Ruff House Rescue Accountability Project

19/11/2023

Find us on Instagram and TikTok

29/10/2023

Thank you to everyone who noticed Stop & Shop was supporting Ruff House Rescue's scam and made calls to get them to reverse their decision. Signs were changed to support a different organization.

30/07/2023

https://www.peta.org/blog/animal-rescue-raided-scam-donations/

Would you willingly support an animal "rescue" that keeps dogs and cats in such squalor that they die from infectious diseases, dehydration, and emaciation?

01/05/2023

Animals need your help. Anyone who witnessed or experienced wrongdoings involving RHR needs to report the information to the authorities.

Wrongdoings include:
- Dogs imported into NY that do not have rabies inoculations or health certificates.
- Failure to quarantine new transports, failure to see a veterinarian.
- Failure to keep behavioral records on every dog.
- Sale (“adoption”) of a sick dog.
- Sale of an aggressive dog without full disclosure.
- Sale of a dog in Suffolk Co who was not spayed/neutered.
- Failure to receive a spay/neuter deposit refund.
- Financial issues. Documentation issues.
- Threats by RHR’s leaders to silence you about their mistreatment of animals. (You are not alone!)
- Animal neglect including inadequate nourishment or housing, denial of veterinary care, unsanitary conditions, extreme temperatures, unaltered dogs comingling.
- Failure to isolate animals with communicable diseases.

This is not all-inclusive. You would not be alone. Authorities need many complaints showing patterns of wrongdoing.

The laws provide the basic requirements. Any organization that cares about animals would want to comply. If they don’t, it is our duty to report them.

Laws:
- https://ecode360.com/14944215
- https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/AGM/A26
- https://agriculture.ny.gov/animals/shelter-and-rescue-registration
- https://agriculture.ny.gov/animals/companion-animals

Here are the contacts:

AG:
https://ag.ny.gov/contact-attorney-general-letitia-james
AG Consumer Complaints:
https://formsnym.ag.ny.gov/OAGOnlineSubm.../faces/OAGCFCHome
NY AG Charities Bureau:
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/char030.pdf
Ags & Markets:
https://agriculture.ny.gov/contact-us
IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf
Suffolk SPCA:
https://suffolkspca.org/contacts/
Suffolk DA:
https://suffolkcountyny.gov/da/Contact-Us/Contact-the-DA
(Their form for animals allows for reporting anonymously.)

And don’t forget, social media is also a powerful tool. Share your own experience, and the info here, widely!

30/04/2023

Here is someone who wants customers to believe she cares about dogs. "Remember, we don't just find homes for people, we find homes pets too." Fact is, by promoting Ruff House Rescue, she is supporting cruelty to animals.

When Dominique Dalia-Rudolph Dalia Deals Realty posted her first promotional ad for RHR on April 18, we believed she may not have been fully informed about the realities of RHR. But instead of having a conversation, she immediately blocked us (and other advocates). That is like a child covering their ears so as not to hear a truth they don't like. Unfortunately, Kona, Pepsi, Grace, Toya, Iowa, Armani, Phoebe, Billy, Boss, Alex, Benji, Elsa, Georgia, Gio, Jake, Julio, Kelly, Lance, Nala, Milo, Paris, Scarlett, Solomon, Sparky, and the many others, including those without names, couldn't just block out their reality.

Coach Realtors told us on April 28 that they were in conversation with her about her video. They also stated they have no control over what she posts. However, in watching the video, she states she is with Howard Hanna Coach Realtors and uses their logo. If they oppose animal cruelty, they need to speak out against these videos.

As she is a realtor, maybe she can sell Ruff House Rescue's Freeport house- the one they've had for nearly 3 years that can't be used for animals. But just like the $745k deed of trust, don't count on the money going towards basic care for their dogs at the RHR ranch in TX.

See her videos here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrinfKfMXGd/

28/04/2023

Don't we all want to know?

Video is on TikTok for sharing.

