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HFL Animal Sanctuary in Star Prairie, WI paints themselves to be a beautiful loving home for animals who are sick and/or unadoptable. Their website shows pristine tile floors, animals happily lounging, and healthy dogs and cats.

However, upon entering the sanctuary (which you cannot do unless you are a prospective employee, current employee, or give them money) you will see a far cry from what the website portrays.

Firstly, you cannot enter a building without being overwhelmed by dogs who due to poor behavior cannot be placed in the building specifically for them. Several of these dogs are also very aggressive and nothing is done to try and correct this behavior. Moving through the buildings you may see dogs clinging onto small stitches of life, and while they are having to be forcibly rehydrated and have their bladders expressed, Lisa, the director, will not make the decision to have them put down until their bodies cannot function at all on their own. Speaking of Lisa, you probably will not find her anywhere in sight as she really only monitors the activities through the surveillance cameras and microphones she has placed in the facility.

The floors are usually covered with ***, urine, and around 30-50 blankets that act as "beds" for the animals. Why these aren't shown on the website, I'm not sure. You be the judge. There also aren't pictures of the cats who must be kept in diapers, or those who pull themselves around by their front legs because they have lost all use of their hind legs.

Parasites and respiratory illnesses are common in the animals because so many are kept in such a small space. Is that mentioned on the website? I have a hard time believe that the inability to defecate on your own accord, parasites, respiratory illnesses, and not being able to move around as one pleases is "better than the alternative" as one employee put it.

Oh, and should I even touch the subject of the goat? This goat has deformities of the front legs which do not allow her to move. She has a very large hairless bedsore on her chest from having to be on it 24/7. She also does not receive proper hoof care. For those of you who know about the gastric system of hooved animals, you would know that they are grazers and need to be moving around grazing for the majority of the day. Their systems are not made to be stationary. Quality of life for Ms. Goat? I think not.

HFL also has a very large rate of turnover in its employees. Many employees only see one or two days of work at the "sanctuary" and either quit due to their unhappiness with the job, frustration with the lack of organization, or because they receive an e-mail from Lisa listing no hard reasons as to why they should not return.

Employee training (if you can even call it that) is sometimes done by someone who has only been there one time themselves and Lisa is not present when new employees start. She doesn't even do the "interviewing". Is she watching these new employees over her video surveillance? Probably, because she will call and yell at you if you are not using two hands on your mop at all times.

There is not someone of power who you check into if you've completed your assigned tasks for the day, no hard copy lists of expectations for employees, no clearly defined protocol, and the whole employee situation there is just ridiculous. The whole process needs revamping or HFL will remain horribly understaffed.

Lisa may appear to be a kind, caring, person in it for the animals, but if you do not cater to her every need she becomes very pissy and does not leave any room for discussion. Common adjectives for her around the sanctuary include "crazy" and "***" I would like to add "hoarder" to that list as well and add that she is in this for the glory, but is not willing to put in the work herself to actually go to the facility and put in the physical labor it takes to care for these animals.

While some animals there are experiencing a good quality of life, many of them aren't. There are many animals there that should be put down, adoptable animals that should be adopted out, and some nice quality unadoptable ones that should be allowed to stay at the facility until their quality of life ceases to exist and the call to euthanize needs to be made before they cannot function on their own. So many more animals could get help from HFL if this was their protocol.

For some animals, coming to HFL can be a great opportunity to live a long healthy life, but for most it is a long drawn-out death hole that they would be better off to never see.

Location: Caledonia, Michigan

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Guest

There are so many really good people who care about animals and reached some of those animalsโ€™ hearts that have been treated poorly or not paid and left. Either way, grow up Hfl and quit being a troll on the internet looking for negative reviews to scream about.

The fact you write 10 page rebuttals to every criticism is unreal. This place could be so great...

Guest

Yes!! Thank you for posting this.

I live in New Richmond, and I can not stand to see the "donation jar" for this place in local businesses. I'm a veterinary technician who interviewed here some years ago. I could not stand to see the animals in such poor health and condition. I occasionally drive past the large iron hate that are used to imprison these helpless animals that you speak of.

I have seen, smelt, and been disgusted by what I've seen. "Cat rooms", paraplegic dogs dragging themselves around, and animals living in their own filth. This place must be shut down and put under new ownership. Owners that actually care about the well being of animals, and think of euthanizing as a blessing that we can bestow on animals.

