I could have predicted this happening. Take a look at Hillarie Allison's history and you'll see that the signs were all there years ago.
First, I believe Hillarie Allison suffers from a Hero/Martyr Complex. According to the New York State Humane Association (NYSHA), "Hoarders often receive very favorable publicity about the personal sacrifices they make on behalf of animals. They become enamored of their own public image, and won’t risk tarnishing it by openly disposing of animals that have become burdensome."
Allison has fought with officials for years regarding the zoning of her property. One editorial piece quoted Allison as saying this:
“Having animals was my choice. I give up things and go without for them. It is a pity some animal owners choose to give up on their animals so they don’t have to sacrifice their lifestyle.
"I’ve already sold off everything I own- not much left. That’s what kills me. It’s not as if I’m living in luxury, driving a 12-year-old van with a broken window, living in a mobile home with two broken windows, with no heat or cooking."
She ran out of propane and can’t afford more right now since it’s a 100 gallon minimum and to add insult to injury, on Christmas Day, a water pipe broke and she had no water for most of the day.
“A friend bought all my clothes this year after I lost weight and my clothes were hanging on me. She’s a seamstress and didn’t want to take them in so used her coupons at JC Penny’s and I’m thrilled.
“I haven’t been even to a movie in over a year and then another friend treated, but unbelievably there’s been some allegations I’m living off the animals! Ha!!”.
Allison is very focused on the pain and suffering and sacrifice SHE has made for these animals. SHE is the only one who would do this. SHE has no life because she has given it to the animals. You cannot properly run a rescue when you have convinced yourself that you are Saint Peter.
The author of the editorial is so one-sided, it borders on the absurd:
"Animals mean the world to Hillarie. She has sacrificed much in her own life to help the animals. She is a true friend of the animals. Animosity such as that demonstrated by narrow minded government officials who may have unethical, underlying monetary motives only takes away from the animals."
Additionally, the author says "RUFFF has rescued over 10,000+ companion animals, with over 9,800 being adopted since their beginning in January 2000." Is that even possible? This editorial, which I believe was written in 2011, mean that Allison is finding homes for nearly 900 every single year. That's nearly 75 animals every single month. Many government-funded shelters don't even have that success rate. Do people just blindly believe these numbers? Where's the proof?
All of Allison's fund-raising efforts are akin to Chicken Little's "The sky is falling!" dramatics. She's always THISCLOSE to being shut down and the ramifications of being shut down mean 300 ANIMALS WILL DIE!!!! She uses this as her carrot to dangle in front of you to get your money. You love animals, don't you? Well, yes. You don't want them to die, do you? Well, no. Then you need to send me money NOW because otherwise they'll die!
Fundraising shouldn't be about scare tactics. You shouldn't get rich off of animal rescue, but you shouldn't always be THISCLOSE to devastation. If so, you're doing it wrong.
In July 2015, Allison started a fundraising page saying she needed $3,000 immediately: "RUFFFHouse Sanctuary /Rescue has been hit with numerous emergency vet bills which drained our operating cash, storm damage requiring repairs/replacement, huge water bills for the summer, etc. We are OUT OF FUNDS and cannot continue to care for the nearly 300 dogs /cats, piggies and goats in our care without help. Our food supply is getting very low and a new purchase needs to be made in the next few days."
WHERE ARE ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS?
According to the Arizona Corporation Commission, Hillarie Allison is the president of this rescue. Veterinarian Robert Hopkins is listed as the secretary and treasurer. But guess what? He lives in Jensen Beach, Florida, so he has no clue what's going on in Arizona. Jacqueline Bullette is listed as a director, but she lives in Jackson Heights, New York. The only local person on the board is Donna Anderson, who lives in Kingman, Arizona. Where is Donna and why didn't she do anything about this mess?
“Time and time again people have good intentions,” Sheriff Jim McCabe said. “Somewhere along the line it becomes overwhelming, and the animals now become prisoners rather than being rescued.”
WERE THERE ANY CHECKS AND BALANCES?
An article from 2014 described more than 100 dogs being taken in by Allison's rescue:
More than 100 dogs kept in deplorable conditions at a place dubbed the “Sanctuary of Sorrow.”
“This was a nightmare in the making had we not been able to get them here,” said Hillarie Allison of RUFFF House sanctuary.
“They came from living in absolutely deplorable conditions, in their own waste, in darkness, no exercise, rarely fed, no fresh water, no fresh air,” described Pati Winn.
124 dogs are beginning a new life at RUFFF Sanctuary in Golden Valley, Arizona. That’s near Kingman, an hour and a half southeast of Las Vegas.
They came from the Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks, Washington, 140 miles northwest of Seattle, where they lived inside a dilapidated warehouse.
Before handing these dogs to her, did anyone bother to check to see if she had the financial resources, staff and cage space to take on that many dogs? If the dogs were from a really bad cruelty situation, they might needs thousands and thousands of dollars in medical care. They may not be adoptable dogs or they may be dogs with special needs which take a lot longer to find homes for.
Did anyone monitor Allison to see if the animals were being adopted out or being cared for properly? Or did everyone pat themselves on the back for rescuing these dogs from their abuser in Washington state and then just walk away and forget about them possibly being abused in Arizona by Allison?
RED FLAG FROM JANUARY 2016
Another fundraiser started by Christy Laws in January 2016, on behalf of Allison, tells us that there are serious issues going on: "[One worker] died suddenly in his sleep from a massive heart attack at the age of 36. He left behind a pregnant fiancé who was the second worker at this place, and she is now leaving to move back with her family. This left the woman who runs the place with 0 workers, I mean 0. She is taking care of 300 dogs and 100 other animals by herself. She is also running low on food as she uses hundreds of pounds of dog food a day."
Earlier:
- Arizona: Hillarie Allison calls county claims about her 'no kill' animal shelter ‘distorted’
- Arizona: County seeks to shut down Hillarie Allison's animal sanctuary
- Arizona: Hillarie Allison, who runs Rescued Unwanted Furry Friends Foundation, told everyone she was running a rescue but really she was hoarding animals
- Arizona: Animals need to be rescued from the rescuer. This time it's Hillarie Allison, who was hoarding animals in squalor at her rescue she calls Rescued Unwanted Furry Friends Foundation animal sanctuary
