Animal Ark Collections Scam

Augmerson

Just saw a man earlier today outside the Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise collecting for Animal Ark. He was dressed in a hi-viz jacket. These guys, sadly, are scammers. They claim to be a registered charity but they aren't. They have a website and mention they are registered with Mycharity.ie but they are not.

I think it's a particularly scummy thing to do in this day and age given people either have **** all to give and there are genuine causes crying out for funds.

If you see these people call the cops. Don't hassle them, just ring the cops. They are registered to nobody.

An Ri rua

According to this Limerick article, they are legit, but not allowed collect donations on the street, only to sell scratch cards.
http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/turf-war-between-animal-charities-going-down-legal-route-1-6254159 According to other online sources, they may be abusing the terms of their licence by a long shot.

Were they merely collecting or were they taking money in return for scratch cards?

So I think the description might need to be watered down in order to avoid legal hassle for Boards. The Limerick article is about exactly that; legal action over FB comments.

But I agree wholeheartedly with the general sentiment of your post. These are professional collectors, chuggers, and I feel sorry for the naive collectors also. If anyone wants to donate to local animal charities, there are enough events and awareness. But these out of town chuggers do no one any favours. Least of all the animals they're supposed to be helping. I saw the same in Tullamore one Christmas, a group of fully uniformed chuggers from some West Wicklow animal sanctuary combing through the Brewery Tap in Tullamore. That's 45-50 miles from West Wicklow, FFS. There's a lot of animal charities and volunteers between Tullamore and West Wicklow.

ps folks Their website is one of the most amateur pieces of work I have seen in years. Yes, some poor sod has even attributed their name to it. Shockingly amateur stuff. It shouts RUN AWAY!

As you say, there are genuine causes crying out for funds.

LSPCA SHOP, Hynd's Square Portlaoise

NARA Campaigns Ireland, who regularly campaign in Portlaoise for an end to cruel furfarming (just outside Portlaoise). http://www.naracampaigns.org/main-page.html These girls & guys are committed activists. Ideologically driven volunteers. I support them; up to you reading if you'd like to also. Our little brothers need all the help they can get. Unnecessary animal suffering is a great evil and easily solved.

Toulouse

Unfortunately this crowd are popping up all over the country.

They do not have a licence to collect and are not a registered charity. They should however have a permit to sell scratch cards. You are free to ask to see their permit, if they don't have one or you are unsure then just call the station. It is them that should have issued any permit to sell tickets.

Animal Ark will also tell you that they support local animal charities and may even name some, but they do not. If they have pictures or anything on the stall representing a real animal charity then please photograph and send to the charity in question.

Any money you give them will go straight into their pockets and back to Dublin.

Which is really poor form considering there are at least two rescues in the immediate area that really need these funds.

If you want to support animal charity then donate direct to the charity of your choice.

rawn

These guys have been spotted shaking buckets in Dundalk, beware. They are only permitted to sell scratchcards.

Augmerson

An Ri rua wrote: »

Were they merely collecting or were they taking money in return for scratch cards?

Just collecting money An Ri Rua. The alarm bells should have rang when I saw the man collecting outside of Laois Shopping Centre. He was actually by the Traffic lights.

I've followed this up a bit and Animal Ark in Dublin say the people collecting have nothing to do with them. They themselves seem dodgy but do have a store in Clondalkin. And yeah, that website is horrendous. It even got hacked.

Zombienosh

These guys are still around scamming, what can be done about them?

Toulouse

Sadly very little apart from what I've mentioned above.