26/04/2023

The Office of NY State Attorney General Letitia James is responding in the following ways:

1. Stating they require numerous complaints showing a pattern of wrongdoing. They also state they are keeping letters on file should they receive additional complaints. OR
2. Passing complaints on to Ags & Markets (which has failed to act in the past.) OR
3. Silence.

We are again asking all New Yorkers to write to AG James. It is particularly important that members of the public, adopters, volunteers, fosters and advocates who witnessed any wrongdoing contact her ASAP. We really need your help to show her the enormity of the problem! We are hearing from too many people who have been personally impacted, but have not written. Please do not expect others will write. The animals really need us all to join the effort together and be their advocates.

If you contacted her and received a reply, please let us know. If you haven’t heard back from her, follow-up to ask about any steps she is taking. If you did hear back, reply to what she says. Let’s keep the conversation going!

This ongoing effort is essential as AG James is the one who can pull RHR’s charters. She has been sent info to demonstrate why this is necessary. What we need is more pressure!

PLEASE SHARE! PLEASE TAG PEOPLE!

Our Action Alert:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTbIYvv-Hk/

You can contact AG James through the form (select general comment) located at:
https://ag.ny.gov/contact-attorney-general-letitia-james

To file a complaint about wrongdoing you personally experienced or witnessed:
https://formsnym.ag.ny.gov/OAGOnlineSubmissionForm/faces/OAGCFCHome

To submit a Charities Bureau Complaint:
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/char030.pdf

23/04/2023

They were severely neglected at Ruff House Rescue’s “ranch” in Mission, TX. That is not rescue! Anyone who supports Ruff House Rescue is supporting cruelty to animals!

TikTok users: We need your help getting this video seen. Please share over there.

23/04/2023

See post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq_vk1EskoE/

Cathymrhr is Cathy Makridakis, RHR's Treasurer.

22/04/2023

Animals abused by Ruff House Rescue can’t hold them accountable. So we need to.

21/04/2023

Sound familiar? Look familiar? Have a look at Ruff House Rescue's own words in light of the videos and info we've posted here. Notice how Ruff House Rescue could just as easily have been talking about themselves.

Let's also notice the glaring contrast between what RHR had to say about puppy mills and what RHR's director Diane said about David Howery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjVstVxLAqZ

And just how long has this been going on? Included in this post is an excerpt from their 2010 IRS filing indicating dogs are either adopted or placed in sanctuaries. Well, we’ve Diane’s idea of a sanctuary!

20/04/2023

This is NOT rescue. Ruff House Rescue is NOT rescue!

19/04/2023

Lenny and Roger are Ruff House Rescue’s responsibility. They do not belong at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter!

18/04/2023

These are a few of their faces. Ruff House Rescue's Diane sent them away to Kentucky, and we never heard about them again. With everything we now know, we can only assume the worst. Our hearts break. 💔

Please comment in memory of these or any other dogs hurt by Ruff House Rescue.

17/04/2023

Ruff House Rescue talks to you about people to avoid talking about their mistreatment of animals.

14/04/2023

"Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly."
~Mahatma Gandhi

11/04/2023

RHR:
You blocked us, not the other way around. We invite you to post here.

11/04/2023

Attention Ruff House Rescue:
Warehousing dogs is
NOT RESCUE!

10/04/2023

Puppies struggling to survive! Their siblings dead! Their moms severely ill!

On March 28, 2023, two moms and their puppies were rescued and brought to Palm Valley Animal Society (PVAS) by Animal Control Officers. PVAS has confirmed they were removed from Ruff House Rescue’s “ranch” in Mission, TX!

Upon intake, the moms, Iowa and Toya, were malnourished and suffering from fleas, tapeworms, anaplasmosis, and heartworms. Their young puppies were extremely lethargic, dehydrated and scalded from urine burns. Iowa arrived with six puppies, and Toya arrived with ten. Two of Toya’s puppies died shortly after arrival due to their fragile condition. Another two puppies died later.

All this at the hands of Ruff House Rescue!

