Animal Abuser should do her community service: PetitionPlease sign the petition to have Marlene Kess fulfill her Community Service in NJ.
Why NJ and not NY? She was convicted of animal abuse in NJ. She obviously has no respect for the law since she is continuing the same lifestyle in Brooklyn. She shouldn't be around animals.Sign the petition, she ought to fulfill her service in NJ.
http://thepetitionsite.com/petition/896311889
Write to: Judge Watson
Appellate Court
221 Freeway DriveEast Orange, NJ 07108
CC: Prosecutor, Derrick Griffin
They're interested in more of what the public knows about her. She's Another Animal Abuser Trying to Get off with slap on wrist
Convicted of animal abuse in East Orange, NJ Marlene Kess is in Park Slope with Kensington Kitties. She's been in denial about her crime, about the pictures posted by the NJAC.
Her Case is still in the Appellate Court.
Dear Judge Watson:
Marlene Kess has been fighting her conviction for animal abuse since 2005. The proof of her crime was all over her back yard. Living there only 9 months she accumulated 200 dead cats and left them in garbage bags in her back yard where they lay rotting until the community complained of the odor.
Inside her home the situation was just as bad. She must know what she was doing was wrong because she lied twice about the hole that was being dug in her back yard to bury the bags. First she said it was for a swimming pool, and then claimed it was to plant a tree.
As the President of KittyKind, she claimed that cats only needed to go to the vet if they had open mouth breathing. By that time the cat is dying. All cats that I fostered had to go to the vet and under emergency situations that she promised she would reimburse me for. She never did and if I had not taken them to my vet, they would have died in my care with a vet one block away from me and I would have had to dispose of their corpses – which obviously she also would not do.
She is a con artist. After getting free vaccinations and spay/neuter for the cats that she adopts out she charges an adoption fee because she tells the public she paid for them. I could tell you more of her tactics having been fleeced by her. After her court trial she left KittyKind and claimed that the cats I had in my home were not foster cats of her organization.
At the very least she should pay her fines and do the community service imposed in NJ. She seems to be of the opinion that everything will just go away if left silent long enough. Please don't make it easy for her to continue living off these animals and thumbing her nose at the law.
Marlene Kess is in Park Slope associated with Kensington Kitties. They park their van in front of a Key Food store on Seventh Avenue on Carroll Street.
Thank you,
cc: ProsecutorDerrick Griffin
Appellete Court
221 Freeway DriveEast Orange, NJ 07108
A petition on line will follow to this effect.
http://thepetitionsite.com/petition/896311889
The SPCA, which enforces the state's animal cruelty laws, charged Marlene Kess with 38 counts of failing to properly shelter cats.Neighbor complaining about a stench, city health inspectors found 48 cats inside the house -- 38 of them in one room -- and more than 200 dead cats stuffed into garbage bags in the back yard.The sight of so many decomposing corpses -- and the fetid odor they produced -- sickened animal-welfare officers and others who responded to the two-story home on State Street.""The smell was horrible."Kess, seen arguing with animal-welfare officials outside the home, declined to comment.
Cited for several East Orange health code violations:
1. among them keeping an unlawful number of animals, harboring dead animals and
2. creating a potential environmental hazard by keeping the corpses on her property
3. the SPCA charged her with 38 counts of failing to properly shelter cats.
4. cats being locked together in a front room.
5. Some of the cats were healthy, while others were ill.Under state regulations, anyone keeping large numbers of animals must separate the sick from the healthy."Examples of neglect are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestations, allowing a collar to grow into an animal’s skin, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and failure to seek veterinary care when an animal needs medical attention. Exigent circumstances may require that the animal is removed from the site immediately and taken in for urgent medical care.
A. Animal hoarding, sometimes referred to as "collecting", continues to struggle with public misconceptions. Members of the community and even law enforcement often view hoarders to be "someone who meant well but the situation got out of hand," conjuring images of the sweet cat lady down the street.
B. While their intentions may indeed have been good, the reality of hoarding is far from sweet, and is often quite horrific.
