERWORK. I was given the right to use the information from the trial in any way I chose and I made it clear to him that I was going to warn others about KittyKind and how they treated me.

KittyKind's knee jerk comment about people they want to discredit is to call them "crazy" and the Judge clearly voiced his opinion when he said, "I don't know how other groups operate, but THIS group obviously took advantage of this Kindhearted woman." That is a direct quote of what the judge said and not what you twisted it into.

Anyone who has had a similar experience with KittyKind, please contact me as others are already doing.

Are ALL these peopole liars, con artists and mentally disturbed? No, this is just YOU projecting your poison onto people you have already victimized. Is this how KittyKind claims to help cats?

Shame on you!