RHODE ISLAND -- A Rhode Island animal rescue group that was hit with a huge fine has been shut down by the state Department of Environmental Management.
State investigators said there were too many dogs living in a dark, smelly facility called Broken Tail Foster & Rescue. They also claim the rescue group put other dogs at risk.
Broken Tail Foster & Rescue operates inside a grooming and pet supply store called Oh My Dog in Lincoln. Amna Memon (aka Zaarah Baribeau) and her husband James Baribeu are the owners of the business.
If they don't pay off their $63,000 fine, they’ll be stripped of their animal rescue license.
SICK PUPPY
At just 7 months old, little Ben walks like a much older dog.
“It's an inflammatory disease, but we still don't know what it is,” said Susan-Marie Beauchemin of Providence.
Beauchemin said Ben was just a tiny puppy when she met him at Oh My Dog/Broken Tail Foster & Rescue in July. She noticed one of his paws was enlarged, but she was told not to worry.
“The girl, I remember her doing this, said, 'Oh, don't worry, it's nothing. He'll probably grown out of it,'” recalls Beauchemin.
She paid nearly $1,100 in adoption fees.
What? Who pays $1,100 in adoption fees for a rescue puppy? Good Lord.
Since then, she's shelled out about $2,000 in vet bills.
Beauchemin said she'll do anything to get Ben healthy, but she doesn't want other families to incur similar expenses.
“I fear that other consumers might get unhealthy animals,” said Beauchemin.
The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the state Department of Environmental Management were called in to investigate Oh My Dog/Broken Tail Rescue after receiving a separate complaint about the health of their animals.
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In 2015, Memon (Baribeau) received $3,000 in donations
to create an "isolation facility" in the basement |
“Immediately upon entering the basement, there was a
strong odor of urine and feces,” said Joe Warzycha of the Rhode Island SPCA. “It was very damp down there. There was no natural ventilation. There were no windows, no doors.”
According to violation notice obtained by NBC 10, investigators found 28 dogs. The organization is only licensed to keep three.
Authorities said the air quality was insufficient.
State investigators also confirm at least one dog had parvo virus.
They immediately issued a quarantine order, but later determined Amna Memon (aka Baribeau) and her husband James Baribeu violated that order by allowing customers to bring dogs into their grooming facility.
“Especially with that disease because it is very contagious, and it is deadly if not treated immediately, and even if treated, it's still a deadly disease so certainly bringing a dog in and possibly infecting someone else's animal,” said Warzycha. “It snowballs into something that could be very problematic.”
On Friday afternoon, NBC 10 asked Oh My Dog/Broken Tail Rescue employees if they planned to pay the $63,000 in violations or appeal. Reporters were told no comment and ordered to leave the property.
In another news story, Amna Memon decided to talk. In the video clip it says,
"Amna Memon is a self-proclaimed pit bull person. 'Somebody has to look out for the dogs that people aren't really paying attention to.'
Apparently they were first down in Jacksonville, Florida, then moved to Rhode Island.
"So Memon and her husband opened Broken Tail Foster and Rescue. It's operated out of the basement of their business Oh My Dog."
Memon denies this all.
“It’s like we’re being treated like we’re criminals,” she said. “We just save dogs. That’s literally all we did. We tried to save a lot of dogs.”
WHY THE STATE ISSUED SUCH A HIGH FINE:
On October 6th, Memon (aka Baribeau) created this Crowdrise funding page in which she asks for money "to keep Broken Tail rescue alive".
She says on August 8th, they went and picked up 40 DOGS. She says they were not told by the animal shelter that "almost all 40 dogs were sick with either parvo or heartworm
".
"Broken Tail Rescue is a 6 year old organization that has contributed to the rehabilitation and rescue of over 800 dogs in its life time. The Rescue specializes in orphaned puppies under the age of 8 weeks. Over the last year Broken Tail Rescue expanded its operations and began taking in mothers and puppies from Kill Shelters in the South. On August 8th, Broken Tail Rescue drove to Georgia and rescued 40 dogs, several of which were mothers and their infants. Within days of arriving back to the Broken Tail Foster and Rescue shelter, the dogs were dying. It was not disclosed to our organization how sick these dogs were. Over time almost all 40 dogs were sick with either Parvo or Heartworm. Our rescue made the decision to treat the dogs who were able to survive treatments and in fighting to keep them alive,
The rescue is now in debt by over $7000. (attorney fees, rent, vet bills, payroll, utilities etc.)
