Keep Nevada's Animal Shelters safe for animals

Some people may be asking: why are you attacking the Nevada Humane Society? Doesn't that just make the animals suffer more? The answer is simple: We are NOT attacking the NHS, we are holding the NHS Board accountable for the decisions they have made that do NOT prioritize the welfare of the animals under NHS' care. In fact, one could say that this website is necessary because we, the public, and the NHS Board, have a fundamental disagreement about what NHS should be. We think the community that donates to the NHS, and the animals that enter into the care of NHS, are what makes up the Nevada Humane Society. It is an organization that is tasked to provide services to the animal population using funds donated by the public. The Board of Directors, on the other hand, seem to think they own the NHS; can spend donor funds any way they like, whether or not it actually benefits the animals under their care; do not have to respond to questions; or be accountable to the public from which they derive their funding, or to the animals they are entrusted to care for. THIS IS the fundamental issue. EVERY single person in NHS Watchgroup were supporters of NHS, animal lovers who want the best for our community's stray and homeless animals. We were donors, volunteers, supporters, officers of NHS, cheering them on from within and without. It is solely because the NHS Board has not been making decisions that prioritize the welfare of the animals, that this website has become necessary. If they are not doing a good job making decisions on how to best take care of animals, then what is the reason to fund them? The NHS as an entity is not lacking money - they have a >$14M endowment. What we are holding them - the NHS Board of Directors - to account for is the poor care that is being given to the animals, UNDER THEIR WATCH, and AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE DECISIONS MADE BY BOARD MEMBERS. The animals are ALREADY suffering. They can't speak, so we have to speak up for them. Reform AND transparency of the NHS Board of Directors are what will help the animals most, now, and for the long term.

The Nevada Humane Society (NHS) Watchgroup was established for the public to identify and take action to address issues occurring at the Nevada Humane Society Leadership (comprising the Board of Directors and the CEO).  Over the past several years, the NHS Leadership has operated with little to no transparency or accountability to government agencies, donors, and the public. This resulted in a rapid decline in animal care (read complaint letters), and multiple incidents where the NHS Leadership engaged in questionable expenditure of donor funds (see Discussion). The Nevada Humane Society is an independent organization with no oversight entity.  As such, the Board of Directors have full control of the organization, who its managers are, who gets selected to the Board, and the use of donor funds. This website describes a multitude of issues and concerns with how the NHS Board of Directors has behaved in the past, and how they continue to deny transparency, and engage in questionable expenditure of donor funds (see NHS Problems). We ask that you read the information on this webite, and join us by signing the petition to call for an overhaul of the NHS Board of Directors. (Sign the Petition).

The Watchgroup consists of animal lovers, shelter and animal welfare professionals, members of the public, and donors to NHS.  The goal of the Watchgroup is to return the NHS to its former glory, when it was one of the nation's top no-kill shelters, with pioneering success in producing positive outcomes for our community's homeless and stray animals. (watch video: COMMENTS ON BOARD MEMBERS) 

This website has been established to allow Northern Nevada's animal lovers to share their stories and coordinate efforts to put pressure on NHS' Board of Directors to do the right thing.  Prior to the setting up of this website, there were multiple attempts to address NHS issues in a less public forum. Over the last several years, NHS has received multiple inquiries and feedback from news organizations, donors, former employees, etc. regarding a wide range of issues, including the Board of Directors' non-compliance with NHS bylaws, financial inconsistencies in its tax returns, inadequate and negligent animal care (read letters on Animal Care), poor personnel management practices, use of funds for items not intended by donors, etc.  NHS has refused to provide responses or take accountability.  Instead, they instituted policies to create additional obscuring of the inner workings at NHS. For example, until 5 May, 2023, they refused to even provide a copy of their bylaws.

On 10 May 2023, there was a shift in leadership of the NHS Board of Directors.  The new President (Mr. Ray Gonzalez, Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo) and Vice-President (Ms. Rita Eissmann, Realtor, Ferrari-Lund and wife of DDS Greg Eissmann) promised "100%, no, 1,000% transparency!" and "drastic change" in the organization. Despite making these claims multiple times in a public meeting, and in multiple press interviews, the Board has yet to release a single document that was requested (read Discussion).

The long-standing lack of transparency and accountability at NHS, continued low animal care standards, combined with a "new people, same old problem" approach to managing NHS, leaves those of us with concerns no other option than to demand reform (read and sign Petition).

Sign Our Petition to Institute Change at the NHS Board. In addition, here are the actions you can take to help our homeless pet population: ADOPT animals from NHS, but do NOT donate any money. If you wish to donate to help animals, please donate ONLY in KIND: no money, but food, treats, beds, blankets, etc. Donate items that can only be used by the animals. 

In 2018, the Board of Directors fired its CEO (who had experience in non-profits) and appointed its inexperienced and unqualified Board President, Mr. Gregory J. Hall, to be the CEO. Mr. Hall had no experience in running a non-profit, had no background in animal shelters, or animal welfare, and had no experience running any organization even close to the size of the NHS. The quality of animal care fell precipitously in the ensuing years, with senior, qualified staff being fired, and unqualified people taking their places. The Board did not do anything about the complaints filed against Mr. Hall. Since 2021, the Board was headed by Kris Wells, Area Manager, AT&T, until early May. By then, she had broken the NHS bylaws' term limit for Board members by four years. After her and Mr. Hall's resignation, the Board was taken over by Mr. Raymond Gonzalez (President) of Wells Fargo Advisors, and Mrs. Rita Eissmann (VP), wife of DDS Greg Eissmann. Other members are: Mr. Stephen Festa (Treasurer, unannounced profession); Mrs. Nancy Wenzel (Secretary and attorney); Mr. Max Margulies (VP, Corporate Partnerships at Reno Aces); and Mr. Robert Kirchman (unannounced profession). This Board, especially Mr. Gonzalez, has promised a lot of change but has done nothing different from the previous Board - except talk a lot about transparency, and how donors want it. But the Board has not provided any documents or information requested. With Ms. Brittany Cooper no longer on the Board, the NHS Board now only has six members. Note that this means that SIX individuals control the lives of Northern Nevada's stray and homeless pets; and these SIX individuals have yet to demonstrate that they put the welfare of those pets first.