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Charity Millions Vanish: No Dogs Helped
23 Oct
Summary
- Two charities received $23 million but helped few animals.
- Executor hired friends' charities, also consulting for herself.
- Nonprofits remain in development phases years later.
Alexander Lewis bequeathed approximately $28 million to animal charities upon his death in 2020. The executor, Victoria Marie, selected charities run by her friends: Laura Nativo's Preston's Planet Foundation and Wanda Love's Foster Friends Rescue.
Preston's Planet received about $9 million, including a Malibu mansion. However, it has not placed any service dogs, citing a "program-development phase." Foster Friends Rescue received $14.7 million, including a Gardena commercial complex. In 2024, its expenses included significant salaries and a grant to a chamber of commerce, with only $61 spent on pet supplies.
Marie admitted she selected these charities partly because her friends agreed to hire her as a consultant. She noted that Lewis's will, updated in 2012 and again in 2013, allowed Marie to choose the charities, with the specific guidance that they focus on rescuing domesticated animals for companionship.
Further complexities arose when Lewis's wife attempted to alter the will before his death in 2020, and a former banker accused Marie of exploiting Lewis, who was suffering from dementia. The estate dispute was settled, leading to Marie's role as executor under the original will's terms.
Nativo, a former reality TV contestant and pet lifestyle expert, leads Preston's Planet. Love, a former city council member, heads Foster Friends Rescue. Despite substantial bequests, the effectiveness and animal welfare impact of both organizations remain questioned by The Times' findings.