Please contact me, lets shut this down.

Radke612@***.com

Guest

Animal rescue, is about rescuing animals.....not pandering to human egos and emotions. I work with foreign animal rescue and we have had the great fortune to cross paths with Lisa and home for life.

We have dogs that are unadoptable due to physical and emotional issues, HFL has housed a number of them. Without Lisa and HFL and organizations like hers these animals would be in dire straights.

I spent 4 days at HFL volunteering and watching the operation. One thing is very very clear.....it is about the animals...they recieve the very best of care and attention and love.

Lisa runs a tight ship, but she has to, she has many many responsibilities and worrying about individuals who do not have the same vision as hers should not be one of them.

HFL is run on donations, as are most animal rescues, as one who has seen terrible animal neglect many times, I am a full supporter of HFL and their vision.......we share the same one.....nothing else should matter except the care of these animals that would stand no chance in this cruel world without the selfless dedication of a few , and spreading negative words about them does not help anyone but the egos of those who speak them.

Guest

I am a coworker of Shannon the "former employee" and author of the comment below.Shannon did not quit but was fired on July 7, 2014 after only three months of employment. She spent her time complaining and causing trouble at Home for Life instead of focusing on her work and taking care of the animals she was hired and paid to work with.

It's funny that she complains she didn't have supplies because she was pretty lazy about doing any work or cleaning. Several co workers had gone to our director and voiced concern over her laziness and unprofessional behavior.Today we cleaned one of the animals areas that she worked in all last weekend: and had to clean off dozens of the cat hammocks that she left covered in vomit and other waste, instead of cleaning them off. Then she hid the mess by laying a blanket so no one would see. That is your reliable source, the author of the comment below.

anyone who reviews HFL's tax records which are a matter of public record could easily determine where donations go- and none go to Lisa. She is unpaid. The Home for Life animals are well cared for and well loved and deserved much better than the lazy and neglectful job performance of Shannon. She will not be missed.

For anyone who has the intelligence to form their own opinion rather than listen to a petty,mean spirited gossip like Shannon, please feel free to visit Home for Life or attend our open house, coming up July 26.

Everyone( expect Shannon:)) is welcome!

Guest

This is 100% TRUE! I was an employee there and it was *** working for Lisa.

Those animals live in such poor conditions and the current employee's don't make a change of it! I quit there and I am STILL receiving harassing emails from her. ANIMAL LOVERS BEWARE, LISA CREATES A GOOD STORY BUT ITS NOT WORTH WORKING THERE OR EVEN MAKING DONATIONS TO HFL BECAUSE ALL THE MONEY GOES IN HER POCKET.

WE had to beg her for supplies to clean all the building and half the time we didn't have the supplies that were needed. Lisa for sure needs to be checked out by a doctor, so she can get her diagnosis for her mental illness that contains her!

Guest

Helping abandoned animals is time consuming, rewarding, yes, but hard work. Rather than complain how badly this organization or the director is able to do that work, you might offer genuine assistance simply to better the lives for the animals in residence. An organization is only as good as its volunteers, quality wise and quantity.

Guest

I can't believe all the negative things I'm reading on this post? HFL is an animal sanctuary. It is home to many animals. Employees are hired to take care of those animals. It is very physically demanding, but anyone with a brain can perform the tasks accurately and in a timely manner.

These negative posts were obviously written by former employees that were not very good at the job. Or their friends. The only bad experiences I had at HFL were with the bad employees. People who were slow, people who hid around the facility so they didn't have to work, people who didn't care for the animals, people who were there to do the least amount possible and collect a paycheck. This is the type of person that wrote those negative posts. I know this, because I worked with those types of people when I was employed there.

I don't have any of those negative feelings towards HFL or the director and I worked there for about 3.5 years. I was an animal care specialist 1 & 2. I worked all shifts. I worked any day of the week. I did vet runs. I did event runs. Everything I did was for those animals. It wasn't to make my job easier. You have to be a certain type of person to work at HFL. You can't just love animals...you have to love to take care of them....you have to love to work and get your hands dirty...you have to love to work until the day is through. If you're only there to get a paycheck, then you're not there for the right reasons.

