The Shame of Pennsylvania

Puppy Mill Propaganda Part III

"Moving Further Into the AR Web"

Dateline November 2006 - In A&N research Parts I & II, we gave you the facts, links and the players. Governor Rendell has turned up the heat in Pennsylvania and we're here to let all dog loving, meat eating people know that A&N has a thermostat, too.

Part III will allow you to know who you are playing the game with ... the money behind it, and how some 501(c)3 organizations continually beg for money while being supported and backed by extremely wealthy people. Part III gives you the background on some of these people and just how far the web weaves. Our little spider has not returned from Florida yet with information regarding the connection between Florida and PA, but he called and will be on his way back soon!

We promised, in Part II, to get back to the Main Line Rescue Board Members, so - let's proceed

Handy Links at end of Article

Webs of Gold and Silver Main Line Rescue - Board of Directors

Helen M. Smith, President
Mother of William E. Smith. She is listed as the President, however, on the current 990's, she is listed as the Treasurer. This is clearly a family affair.

William E. Smith, Treasurer
Founder and spokesman of Main Line Rescue . Smith has managed to lease, w/option to buy, the Old Pickering Hunt Club at 113 Cambridge/Chester Springs (Phoenixville) The new digs consist of, (so far), a 9,500 sq ft bldg with 79 kennels on 58 acres of open space. They will begin a campaign to raise $2.3 million to pay for these new digs. Currently, they have 2 employees and 50 volunteers. Their kennel manager is Megan Anderson.

Betsy Legnini, Chairman
In our last issue, we briefly mentioned that the Main Line Animal Rescue facilities had to be moved, due to eminent domain. Bob Smith and friends formed the Boxwood Five Partners to petition the (1 East Pikeland Commission) for a new property.

The Boxwood Five was represented by Bob and Betsy Legnini, Attorney Gregory Davis, Engineer Martin J. Swaggard and Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue.

(2 The French Pickering Creek Conservation, Inc.) organization, yet another Pa. 501(c)3 organization, controlled the dealings. Their 2004 IRS 990 shows a net balance of $2,652,205. The 58 acre land conservation easement is on the French and Pickering Creeks. Are they concerned about the dog 'pollution' from the Main Line Rescue kennels? Could this possibly be the same group that protested in front of the capitol that was concerned about "animal pollution?" We checked. It is.

Bill Smith was very concerned about "puppy mills" doing just this when he spoke at the (3 RALLY) which was held on the steps of the Pennsylvania capital building.

Francine Diggs, MLR Secretary.

She is also President of the VSI Group, Inc. VSI Group is one of the fastest growing companies in metering and customer services for utilities (electric, gas, and water), meter manufacturers, and municipalities with over 700 employees nationwide. Francine oversees business planning and development and strategic planning for the Company. She is a former Deputy State Treasurer of Pennsylvania, earned an MBA from Wharton and a BA from Howard University.

Betsy Fadem, Member
Another MLR BOD member, was elected to the Treddyfin/Easttown School District in Berwyn, PA in 2001. She is chair of the Policy Committee, a member of the Finance Committee and represents Easttown, Region 3. She has resided in T/E for nine years and her two children attend T/E schools. She once ran for a seat in Region Three.

Anne Hamilton, Vice Chairman of MLR
She is the widow of brokerage executive, Samuel M. V. Hamilton. You might want to read the linked article we found about Anne (4 Anne Hamilton). Quite an eye opener. She's also the daughter-in-law of of Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton, (5 the Campbell Soup Heir.)

Dorrance "Dodo" Hamilton leaves Criminal Justice Center after testifying. (6 Dodo Testifies)

Barry Katz, Esq., Legal Council
Barry, of Rosemont, Pennsylvania is President and General Counsel for Belmont Holdings Corp. located in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Belmont Holdings Corp., a private company, deals in miscellaneous monmetallic minerals, other crushed and broken stone mining and quarrying. They also mine and develop diatomaceous earth.

Vincent T. Donohue, Secretary
He is also listed as Secretary for MLR. He is a partner at the firm of Lamb McErlane in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Since 1998, Vince Donohue has advised Lamb McErlane's clients on all matters related to business law, including business formation, equity structuring and recapitalization, owner relationships, debt and equity investments, tax and employment issues, leases and related financing arrangements, and real estate transactions.