We all need to be asking, what the *&(@! is wrong with Ruff House Rescue’s Board of Directors?!?! They need to get their rearends down to Texas! Diane Indelicato (Director), Cathleen Makridakis (Treasurer) and Joanne Tully (Secretary) are responsible for this! Current volunteers, you want to support this?! Go down to Texas and have a look! THIS is what you enable!!!

Now, PVAS needs money and supplies to help these families. PVAS is not a perfect shelter. They do municipal intake and cannot save them all. The region is overburdened, and the management has been flawed. But they should not have to spend funds on saving RHR’s dogs. This is Ruff House Rescue’s failure!

To DONATE at Cuddly:
https://cuddly.com/donate/4920772/iowa-and-toya

Who here believes the conditions for the other dogs STILL ON THE RHR PROPERTY are any better?

PLEASE SHARE EVERYWHERE!!!

07/04/2023

Would anyone like to view the 990s?

After the tax filing date has passed, a 501(c)(3) organization is required by law to allow the public to view that filing and filings for the time period covering 3 years prior. While the 990 forms are posted online by the IRS, they are years behind in releasing them. This is why the more recent ones need to be viewed directly at Ruff House Rescue.

Required Disclosures Info:
https://www.stayexempt.irs.gov/home/existing-organizations/required-disclosures

Exempt Organization Public Disclosure Requirements:
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

For the older 990s (enter EIN 27-0964354):
https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
and
https://candid.org/research-and-verify-nonprofits/990-finder

While on this topic, for anyone so inclined, here are complaint forms.

IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf

NY AG Charities Bureau:
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/char030.pdf

Ruff House Rescue:
(516) 306-4998
467 Higbie Ln, West Islip, NY 11795

02/04/2023

Ruff House Rescue was known amongst volunteers to be diligent about finding suitable foster homes in NY. So naturally, when Diane told them that their dogs out of state were with fosters prior to transport, everyone believed they were in safe and healthy environments. Until it was discovered that they weren’t. And OH HOW THEY WEREN’T!

As you view these 2018 videos and photos from South Carolina, would you call that a foster home?

This was discovered after a volunteer went there to bring supplies and reported the horrific conditions he witnessed. Another volunteer from NY then went down to SC to get the dogs, and Ruff House Rescue’s Director Diane Indelicato denied knowing of these conditions. Volunteers took her at her word, and insisted that she must know the conditions for all her animals going forward.

Then, in 2021, volunteers learned about Kentucky, which served as a hub for Ruff House Rescue for approximately 8 years. It was ongoing at the time the situation in SC was revealed.

I hope it is clear these images are not of a place from which Ruff House Rescue pulls dogs. This is where they kept THEIR OWN dogs who they had already “rescued.”

Former volunteers continue to feel the pain of how dogs are made to suffer at the hands of Ruff House Rescue. Diane, on the other hand, still carries on, and brings in new volunteers.

SHE-MUST-BE-STOPPED!

(See comments for videos)

28/03/2023

New county, new laws for Ruff House Rescue.

23/03/2023

Ruff House Rescue NY has failed so many dogs.
Help spread the word.

12/03/2023

I don't know who needs to hear this but Ruff House Rescue is NOT rescue!

06/03/2023

Despite being fully informed of the facts, News12 continues to contribute to more animals being harmed by this scam organization. Please voice your objection to them promoting Ruff House Rescue!

05/03/2023

Diane Indelicato, Director of Ruff House Rescue, sent dogs to this property she funded in Paducah, KY. Throughout the many years, volunteers asked questions about the dogs who were sent there but never got answers. Other dogs were sent from there to NY. This property was raided in 2021, and Diane went on total defense. This should come as no surprise, as this is not the only state where she has had (or currently has) dogs living in deplorable conditions. Together, we must stop her abuse of innocent animals. Please be a voice for the voiceless, speak up, and contact the NY Attorney General.

03/03/2023

Here we go! We need you to please contact New York State Attorney General Letitia James. She is the one who can pull Ruff House Rescue’s charters!