On top of all the financial stress the rescue is under, we have lost our leased space and we have until November 15th to move the rescue to another rented space. Because of how tight the rescue is financially, we have no funds to move. If we do not settle our bills soon and find a new location, Broken Tail Rescue will be gone. We have learned a very valuable lesson as a result of this rescue, you cant save them all. When we arrived at the kill shelter in GA on Aug 8, our intention was to take 15 dogs total. But when the shelters are begging and the mothers are sitting in cages with their 5 day old puppies on cold concrete floors, it is impossible to say no. Please help our organization stay alive."
On a Facebook post, she says the DEM and RISPCA came and inspected the facilities on August 22nd. The article says they received a complaint - I guarantee that someone saw that they had crammed 40 sick dogs into the basement and who knows how many other animals which were already on the property when she brought these 40 new ones back from Georgia? Let's say she had 15 animals already on the property. That would bring the total to more than 50 -- in a facility that she herself can ONLY HOLD 25.
This is a HUGE RED FLAG. Someone who cannot or will not stop themselves from being overloaded. She KNEW she could not take more than 15 dogs when they drove thousands of miles to Georgia and she grabs 40? And then posts online about how she's getting kicked out of their leased space because they spent all their rent money on treating these dogs (of which 8 died anyway). That is a problem. Plus, by the time she made this Oct 6th post, the state had already shown up - quarantined her and told her to get the facility cleaned and disinfected.
Posted on Facebook: Broken Tail Foster and Rescue of RI
6 October ·
Broken Tail Foster and Rescue of RI has been devastated with one disease after another, that has financially drained the rescue to the point of closing indefinitely.
The dogs who were rescued came from kill shelters, and it was not disclosed to our organization, how sick these dogs were. Over time
almost all 40 dogs were sick with either Giardia, Coccidia, Parvo or Heartworm. In treating all these dogs, the rescue is now in debt by over $7000.
They said the ammonia levels in the basement were unacceptable and once they found out about the parvo, they quarantined the property.
Memon (aka Baribeau) says in her facebook post "if they felt the conditions were as horrid as they are describing now; the dogs would have been seized and I would be in jail."
She's right about one thing: if it had been so bad that they were going to prosecute her, they would have charged her. However, the state isn't alleging that she was neglecting the dogs to the point of criminal prosecution.
The article says the fines are because she blatantly ignored their instructions. They likely ordered her to clean up the filth in the basement and air it out. But the main point they were making is that parvo is very contagious and deadly and they locked her down and said treat these dogs and don't bring anything else onto the property that could cross-contaminate. She violated that order.
Also, she seems to be very blatantly putting all the blame on this "Georgia dog pound"... why isn't she naming them? If she cares so much about animals, why hasn't she filed a complaint on them? Why hasn't she told everyone in the rescue circles to avoid this shelter b/c they hand out sick animals?
Memon (aka Baribeau) then says, "If the conditions were as bad as described, then why would the DEM impose an additional 2 month quarantine on a group of dogs for heart worm forcing the dogs to stay in our shelter even longer? If our shelter was truly that bad, wouldn't their objective be to get those dogs out asap?"
Again, they don't want these dogs exposing other animals.
Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can be transmitted by any person, animal, or object that comes in contact with an infected dog’s feces. The virus can live for months, and may survive on objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet and floors.
So, until they are sure that the facility has been completely eradicated of parvo, they're not going to lift the quarantine order. Many shelters that have outbreaks immediately euthanize all the animals - unfortunately, including even the animals that haven't even been found to be infected - and then scrub the entire facility - anything that could be contaminated must be disinfected and washed. She's lucky they didn't order her to euthanize all the dogs. But to violate the quarantine is a huge thing and that's why, I think, they've come down so hard on her with these huge fines.
