La Russa -- the former manager of the Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox -- and his family originally founded the Animal Rescue Foundation after La Russa corralled a stray cat on the field at the Oakland Coliseum during a game in 1990.
ABC7 News Bay Area 24/7 streaming channelAfter discovering the Bay Area had a dearth of no-kill shelters, Tony and his wife Elaine launched ARF, initially known as Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation. ARF is now located in the Shadelands Business Park.
The La Russa family said in a statement Wednesday that the organization's "current leadership, policies and attitudes" are no longer aligned with the passion for animals with which the family originally founded ARF."The foundation was like an extended family, everyone contributed to this close-knit personal culture," Tony La Russa said. "This culture was an important factor in ARF's early and continued success.
The La Russa family -- including Tony, Elaine and their daughters Bianca and Devon -- sent a cease-and-desist letter to ARF March 3, withdrawing the organization's ability to utilize the family's names, likenesses, social media accounts and quotes and demanding the organization formally remove all ties to the family within 90 days.
According to the La Russa family, the decision to terminate the relationship with ARF was finalized after an allegedly mishandled adoption of a dog named Lovebug on Feb. 9. The organization allegedly allowed Lovebug to be adopted without a harness despite notes and instructions that the dog needed a harness. As a result, Lovebug escaped from the adoptive family before getting into their home.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tony La Russa and family finalize their separation from the Animal Rescue FoundationTony and Elaine La Russa co-founded ARF when he was the manager of the Oakland As in the early 1990s to help find loving and permanent homes for stray and abandoned pets.
Read more »
Tony La Russa wants nothing more to do with the Animal Rescue Foundation, family severs ties over ongoing leadership concernsThe baseball legend and his family issued a scathing statement explaining why they are severing ties with the venerable East Bay nonprofit they founded more than 30 years ago.
Read more »
The Ross Foundation kicks off after school program to combat violenceThe program offers tutoring, therapy, mentorship, meals and so much more. 'This is an example of people from the community taking back their community. We can model that for children on how to serve and give back to their community.'
Read more »
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Love Balooja’s FoundationBalooja's Foundation founder Sal Valdepeña explains why Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz adopted a rescue dog from his organization.
Read more »
San Antonio ALS patient to be featured in film about new ALS advocacy foundation at SXSWA local ALS patient and advocate made his way into an important film that is going to be shown this week at SXSW. It chronicles the development of a new and powerful ALS advocacy nonprofit called I AM ALS.
Read more »
Oceanside Industrial Park businesses petition against Brother Benno FoundationThe Brother Benno Foundation is an organization that tells people, 'When you’re not welcome anywhere else, you’re welcome here.' But now, Oceanside residents are petitioning against their stay.
Read more »