Trouble in River City
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 1998:
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.– – T u t i
DeMaagd, chair of a Humane Society of Kent
County drive to raise $1.5 million toward the
estimated $2.5 million cost of a new shelter,
told Doug Guthrie of the Grand Rapids Press
on March 3 that she welcomes a forthcoming
probe of the campaign by the Michigan
Consumer Protection and Charitable Trust
Unit. DeMaagd began the campaign in mid1997
with $1 million already in the kitty.
Donors have since pledged $1.02 million, but
only $450,000 was actually received by midFebruary
1998.
Since DeMaagd began fundraising,
nine of the 18 HSKC board members have
resigned, often alleging irregularities, among
them attorney Ginny Makita, who specializes
in animal law, WZZM TV-13 news anchor
Catherine Behrendt, and assistant U.S. attorney
Edith Landman. Also resigning were
Humane Society Guild president Frank Ladd,
and board secretary Norma Brink.