latimes--2020-05-24--He was a Hollywood darling for fighting dog meat trade. Butchers say he staged killings; he denies i

He was a Hollywood darling for fighting dog meat trade. Butchers say he staged killings; he denies it

The videos are horrifying .
In one , a black dog hangs by its neck , crying and convulsing as it is blowtorched alive .
In another , a white dog dangles from a wooden beam , writhing in pain and terror .
The footage came from a 2016 trip to Asia by Marc Ching , a Los Angeles resident who spent nearly a decade in prison for a violent crime before transforming himself into a prominent leader in the local , national and international animal rights communities .
Ching has told supporters that those videos and others were recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogs at meat markets in Indonesia , Cambodia and other countries in Asia with a limited but enduring trade in butchering the animals for human food .
The gruesome images appear on social media and in an emotional public service announcement that features a roster of celebrities , including Matt Damon , Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara , and promotes a charitable foundation that Ching started .
The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation has raised millions of dollars for the purpose of rescuing dogs and cats from Asian slaughterhouses .
“ It shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ching said after screening the videos at a House briefing in 2016 on Capitol Hill .
As he showed the torture scenes , audience members gasped and averted their eyes .
“ How can you do that to an animal ?
” Ching asked .
But a Times investigation has found evidence that contradicts Ching ’ s claims about the authenticity of some of the most shocking videos and raises questions about his rescue efforts overseas .
Butchers in Indonesia have told The Times that Ching paid them to hang the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a method of killing more cruel than any they say they normally employ — so he could stage the scene for the camera .
In appeals to the public and foundation supporters , Ching has presented videos of that incident and others as candid portrayals of the day-to-day routine at the slaughterhouses he documented mostly while “ undercover , ” posing as a dog meat buyer .
But local animal rights activists in Indonesia , Cambodia and elsewhere in Asia say they have never heard of dogs being regularly tortured or killed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And raw footage of Ching ’ s recordings obtained by The Times casts doubt on whether all of the videos show how butchers typically torture and kill the dogs .
One of the unedited clips captures the dog being burned alive .
In a sworn court declaration filed in August 2017 , Ching wrote that he happened to be investigating the dog meat trade at a market in Tomohon , Indonesia , when he and his interpreter “ stumbled upon ” the burning .
Ching wrote that it “ was taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog ’ s screams .
My translator filmed the gruesome act only to use as evidence of the cruelty happening in Indonesia.
” But nearly seven minutes of the raw footage shows the dog being pulled from a cage with a noose and carried through the market by a butcher while Ching ’ s camera follows him from behind .
The camera continues to roll as the animal is strung up by its neck and slowly torched to death .
As the dog burns , the butcher looks toward the camera and gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , denied orchestrating that scene or any other and said he never instructed butchers on how to maim or kill dogs .
“ If the question is if I pay people to torture dogs — no , I don ’ t , ” Ching said .
In an interview and a subsequent email to The Times , Ching said the allegations against him were motivated in part by rivalries among animal rescuers .
Ching accused two activists of conspiring to bribe a butcher in Indonesia to say Ching paid to stage the burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other constantly based on the fact that they believe or feel they know better , ” he said in the email .
The animal rights activists deny bribing any butchers , and The Times found no evidence of a conspiracy to falsely accuse Ching of wrongdoing .
Ching ’ s foundation held a gala fundraiser in 2017 at the W Hotel in Hollywood , drawing the likes of No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal , who told an interviewer at the event that Ching was a “ superhero.
” Others in attendance referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In March 2019 , musician Moby and actresses Alicia Silverstone and Shannen Doherty attended a Culver City fundraiser for the foundation that was hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings .
Doherty , who once sat on his charity board , told an interviewer at the event that Ching had “ the greatest spirit and always the best of intentions.
” As the star power elevated Ching ’ s profile , the foundation helped secure a federal law that effectively banned the human consumption of dog and cat meat and a California prohibition on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roll in .
The Times ’ investigation also found that Ching ’ s charity has engaged in financial practices that nonprofit experts say are troubling .
Foundation records show that more than $ 350,000 in cash was withdrawn from the charity in a period of 27 months and that Ching has billed the foundation for at least $ 59,000 in food and other products from his for-profit pet nutrition business , the Petstaurant .
In emails to The Times , and through statements by the foundation ’ s attorneys , the organization said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods , services and cash to the charity since 2014 .
Last month , the Federal Trade Commission accused Ching of making false or deceptive claims that an herbal supplement he was selling could treat COVID-19 and that some of his other products could treat cancer .
Ching denied wrongdoing and said he was cooperating with the commission .