FUNDRAISING
Amna Memon aka Zaarah Baribeau seems to be very adept at the fundraising portion of the rescue business. There are numerous funding pages in which she is asking for money for various reasons. In 2015, she was handed more than $3,000 for her "isolation facility". What did she do with the money? The state inspectors said the basement was damp and reeked of ammonia and feces.
GoFundMe: Isolation facility for rescue
OH MY DOG IS IN PROCESS OF PULLING DOGS FROM KILL SHELTERS ON THE EAST COAST. We have already reached 400+ lives in the New England area and are ready to help coast wide.
The final step is to have a secure isolation facility. In order to do so, we will need a building. We have a perfect place that will allow us to rescue and additional 50 dogs a month!!!
We worked our a deal with the landlord the rent has been reduced by 50% IF we pay 6 months upfront. The rent is $400 per month. We need to pay $2400 by the end of this month.
In addition we will need to invest $1000 to get the location up to code for a DEM inspection. (Need kennels, flooring etc)
We need help. these are the lives we plan on taking. Urgent dogs of New York
death row dogs of Miami
Why is someone in Rhode Island pulling dogs from a shelter in Florida?
Update:
Wow!!! We are blown away with everyone's support! Keep sharing! We will get there soon!!!
December 2013 fundraiser: "
Bully stick to every RI shelter dog"
Created December 2, 2013
by Zaarah Baribeau
PAWTUCKET, RI
$313 of $300 goal raised by 11 people in 37 months
Hi guys so I have an outrageous but worthy goal.
I am trying to get a bully stick (chew toy) out to every shelter dog in Rhode Island. I am trying to collect money to get these dogs a treat that they would most likely will not have a chance to experience otherwise.
These bully sticks cost $1 each (a company we used to work with from my old rescue days will be supplementing the cost!)
If you would like to help me get a bully stick to a dog please consider donating.
100% if your donations go towards this cause I will pay for my own gas and reward expenses on the day I go to the shelters I will post a picture on your facebook page of the happy dog whose so grateful for your love and generosity!
100% of your donation goes to buying bully sticks, I will pay for my own gas and time, and I will personally match each dollar donated before December 15th!
Please share and Let's give these homeless dogs a chance at feeling loved:)!
January 2015 fundraiser: "
RESCUE TRANSPORT"
Created January 18, 2015 by Zaarah Baribeau
LINCOLN, RI
$1,185 of $6,000 goal raised by 32 people in 23 months
This fundraiser is to purchase a 30-foot air conditioned trailer so they can drive around the country, pull dogs from shelters and haul them up to Rhode Island. They were given more than $1,000 - where's the trailer? Where is an accounting of where this money went? And again, this is a ridiculous notion - driving around the country picking up animals? The expense alone (gas, hotel rooms, meals, etc.) makes it pointless. There are more than enough stray animals in the New England area that you don't need to drive 2,000 miles away to pick up an animal, stuff it in a trailer while you continue driving around and picking up more animals and then finally heading back up to Rhode Island. She says she can only house 25 animals at a time. She can't find 25 stray animals needing homes in Rhode Island?
Note: In an October 2016 post requesting more money, she says they picked up 40 DOGS from a shelter down in Georgia and hauled them up to Rhode Island. However, she says right in her post above that she can only house 25 dogs at any given time -- (a woman on Facebook said in her post that they were only approved to house THREE DOGS). Again, I'm asking are there not any stray animals in the entire state of Rhode Island or the New England area that she could have taken in?
Broken Tail foster and Rescue is A 501c3 domestic non-profit that is dedicated to taking in puppies and their mothers from kill shelters, nationwide.
Broken Tail Foster and Rescue is an establised rescue that has to date saved 890 lives. We have just opened a brick and mortar facility that is able to house 25 dogs at one time. However our rescue efforts are greatly stalled due the transport issues.
We are not able to take in as many dogs as we are able to help because transport is often expensive or impossible. This is a predicament most reputable rescues face; we are willing and able to help, but getting a dog or a puppy who is 500+miles away, is impossible.
Thats where the Rescue Mobile comes in. Broken Tail Foster and Rescue will be able to make monthly trips around the country to help transport 80+ dogs and puppies from kill shelters that would otherwise perish.
