A dead lizard, a child sex offender and a Greene County animal rescue under fire

Zara’s Chance has been accused of negligence in the deaths of multiple exotic animals, employing a convicted child sex offender who helped host children’s birthday parties, bringing unvaccinated puppies to public spaces and potentially exposing other dogs to disease and infection, and misleading sheriff’s deputies and members of the public.

The Daily Progress was informed of the accusations by an anonymous source.

And while the Greene County Sheriff’s Office would not confirm if Zara’s Chance was under investigation, a source familiar with the matter speaking under condition of anonymity said the rescue is, in fact, being actively looked into.

“These are accusations, but nothing official can be discussed,” the Greene County Sheriff’s Office told The Daily Progress.

According to its Facebook page, Zara’s Chance is a “Woman run animal rescue working with all manner of domestic pets (dogs, cats, reptiles) specializing in exotic animals. We are a foster based rescue where all animals reside in homes. Located in Greene County Va serving Central Virgina [sic] and beyond!”

Since opening in June of last year, Zara’s Chance has regularly worked with children in Central Virginia, according to founder and CEO Meghan Bickers.

“We put so much emphasis on engaging with children in the community. We have regular junior volunteers ranging from 13-16 years old,” Bickers told The Daily Progress in an email in early March.

But in a follow-up email, Bickers then said the rescue was discontinuing its youth programs.

“It just takes a lot of staff to make sure kids are as safe as possible and we have some staff members picking up additional jobs!” she said.

It was around the same time that the organization was alerted it was being looked into for animal neglect and employing a worker listed on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry working with children, according to the source familiar with the matter.

Up until a few weeks ago, Brittney Demmer, listed as a manager at Zara’s Chance, was making appearances at children’s birthday parties with the organization’s animal “ambassadors.”

But back in 2009, when Demmer was living in Albemarle County and working at a local day care, she was arrested on child pornography charges.

During Demmer’s trial, prosecutor Darby Lowe said Demmer had searched the LimeWire file-sharing service for inappropriate images of young children and browsed them while her husband slept, according to court documents.

Demmer ended up pleading guilty to 10 counts of possession of child pornography and received a 10-year suspended sentence, a year of probation and a requirement of 10 years of good behavior, according to court records.

Demmer is considered a Tier I sex offender, under Virginia law. According to the State Crime Commission, a person on the Tier I list is considered less of a risk to the public. Demmer did not produce or distribute child pornography, requirements for a higher offense.

While businesses do not have to disclose an employee’s criminal background, some have expressed disgust with Zara’s Chance’s decision to allow Demmer to engage with young children knowing her history.

Bickers maintains that Demmer did not pose a threat to children and that the youth programs at Zara’s Chance were not discontinued because the public learned of Demmer’s criminal record.

“Please be assured that we adhere to all legal regulations. Brittney’s conviction was a Tier 1 offense, the lowest level, indicating a low public safety risk. Her probationary period, related to a 16-year-old offense, has concluded, and there are no current restrictions on her interactions with children. The junior volunteer program did not proceed as planned due to staffing limitations, not Brittney’s involvement. The single junior volunteer currently participating does so with their mother present, who is fully informed,” Bickers said.

But that is not the only allegation threatening the organization.

Zara’s Chance has reported multiple exotic animal deaths in recent months. And while it claims to specialize in exotic animal care, local exotic animal specialists and veterinarians have no record of Zara’s Chance reaching out for assistance.

In early March, Zara’s Chance reported that a lizard named Goliath had died while in the organization’s care.

“Alot [sic] of joy comes from running an animal rescue. But with that also comes saddness [sic]. Animals passing is a part of rescue that never gets easier,” Zara’s Chance posted on Facebook on March 4. “Our dear old man Goliath passed away this evening. Goliath lived a very long life (20 years!) and even though we were only caring for him at the end he made an impact. Goliath passed with warmth, a full belly, and resting on his very favorite tree branch.”

“His passing is easier to swallow because this wasn’t done from human negligence,” the post continued.

But those who saw the post and attached photos said it is impossible to rule out human negligence, claiming Goliath looked dehydrated and sick. They said the lizard should have been taken to an exotic animal veterinarian.

But local exotic animal veterinarians have no record of Zara’s Chance or any of its employees bringing the lizard in for care, according to the source familiar with the ongoing review of the organization’s practices.

The Daily Progress asked multiple exotic animal veterinarians in the area if they had any history of servicing exotic animals from Zara’s Chance. Their answers were the same: No.

Goliath was not alone.

A rabbit from a recent Greene County Animal Control seizure also did not live long in the care of Zara’s Chance. Cali, a white-haired Holland Lop rabbit, was given to the rescue after sheriff’s deputies removed the rabbit from its prior residence. Cali was in Zara’s Chance’s care for only 17 days, from Oct. 10 through Oct. 27, before it died.

