Parenting-Furkids

Non Species Specific Furkid Topics => Reaching One Furkid Parent At A Time... => Topic started by: CarnivorousCritter on July 20, 2011, 09:37:23 AM

Title: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 20, 2011, 09:37:23 AM
Re-thought and wanted to make this its own thread.  ;)

Some background --

I used to donate to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and asked everyone in my family to do so in lieu of gifts. Long story short:

Received magazine (and other "free gifts" I asked not to receive) with back cover a Purina ad for dry cat food.
Sent email with TONS of info.
Response was: they'd bring the points up at CEO meeting;
Next response: that they need that ad $ "to help the animals more"

I wrote back requesting ballpark figure to see if I could match what Purina is paying for that ad space so that I could do my part to help MEDICAL EXPENSE (www.catinfo.org... on the back cover...)

No response.

HERE is the third hit I got when googleing Feline Nutrition: http://www.bestfriends.org/members/health/catnutr.htm


<<<To make sense of all this confusion, cat owners and veterinarians need to wade through all the pet food marketing information and to rely on the science of pet nutrition.

Pet Food Marketing

All commercial cat foods are all sold as having complete and balanced nutritional value. However, most contain more fat and protein than is required. Pet food companies know that cats love high fat, high protein foods. Over nutrition and obesity have become the most common of cat nutritional disorders.

The most influential and important of these agencies is the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). ..

 
To avoid problems with overnutrition, cat owners should choose foods that match the AFFCO recommendations most closely...

Choosing the correct food for a particular cat involves considering several important factors.

Use dry matter numbers to evaluate and compare foods.
Consider the energy density of the food.
Avoid all supplementation because commercial cat foods have more than enough protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients are arranged in decreasing order by weight. The source of the ingredients does not matter, except in the case of food allergies.
Feeding high fat, high protein foods can easily lead to obesity. >>>

Funny, NO mention of carnivores, either.

Any idea of how well-known this place is to pet Internet Communities? Ever seen a message forum where they're not mentioned? People go there for VACATIONS!!  They have vacation cottages and everything!


EDIT:  They also got national Mediot attention for taking conVick's dogs. (Mike conVick of the NFL Philadelphia Pigeons.)
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 20, 2011, 09:50:01 AM
What are the odds that Susan Thick-ston will have her followers write these people for this reason?

Anyone wanna try? She's sick of me. Last email I wrote her a while back didn't even warrant a response.

However putting AAFCO in the title will at least make her open the email.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 21, 2011, 04:38:25 PM
I spent a month there and what I could tell you would make you sick! They store their food in metal sheds that reach very high temps in the desert! They're ALL about the money not the animals!

If you really want to know the truth about Best Friends do a google search for "Best Friends Animal and Process Church of the Final Judgement".  These same people were satanists back in the sixties and used animals in their sacrifices. The same people still make up their board of directors! I have enough scarey info on this group to write a book!!

Here's one link to the truth. http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/BestFriends1-06101-Jade.asp (http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/BestFriends1-06101-Jade.asp)
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 21, 2011, 07:29:14 PM
 :o :o  Thank you for sharing that KatieAndMe!   I can't believe I fell for the trap and used to give to them  >:(

It's becoming quite obvious that, the more "popular" something is, the richer they are and the less they need "donations." 

Is this racket on the NYSE yet? I wouldn't be surprised...
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Lola on July 21, 2011, 11:01:09 PM
I spent a month there and what I could tell you would make you sick! They store their food in metal sheds that reach very high temps in the desert! They're ALL about the money not the animals!

If you really want to know the truth about Best Friends do a google search for "Best Friends Animal and Process Church of the Final Judgement".  These same people were satanists back in the sixties and used animals in their sacrifices. The same people still make up their board of directors! I have enough scarey info on this group to write a book!!

Here's one link to the truth. http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/BestFriends1-06101-Jade.asp (http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/BestFriends1-06101-Jade.asp)

WOSIERS...was THAT ever interesting!!!   
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 21, 2011, 11:15:24 PM
And that article just skims the surface. I was told by someone in the know that they are the "head of the octopus" therefore they have never been convicted of any crimes, past and present!! I need to be careful what I say here since this is an open forum.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Lola on July 21, 2011, 11:18:21 PM
And that article just skims the surface. I was told by someone in the know that they are the "head of the octopus" therefore they have never been convicted of any crimes, past and present!! I need to be careful what I say here since this is an open forum.

