A Safety Harbor, Florida man is on a mission to bring about reform in animal shelters, not only in Florida but across the nation. He is also hoping to clear up misconceptions and misinformation regarding major animal welfare organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Kris Rotonda, founder of “Jordan’s Way Charities” was surprised to learn that such large and highly publicized agencies as those mentioned above give very little to no assistance to the smaller county shelters and independent rescue groups according to an article in Humane Watch .
It was brought to light that the HSUS only gives approximately 1% of its money to animal shelters, yet they spend millions on executive salaries and Caribbean investments. They were challenged by Oklahoma’s Attorney General in 2014 for deceptive advertising. Equally disturbing is the discovery that PETA, a very vocal group for animal rights, actually kills the majority of animals in their care. Read the write-up here .
Sadly, these groups take in the lion’s share of donations because they have a large advertising and marketing budget. Meanwhile, the local shelters and independent rescuers are forced to operate on a shoe-string budget to feed and care for the animals in their custody and recruit volunteers to assist in the day to day shelter operation.
Kris, like many of the populace believed that all shelters in America were run by or affiliated with the ASPCA and HSUS. Upon finding this to be a myth, Kris started his crusade to help these smaller shelters and let the world know the truth behind the deceptive heart tugging commercials produced by PETA and HSUS.
Kris founded Jordan’s Way Charities in 2018 after his beloved dog Jordan succumbed to cancer. Jordan was also a victim of the shelter system, spending most of her life in a kennel and passed from shelter to shelter. Kris wanted to do something to honor her memory and to raise awareness for the plight of shelter dogs everywhere.
When talking to various shelters, he learned the biggest challenge they face outside of overcrowding and medical care is lack of food. Kris partnered with Purina and Chewy.com to bring much needed relief to these struggling shelters by providing hundreds of pounds of dog and cat food to many Florida shelters and rescues. This was done during his 2019 Christmas Run.
Kris hopes to extend to Christmas Run to other states in 2020. In addition to feeding hungry animals and offering relief to financially challenged shelters, Kris wanted to raise awareness on what life in a shelter is really like through the eyes of animals condemned to live out their lives behind bars.
To do this, Kris voluntarily spent 72 hours in a kennel at Your Humane Society SPCA in Sumpter County, Florida from August 17, 2019 to August 19, 2019. His purpose for doing this, was to show the world the loneliness, boredom, and frustration these dogs face every day; sometimes only going out for potty breaks and often, sleeping on hard concrete.
Sadly, once an animal enters the shelter system they are often trapped there, never finding a way out. Only a small percentage will be adopted into a forever home.
Watch Jordan’s Way’s heart tugging video.
Kris will repeat this stunt again at the Humane Society of Pasco County starting on December 28, 2019 and extend his stay to ten days.
Watch for live updates here.
Now that Jordan’s Way has made monumental strides in 2019 aiding shelter animals and getting the word out, they are taking their message on the road, or actually on the beaches. To ring in 2020, Kris will be walking a 6.5 by 12-foot banner 200 miles along all Florida beaches from the Panhandle to Miami.
Watch for updates here.
He wants to not only promote Jordan’s Way but encourage people to support and donate to the smaller animal shelters and rescues. To become a part of Jordan’s Way and Kris Rotonda’s mission, visit their website You can be part of this nationwide movement for much needed and long overdue shelter reform by becoming a dollar-a-month donor via the website.
Also, follow Jordan’s Way on Facebook
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The anti-PETA website cited in this piece is run by a front group for the meat industry, which has long tried to smear PETA and other animal protection groups in an attempt to distract from the real issues. See http://www.petakillsanimalsscam.com/. Unlike the industries this group represents–which kill animals painfully, so they can make money by selling their flesh–PETA is a shelter of last resort for animals who need euthanasia to end their suffering (many of whom have been rejected by other facilities because euthanizing them would make their “numbers” look bad).
PETA operates one small shelter—a shelter of last resort for animals who need euthanasia to end their suffering (many of whom have been rejected by other facilities), including dogs who are aggressive and unadoptable because they have been kept chained their entire lives; feral cats dying of contagious diseases; animals who are wracked with cancer; elderly animals who have no quality of life and whose desperate guardians brought them to PETA because they can’t afford to pay a vet to euthanize them; and the list goes on. A painless end is a kindness for these animals, and the services PETA provides are vitally needed in an area where many people can’t afford to take their animals to a veterinarian. This video explains more about PETA’s work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XZZnK7G2Y0
PLEASE HELP KRIS PERFORM MORE MIRACLES!