Board members who oversee Ching ’ s foundation initially declined to meet with The Times , and the organization at one point suggested the newspaper had tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charity .
Dr. Barbara Gitlitz , a Los Angeles oncologist who chaired the charity ’ s board at the time , eventually sat for an interview in January in the Wilshire Boulevard offices of the foundation ’ s attorneys .
She said she had no reason to doubt Ching ’ s accounts of the dog torture and that she questioned the credibility of the butchers who accused him of paying them to stage abuse .
“ It just goes against everything that I know about Marc and how he treats animals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she emailed The Times to say the board was launching an independent investigation .
She and a foundation attorney did not respond to follow-up questions about the investigation , including a query on who conducted it .
The foundation also did not respond to questions of whether any recent changes had been made in the board membership , including the chair position .
In a recent email , the attorney , Russell M. Selmont , said the charity had found no evidence that Ching “ ever staged the burning of any dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ever knowingly or intentionally contributed to the harm of any animals.
” He called the butchers ’ accounts unreliable and said Ching ’ s videos threatened “ to expose their inhumanity and shut down their livelihoods .
The notion that Mr. Ching paid these butchers to burn and torture the dogs is sick , twisted fantasy.
” Ching has publicly drawn on his time in prison to explain his devotion to the plight of caged animals .
At a 2017 animal rights march in Los Angeles , he delivered a tearful speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch in solitary confinement , a scout ant crawled into his cell and took a nibble of a little ball of bread he had saved to lure the insect .
The ant left , he said , but in about an hour and a half thousands of them were in his cell .
“ It was the first time in so long that I had the contact of anybody or anything , ” he told the crowd , his voice catching .
But Ching , who was born in Hawaii and attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has revealed little about what landed him behind bars .
In what authorities called a “ heinous ” and “ sophisticated ” crime , Ching and several accomplices abducted a man who had stolen $ 60,000 in a drug deal , bound his hands and drove him to a hotel , where they removed his pants and beat him at length , court records show .
Corrections officials said he served nine years and seven months in prison for kidnapping and causing great bodily injury .
Valarie Ianniello , former executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he spent 11 months in solitary confinement .
A California prisons spokeswoman said there was no record he was ever placed in any type of solitary housing .
Ching did not dispute the lack of such a record , but he said in an email to The Times : “ My experience is my experience .
And because your definition of confinement differs from mine , that does not make my experience not true.
” Two years after his release in 2010 , Ching registered his pet food business and the Animal Hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He describes himself as a fourth-generation herbalist and nutritionist .
He also opened the Petstaurant store on Van Nuys Boulevard in Sherman Oaks .
In 2015 , Ching began making regular trips to Asia and posting disturbing images on social media .
He soon became something of a media darling , telling harrowing tales of being assaulted , threatened with a machete , shot at and nearly killed while uncovering animal abuse overseas .
“ In Asia once I watched them crucify dogs , ” he said on camera in a 2016 BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with tears .
“ They would get their paws and they would nail gun them into walls.
” ( Ching did not respond to requests from The Times for any documentation or further details of this incident and the more serious of the alleged assaults against him . )
He added : “ I have videos of hangings , burning them alive , boiling alive , cutting their feet off while they ’ re still alive , strangulation.
” The segment has been viewed more than 3.9 million times .
Viewers praised him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his foundation surged — from about $ 110,000 in 2015 to nearly $ 2 million the next year , according to the charity ’ s tax records .
“ I think he recognized that he could be worshiped by this stuff , ” Ianniello said .
“ The money came in , and it helped build his business up.
” Ching has opened a second Petstaurant on the Westside .
There is no dispute that dogs and cats are killed for food in countries across Asia , especially outside the major cities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought to end the practice , often working in league with Westerners .
Foreign and U.S. activists interviewed by The Times said the methods used by butchers to round up and kill the animals — packing them into cages , drowning them , clubbing them on the head and , in some cases , hanging them — are uniformly inhumane .
They said there had been instances when animal abusers burned dogs alive or brutalized them in other ways , and images of the cruelty are posted online .
And there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dog ’ s skull to kill it , burn the animal to de-fur it , even though it is still alive .
But all of the activists , including seven who do work in Asia , said their efforts had found no evidence to support the notion that the dogs are routinely and deliberately burned or boiled alive , or tortured with beatings and mutilations on a regular basis as Ching has described .
“ We ’ ve never seen animals boiled alive , never seen animals beaten or paws cut or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an author who co-founded the Campaign to End the Dog Meat Trade in Cambodia .
Since 2017 , Fox-Smith said , he has visited more than 200 slaughterhouses and restaurants that serve dog meat .
