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Animal Heaven Animal Rescue (AHAR), a charity operating an animal welfare sanctuary on a farm in Castleisland, Co Kerry has closed down and its operations are taken over by Athlone and West Midlands SPCA, according to its Charity Regulator-appointed chair David Hall.
Hall told the Irish Farmers Journal that the Charity Regulator appointed him and three other trustees last October amid concerns about the charity's books and records.
"The Revenue were conducting an audit," Hall said, adding that the he and the new trustees co-operated with tax officials. "They issued a bill for €130,000 for not complying with tax rules," he added.
Public confidence
Under these circumstances, Hall said that public confidence in the charity would be lost and it was preferable to close it down.
The farm held in trust by AHAR was transferred to Athlone and West Midlands SPCA along with rescued animals kept on the premises as well as one full-time and three part-time staff, he added.
"The lack of governance has caused a great challenge to AHAR," founder Suzanne Gibbons said in a video posted to the charity's Facebook website. She welcomed the continuation of operations as part of Athlone and West Midlands SPCA.
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