Big payout from desert nonprofit after allegations of lying, withholding funds

Weeks after an I-Team investigation revealed that members of the Humane Society of the Desert may have withheld payments from a trust meant for Kittyland Rescue, Kittyland Rescue confirmed they’d received a check from the Humane Society of the Desert.

In an interview in January, new board member Phil Cox did not deny the possibility that money was owed to Kittyland. He told News Channel 3’s Brooke Beare that “Once (the Humane Society does) the proper accounting, if any funds are owed to Kittyland, boom, they will be getting those funds immediately.”

Kittyland founder Ann Woods confirmed a check for $87,505 was delivered to the organization’s attorney early Wednesday.

“We are thrilled with the result,” said Woods. “Our thanks to (Brooke Beare and News Channel 3) for letting us tell our story. We still have a lot of work to do on our property and this money will be an enormous help.”

The disputed funds were part of an agreement between Kittyland and the Humane Society of the Desert to split a trust left to Save A Pet. Save a Pet was forced to rehome its dogs due to a zoning issue. The Humane Society agreed to acquire Save A Pet’s dogs, while Kittyland formed to take care of the cats.

Woods explained the money from the “Shady Trust” would come into Save A Pet, and would be shared between the animals for which it was intended.

“(Malinda Bustos, former Humane Society President) had the dogs, I had the cats. But when the money came in, and they would write us a check for what was 50% of that,” said Woods.

Woods offered documentation in which Bustos claimed the trust had run out and that a final disbursement had been made. She estimated Kittyland was owed between $30,000 to $40,000.

Bustos was removed from the Humane Society Board of Directors in May of 2018 amid allegations of harassment of employees at the Animal Hospital of Desert Hot Springs, which was also managed by Save A Pet and the Humane Society.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Cox said the new Humane Society Board ws focused on doing all the right things, rather than focusing on what was being done before.

“What we’re going to be able to do here is really put this on a new path.”

Cox said it was clear proper protocol needed to be put in place.

“We can’t change the past,” said Cox. “Our top priority is to fix these leaks.”

“I don’t have a clear and crisp answer as to what happened, said Cox, “but going forward Kittyland is going to get the funds as soon as we get them.”