HFL has a great mission and a passionate director. If you can't see that then you're crazy. The director is not there everyday...that's why she hired YOU!! Any adult should be able to follow directions and stay on task without an authority figure breathing down their neck.

If you think the director is crazy..then you don't know her and you don't understand her passion for these animals. Do you want to drink warm water on a hot summer day? No! That's why she wants the waters changed multiple times. Do you want to sleep on a bed with the sheets all wrinkled up underneath you? NO! That is why she likes the bedding to be straight and flat. There's lots of little things that YOU might not think are important, but she does because she wants those animals to have the best possible care they can.

Don't be fooled by the negative posts on here. HFL is a great place for animals who have no where else to go. They get to live out their lives in one place instead being shipped around or euthanized. It is always a hard decision to put an animal down. HFL humanely euthanizes animals as a last resort. Just like people, these animals get to explore every possible option before being put down. Different meds, different treatments, surgeries. Some people think this is dumb and that you should just euthanize an animal at the first sight of a decline. At HFL, these animals are given every possible chance to live before euthanasia.

If that means turning the animal from side to side so they don't get bed sores, then that's what's done. That's what you do for your grandma at the nursing home. If that means pressing on the bladder to help the dog urinate...then do it. That's no different than emptying your grandpa's catheter. Like I said, it takes a special person to work at HFL. If you can't adapt and change to include these special cares in your daily assignments, then you shouldn't work at HFL. And if you get yelled at or fired because you got caught neglecting an animal, then that's your own fault. Those animals rely on the employees to care for them and notice when something has changed or is wrong.

I am really upset by these negative posts and hope people out there don't read them and think that HFL is a bad place, because it's not. The director is not a bad person, she is passionate about every single animal at HFL and only wants what's best for them.

Best wishes to all the animals at HFL and Lisa :)

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-467081

Thank you for standing up for the sanctuary! :)

Guest

This comment was posted not by a consumer but by someone who claims to be a former employee who worked at Home for Life(HFL) for an undisclosed length of time- five years ago. The former employee ( ?)- and how much creditability can we give someone who wonรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt sign their real name or who, by their own admission, has not been at the sanctuary for 5 years) does not appreciate or understand the most basic premise of Home for Life - our mission. We are a care for life sanctuary for unadoptable animals.

Animals who could have found a home via adoption would not have been offered for placement to Home for Life. Animals come to HFL from rescues, shelters, vets and private parties. In addition, among our animal residents are animals given to us by owners who have stipulated that they did not want them re-homed.

Among our cats and dogs are many animals who have been adopted and returned from homes several times before finally arriving at Home for Life. The dog or cat who has had 3-7 placements ( adopted and returned) is not a unique or unusual animal at HFL. There are so many charities and rescues that do adoptions( nearly 200 in the Twin Cities metropolitan area alone); we do not replicate a service already being offered by several other organizations.

The author of this email apparently never even read our website, our blog or even our newsletters to comprehend the mission of the organization where he/ she claims to have worked. We are clear about our mission and objectives. If the author wanted to work at a place that adopted out animals why didnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt she/he apply for work at one of those organizations?

Despite so many organizations offering the service of adoption, there are still many animals who are not able to find homes. These are the animals Home for Life was created to care for- elderly animals, disabled animals those with medical and behavior issues. . Even then, we can only care for a relatively small number at a given time but the over 100 calls and emails we get per day requesting placement for animals who cannot be adopted attests to the need for care for life facilities like Home for Life.

There are several inaccuracies in this post which, giving the author the benefit of the doubt might be attributed to his/her faulty memory after five years.

First, the author accuses me and HFL of hoarding animals when they have not been at HFL for over 5 years. Hoarding is a loaded term that is easily thrown around by ignorant individuals who maybe enjoy reality television but who have no professional education in psychopathology, and who have no other agenda than to cause trouble through slander and defamation( legally actionable) for their own negative reasons.

Home for Life has less than 100 cats in total at the sanctuary, divided among three spacious catteries, each with an attached outdoor run . One cattery is devoted to our leukemia positive cats, one cattery to our FIV positive cats and one to cats who are not contagious with any communicable feline virus but who have conditions such as paraplegia, diabetes, epilepsy, incontinence, cerebral palsy, who are feral or elderly or who have disabilities such as blindness. None of these cats were able to be adopted out through rescues or shelters and indeed, most of our cats came to the sanctuary from rescue groups who could not find homes for them.