Here is what to do:
- Tell her you are writing to request a thorough investigation of Ruff House Rescue, now located in West Islip, NY.
- If you or someone you know had a negative experience with this business, explain briefly what happened. Did you get a sick pet? Not receive a spay/neuter refund? Another issue?
- If you do not have an experience to share, please explain that as an animal lover and resident of NY, you have concerns about the finances, misrepresentations, transport, and inhumane living conditions for their animals. Basically, anything you’ve seen posted here. Explain as much or as little as you’d like.
- Either way, what is most important is that you follow through and send a message! Please do not allow the desire to say everything stop you from writing at all. If you just write one sentence, that’s ok! Your participation is crucial!!!
- We neeeed numbers! After you write to her, please ask your friends and family to participate!
- Please save a copy of your letter.
- If you do not live in NY, or you have not conducted business with them from another state, please help us reach those people!
- If you already filed a complaint, now is a good time to send a follow-up.
- You can contact AG James through the form (select general comment) located at:
https://ag.ny.gov/contact-attorney-general-letitia-james

THANK YOU!

28/02/2023

Please share our videos on TikTok!

27/02/2023

25/01/2023

Poor Grace! How awful!!! How heartbreaking that she suffered alone like that!!! This was Ruff House Rescue's dog, and Ruff House Rescue's property, but this was certainly not rescue!

Watching the video, we can also see why Ruff House Rescue dogs acquire deadly, contagious diseases and have brought these diseases to NY. It should go without saying, but that is not a proper shelter environment at all!

Thank you to on Instagram for the video.
Please redistribute.

*Video footage recorded in 2021.

08/12/2022

Don't let Ruff House Rescue's sad ads and claims about "saving lives" lure you into a scam.

Learn the facts.

07/12/2022

This is how Ruff House Rescue operates. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. Please tag someone who needs to know.

06/12/2022

WARNING: The content is heartbreaking!!! I am only choosing to post it because dogs are continuing to suffer at the Ruff House Rescue property in Mission, TX.

Sadly, while Ruff House Rescue likes to claim they are “saving lives” at their ranch, the living conditions there have in fact led to many lives being destroyed!

While there is no way of knowing the full death toll, we know enough to know that it is not good. One reliable source has shared that there were over 100 dogs who were buried on the property. Many other dogs were in black bags and stored in two freezers that were sent from NY to TX. Ruff House Rescue’s Director, Diane Rose Indelicato, did not want to pay to cremate the dogs. She wanted them tossed in the garbage. The employee did not want the dogs to be thrown away like trash in a garbage truck, and instead decided to burn them in a large hole to give them a form of burial.

You may recall, this ranch is one of the properties where Ruff House Rescue keeps their dogs after pulling them from the shelters. The conditions have been deplorable for years. Now, in 2022, the authorities are finally conducting an investigation, and placed the signs on the property that were previously posted here. In one of the images, you’ll see why advocates had to fight for years to get the authorities to take this seriously. The authorities were not educated about the signs of diseases such as parvo, distemper and heartworm. They only paid attention to whether the dogs had food and water. That is not good enough.

Do I need to say it again? This is NOT rescue! And know what’s worse? Unlike the Kentucky property, which was shut down in 2021, dogs continue to be housed at this property. There is video as well.

Read through the posts for more info. Additional images are at the Instagram post.

02/12/2022

From the statement by Guardians of Rescue:

“The organization who was responsible for the care of these dogs has made posts representing that Guardians has agreed to return these animals to them, and that we were protecting them. This statement is with-out merit.”

As to the stories that are being shared here about some of the dogs sent by Ruff House Rescue to Kentucky, followers have wanted to know the ultimate fate of these dogs. Sadly, we have no additional info about most of the dogs sent there over the years. After Guardians of Rescue got involved, some of the animals were taken in by rescue groups. Others were sent to the shelter. One was saved by a former volunteer.

The Guardians of Rescue posts are from their page.