C. Hoarders often have hundreds of animals in their home, living in filth and without veterinary care.
D. It is not uncommon to discover several hundred animals in various states of neglect at one location.
E. It is also very common to find vast collections of other junk and garbage on the premises, as well as many layers of feces throughout the home.
F. In the majority of hoarding cases, the hoarder firmly believes not only that they have done nothing wrong, but that the animals cannot survive without their "care".
G. In many instances, hoarders will even be reluctant to relinquish the decomposing corpses of animals that died.
H. Dead animals are frequently found in the freezer or refrigerator, or
I. laying around the house, embedded in the carpeting, etc.
At times, dead animals have been left in the home so long that they have become mummified.
J. In 2005 the petition read: We petition that Kess undergo psychological testing and counseling and that she not be able to keep 48 cats in her home until the investigation has been completed.She should at fulfill the community service sentence imposed by the Court
www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/896311889
Here's something that got flagged a lot on Craigslist:
Marlene Kess Flees NJ to Resume Business as Usual in BrooklynThis is a Community Service for the General Public. More important than with anyone else get foster forms and information for any cat fostered or adopted. (Free on http://KittyKindaJourneyofaThousandLies.yolasite.com )People who have spotted Marlene Kess (convicted of animal abuse in NJ) and now living off kittens in Park Slope want you to know.
According to shocked volunteers, when she was busted while at KittyKind she also had cats crated in her garage, which the NJAC seem to have overlooked.
Because of an error the Judge couldn't do more than fine her and give her community service to perform - but even that was too much for Marlene Kess to do in atonement. Atonement for what? She denies doing anything wrong.See: http://ahscares.org/showarchive.asp?=129
Marlene Kess (ex-Director of KittyKind) was convicted of animal abuse and fled NJ (where she would not be able to live off income from "rescued" cats) into Brooklyn. She wormed her way into a free rent situation with a KittyKind volunteer and seems to be injecting her poison into the girl's rescue group in Brooklyn.
Marlene Kess claimed that many of the pictures taken of her "shelter" in NJ were set up.When her first trial didn't work out the way she wanted it to go, she changed lawyers claiming they didn't know what they were doing. Everyone was wrong except for her - the Judge didn't see eye to eye with her either.
Find the Court transcript (all 11 pages) in Google.Key in "State v. Kess*NJ".Read for yourself how her lawyer split hairs to reduce her fees but could not erase the verdict. They tried to turn Fiction into Fact with no Success.
Here's a FACT few know: She was evicted from her apartment on 145 street in Manhattan and that was when she moved to NJ. She had carriers with cats in them on top of cages. There was no separation of sick and healthy even then.She is a criminal and like a criminal has no conscience, she just picks up and continues business as usual.
She never lost a drop of sleep over the cats that died in her home AND garage and were decaying in her back yard in garbage bags! Read some of the preposterous denials she made to the investigators and later to the Judge.
Don't let time fade away the atrocity of her actions in 2005. How many times does she need to repeat her acts of cruelty to animals before she finally goes to jail? How many other rescue groups does she need to damage with her cold hearted actions? Does she think she's above the law? I guess so, as long as she has an enabler she will continue to think that whatever she does is ok.
An enabler such as someone who helps pay her court fees, someone who helps her get a lawyer, and people who tell her what she wants to hear or who do not tell her that what she has done and wants to continue to do is not helping the animals but using them for her ego and livelihood.
KittyKind itself doesn't have better ethics. Their next director, Hilary Harris and Kess' best friend, claimed not to know about the many cats being fostered in a crowded, one bedroom apartment by a WTC survivor.
Ms. Harris claimed with a straight face that they were not KittyKind cats and with the support of the Mayor's Alliance managed to wiggle out of the responsibility of providing food and veterinary care for the cats in that home that KittyKind managed to turn into a shelter.
Her email to me to provide food and vet care for a cat if I would keep him was rescinded in a letter to the vet by KittyKind's Treasurer (now also replaced). These can be scanned and posted at some later date.The next Director, Cathy Cristle, also claimed that there were no KittyKind cats being fostered by this woman.
