Woman questions legitimacy of local pit bull rescue
A woman who says she came to El Paso last month to set up a pit bull rescue in Far East El Paso is being questioned by another woman who runs a dog rescue on the same property.
Dog lovers were ecstatic to hear a so-called “bully rescue” was coming because of a lack of resources in El Paso for pit bulls, a breed some shelters won’t accept.
But Barbara Valencia of Huckleberry Hound Rescue says the woman who came to set up the bully rescue misrepresented what she does and she wants her off the property.
The woman in question is Nicole Eidsmoe. Eidsmoe, her husband and son have been living in a trailer on the property where Valencia runs Huckleberry Hound Rescue off of Montana for four weeks.
Valencia said Eidsmoe has been trying to raise donations online for her “Rainbrow Bridge Bully Rescue” shelter, but Valencia tells me she hasn’t seen any dogs rescued by Eidsmoe at this point.
ABC-7 spoke with Eidsmoe, but she did not want to give an on-camera interview. She said her shelter has only adopted out 15 to 20 dogs in the past five years.
ABC-7 asked Betty Hoover, executive director of the Humane Society of El Paso — if you’re going to donate to an animal shelter, what do you need to ask for to make sure it’s legit?
“A letter from the IRS that says we are a legitimate charitable 501 C-3,” Hoover said. “I would be able to produce for you our 990 tax form, which is the form non-profits are required to file with the federal government. And of course you could also find us on Charity Navigator. Those would be three real big tickets that would show you we are a legitimate and credible organization.”
Hoover added staying power is a sure sign of legitimacy. The Humane Society has been operating in El Paso since 1947. She said you can also ask for a list of the organization’s board of directors.
Eidsmoe told ABC-7 she does have 501 C-3 status and we were able to verify that, although it is in another state. Eidsmoe said she could not provide other proof because she hadn’t had enough time to set up in El Paso.
Valencia said she served Eidsmoe with an eviction notice and the Rainbow Bridge Bully Rescue should be off the property in two weeks.
