The board of a charity-based sanctuary for exotic cats has agreed to change its business practices after its executive director acknowledged misusing thousands of dollars in donations to purchase personal items, including undergarments and bestselling bawdy books.
As part of the agreement filed in Ramsey County District Court with the state attorney general's office, the Wildcat Sanctuary, located in Sandstone, Minn., must hire an independent outside party for the next two years to monitor its business practices.
Executive Director and sanctuary founder Tammy Thies is repaying all of the donations she misused for an array of personal items, services and $550 in taxes for her house, which is on the facility's property, a sanctuary representative said. The largest reimbursements cover $4,900 for four years of cellphone service and $3,200 in propane to heat her home.
The sanctuary's statement Tuesday did not identify the personal items that were purchased. The agreement filed in court, however, said there was "extensive use" of the sanctuary's credit cards "for personal expenses" by Thies and listed many of them:
Ladies' underwear, movies and hair-removal products. She also used donated money to buy two books by ribald comedian Chelsea Handler.
She also received "double reimbursements" from the sanctuary for the same expense, had an oil change paid for on her personal vehicle and a dog run built on her property. She also had the sanctuary pay for her husband's sky-diving lessons.
The allegations against Thies were first made to the board in March 2013 by sanctuary employees. Later that year, the board placed Thies, who is still the executive director, on paid administrative leave for a few months while an investigation continued.
"Our donors have stayed with us even as we have stumbled and made mistakes," Thies said in a statement. "They deserve a professional and transparent organization that unfailingly meets the needs of the animals they support."