Vince has successfully represented corporations and business owners in a long list of notable cases including a manufacturing client in the $7 million acquisition of a competitor's assets.

     Vince's case experience also includes representing clients in the communications industry in connection with a $1.2 billion sale of stock by its shareholders; the Housing Authority of the County of Chester in connection with the restructuring and refinancing of its mixed-finance development projects; a closely held business in the creation, structuring and implementation of a business succession plan for its family member shareholders; and an operator of early childhood learning centers in a dispute with its landlord which was resolved by the acquisition of the subject real estate from the landlord.lord.
     As a former tax consultant, Vince provided tax consulting and advisory services for transactions involving many Fortune 500 companies.
     Vince is actively involved in a number of Chester County organizations including the Foundation of the Chester County Chamber, The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, the Chester County Historical Society and the Tredyffrin Township Historic Preservation Trust.

Christine Gallagher, Director of MLR
We located one Christine Gallagher who is a recent graduate of Penn State with a BA in Human Development and Family Studies and is a social worker for Adoption ARC.

Julie Becton, listed as a MLR Director
She is also the secretary of the USS Laffey Association which is dedicated to two WWII battleships, one of which is in the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC. Her father was Frederick Julian, a USN Rear Admiral.
USS Laffey Association
Julie Becton - Secretary
212 Cherry Lane
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-8025

Marsha Perelman, Vice Chairman
Marsha Reines Perelman - Mrs. Jeffrey Perelman - is Vice Chair of Main Line Rescue and the sister-in-law of Revolon cosmetics chief, Ron Perelman.
     Marsha wears many hats. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Woodforde Management, Inc. holding company (which donated to Democrat Bob Casey)and is located in Ardmore, PA. Her company with a similar name - Woodlorde Energy did the same. M.R. Perelman is co-founder and president of Clearfield Ohio Holdings, Inc., a gas gathering and distribution company. She is co-founder and VP of Clearfiled Energy, Inc., a crude oil gathering and distribution company. Add to that the title of VP of the Penn Central Energy Group of the Penn Central Corporation and Director of Penn Virginia Resource GP, LLC. Marsha is a Director for Leadership Philadelphia and a board member of the (7 City Gala Advisory Board), along with Anne Hamilton and Governor Ed Rendell, who also sit on that board. It just so happens that Marsha is also on the BOD of the ASPCA and one of their corporate sponsors is Iams pet food. Coincidentally, Iams delivered 35,000 pounds of free dog and cat food to Main Line Rescue. We wonder if they know that (8 PETA cites IAMS) for cruelty in animal testing?

The Buddy System
Anne Hamilton, Marsha R. Perelman and Governor Edward G. Rendall all sat on the (9 BOD of the Franklin Institute in 2004). Just click below to see the whole gang on one page. Belmont Holdings, Perelman Theatre, Hamilton Gardens - along with some other interesting trivia! Also be sure to visit the (10 Academy of Fine Arts) in the Samual M.V. Hamilton Building - also chaired by the same group.

A little background history:
Raymond G. Perelman* is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of RGP Holdings, Inc. and Belmont Holdings Corp. Both companies comprise a vast array of manufacturing, mining and financial interests. Raymond and Ruth Perelman are trustees of an Education Foundation which carries their name. In 2005, they donated $25 million to the (11 PENN Medicine's Center). Their sons are Jeffrey E. and Ronald O.

(12 Ronald O.) is Chairman of the BOD for MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings and Chairman of the BOD of the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Revlon Consumer Products Corporation.

He is also a trustee of the Univ of Penn. He established the Ronald O. Perelman Professorship in Finance and the Perelman Quadrangle. Jeffrey is Chairman and CEO of JEP Management, Inc. and he is Secretary of the board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Raymond is also a Penn Medicine Trustee and has donated to Santorum. Raymond and Ruth are also Trustees of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Education Foundation that supports Jewish cultural and welfare organizations.

Old Towels and Laundry Detergent Needed !!
Humorously interesting, we present you with (13 "Looking For a New Home"). Megan Anderson says "MLAR doesn't just need money donations, but simple things such as old towels and laundry detergent."
With the support and backers they have, they can manufacture all the towels and detergent that they could ever need. They can get all the Revlon products they could wish for, and feed everybody Campbell Soup products forever. One quick signature on a check or the pocket change out of somebody's purse would give them the $2.3 million that they intend to dupe from the uneducated public - a public that has NO idea of what is truly behind a non profit, 501(c)3, very well funded, politically connected organization.
Are you running around collecting up old towels now? Doesn't it just make you want to run out and buy up all the Tide you can find to send to them?