“Addressing Cali’s situation, she was surrendered to animal control due to severe neglect. She was in critical condition upon arrival, and we immediately provided critical care, a standard practice for debilitated rabbits,” Bickers said. “During a phone conversation with a board member, I noted Cali’s condition was stable enough for transport to the vet. Tragically, she passed away within 24 hours. Her death was a direct result of prior neglect. We dedicated significant time and effort to her care during her brief stay with us.”

Zara’s Chance is not only misleading the public about its work but the authorities, according to Emily Conrad, founder of Rad Ranch Rescue in Stanardsville.

“Meghan told a member of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office that she worked for Rad Ranch Rescue when she did not work for us. Her assistance at the sheriff’s office was accepted under our name. But she never told me that her help was accepted under our name,” Conrad told The Daily Progress. “Although many of Zara’s Chance actions are not illegal, a lot of what they have done would be considered highly unethical in the rescue community.”

Bickers responded that she had cleared up the confusion with the sheriff’s office.

“I clarified that while I know Emily at Rad Ranch and planned to volunteer with her, I never stated I was working for or with Rad Ranch,” she said.

Conrad highlighted a recent cat rescue operation in Greene County.

Cat Action Team, a rescue organization working in and around Charlottesville, initiated the removal of more than 45 felines from a feral cat colony last summer. The team confirmed with The Daily Progress it paid for vetting services for the cats. Zara’s Chance helped transport the cats to veterinary facilities but also requested a $100 rehoming fee from families adopting cats once they were ready to be rehomed, telling the public the money covered medical expenses which had already been paid for by Cat Action Team.

“I initiated the Roach Road cat colony project independently, personally covering the medical expenses for many cats, including vaccines, dewormer, flea treatment, and antibiotics, before TNR [trap-neuter-return] organizations became involved,” Bickers said. “Following Cat Action Team’s participation, we discussed rehoming fees, as charging a fee is essential to ensure the animals’ long-term well-being.”

But the head of Cat Action Team said she was unaware that Bickers’ group had charged a rehoming fee.

“We paid for all, or almost all, of the spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and parasite treatment,” Betsy Bellenger, president of Cat Action Team, told The Daily Progress. “I wasn’t aware that Zara’s Chance had asked for a $100 rehoming fee. I don’t begrudge them for that. Their assistance in trapping and getting cats to the vet was huge.”

Conrad said she also doesn’t begrudge Bickers for raising funds or helping animals in need; it’s how she’s going about it.

“Being accurate and transparent is immeasurably important in animal rescue, as the field is rife with misappropriation of funds, loose ethics and questionable operations,” said Conrad. “There is no problem with fundraising anytime and for anything related to a rescue’s operations, but the issue is she continues to misrepresent how people’s donations are being used. She appeals to the public saying the funds are for one thing, but in reality those costs have already been covered, or will be covered by other means.”

Bickers did admit to a lapse in judgement when it came to allowing unvaccinated puppies in public spaces.

Both Bickers and Demmer can be seen in a Jan. 19 Facebook post bathing puppies at a Tractor Supply store in Ruckersville.

Those puppies did not receive their first vaccines until Jan. 24, potentially exposing other dogs also at Tractor Supply to infection and disease.

Puppies should not be in public until fully vaccinated, according to PetMD, a leading resource for dog and cat health with a worldwide network of veterinarians. Puppies exposed to public dog baths, dog parks or even other dogs they encounter on a walk could potentially infect them with parvovirus, kennel cough and rabies, among other infections. Many of those can be fatal, have no cure and can cost thousands of dollars in treatment, according to PetMD.

“Concerning the puppies bathed in a public setting, I acknowledge that it was not an ideal decision,” Bickers said. “The puppies were very dirty and needed a good fresh start before going to their foster homes. We sought a quick solution to clean them. We used Tractor Supply as they were preparing to close their bathing area for the day, and we confirmed there were no other patrons using the dog wash at the time. While well-intentioned, we recognize this was a lapse in judgment and will not repeat it.”

Zara’s Chance, as a nonprofit animal rescue, is subject to state veterinarian inspections, in the same way public animal shelters are inspected. Virginia is one of only a few states that defines private animal rescues as shelters. The care of companion animals in Virginia is the responsibility of the rescue, and adequate care and treatment, including preventative vaccines, is a part of that responsibility. Inadequate care is a violation and a Class 4 misdemeanor.

More locally, all dogs at a rescue must be registered with the Greene County treasurer. However, the Greene County Treasurer’s Office could not confirm the record of any dog license issued to Zara’s Chance or anyone affiliated with the organization.

The Greene County Animal Control Division is responsible for enforcing the dog licenses. Unlicensed dog owners can be penalized with a $250 fine and charged with a Class 4 misdemeanor for each unlicensed dog.

“I have a huge concern that the misrepresentation Meghan has been engaging in and the ways in which she has been misleading members of the public are detrimental to legitimate rescue efforts,” Conrad said.