I thought the article "touched" on a LOT. 
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 22, 2011, 12:04:13 AM
If you're up to reading this lawsuit claims some of the ways BF misspent donations. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/615715/Best-Friends-Animal-Society-Lawsuit (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/615715/Best-Friends-Animal-Society-Lawsuit) This was filed by one of their employees.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 22, 2011, 12:23:57 AM
This is some interesting background:

"Two sinister Scientology graduates of the 60s were Robert DeGrimston and his wife  Mary Ann. He was a former architecture student and she was a former prostitute who believed herself to be Joseph Goebbels incarnate. Both had an insatiable preoccupation with death and violence and it is perhaps inevitable that they ended up in San Francisco in 1967 where they established themselves as The Process Church of the Final Judgement. They took up residence on Oak St., in the so-called Devil House, two blocks from where Charles Manson had his ‘family’ and close by Anton Lavey’s Church of Satan. Processans wandered the Haight sporting black capes and black suits and preaching a gospel of doom and destruction. The first edition of Ed Sanders’ book ‘The Family’ carries an interesting chapter on the Process Church. But a Chicago lawyer convinced them to sue for defamation and the offending chapter was deleted from subsequent editions. Robert Degrimston published several books on war (his favorite theme) and commanded his followers “THOU SHALT KILL!” Another Process publication urged readers to experience the pleasures of grave robbing and necrophilia. A rant in the ‘Death’ issue of their magazine was penned by Charles Manson. Manson’s rap was an amalgam of Process ideology and the 150 hours of Scientology auditing he’d received during one of his numerous prison stints (Charlie declared himself a ‘Theta Clear’).

Contrary to popular belief, the Process is still around, having undergone numerous name changes over the years. The first was the ‘Four-P Movement.’ Author Michael Newton wrote that the cult, “is also deeply involved in white slavery, child pornography and the international narcotics trade.” Still other name changes for the Process included The Foundation Church of the Millenium, The Foundation Faith of God and then Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Today it is known as The Best Friends Animal Society and is located in Kanab, Utah. Mary Ann Degrimston makes her home there along with several other former members. Gone are the days when Process members journeyed to San Quentin to interview Manson. Gone too are all references to Satan and doomsday. Members now softpeddle their involvement in the Process Church of the Final Judgement citing juvenile misguidance. The goal of the reformed church now is to save animals. The large compound in southern Utah is their testament to this end. And the animal sanctuary is a huge cash cow. In 2003 the Society raised more than $20 million. Perhaps the Degrimstons were wise to abandon Scientology when they did. Robert currently works in New York City as a business consultant."

http://www.thebirdman.org/Index/Others/Others-Doc-Religion&Spirituality/+Doc-Religion&Spirituality-ModernDiscoveries&Beliefs/OnScientology.htm (http://www.thebirdman.org/Index/Others/Others-Doc-Religion&Spirituality/+Doc-Religion&Spirituality-ModernDiscoveries&Beliefs/OnScientology.htm)
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Pookie on July 22, 2011, 08:20:59 AM
 :o :o :o :o :o :o

Didn't read the link, but did read the posts here.  Geez, some things I'm better off not knowing . . .

Before I read the new posts, I was going to say I'd never heard of them before.  Still haven't, or any of other names shown here, but I'll be sure to avoid them if I see anything.   cat2
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 22, 2011, 08:28:48 PM
 thumbsup1 thumbsup1 thumbsup1  Wow KatieAndMe, they are in deep!!!  >:(

 flamingturd

This outfit is verrry "popular" on another forum. Members who haven't yet been there talk about it being a goal to do so because they hype keeping and rehabilitating older, sick companion animals.    

And conVick's dogs put them into the national spotlight even more.  :(  
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 22, 2011, 08:46:43 PM
They hired one of the nation's top PR firms and that has helped them overcome the negative press. I don't understand how some can know this and still support this group!! I guess when you bring in 44 million a year in donations you have a lot of power! It's sad that those donations aren't really going to help more animals. I did a comparison chart with how many they help compared to smaller rescues with much less money and they never came close to helping the number they should.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Kittymom4 on July 23, 2011, 06:08:16 PM
Gave the link a read - interesting doesn't cover it.  Can't say I don't believe it - however I would like to see some actual evidence for some of the claims made :(
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 23, 2011, 06:45:42 PM
If you're up to reading this lawsuit claims some of the ways BF misspent donations. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/615715/Best-Friends-Animal-Society-Lawsuit (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/615715/Best-Friends-Animal-Society-Lawsuit) This was filed by one of their employees.