He said he initially was afraid to investigate the meat trade because he had heard Ching ’ s tales of danger .
But when he started visiting slaughterhouses , he said , he found that they were the “ complete opposite ” of Ching ’ s portrayals .
“ People aren ’ t chasing you with machetes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he first contacted Ching through Facebook in 2018 and offered to help Ching ’ s foundation shelter dogs rescued in Cambodia .
They met twice in that country , Fox-Smith said , and he questioned Ching during the second meeting about Ching ’ s claim that dogs were boiled alive in Cambodia .
Fox-Smith said Ching told him , “ They don ’ t really torture the dogs in Cambodia.
” “ He ’ s basically taking the most vulnerable animals in our society and exploiting them … and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ching was cagey in answering other questions and declined to disclose the locations of slaughterhouses he had visited , making it impossible for Fox-Smith to verify Ching ’ s claims .
At the market in Tomohon , Indonesia , butchers gave The Times a much different account of the dog torched than Ching offered in his court declaration .
They said Ching specifically wanted the dog burned alive , something they and others insisted was not normally done at the market .
In the raw footage The Times obtained , a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cage by its neck .
Marthen Wondang , a butcher , moments later takes the dog , hanging from a noose , through the market .
Someone yells out about a demonstration as Wondang carries the dog to a patch of dirt where chickens are underfoot .
As the dog tries to escape , Wondang twice throws a rock at its head , subduing it before hanging the animal from a wooden cane .
Another butcher starts to blowtorch the dog , which thrashes about in agony .
Wondang looks toward the camera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a language local to the area , he asks a question whose English translation is , “ This is exactly what you want , right ?
” A minute and 19 seconds into the burning , the dog , its body charred , lets out its final whimper .
The market has earned a grisly reputation thanks to social media and animal welfare campaigns .
In one section under brightly colored tarpaulins , vendors hawk local favorites such as smoked skipjack tuna , spiky golden pineapples and tropical jeruk manis oranges that turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bazaar features rats impaled on bamboo sticks , listless reticulated pythons coiled into mounds and charred bats , mouths agape and showing off rows of fangs and thick , pointy tongues .
The smell is a noxious mix of cigarette smoke , unrefrigerated meat and kerosene from blowtorches singeing away dead animal hair .
Dogs are kept in small cages on wheels before they ’ re slaughtered , their tails tucked between their hind legs and faces withdrawn with droopy eyes .
Several butchers in Ching ’ s videos told a Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market that they met Ching when he showed up with an interpreter in 2016 , saying he wanted to buy dog meat .
Wondang said Ching bought four dogs at an inflated price and asked that they be killed in particular ways , including torching one alive , while he recorded video .
Wondang and the other butchers said they typically killed dogs by beating them on the head .
Burning dogs to death , they said , would be too costly in terms of kerosene and more likely to result in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wondang said , Ching left the dog meat behind after he finished recording .
“ He was smiling and laughing throughout the process , ” he said of Ching .
“ Like he was happy.
” Ching did not respond to a question about that claim .
He said one of the butchers , whom he did not identify , told him in 2016 that they burned 50 dogs to death a day at the market .
In interviews with The Times , animal welfare activists based in Europe and Asia said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same account of Ching paying to have the dog burned alive on camera .
They said the butchers told them this separately at various times between late 2017 and spring 2018 , well before The Times began its investigation .
Lola Webber , Bali-based co-founder and director of the Change for Animals Foundation , a charity registered in England , told The Times she visited the Tomohon market around Christmas 2017 .
She said “ maybe three ” butchers , including one she recognized from Ching ’ s videos , together approached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ching .
Webber said she told them no .
The butchers related that Ching had paid them to torture the dogs on camera in certain ways — one hanged , another torched alive , Webber said .
She said she had a similar experience when she visited a meat market in nearby Langowan .
About five butchers walked up to her group and asked whether they were associated with Ching , she said .
“ We said , ‘ No , we have nothing to do with Marc Ching , ’ ” Webber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you want to pay us ?
’ ” Webber said Ching ’ s actions undermined the work of activists devoted to ending the dog meat trade , which kills dogs in ways that are cruel enough .
“ It ’ s totally shameful , ” she said .
Frank Manus manages Animal Friends Manado Indonesia , which operates a shelter in Tomohon .
He said that during a brief meeting in 2016 , Ching showed him photos of a dog being burned alive at the Tomohon market .
Manus said he immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the market every day , and no such thing happens , ” Manus said .
Other activists have questioned Ching ’ s videos .