A few more changes down the line in Board of Directors members and KittyKind continues to operate out of the same location; Marlene Kess continues to hide behind another rescue group in Brooklyn along with her friend Hilary, and I continue to receive emails from people who have been wronged by KittyKind and/or Marlene Kess.Paper trails prevent "misunderstandings" or denying that a thing was said.
Signed paper holds up better than words that fade into the very air moments after being spoken. Promises are made to be broken. A picture is worth a thousand words - yes, keep pictures too!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Why are there limited Quality homes for Fostering
Here’s my experience regarding the following statement from KittyKind's Newsletter.
KittyKind’s Newsletter stated that:
KittyKind’s Newsletter stated that:
“The TNR (trap, neuter, release) initiative has allowed feral cats to remain in a familiar environment without multiplying, but a resolution for rescued cats with behavior issues is more problematic. There are limited quality homes and sanctuaries and most are at capacity. Nevertheless, KK has responded to this dilemma by developing a permanent, long-term care program for our unadoptable cats. Your contribution is most needed this year as the cost of maintaining this program rose dramatically due to the escalation of commodity prices such as food and fuel. We greatly appreciate contributions made specifically to this program.”
Question: What is capacity? 30; 40; 50 cats per home? Are you saying that KK is now doing TNR? To my knowledge KK never did TNR - all their cats came from CACC; intakes for a fee or cats dumped in the store.
My experience with KittyKind is that a resolution for rescued cats with behavior issues has always been problematic for KittyKind who I took to court in 2007 when they fleeced me for $25,000 for just these same type of cats who along with behavior problems had medical problems that KittyKind’s then Director, Marlene Kess, kept promising would be reimbursed when their Petco grant was received at the end of 2005.
Are they referring to behavior problems that make them "unadoptable?"
I received reassurances for 2 years while still fostering cats with no provisions for food, litter or medical care and finally approached their new director, Hilary Harris, who claimed to know nothing about the situation.
Hilary Harris, who drove me home with cats in her car for purposes of fostering, claimed to know nothing of this situation?!
Hilary who often told me they couldn't take a cat back because it was "unadoptable?"
Their next position was that KittyKind had no policy to pay for fostering, that they never paid for foster care. While I never charged for the actual care of the cats:
Cleaning their ears
clipping their claws
making sure they were fed
watching their health
Giving them meds
I never charged for boarding (warehousing) the cats or giving them love and attention, it is ridiculous to think that at over 50 cats and 10 litterboxes I should not receive reimbursement for at least expenses such as food and litter.
The medical care was simply solved by telling me to “take him to your vet and we’ll reimburse you”.
Why take him to my vet:
- Because their vet was in Manhattan, total travel time with sick animal 1 ½ hours each way;
- Because their vet was sometimes closed during a time when the animal needed immediate veterinary care and because my vet was more convenient.
Why take him to my vet:
- Because their vet was in Manhattan, total travel time with sick animal 1 ½ hours each way;
- Because their vet was sometimes closed during a time when the animal needed immediate veterinary care and because my vet was more convenient.
Has anyone heard all this before?
When I took this group to court, no foster papers had been signed by me because of my trust in Marlene Kess and Hilary Harris. I believed I was helping an honorable organization to save these poor animals. However, no paperwork had been kept by KittyKind and the Judge had to dismiss the case.
The Judge made it clear to their attorney in my presence that he believed KittyKind had taken advantage of me.
The Judge made it clear to their attorney in my presence that we had just been to trial and that I could use the information any way I chose to. I let him know that I would be educating the public.
KittyKind was given support by the Mayor’s Alliance whose President, Jane Hoffman, said at what I thought was a Mediation meeting, “We’re not paying any of the bills for 2004.” (We? And who gave her the authority to make that statement?)
Why were we ever at the meeting? I had made it clear that I wanted to recoup my money from 2004. This mediation was actually a stunt to delay going to court.
They then agreed to pay for the following 6 months of food and litter while the cats remained in what was at this point KittyKind’s hostage shelter.
Basically, “going forward” meant no reimbursement, just that they’ll pay going forward as they should have in 2004 as they promised and for the four years prior (which I did not charge them for and for which I spent close to $12,000). My home was at capacity in 2005 with over 50 cats when my Landlord threatened to evict me. KittyKind’s response: When I took them to court their lawyer demanded to see a copy of the Eviction Letter sent to me by my Landlord. Why? Did they think I was lying in order to get the cats out of my apartment? Did I really have to go to such lengths to justify giving them back their cats?
