Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and previous Oakland Athletics supervisor Tony La Russa and his family — (from left) child Bianca, partner Elaine, child Devon — appear at the La Russas’ Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek. (Photo thanks to the Animal Rescue Foundation)
WALNUT CREEK — Tony La Russa and his family made it clear today that it was their concept to sever ties with the Animal Rescue Foundation, the East Bay animal well-being not-for-profit they established in 1991, since they thought its leaders are no longer devoted to cultivating a culture of “compassion and care for animals” and of “mutual respect” among staff members.
In a declaration shown this news organization, the previous Oakland A’s supervisor said that he and his family have actually asked to have their names eliminated from ARF’s title and to no longer have their “reputations” connected with the not-for-profit, which has actually long been associated with the Alamo-based family’s brand name of regional philanthropy. The family’s lawyer likewise sent ARF a stop and desist letter last Friday requiring that the not-for-profit stop utilizing La Russa names, similarities and social networks accounts within the next 90 days. The family is likewise requiring the return of its personal baseball and music souvenirs.
La Russa’s declaration, provided with his partner Elaine and children Bianca and Devon, comes 2 days after ARF provided a news release that attempted to put a positive spin on the split, stating the parting of methods topped “30 years of a successful partnership” and significant “ARF’s evolution and response to today’s challenges in animal welfare.”
“Compassion and care for animals is our family’s passion,” La Russa said in his declaration. “But ARF’s current leadership, policies and attitudes work against fulfilling its mission. We have concluded we must completely separate ourselves, our name and our reputation from ARF.”
La Russa, who retired from baseball in October, said that for several years, the “close-knit culture” of ARF had actually been “like an extended” family — “like-minded people who shared a passion for animals” and “a bond of mutual respect and trust.”
“This culture was an important factor in ARF’s early and continued success,” La Russa said. “That is, sadly, no longer the case, which is why we no longer want to be associated with the foundation we created.”
Greg McCoy, the board’s president, declared: “This organization has never been stronger. We look forward to ARF’s next lifesaving, life-enriching innovations.”
But the La Russa family had actually raised issues about ARF’s management and work environment culture for a minimum of 2 years. “The final straw” came last month, when ARF “mishandled” the Feb. 9 adoption of a dog called Lovebug, the family’s declaration said.
In spite of habits notes and guidelines stating that Lovebug required a harness, ARF sent Lovebug home with her elderly adopters without a harness, and the dog instantly got away prior to they might get her into their home, the declaration said. Over the next 2 weeks, the La Russas discovered that ARF had actually stopped numerous search-and-rescue efforts, although Lovebug had actually been seen many times by next-door neighbors.
Finally, on a night when temperature levels dipped listed below freezing, a group of volunteers and members of the La Russa family set a trap to capture Lovebug, who was rescued and gone back to her brand-new adopters, the declaration said. But rather of commemorating that Lovebug’s life had actually been saved, ARF informed the 20-year veteran volunteer who had actually arranged the rescue that her services were no longer required, the declaration said.
“This response to a person who has devoted 10-15 hours per week to the organization for 20 years, and fostered over 570 animals, is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” the declaration said.
A representative for ARF might not be instantly grabbed remark.
The La Russa family initially raised issues about ARF’s management in April 2021, when the organization dealt with accusations that its executives supported a “toxic” workplace culture, swarming with bullying, favoritism, retaliation, and ageist and racist remarks.
The age-old Bay Area not-for-profit was struck with 4 suits, submitted by previous and existing staff members who declared that ARF’s veteran executive director Elena Bicker and McCoy, the board chairperson, “tolerated, engendered and permitted a toxic workplace culture.” One of those suits has actually considering that been decided on concealed terms, while the other 3 are still pending, according to Contra Costa County Superior Court records.
Due to issues about ARF’s management at the time, Tony La Russa, his partner and children resigned from the board, however consented to stay loosely connected with ARF to help in its fundraising efforts, while the organization was expected to make modifications.
Susan Lee Vick changed Bicker as the organization’s magnate in January after Bicker revealed her retirement. In a short declaration, ARF’s marketing supervisor Cole Kuiper said Bicker’s departure didn’t have anything to do with the management debate 2 years previously. “Elena Bicker’s retirement was solely related to the fact she and her husband both planned to retire in 2022,” Kuiper said.
But the La Russa family doesn’t believe ARF has actually meaningfully attended to any of their issues over the last 2 years and “continues to make decisions that the family cannot in good conscience, support — like the nearly-tragic Lovebug situation,” its declaration said.
The family likewise wasn’t happy that ARF attempted to get ahead of the story by providing its news release on Monday. The family said they had actually intended to part methods a less public style than this, however they complained a few of the phrasing in journalism release, which recommended that ARF made the call to end its association with the La Russa family, not the other method around.
“This statement is disingenuous and deceptive,” Bianca La Russa said. “This was not mutual, nor was our action a severed ‘partnership’ as ARF claims. Our family founded this organization. ARF has been in our hearts for over 30 years.”
The La Russa family established the organization after a roaming cat roamed onto the playing field throughout a 1990 video game in between the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees. After La Russa, then the A’s supervisor, and his partner discovered the cat would likely be euthanized since the East Bay didn’t have a no-kill shelter, they developed an organization to rescue dogs and cats from high-kill shelters and help them be embraced into caring houses.
The organization’s objective and La Russa’s connections won ARF assistance from passionate volunteers and popular good friends in sports and home entertainment, who aided with yearly charity events such as its yearly Stars to the Rescue advantage. ARF quickly turned into a preeminent Bay Area animal well-being not-for-profit, accountable for more than 47,000 animal adoptions and running out of a gleaming animal shelter, veterinary medical facility and recreation center in Walnut Creek. In 2019, ARF revealed a significant growth, with the launch of its “Pets and Vets” program to set veterans with rescued service dogs.