Our townhouses that the author describes ( inaccurately) are constructed like small houses and insulated on the floors, ceilings and all walls and then finished with washable wallboards and linoleum flooring. Each townhouse has piped in music, security cameras, windows and an attached outdoor run accessible via a dog door to our dogs at any time. Townhouses are air conditioned in the summer. The townhouses are furnished with donated couches, futons and chairs With the thick and abundant insulation that these houses are constructed with, the electric heat provides an abundant and safe source of warmth throughout the winter. All short hair dogs wear dog coats ( we recommend Weatherbeata and FidoFleece).

The two weimeraners the writer references are Skippy and Hattie, profiled on our website, who came to us as refugees from Texas after Hurricane Rita. They have been at Home for Life for over six years now and are age 13 and 15. Neither has frozen to death yet. They live in our main dog building which not only is heated but has heated floors and in addition has central air conditioning, piped in music, an air purification system and security cameras . Skippy and Hattie like nothing better than reclining on sofas that are available for them in their doggie apartment.

Our several dog groups are divided by size and temperament. Not all people get along and neither do all dogs. Dogs are organized among 15 dog townhouses and 8 dog apartments into compatible groups of 2-6 in number . This tactic promotes harmony among the members of the dog groups who enjoy the company of other dogs they are compatible with and creates a safe environment for our staff. Dogs are pack animals who enjoy running and playing with each other. One great benefit to a sanctuary which has long term residents is the opportunity to get to know each dog well-they have personalities as individual as people. Knowing each dog as well as we do allows us to create harmonious dog groups where dogs form close bonds of friendships. and dogs who have come to the sanctuary from the same home can stay together.

Second, there can be no doubt that the animals at Home for Life are well loved. One way to demonstrate love for animals is to provide attentive care: making sure they are clean and well groomed( HFL employs two professional groomers who are at HFL three days a week to groom both our cats and dogs) ensuring that their surroundings are clean and comfortable, making sure they are well nourished with the best diet available( HFL spends over $12,000 a month on food for our animals),that they receive time to be outside and exercise under supervision and even swim, and that they receive medical care appropriate to their needs ( Home for Life spends over $100,000 per year on veterinary care. Our younger dogs receive training through our community outreach programs (more on these below) with the goal of becoming certified for therapy work. Some misguided (lazy?) employees forget that all the petting in the world wonรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt matter if animals donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt get fed or are not kept clean. Love is shown through action. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, if you want to show someone you care, pick up a broom and get to work. Caring for animals is hard work, and that concept is not necessarily understood by some individuals who think they want to earn a living working with animals but do not have the aptitude, physical stamina or athletic ability or conditioning , dedication or work ethic to do so.

Among our animals at Home for Life are several who have been surrendered to us with behavior issues, or who have been deemed shy, unsocial or even feral. Adoption into a typical home was not an option for them. Yet because of the care they have enjoyed at Home for Life, and the loving care of our staff (the competent individuals we have been fortunate to have on staff), many of these cats and dogs who could not make it anywhere else have thrived at Home for Life, and have become tractable, tame capable of being handled, accepting of attention and even affectionate. Their example illustrates that Home for Life offers more than the rudiments of care to our dogs and cats. I attribute the dramatic transformations we see regularly to the loving care provided by our employees and to the stability and security our animals have knowing they are home for life, with consistent reliable care and employees they are familiar with and not in transition or about to be recycled into yet another placement that may or may not work out. We value the contributions of our volunteers and describe their efforts below. However, we have found our animals, especially those with behavior concerns, do best with the consistent and reliable care provided by employees as opposed to a revolving door of volunteers. Our facility is located in rural Wisconsin 50 miles from the Twin Cities metropolitan area and fifty miles from Eau Claire, WI; on days where the weather is challenging, we must count on paid staff to carry out the hard work of caring for the animals which starts at 7 am and continues until after 10 pm every single day. No matter what the weather, Home for Life operates 365 days a year, and is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and all holidays.