We will also be able to help other rescues in the area by providing low cost transport.
We Need Your Help.
We have secured a trailer that is comfortable, clean, has A/C and heat and will allow the transporter to rest in cabin with the dogs.
It is large enough to comfortably fit, 100 dogs. it is a 30ft toy hauler that will be towed by the director of Broken Tails Rescue's personal vehicle.
all the funds that we are collecting are to update and outfit the trailer for rescue use. please help us save more lives!!!!!
She has so many fundraising pages going that she accidentally posted an update to the wrong one.
Update 1 Posted by Amna Memon 22 months ago:
We did it guys. She is 3 weeks old healthy as a horse and will be ready for adoption in 5 weeks <3 thank tou everyone for your love and support. We all saved her life <3
This fundraiser (below) raised more than $1,000 to treat a French Bulldog puppy that they say they paid $400 for, knowing that it had a serious medical issue. After collecting more than $1,000 in donations, they announce that a vet is adopting the dog from them and going to pay for the treatment herself.
OK. So what did they do with the $1,000 that wasn't used for the puppy's treatment?
July 2014 fundraiser: "
Annie, possible megasophogus"
Created July 7, 2014 by Zaarah Baribeau
LINCOLN, RI
$1,214 of $1,000 goal raised by 10 people in 30 months
Hello everyone my name is Zaarah and my husband and I ran a puppy rescue about two years ago that dissolved because I needed to continue my graduate degree. In that time we rescued close to 200 dogs and puppies from the Florida area provided them vet care to the best of our financial ability and found them forever homes. The experience we gained in those two years is what lead us to this little pup ( unnamed at the moment because we are auctioning naming rights to help raise funds!)
I was pointed in the direction of an advertisment via craiglist from a former adopter of ours via our face book page "broken tail puppy network". What alarmed her was that a breeder from New York had posted a bogus post "cheap Frenchie pup for sale".
When our former adopter called, she learned from the breeder that this puppy has been vomiting food through her nose, was snorting, hacking and uninterested in food. The breeder had no reguard for her well being, her justification to us was "the pups cheap" ($500, or in her own words 75% off) adoption fee and move on. I called the breeder and asked her to keep us in mind. I explained to her our history and experience with special need pups, and that we have dealt with a similar condition. This breeder said, "if you got $500, you can come get her," and hung up.
For 24 hours my husband and I pondered what to do, ethically I can never justify paying for a dog, ESP from a breeder. However, we also did not want to risk this puppies life over a few hundred dollars. I called her back to see what options we had, she informed me that she was going to have the dog put down because she was frustrated with the "low ball" offers she was getting, and this pup was no longer worth her time. I will never know if it was a ploy on her end or the truth but I can never let something so petty come between Life and death esp when the condition is manageable. So we took her.
we paid $400, to break her free from that breeder, but that's okay because today, she ate, drank and played like a normal dog... Why? Because just like I suspected she has megasophogus aka mega E and we fixed her regurgitation issue with a change in how she ate.
Mega E is a condition where the esophagus needs assistance from gravity to allow food down. So quite literally dogs with Mega-e need to eat vertically!
For now we have been feeding her in our laps sitting up right by spoon and she is doing amazing, not a single episode, no labored breathing or hacking and certianly no loss of appetite !
THis is where your donations come in to play. I estimated cost at atleast $1000. I will adjust according to vets diagnoses.
We want to take her to a vet to confirm the diagonisis. Get whatever medical care she needs associated with her condition.Have her spayed, vaccinated, microchipped and get her a specially made chair ( bailey chair) to help her eat vertically.
We plan on adopting her out to the absolute perfect home for her, and will continue to foster her ( for however long it takes, even years!) to make sure she has the best chance of living a happy healthy normal life. We also are not planning on adopting her as our own simply because if we adopted every dog we fell in love with our home would not have room for other fosters.
Yeah we are crazy dog people, but if you read our whole story, sounds like you are too <3 and there is nothing wrong with that! Please help us change this dogs life.
Peace love woof,
The baribeaus.
