Dog rescuer Lizzie Scherer claims that Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump ran her dog rescue out of business by stiffing her for $32,000. Scherer, whose rescue was called Saving Spot, says that Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, had been big supporters of her rescue but then reneged on a deal through their Vanderpump Dogs Foundation that put her out of business.
Lisa Vanderpump is best known for her two Bravo shows, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules , as well as being the owner of restaurants SUR and Pump. But Vanderpump takes animal welfare seriously too, rescuing animals and protesting the Yulin Festival, which promoted the sale of dog meat as food. As part of RHOBH , Lisa Vanderpump insisted that one of her primary storylines be about her animal rescue efforts, which include fundraising. On both shows, Lisa Vanderpump is rarely seen without at least one of her dogs, and often, that dog is Giggy, who has alopecia — a condition that prevents hair growth and parts of his body — and is seen on the show in a variety of little outfits. Vanderpump and Todd have a variety of pets living on their property, including miniature horses and swans named Hanky and Panky.
Lizzie Scherer says she had worked with Lisa Vanderpump , Ken Todd, and Vanderpump Dogs, and all was well until she says they refused to pay her for a final deal that put her rescue, Saving Spot, out of business.
“They actively came after my rescue [shelter], and ruined me.”
Scherer claims that it was Lisa Vanderpump’s husband, Ken Todd, who screwed her out of the $32,000.
“Ken approached us about doing a deal where they would essentially take over my facility. He was looking for a space to lease. We signed a [memo] saying that he would pay my rent for the next three years… and offer me an employment contract as part of that deal. He then didn’t pay rent and said he’d pay one month’s rent as long as I signed [a nondisclosure agreement] and let them out” of it.”
But sources close to Lisa Vanderpump claim that isn’t what happened. They are claiming that Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd backed out of the deal due to Lizzie Scherer’s “shady” business practices, which included improperly accepting donations and not paying taxes. They also claim that Saving Spot’s tax-exempt status was revoked back in 2015.
Lisa Vanderpump is now speaking out on the conflict, saying that since she and Ken have started their own rescue, Vanderpump Dogs, they can’t be involved with other groups that don’t have above-board business practices.
“We can’t be involved with someone who doesn’t have a charity set up properly. Everything was messy. We helped pay her rent. We were purely trying to help her because of our love of dogs, not because of our love of Lizzie. No good deed goes unpunished.”
Ira DeWitt, who heads the charity Saving Spot, admits that some errors were made in terms of their business practices, but that is not the reason they were stiffed by Vanderpump.
“They were aware of the status of our 501(c)(3), which has since been reinstated. There’s nothing shady about it. We had an accountant who misfiled a couple of returns. When we found out about it, we corrected it.”
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Lisa Vanderpump has long been partnering with a variety of non-profits , including the Humane Society, to improve the lives of animals and put a stop to the selling and promotion of dog meat through the festival in Yulin. Her protest against the sale of dog meat for human consumption was shown on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in the hope of putting pressure on the festival promoters.
“I think they have felt the pressure from the West and certainly with the help of Bravo and Evolution Media in showcasing our marches and our gala, all the press they have helped us garner has been instrumental in this fight and in spreading the word all over the world.”
Do you believe that Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd, along with Vanderpump Dogs, stiffed the rescue Saving Spot?
[Featured Image by Rob Kim/Getty Images]