Inquiry: East Tennessee Reptile Rescue

If I'm not mistaken, 501c is legally sanctioned non-profit status, the only way a charity can take donations, that can then be written off on your tax return, the primary reason most(unfortunately) donate to a rescue.

Wow! Red flags are raising.
Michael

I know Sonnie from another forum, where she is a super mod (Reptastic.com). I have read about how she cares for her animals, and have no doubt that what she is trying to do is legit.
She is working WITH someone who is 501c3 as she stated clearly, and is applying for all of her own paperwork. It takes time, so let her do her thing and give her some time to prove herself, good or bad.
I know the whole MnJ thing freaks people out on new rescues, but I think that instantly jumping the gun is a little nuts here. She has a good heart, and a HUGE passion for reptiles, and does everything she can do to help.
We should try SUPPORTING people in starting new rescues, leading them in the correct direction, and giving some good advice and constructive criticisms before starting a lynch mob...I mean she JUST started advertising her rescue this week, let's see what she does before stringing her up!

Kelly Kordek

I tried to go back and put my last name on my profile, but I couldn't find where to do it. Any help will be appreciated.

Sherry,
Just type it under each post.

Randal Berry

It does help if the person already has a good reputation with keeping herps. Lately it seems, teenagers are jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves a rescue to acquire free herps not realizing the cost factor and time involved to do it properly. An introduction, bio, and pics of caging from the person doing rescues will go a long way towards legitimizing what they are doing. We see lots of these people turn around and post their newly acquired free herp for sale on Craigslist or similar listings.

Originally Posted by GottaLuvHerps

She is working WITH someone who is 501c3 as she stated clearly, and is applying for all of her own paperwork. It takes time, so let her do her thing and give her some time to prove herself, good or bad......................................
I mean she JUST started advertising her rescue this week, let's see what she does before stringing her up!

Kelly Kordek

Ms. Kordek,
I have nothing against someone entering the scene with another rescue but calling yourself a non profit when you, first try to sell the animal and when it doesn’t sell listing it as an adoption on a supposed non profit rescue site is very questionable at best. What it looks like is that someone who could not sell it on the open market is trying to sell it on a false non profit site calling it an adoption.

If indeed she is attempting to start a non profit rescue she should not be taking donations as a non profit until she does indeed have her official non profit status. To do otherwise is actually misrepresentation/fraud.

If the paperwork has been filed for a non profit status she should wait until it has been approved before suggesting she is a non profit. As it stands, if the application is rejected and she has received any donations she fraudulently collected and accepted those donations.

She is jumping the gun already by calling herself a non profit without the 501 approval and by selling her animals as rescues on a site labeled non profit.

Any body who has ever done or has a rescue, that 501, is VERY exspensive, it costs over 600 just to start the paper work. Without donations, and such, and putting money BACK into the rescue, its hard to just make that paper work show up. I'm under someone who is 501, and you can start a rescue under the supervision of them. I followed HER suggestion and posted the snake, as the snake was indeed, a rescue. I've put way more than, that into the snake, feeding, housing, etc. over the past year, after I've been trying to find it a new home. But I'm not just gonna give a free snake away, because most people want free animals. I paid 10 dollars for a dying savannah, and got it back to eating, being healthy, etc. and then turned around and REHOMED FOR FREE! ..there is NO money to be made in this game. I'll be under money. I have a seperate account, that is for this rescue in my bank accounts, and we have less than 100 to start this on. You can make donations but you do understand you will be doing it on your own will, and not getting the paper work for tax dedutable. Until, we get bigger, have more money, and more donations going towards the rescue. I'm not out to sell the reptiles, that snake is well worth alot more than its adoption fee. But I'm more worried it getting a good home, than anything. Ive been offered more money, but to someone without knowledge, and jumping a gun. Our rescue is non profit, if i was out to make a buck, i would have picked up a lot more animals by now, as I am well known in the reptile community around here. I don't think you yourself, know a lot about rescues, or you would know how exspensive it is to start a 501, and all that. it takes time and money, HECK i only started this on thursday...so..judge how you want, you are in colorado, and i'm in tennessee. come visit, I'll gladly show you around

Ive been to colorado, beautiful state.

Morti no longer lives in this state. Sadly it doesn't seem many herp people do.
I think any rescue that constantly advertises on craigslist "looking" for animals raises red flags.

But whatever, ethical or not, if it keeps some dummy from letting an unwanted snake go in their backyard, then it's not a bad thing. I just wish people would call it "flipping" instead of "rescue."

Originally Posted by TrulyRare

Any body who has ever done or has a rescue, that 501, is VERY exspensive, it costs over 600 just to start the paper work.

Med school is very expensive as well, doesn't mean you get to call yourself a doctor while trying to get the cash together to attend....

The point John was trying to make is you should actually be a legit non-profit organization before you start representing yourself as one, anything less makes you look shady.