At that time Cathy Cristel, who was the secretary showed up at one of the hearings and perjured herself by saying to the Judge and to the KittyKind attorney that I had signed a contract at mediation with the Mayor’s Alliance clearing KittyKind of the $25,000 obligation (first they claimed it had been a personal loan to Marlene Kess). When the Judge requested a copy of this contract, KittyKind could not produce it – because it never happened!
Maintaining this program rose dramatically when 2 ex board members apparently wanted to be given food, litter and medical care for the many cats they still had in their homes. I know for a fact, that these two ex board members had (still have?) feline leukemia cats, fiv cats and cats with other medical problems. One of these ex Board Members came by every Sunday to get $200 in cash. I SAW THIS. So KittyKind must now be paying for their expenses.
Do they now pay ALL foster care people or just certain Special people? KittyKind has a way of changing the truth to suit their version of life. In a letter to the Attorney General’s office in December 31, 2006 they claimed not to have correct paperwork for their taxes because, “Difficult circumstances in 2005 led to the resignation of the former President who managed the organization’s financials affairs.” That's one way to soft peddle Marlene Kess' conviction for 48 counts of animal neglect/abuse.
How can they justify not knowing about KittyKind's financial affairs? Was the President of KittyKind also the Treasurer and Secretary? All Board Members are supposed to be on the same page – was Marlene Kess running KittyKind alone? “Difficult circumstances” is KittyKind’s vague way of dancing around the truth to avoid saying that Marlene Kess was convicted of animal abuse and was forced to resign.
Today their newsletter calls these cats unadoptable and they say they've developed programs for permanent, long-term care. What programs are these? This Long-term care program sounds a lot like fostering an unadoptable cat until a home can be found for it. What kind of contradiction is that?
You think you’re helping to domesticate the animal and when you try to return it to them are told, “he’s not adoptable and we have no place else to put him”. This is exactly what happened to me except now KittyKind admits it’s a problem.
Could it be that people are asking more questions and demanding more accountability? How many “foster” homes are out there with unadoptable cats? Are you paying for all the food, litter and medical care and is KittyKind posting it as a program expense?
So, for program expenses on all their 990s - if KittyKind was not paying for cat food, litter and the vet care that I paid out, did they list it as donated services? I took them to court - clearly this was not a donation. This has been in the thousands of dollars for years not just for me but I’m sure for others deceived by KittyKind’s foster “program”.
Google "KittyKind Complaints"; and "Marlene Kess". So much is posted by other sources - they can't all have an ax to grind.
My website posts more about the court hearings and their shameful conduct: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls
Read KittyKind’s 990’s on the Attorney General’s website. Compare the numbers. I doubt you’ll want to have anything to do with this less than transparent organization
While you have a moment, sign the petition for Marlene Kess to complete her community service in NJ. The Judge needs to know that people feel she should not get off with just a fine. Her group Kensington Kitties was recently a topic of controversy on another forum (Brooklynian.com) because cats and kittens were panting in 90 degree weather and when someone complained about it that person became the focus of rabid responses. (those are the words of one person on the site). Marlene's lackys grumbled that the woman should have offered her ice for the cats. That's originally one of the charges for which Marlene was convicted - 48 cats in a hot house with inadequate ventilation on a hot day.
Do the animals a favor:
Sign the petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/896311889
When I took this group to court, no foster papers had been signed by me because of my trust in Marlene Kess and Hilary Harris. I believed I was helping an honorable organization to save these poor animals. However, no paperwork had been kept by KittyKind and the Judge had to dismiss the case.
The Judge made it clear to their attorney in my presence that he believed KittyKind had taken advantage of me.
The Judge made it clear to their attorney in my presence that we had just been to trial and that I could use the information any way I chose to. I let him know that I would be educating the public.
KittyKind was given support by the Mayor’s Alliance whose President, Jane Hoffman, said at what I thought was a Mediation meeting, “We’re not paying any of the bills for 2004.” (We? And who gave her the authority to make that statement?)