Third, most if not substantially all of our animals HAD an adoptive home at some point in their lives and most have had two or more- before they have come to the sanctuary. An adoptive home is not necessarily the panacea that this writer imagines it to be. I can tell you the stories of many of our animals who spent 10-12 hours a day in a crate- in a home. Or who were locked in a bathroom all day- in a home . Or were tied in a basement- in a home or left outside all day with no shelter or tied up outside - while in a home. Or who were brought by their adoptive owner to the vet to be put down - and then the vet called us to save the animalรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs life. Or who were starved to death in a home. Or shot by their owner because they bit a child or went to the bathroom in the home and so they were killed, or brought to a shelter or vet and put down before we could return the ownerรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs phone call to intercept the animal ( all calls to our toll free line and all emails are answered by volunteers who work at their day jobs full time so while we try to return all calls the same day some people get impatient, you know). Some of our animals have obviously had a prior home because they are declawed or neutered or spayed or even a microchip or license

( expired or with a disconnected phone number) but they become lost or are dumped. No one- their home- looks for them.. They are injured, and then a volunteer or employee at animal control or a shelter will call us on the eve of the cat or dogรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs euthanasia by gas chamber or lethal injection and ask for our help. But the animal is paralyzed now from the injury and in need of hundreds if not thousands in medical care. There are no homes now for that animal. Some of our animals were in their adoptive home for 10 or more years, then the owner had a baby or moved or got married or รขโ‚ฌยฆ fill in the blank. And now the pet is unwanted. They had a loving home รขโ‚ฌโ€œ or did they? Where did the love go? All I can tell you is about the MANY calls and emails we get daily from people who donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt want their dog or cat anymore that they have had for years. While we all talk about adoption- a laudable goal- letรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs not forget about these animals who were adopted and had a home but now are unwanted.

Sometimes and especially in this economy, animals lose their home through no fault of the prior owner. There are bankruptcies, foreclosures, job losses and catastrophic injuries or illnesses so that though the loving owner may wish they could keep their pet, they just cannot. If a friend or relative canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt take the pet, and the pet cannot be adopted out to rescue, then what? In these situations, it is a comfort for that owner to know the animal( maybe a senior or with special needs) is at Home for Life. They know where their beloved dog or cat is, and they can visit the animal at the sanctuary and also keep in touch via email and even receive photos. As you might suspect many of these individuals cannot afford to sponsor their former pet, but one thing we can do for them is give them peace of mind about their pet by keeping in touch with photos and emails, and welcoming them for visits.

Fourth, as we have written in the past, people need to think more expansively about what a home is and to imagine the concept from an animalรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs point of view. A home is not necessarily mom.dad,2.2 kids in the suburbs with a picket fence. For an animal, a home is where they are lovingly cared for, where they know they are safe and secure, and where they have or can form friendships and bonds with both their human friends and those animals of their own kind. Home for Life offers all the important features of a loving home that make the difference to an animal.

Finally, the writer of the derogatory comments about me and Home for Life claims to have knowledge about Home for Life( from five years ago) yet omits or has forgotten(?) or maybe never noticed such an important part of our mission- our community outreach programs. Many of our animals who are social and enjoy getting out are involved in our community outreach programs, known as the Pet Peace Corps. Annually, our animals, along with our volunteers, give back to our community which supports HFL by providing solace and joy through healing pet therapy to at risk people of all ages. As we like to say itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs at risk animals helping at risk people. Each year Home for Life animals and volunteers provide pet therapy to over 1000 at risk kids and over 1200 at risk adults in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Home for Life staff travel from the sanctuary almost every day to our meet our volunteers at our community partnersรขโ‚ฌโ„ข locations for pet therapy visits. Populations we serve through our pet therapy programs include: the elderly, hospice patients, children impacted by domestic abuse, adjudicated youth, hospitalized patients, pediatric adolescent and adult, including those in the oncology, critical care, cardiac, transplant and mental health units at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who receive rehabilitation and treatment at the Minneapolis VA Hospitalรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Poly Trauma Unit, one of just four such facilities in the entire country. Thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs a lot of love the animals at Home for Life give and that they, along with our volunteers, share with the most vulnerable members of our community. How can anyone say our animals are not only loved but also provide love through our programs?

