We praise rescues for the life-saving work they do, giving downtrodden dogs and cats a second chance at a life filled with happiness and love. We know that founders, staff, and volunteers at these places have a fierce passion for helping animals and give their hearts, souls, and resources to save them, one by one. But what happens when a “dog rescue” is just a front for someone who has an ulterior motive?
Ann Marie Rodgers runs the No Place Like Home Rescue in Rochester, Michigan and is under scrutiny from suspicious and outraged animal advocates after a disturbing Facebook message began circulating the internet.
Although it’s a rumor that Rodgers practices unethical and unnecessary euthanasia on animals, it’s no secret that she has a distaste for Pit Bulls. She frequently posts articles of breed-specific attacks on the rescue’s Facebook page. On several statuses, she writes of her support for Breed Specific Legislation and even coins the term “pitophiles” for Pit Bull advocates.
We needs BSL now!
In a story by Fox News, Rodgers gave a statement saying that the above Facebook message was meant to be sarcastic. While the article states that she did not want to appear on camera, she did give them a statement:
I have operated an animal rescue since 1995. I do not take pit bull breeds in, nor do I adopt them out. I do not ‘hate’ pit bulls or ‘bully breeds’. I simply do not believe they are safe to be around children or other animals. I do not ‘kill dogs’ at my home or elsewhere.
He has a fantastic temperament and is safe to be around children and other animals. Why? Because he is NOT a pit bull.
Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, a popular organization that is very pro-Pit Bull, has been working diligently to uncover as many details about this case to as possible to its 200,000-plus Facebook followers.
“We became alerted to No Place Like Home Rescue of Michigan about 2 months ago when one of our supporters [took a screen shot of] the page and some of their posts,” Theresa Sumpter, Director of Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, told iHeartDogs. “We then quickly learned that the page and the rescue was run by Ann Marie Rogers who we knew was closely associated with Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society [MACS].”
MACS is also under scrutiny for its widespread euthanasia practices.
“We have been protesting MACS in an effort to stop the killing of numerous healthy adoptable dogs and Ann Marie Rogers has shown up with her own signs expressing her love for MACS in an attempt to disrupt our efforts,” Sumpter said.
Detroit Pit Crew shared an article by Liberty Law that sheds more light into Rodgers’ past.
Rodgers was a former animal control officer who was awarded $1.1 million dollars after claiming that charges against her were based on retaliation. After saying that she was harassed by a coworker who she’d had a relationship with, Rodgers was charged with “violating department policy regarding euthanizing animals.” The article states:
Rogers was charged with violating departmental policy regarding euthanizing animals and other violations — charges the lawsuit alleges were filed in retaliation for her filing a police report and complaining internally about her former.
Rodgers was told the charges would be dropped if she resigned, and when she refused, was terminated. She claimed that the chargers were a result of retaliation.
After she won the lawsuit, not only was she freed from penalization, she walked away a millionaire.
As Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue continues posting breaking information on this case, more people are coming out of the woodwork.
Ann Marie…offered to take any give ups or strays we found when we could not find any other placement for. We soon learned she was taking most of these poor souls to macs [Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society] and having them killed.
According to Charity Navigator, No Place Like Home is technically a rescue. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization, but that doesn’t mean that it’s closely monitored, and is not rated on the site.
This organization is not eligible to be rated by Charity Navigator because it is not required to file the full IRS Form 990,” its profile reads. “It is required to file a form 990-N. This form provides some information, but it lacks the level of data we require to issue a rating.
With that said, there seem to be holes in the organizations’ legitimacy. First off, there is no formal website. Second, the Facebook page gives this Petfinder link, which simply goest to the site’s main page. And when the group “No Place Like Home” is searched on Petfinder, no results come up for the Michigan location.
Currently, there are multiple petitions on Change.org, pleading for a formal investigation against Ann Marie Rodgers and No Place Like Home. Sumpter says that she would back any of the petitions, so long as their aim is to expose and shut down Rodgers’ rescue.
“I believe that any individual or organization that professes themselves to be working in the animal welfare community and then uses their influence to spread negative information about any breed of dog should definitely be investigated and hopefully relinquished of their position,” Sumpter told iHeartDogs. “Those of us in the rescue world that are trying to protect all breeds of dogs don’t need people like Ann Marie Rogers making our jobs even more difficult.”
Sounds like a typical pit bull owner…
She added, “Additionally we have reliable information which indicates that Ann Marie Rogers has been directly responsible for the unnecessary death of numerous healthy dogs. [They] were surrendered to her under false pretenses by dog owners and other animal rescues that believed that Ann was going to find homes for them. Later many people we shocked to find out that Ann had been taking all of the animals surrendered to her to MACS to be euthanized.”
We want to know – what do you think of this situation? Leave us your thought in the comments below.