Interesting last minute note
In 2004, MLR received a $5,000 grant from the Dade Community Foundation in FLORIDA !
We'll give you more information on this when our little spider returns from there with his report !!

(14 UAPM (United Against Puppy Mills) is the media contact for the "Puppy Mill" campaign publicity. They work behind the scenes and keep their membership as private as possible. However, we do know they were founded in May 2005, that their PA business registration number is 3303231 and that their registered office address is 1305 Wheatland Ave in Lancaster.
The address belongs to J. Glenn Ebersole's J.G. Associates' office. He is also the founder of the Renaissance Group, on the board of the (15 Advisors of Penn State), is running a 5-year term on the Lancaster Commission and Is Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the (16 Modern Transit Authority). Each of these positions affords him many influential contacts within Pennsylvania.
His wife, Helen Ebersole, is one of the co-founders of UAPM. Helen is the Community Action Commissioner of Lancaster and on is on the Lancaster Zoning Commission. She is also on the (17 Zoning Committee in Lancaster) which just happens to review Kennel Licenses. Helen is also involved in many other community organizations and is the Continuing Education Coordinator for Penn State. Helen is a member of the Lancaster Italian Society and so is another UAPM co-founder, (18 Josette A. Armini). In fact, Josette received a college scholarship from the Lancaster Italian Society.

We already mentioned Jackie Keeney in a prior issue, who wrote a letter on the Save-a-Dog letterhead representing UAPM, and posted it to (19 Save-A-Dog website). She is an attorney and member of the Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. Bar Associations plus she has over ten years experience in the real estate market and title business.

The press stated that Dee Strathmeyer of Neffsville was also a UAPM member but she still remains illusive. However, no thread in the web will remain hidden forever. UAPM will be holding a special meeting in January, 2007 - a (20 UAPM "Refresher" course). Some of you might like to attend!

A name that kept popping up, but not included with any animal related organization, was Linda Figueroa. Helen Ebersole is the Community Action Commissioner of Lancaster, Linda Figueroa is the Executive Director of Community Action in Harrisburg. In 2003, Linda and J. Glenn Ebersole were appointed to the board of directors of MTP. Both Linda and J. Glenn hold seats in other endeavors, as well. If you go to (21 Save-A-Dog's PA Legs Page, you will get some valuable information. Then Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont) showed up here; (22 Dogs Deserve Better PA/CA/MD/NY Bills: No Chained Dogs!), along with Sally Tully Figueroa. All at the same site? Further investigation showed that Sally Tully Figueroa is a DDB representative for Puerto Rico and the secretary of (23 PARE Este, Inc.) a non-profit animal welfare and humane educational organization. Coincidentally, she is also the owner of (24 Save A Sato Foundation.) A non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for homeless and abused animals on the island of Puerto Rico. We'll get back to that investigation at a later date for another issue. You can count on it.

What a Web !
Attorneys, real estate agents, city planners and more, help connect this web. Each has a useful purpose in the movement to shut down your kennels, your hobby, and take away your rights to own animals. These people and groups are politically motivated and have built their web on the limbs of animal rights rhetoric.

SNEAK PEEKS
Political Contributions
Marsha R. Perelman of Woodford Energies to Rendell for Governor $7,500.00
Marsha R. Perelman of Woodforde Energy to Bob Casey for Senate $4,000.00

From the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue group: "Thank you, Governor Rendell. Your support through letters, emails, and donations helps to ease a great many worries and we can't offer enough thanks for your part in helping us Goldens."

Governor Rendell holds a 10:30 am Capitol press conference to "make a major 'energy' announcement." Then at noon, he's in Gettysburg for the 2005 Golden Retriever Club of America's judging and Rescue Dog Parade. (Wonder if Bob Casey's aide was there, too?)

Until next issue, we leave you with these important messages:
From Lost and Found Dog Rescue - "Don't BUY a puppy from ANYONE in the Lancaster, PA, (717) area code or ANYONE who "sells" puppies rather than rescues them.

and

From Save-A-Dog - Support Dog Adoption and Rescue. Why go to a DOG BREEDER or pet store to buy a dog when you can adopt?