Colorado Humane Society in receivership

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2009:
DENVER–The Colorado Humane Society, operating since 1881,
was on Decemeber 16, 2008 placed in receivership.
“The motion, filed by Colorado Attorney General John Suthers
in Arapahoe County Court, immediately removes executive director
Mary C. Warren, her husband Robert Warren,” who was development
director, “and Mary Warren’s daughter, Stephenie L. Gardner,” who
was director of operations, “and bars them from any control of the
charity’s assets,” reported Howard Pankratz of the Denver Post.

“The society has a shelter and clinic in Englewood and
provides dog and cat housing services for that city and Littleton,”
Pankratz wrote. “A second shelter in Lakewood closed in October 2007
after donations fell when it was discovered that animal carcasses
were disposed of in a dumpster.”
The Warrens and Gardner admitted no wrongdoing as part of the
receivership agreement, but Suthers alleged in a lawsuit filed a
week earlier that they falsely represented the Colorado Humane
Society as “no-kill,” while killing up to 29% of the animals they
received; raised about $3 million since 2003 without being properly
registered as a charitable agency; co-mingled personal money with
society funds; illegally operated the society’s veterinary clinic;
and did not fully document spending $66,155 in donations received to
help animals affected by Hurricane Katrina.