In summary, as the artist Andy Warhol wrote, รขโ‚ฌล“ donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt worry about what they say about you-just measure it in inchesรขโ‚ฌย. It is too bad that the authors of these personal attacks on me and Home for Life have so little that is positive in their lives, that on the eve of Thanksgiving, they can find nothing better to do than to spend their energy trying to cyber-bully me and hurt the animals at Home for Life by composing these vicious entries. They are cowardly and pathetic bullies, who cannot even sign their real names to their comments, and I cannot help but feel sorry for them. However, I also have to thank them: they have only given me the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of Home for Life and the good work of our dedicated staff and volunteers- and our animals.

For those who would like to meet our animals and learn more about Home for Life, our mission and programs, please visit us this Christmas season at our annual holiday event at the Mall of America. We will be outside of Macyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Courtyard each day from December 24, 2011 through January 8, 2012.

Wishing you a very happy holiday season from Home for Life

Peace,

Lisa

Sicktomystomach

Lisa is a cruel cruel human being,who keeps dying animals alive to she can make money!!

She lets them suffer until its too late to get them to the vet and they die alone and helpless, that's the way lisa should die alone and helpless! So she knows how the animals she claims to be helping feel.

Guest

Found this on a search engine -- while searching for Home for Life Animal Sanctuary --- Makes you think twice --

Guest

I honestly believe that at one point, Lisa LaVerdiere of Home for Life was well-intentioned. She may very well still be.

Stories of animals' abuse and neglect are very heartbreaking. Animals can be rehabilitated and put back in to loving homes. I feel that Lisa has become nothing but a hoarder now. The animals get maybe 5 mintues of human contact there a day.

Employees there go into a dog run/dog house and scoop ***, mop the house, replenish the dirty bedding with clean, and ensure there is fresh water. There is little human contact for the animals, as an employee is expected to move on to the next house. There are 5-6 dogs for most runs/houses. Some of the dogs do not get along.

The houses are very cold in the winter, the only heat provided is by a small space heater that does not warm an entire dog house. Dogs like weimaraners can be found shivering in their houses on most winter days. Lisa does not let volunteers in to spend time with the animals... Not all animals need to be broken off completely from human contact...

I have not been employed there for five years now, that is how much it still affects me, as I am writing this today, I often wondered then and now, how many of those animals just want to be in a loving home, how many just want to be someone's one and only someone special... To sleep in a warm bed at night, to have human companionship... The cats' lives are essentially the same as the dogs' lives there... There are about 80 cats in one room, it is very overcrowded...

And yes, they have the clean floors and clean bedding and fresh water, but they are also cut off from any type of human companionship. How many of those cats want to be someone's one and only someone special? It is terribly heartbreaking that they get little to no attention. I wish the HFL would consider adopting animals out.

If there is a human mistrust issue, then there can be an agreement made within the adoption policy that HFL may stop by and make home inspections and animal health inspections... If the adopter does not agree, then they do not get to adopt an animal. I understand that a large amount of these animals were neglected and abused... And I certainly do not want any of them to ever have to experience that again...

But they are being neglected now... They have food and water and a clean house... But they have NO LOVE. They have nothing to live for.

I imagine this is something that would depress a lot of animals.

Please, HFL, consider adopting your animals out, give them a second chance at life... Please, let them experience LOVE!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-379542

If they are not allowing animals to be adopted out into loving homes then they are truly failing, this place should be for the ones who can find NO homes.... but to not try???? really sad.....

Guest

Home for LIfe is located in Polk County WI you obviously don't know what you are talking about.

Guest

I have also had problems with HFL and Lisa herself. Upon my own research I discovered over 14 lawsuits against HFL for non payment to employees and contractors.

All 14 lawsuits ruled against HFL. One lawsuit was from St. Croix County for operating without a license.

Crazy would be a good word to describe Lisa. I would be cautious to get involved with HFL.

Guest

Dealing with ill and disabled animals is very difficult, and it takes special people to have the empathy to do so. I help out a local cat rescue center and I am proud to be a volunteer there.

Ours is a very special and well cared-for facility, and yet we too have received hateful complaints exactly like the above.

As others have commented, I also believe that the complaint was written by a disgruntled employee who was fired. I wouldn't be surprised if that person abused the animals at the sanctuary, or just lazed around doing nothing.

The complaint is nothing but endless, hateful remarks - I put no merit in it. The person who wrote it also seems to feel that animals should immediately be put down rather than given the best quality of life they can receive by a caring facility, to me this person comes across as unbelievable in their claims to love animals.