KatieAndMe,  is there anyway else to view it that you may know of?  (I'm not a facebook fan. :-[)

When I first signed up to donate, I checked the option not to receive the Mag and whatever other promotional things and, like the SPCA, I was getting "free gifts" that I had no use for.  All that stuff can't be free -- it was nice and had to cost something.  Now I know such things are a red flag.  If "the animals" need all they can get, I certainly don't need glossy things only to collect dust! 
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 23, 2011, 07:08:37 PM
What does everyone think of that bad cat information, just by itself?   It comes up third in a google search for "Feline Nutrition"  :o :o

That info being so prominent is downright scary, people reading that will have the TOTALLY wrong ideas about feline dietary requirements.  :o bangshead

Just to say those things about "proteins" with NO mention of "carnivore" is downright dangerous to the cats belonging to people who will take what these people are saying as gospel!!
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 23, 2011, 11:05:07 PM
Everything in that article can be backed up with proof and much is public record. Believe me that is just a small part and people couldn't handle the whole truth at once. The editor was contacted by BF's attorney and they were told to take it down. Long story short it's still up because it's all true. Here's the story that was in the Rocky Mountain News minus some alarming pictures. http://www.rickross.com/reference/process_church/process_church2.html (http://www.rickross.com/reference/process_church/process_church2.html)
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Bogie on July 25, 2011, 01:00:51 AM
Everything in that article can be backed up with proof and much is public record. Believe me that is just a small part and people couldn't handle the whole truth at once. The editor was contacted by BF's attorney and they were told to take it down. Long story short it's still up because it's all true. Here's the story that was in the Rocky Mountain News minus some alarming pictures. http://www.rickross.com/reference/process_church/process_church2.html (http://www.rickross.com/reference/process_church/process_church2.html)

The article is chronicling them from their beginning, and ends up painting them quite favorably. It explains, with the help of Mountain himself, how it's evolved since the cult days.  In fact,  "To keep the flag flying, Mountain says he needs to define Best Friends' past as well as its future - The Process church and all.
He now says he wants not only to help write a book about the affair, but to put it all on a Web page, warts and all.
"

This is not to say I defend the 'nutrition' rubbish on their web site, which is a whole 'nother matter.  :(




Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: Lola on July 25, 2011, 01:37:46 PM
Why is Best Friends giving this advice???

Quote
Choosing the correct food for a particular cat involves considering several important factors.

Use dry matter numbers to evaluate and compare foods.
Consider the energy density of the food.
Avoid all supplementation because commercial cat foods have more than enough protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients are arranged in decreasing order by weight. The source of the ingredients does not matter, except in the case of food allergies.
Feeding high fat, high protein foods can easily lead to obesity.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: KatieAndMe on July 25, 2011, 02:23:26 PM
The article is chronicling them from their beginning, and ends up painting them quite favorably. It explains, with the help of Mountain himself, how it's evolved since the cult days.  In fact,  "To keep the flag flying, Mountain says he needs to define Best Friends' past as well as its future - The Process church and all.
He now says he wants not only to help write a book about the affair, but to put it all on a Web page, warts and all.
"

This is not to say I defend the 'nutrition' rubbish on their web site, which is a whole 'nother matter.  :(






They were outed so they had to do a spin. Why didn't they mention anything about it before the newspaper article? Yes, Lou Kilzer's paper was afraid of being sued as is everyone else that exposes BF. Their book, Best Friends: The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary, was released before the article and no where is there mention of the church. The intent of the article in the Rocky Mountain News was to out them and let others investigate further, which they have. 44 million in donations can buy a lot of PR.
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 25, 2011, 05:02:10 PM
Why is Best Friends giving this advice???

Wouldn't we like to guess how much $$$ Purina (and probably others) are pumping into them.  noseisgrowing

Enough that they wouldn't even respond to my offer -- and I was already donating to them!!

Like everyone else who is "trusted": Firmly entrenched in The Pockets$$.

Mainstream pet poisons don't even need expensive advertising anymore, not when they have all these "trusted" people doing the WORK FOR them, and more convincingly than a short Advert ever could@!!
Title: Re: "Best Friend$"- A Carnivores' Worst Enemies!! $$$
Post by: CarnivorousCritter on July 25, 2011, 05:09:31 PM
. 44 million in donations can buy a lot of PR.

They probably don't even need donations from regular people, either, beings the PFI is pumping enough into them to put that detrimental, HARMFUL information up on their site!

For the $$$ they used to put into mainstream adverts, more is put into organisations like BF, where they won't be called out for "false advertising".  Notice how the TV ads aren't allowed to make all the claims they used to be able to?  So the PFI wised up, and pay off more "trusted" sources to spread the propaganda and bad information.