Update posted by Amna Memon
Hi everyone. Something terrifying just happened with the little pup. She keeps regurgitating without cause i'm in a see if I can move up her specialist appointment for next Wednesday to tomorrow. Thank you all for your help please keep her in your prayers
Update posted by Amna Memon
A miracle happened... A serious miracle. Vet Patricia Walters has agreed to adopt and pay for 100% expenses for the Frenchie pup.
There is no better place for Annie than at the care of a specialist who will get her the Best care humanely possible. Annie was saved because of all your love and support.
We are able to refund you all if you like one than please message me and I will refund out without hesitation, if you would us to hold on to your donation to save our next high risk rescue pup than please let me know.
You guys saved Annie, thank you.
FACEBOOK IS LIGHTING UP WITH COMMENTS:
Luis A Rosado - Smh. You deserve what you guys got. I'm a vet tech myself and personally saw how shady your rescue is!!! Personal experience, my previous employer was cutting oh my dog a break financially and when one of my co-worker went to possibly adopt a rescue knowing it's was going to a employee that works with a vet that oh my dog was working with and you know how they was charging???? $1,200 dollars she was told. She came to work the following day and the entire hospital was blown away. You looking for money or great home for the dogs?! That's my question. I saw how the dog came to the hospital and they was always a mess. ALWAYS a mess. I don't feel sorry. You took my boss like a sucker and you guys think you deserve it too. Smh time to pay up now.
Oh My Dog RI - - When dr.farrington wants to know how they got dragged into this mess, here is your answer. we have been nothing but respectful and silent about our relationship with this practice. Kindly, keep ccav out of this.
Luis A Rosado - Btw no need mention any doctor name, to be dragged into anything. Your rescue is who messed up not her!!!! She did nothing but offer you great care and you to it way to far.
Oh My Dog RI - Again, by referencing your previous place of employment you are opening the flood gates to something neither business wants to deal with.
End it. If you want to comment independently of any prior relationships that's your prerogative but I will not bring another business into this drama.
Luis A Rosado - See you guys only speak on what you want too!!! Oh my dog has burn so many bridges and still cry for help!!!! Smh pay up you guys got caught with your pants down!!! You guys asking for money but don't really post all of the truth!!!! Step up and take owner ship!!!! Still in none of my post have I mentioned anyone. I'm just putting out the truth that hasn't been spoken about. Stop asking the public for money to pay a bill your rescue deserves to get!!!!
Brenda Faucher - Luis A Rosado ........I've heard from a VERY reliable source that OMD has been banned from several Veterinarian Clinics
Oh My Dog RI - Brenda Faucher name one. Because we have not been banned from any.
Brenda Faucher - Oh My Dog RI ......I could name 3, BUT I'm not going to.
Brenda Faucher - Oh my dog........where did " Monster" the puppy end up? Did you or an employee decide to keep him?
Luis A Rosado - Brenda faucher I believe it. I've first hand have dealt with the rescue and the dogs came in disgusting and full of poop. Smh my old boss did everything to help because she believed in the manager that was running it until she put her 2 month in an was told what's the point leave when you want. Smh. Oh my dog has got everything they deserve. Honestly and it pisses me off she is asking the public for help too!!! Smh it's only a matter of time before my comments are deleted!!!!
Luis A Rosado - Ask her about the frenchy she loved and kept for her self!!! Could bet she didn't pay for it like everyone else and she also probably had the rescue pay for it before she took "ownership " of the dog!!!
Luis A Rosado - Plus never mind how they treated the dog. I've heard how they treated there employees/volunteers. If need be I'd testify against omd under oath!!!
Oh My Dog RI - keep going guys get it all out...
Luis A Rosado - Oh I will. I'll be send the attorney general a email and people I know at the RI ASPCA and offer my services to burying a crapy rescue.
Bruce Bouchard - I know alllll about this place man! Someone I know 😉😉 used to work here and had to leave after seeing the bullshit. Its sad because they had potential at the start but they chose greed over integrity. Now they're trying to dig them selves out of the mess but I honestly believe its only a matter of time till the doors close for good... Ticky ticky
Luis A Rosado - Bruce Bouchard I believe it man. It's sad.
(
Turnto10 - Dec 16, 2016)