The people who dedicate themselves to working/volunteering at sanctuaries are very hurt by such hate, as are the animals who have a very good quality of life in the sanctuary.

Guest

The allegations contained in this complaint are clearly made not by a consumer but by a disgruntled former employee who is no longer working at Home for Life due to poor treatment of our animals and poor work performance. She was caught on our cameras callously ignoring one of our older dogs who was in distress. While in the same room with him, she ignored his cries for help, mopping( with one hand) casually all around him. Only when a senior staff member came in the building did she finally approach poor Prince, to pretend as if she was concerned. Yes, this shocking neglect was observed by me on the video cameras. When this disregard of this old dog was brought to her attention, she defiantly gave two weeks notice rather than explain why she behaved in this cold hearted way to this poor dog. Could there be any explanation? We told her not to come back to work. . How much creditability can anyone give the comments of this coward who hides behind an alias, improperly using the name of another nonprofit ( HSUS: Humane Society of the United States) to mask her true identity.

The complaint is filled with so much ignorance and so deliberately misinformed that it is difficult to know where to start to refute the statements. For example, our goat Crรƒยจme uses a cart and grazes outdoors from early spring through the fall. In the winter, she stays inside as she cannot be on the snow covered ground on her chest. Her chest has little hair but the skin is intact and has no sores- due to our attentive care of her. The staff apply Nivea Cream daily to keep it soft and supple. In the winter, Crรƒยจme receives daily helpings of goat feed, timothy hay and fruits and vegetables. Although she has a cart to use(custom made for her by Doggone Wheels of Colorado and bought for her by Home for Life),Crรƒยจme was born with her deformity and knows no different: she is comfortable out of her cart as well as in it. Twice a year she is seen by the Osceola Vet Clinic of Osceola WI, where her hooves are trimmed and she receives a general check up. She is a happy, healthy and social goat. Crรƒยจme came to Home for Life from North Carolina, where she had been raised from birth by a woman who kept her as a pet along with other goats in a small herd. The woman was ill with cancer and her dying wish was that Creme go somewhere where she would be safe and happy. She is both at Home for Life. For those who are interested in seeing photos of Crรƒยจme, please see our website under the Animal Updates section.: Our surveillance cameras fill many functions. They validate our superior employees who are caring, hard working and honest. The cameras also reveal those employees who are negligent, lazy, dishonest and even cruel to our animals. Our employees who put in an honest day and provide loving care to Home for Lifeรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs animals have nothing to fear from being under surveillance.

Home for Life has several systems and procedures in place to guide employees in their daily care of the animals and their surroundings. New employees are mentored for several days by more experienced staff members. Since we hire adults we expect them to behave accordingly. We expect our staff members to have integrity, to be honest, mature and to be able to work independently without constant supervision. Some individuals are incapable of performing to our standards. No procedures and systems can compensate for a lazy dishonest employee who doesnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt care about the special animals at Home for Life.

The mission of Home for Life is explained to prospective employees who interview with us .All prospective employees visit the sanctuary where they see our animals and at which time our mission is explained. We make no secret of our focus on our website, in our blogs and in our newsletters. We support and believe in adoption but that is not our focus. We are a care for life sanctuary. Employees who want to see animals adopted out should work at an organization where that is the goal. Our animals already have a home.

Home for Life has an extensive screening and application process which anyone who seeks to surrender an animal to us must comply with. If an animal is capable of being adopted it is not admitted to the sanctuary. Shelters, rescues, veterinarians and private parties understand that Home for Life is a care for life sanctuary and that the animal will have a permanent placement with us. Many rescues, shelters and vets make permanent placement a condition of the animalรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs surrender to us. Many of our animals have had multiple adoptions and have lost their homes. When an animal is offered to Home for Life for placement we are that animalรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs last resort. We succeed with challenging animals because they find the security and stability they have lacked, being passed from shelter to rescue. And home to home.

Most of our animals are challenging. That is why they are at the sanctuary. Whether an underperforming employee wants to avoid the hassle of the care for one of our animals is not a factor we reference when making decisions about whether to admit an animal who needs us to HFL.