Why were we ever at the meeting? I had made it clear that I wanted to recoup my money from 2004. This mediation was actually a stunt to delay going to court.
They then agreed to pay for the following 6 months of food and litter while the cats remained in what was at this point KittyKind’s hostage shelter.
Basically, “going forward” meant no reimbursement, just that they’ll pay going forward as they should have in 2004 as they promised and for the four years prior (which I did not charge them for and for which I spent close to $12,000). My home was at capacity in 2005 with over 50 cats when my Landlord threatened to evict me. KittyKind’s response: When I took them to court their lawyer demanded to see a copy of the Eviction Letter sent to me by my Landlord. Why? Did they think I was lying in order to get the cats out of my apartment? Did I really have to go to such lengths to justify giving them back their cats?
At that time Cathy Cristel, who was the secretary showed up at one of the hearings and perjured herself by saying to the Judge and to the KittyKind attorney that I had signed a contract at mediation with the Mayor’s Alliance clearing KittyKind of the $25,000 obligation (first they claimed it had been a personal loan to Marlene Kess). When the Judge requested a copy of this contract, KittyKind could not produce it – because it never happened!
Maintaining this program rose dramatically when 2 ex board members apparently wanted to be given food, litter and medical care for the many cats they still had in their homes. I know for a fact, that these two ex board members had (still have?) feline leukemia cats, fiv cats and cats with other medical problems. One of these ex Board Members came by every Sunday to get $200 in cash. I SAW THIS. So KittyKind must now be paying for their expenses.
Do they now pay ALL foster care people or just certain Special people? KittyKind has a way of changing the truth to suit their version of life. In a letter to the Attorney General’s office in December 31, 2006 they claimed not to have correct paperwork for their taxes because, “Difficult circumstances in 2005 led to the resignation of the former President who managed the organization’s financials affairs.” That's one way to soft peddle Marlene Kess' conviction for 48 counts of animal neglect/abuse.
How can they justify not knowing about KittyKind's financial affairs? Was the President of KittyKind also the Treasurer and Secretary? All Board Members are supposed to be on the same page – was Marlene Kess running KittyKind alone? “Difficult circumstances” is KittyKind’s vague way of dancing around the truth to avoid saying that Marlene Kess was convicted of animal abuse and was forced to resign.
Today their newsletter calls these cats unadoptable and they say they've developed programs for permanent, long-term care. What programs are these? This Long-term care program sounds a lot like fostering an unadoptable cat until a home can be found for it. What kind of contradiction is that?
You think you’re helping to domesticate the animal and when you try to return it to them are told, “he’s not adoptable and we have no place else to put him”. This is exactly what happened to me except now KittyKind admits it’s a problem.
Could it be that people are asking more questions and demanding more accountability? How many “foster” homes are out there with unadoptable cats? Are you paying for all the food, litter and medical care and is KittyKind posting it as a program expense?
So, for program expenses on all their 990s - if KittyKind was not paying for cat food, litter and the vet care that I paid out, did they list it as donated services? I took them to court - clearly this was not a donation. This has been in the thousands of dollars for years not just for me but I’m sure for others deceived by KittyKind’s foster “program”.
Google "KittyKind Complaints"; and "Marlene Kess". So much is posted by other sources - they can't all have an ax to grind.
My website posts more about the court hearings and their shameful conduct: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls
Read KittyKind’s 990’s on the Attorney General’s website. Compare the numbers. I doubt you’ll want to have anything to do with this less than transparent organization
While you have a moment, sign the petition for Marlene Kess to complete her community service in NJ. The Judge needs to know that people feel she should not get off with just a fine. Her group Kensington Kitties was recently a topic of controversy on another forum (Brooklynian.com) because cats and kittens were panting in 90 degree weather and when someone complained about it that person became the focus of rabid responses. (those are the words of one person on the site). Marlene's lackys grumbled that the woman should have offered her ice for the cats. That's originally one of the charges for which Marlene was convicted - 48 cats in a hot house with inadequate ventilation on a hot day.
Do the animals a favor:
Sign the petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/896311889
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