01/07/2026
Hello to our Ricky’s Rascals family and supporters,
As many of you know, rescue work is incredibly hard. It is not only physically demanding, but emotionally exhausting as well. When volunteers step up to help, we are truly grateful, especially when they assist with transports, which are often a huge undertaking.
A cpl weeks ago, we had a transport scheduled during a time when I was sick, employees were sick, and even volunteers were sick. It was a rough week. One of our volunteers offered to help with the transport along with her boyfriend, and I was extremely relieved and thankful, as I did not feel capable of making the four-hour drive myself.
I asked that everything be properly documented. This volunteer was also an admin on our page. While I was sick for over a week, I continued checking in and monitoring messages. Everything appeared fine until we began receiving messages about stolen photos being used in a post.
Because six people have access to our page, I immediately began questioning everyone. It became clear that this volunteer did not take photos of the actual hoarding situation. We were given conflicting explanations, that it was too chaotic or that photos were not allowed. Unfortunately, the volunteer made the decision to pull images from the internet instead.
As soon as this was brought to my attention, the post was deleted immediately, and the volunteer was instructed to reach out and apologize to the rescue whose photos were used. Despite this, hateful and accusatory messages continued.
We strive to be as transparent as possible. We openly acknowledge that we let our guard down and made the mistake of trusting someone with page access who exercised poor judgment. For that, we sincerely apologize. This person that did this no longer has any association with our rescue. We have severed all ties.
I personally spoke with animal control, who confirmed the severity of the conditions these animals came from, though it was not the home shown in the photos. We apologize to anyone who may have felt deceived by that post.
Several reports were made to the Department of Agriculture. After review, no wrongdoing was found on my part or on the part of Ricky’s Rascals. All paperwork was in order, the animals are healthy and doing well, and there were no violations. Unfortunately, valuable resources were spent investigating not only a false post, but also false claims about our rescue.
To our supporters, we thank you. Your messages, patience, and continued trust mean more than you know. Rescue is messy. It’s imperfect. But our mission has never changed: to save lives, provide proper care, and place animals into loving homes. We appreciate those who stood by us through this situation and continue to support the work we do.💙🐾
Sincerely,
Richard
Ricky’s Rascals Animal Rescue & Adoption