Difficult decisions about euthanizing animals in our care are made deliberately and by our veterinarians with input from credible employees who have demonstrated their competence, intelligence and skillful care of our animals. Disgruntled and lazy employees who are ignorant poor performers are not individuals whose opinion matters when making an irreversible decision about the fate of an animal whose life we are responsible for.

Since we opened at our present location in Star Prairie, in 1999, Home for Life has offered tours from end of May to late fall. We give priority to our donors and sponsors for tours as they make our work possible. In addition we offer at least one open house each year, open to the public, where a complimentary luncheon is served. We invite anyone curious about Home for Life, our facility, our animals and our care of them to plan to attend our open house this summer, set for Saturday July 30.

Guest

I've also have been trying to contact some at home for life. does anyone have a way to contact someone. I've tried Lisa but I have not be contacted back, is there another person besides her

Guest

I would also love to comment on this and agree 100% with every allegation made in this complaint. I worked at HFL for only a short time and in that time was saddened by how gross this facility is and how the animals only get put down if they are on there death bed, so that sponsers will still pay for them. I do believe this company started out with good intentions, but it is far from there now. Here are some incredibly mean emails written to me when i tried to be compensated for the hours i worked for this company. Being a laywer herself Lisa should know it is illegal to not pay employees for time worked, but she still made excuses.:

From Home for life(lisa herself wrote this):

"it is unprofessional and white trash to disappear for weeks or months without any contact and then demand unverified payment that you make up out of thin air. I am not worried about your threats nor angry that you quit- very happy and relieved to not have someone like you at HFL. how many hours are you claiming? we will attempt to verify your hours from past calenders.forward your calenders and emails to support your claimed hour.s

On Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:01:47 -0600Jess- wrote:> > I filled out time cards for every hour that i worked! it >is not my fault if you do not have them or did not file >them. I did not fill out a tax form because i never >received it and was told by Jeanie and all the girls that >work there that i would get it with my first paycheck. >You cannot deny me my pay because you are angry with the >way i left. You know i worked there, i have my schedules >and emails from you to conform that i was employed by >you. If you seriously want a law suit because you know >your wrong i will deffinately deliver you one. I think >you are being very very unfair about this situation. If i >never worked there, i wouldnt be able to name off the >people that were employed there in the month of October. >I sent an email to you telling you why i was unreachable >and why i didnt show up and no one from home for life >ever responded to it. I sent numerous emails requesting >my paycheck. It doesnt not matter if i didn't show up one >week, i still reported to work the week before and it is >illegal to not pay me. i have been reasonable and polite >with you up until now. This is illegal and you will be >hearing from me. > >> From: info@***.org>> Subject: Re: Last attempt for wages compensation>> To: xxxxxxxxx@***.com>> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:48:03 -0600>> >> >> >> I think we have plenty of defenses like:>> >> >> 1. you never filled out a time ticket

2. you disappeared and failed to report to work when >> scheduled>>

3. you did not respond to numerous emails and phone >>calls >> trying to determine why you had not reported to work.>> >> 4.weeks later, you surfaced demanding payment for >>alleged >> hours you worked.>> can you document those hours?>> >> 36 hours at the then minimum wage can be paid upon your >> documentation of same>> >> >> On Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:52:49 -0600>>

me >> wrote:>> > Dear home for life,>> > This is my final and last attempt to collect my >>wages >> >and earnings >> > from you. As you know it is against the law to not pay >> >your employees. I have sent numerous emails and have >> >gotten no reply/ I am now forced to take your company >>to >> >court. I worked about 36 hours the week beginning >>october >> >5th and have not yet been paid. Again my name is jessica

Now if that isnt unproffesional, rude and mean, i dont know what is. I cannot believe a person that started such a great idea, has such an ugly heart...

cudos for writing this!

Guest

working in settings whether they be nursing homes or sanctuaries for disabled animals takes a special person- and while concerns for length and quality of life are appropriate for discussion, I believe HFL is a 501C3 and

therefore has a mission statement and a board of directors. I think rather than gossiping on a blog, with an anonymous name, it would be more forthright to ask to address the director and the board at a meeting and bring up the concerns at that point and air this in the proper setting.

Doing this would give HSUS's complaints more validity. There is no rescue or sanctuary operation out there for human or animal- that is beyond improvement, but being petty and sneaky about your issues doesn't begin to improve things for those you express concern for, they just make for hard feelings.

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