He sued one of them : Deborah Hall , a volunteer who posted on Facebook that Ching “ paid to have dogs torched and legs cut off , ” according to the suit .
A judge tossed the part of the lawsuit concerning that statement .
Hall declined to comment on the suit , which the parties eventually settled .
Sebastian Margenfeld , a German activist , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he stumbled upon a YouTube video on Ching ’ s rescues in Asia .
He said it moved him so much that he reached out to Ching ’ s charity with the goal of producing a public service announcement , or PSA , in German similar to the foundation ’ s , using the same footage .
Soon after , Margenfeld said , he started his own foundation with a name that echoes that of Ching ’ s charity when translated into English .
Margenfeld said the early web postings of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He added that his foundation later contributed more than $ 50,000 in funds and services to Ching ’ s efforts , including the cost of flying American veterinarians to China .
In the meantime , he said , Ching ’ s foundation put him in touch with the production company that created its PSA , Sugar Studios LA , which sent Margenfeld a zip file in November 2016 with Ching ’ s raw footage .
Margenfeld said he watched it all .
He offered to join Ching on rescue missions , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t until he visited Indonesian slaughterhouses in April 2018 to shoot his own footage that he began to question Ching ’ s footage , Margenfeld said .
“ Because I had never been to Asian slaughterhouses , I thought it was real , ” he said of the torture .
“ I went to Tomohon and it was so different from Ching ’ s video.
” Margenfeld , who is a physical therapist in the town of Freiburg in southwest Germany , said he told the foundation board members of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference call .
The board members stood by Ching , Margenfeld said .
In 2016 , Ching traveled to Cambodia with a professional cameraman to film more slaughterhouses .
Raw footage from the trip features long monologues during bumpy car rides in which Ching chokes up as he reflects on what he says he witnessed .
“ The people that really hurt these animals , they ’ re going to hurt children , ” he says during one ride .
“ They ’ re going to molest kids , kidnap people , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In one scene , Ching is kneeling beside a brick cage of dogs describing the meat trade for the camera .
“ How many dogs you want ?
” his interpreter is heard asking him shortly after .
Ching cuts him off by saying “ whoa ” several times and “ time out , ” while making a gesture to direct the cameraman to stop shooting .
The cameraman points the camera down but keeps it rolling .
Dressed in a black T-shirt lettered # CompassionProject with the foundation ’ s web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ You know going undercover , they show us , just because as a dog meat buyer , usually , this guy is gon na tie one up , he ’ s gon na hang one over here , and beat him .
“ You know , we ’ re gon na cut him down so he doesn ’ t kill the dog and stuff , ” he continues on the footage .
“ So are you OK documenting that stuff ?
” Someone says , “ Yeah.
” And Ching replies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one then.
” After a few moments , the cameraman asks , “ Do you feel like this is necessary ?
” “ It ’ s up to you , ” Ching replied .
“ I ’ d rather not document it… .
When I go undercover , I don ’ t know , I like it better , because , like , it ’ s just natural , you know .
They ’ re doing it already.
” A person familiar with the incident said Ching had arranged to have the slaughterhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose of filming it .
The person , who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation by Ching , said the hanging and beating ultimately did not occur .
Ching and two Los Angeles attorneys for his foundation offered a series of descriptions of the clip .
Jeremy Gray , one of the lawyers , said in an email to The Times that the video from Cambodia “ appears to be a misleadingly doctored clip that is removed from its appropriate context.
” The Times engaged an audio-visual forensics expert in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cambodia footage .
Primeau said he found no evidence that it had been altered .
“ These video recordings are authentic and represent the events as they occurred , ” he said .
Ching later said in an email to The Times , “ It is likely that the clip recorded a discussion about organizing the filming and that may have included some payment to enter the slaughterhouse.
” He said that there was no plan to mistreat a dog and that no animal was hurt .
Selmont , the other attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a discussion about filming a “ dramatic reenactment ” of a previous hanging at the slaughterhouse without harming the dog .
“ Mr .
Ching and the foundation ultimately decided against including anything like that in the documentary and the videographer himself has confirmed that no such event ever occurred , ” Selmont said in an email .
Selmont said the earlier hanging occurred several months before the discussion on the clip : “ Mr .
Ching posted an iPhone video of him cutting down a dog that he saw in real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Ching , at that exact moment , paid for the dog and filmed himself in real time cutting down that dog who otherwise [ would ] have been slaughtered for meat.
” In another clip from Cambodia , a young man in board shorts drops a live dog into a vat of scalding water .
As the dog thrashes about , the man quickly jumps back to avoid getting splashed .
Moments later , the vat falls over as the dog tries to escape .
Activists told The Times that dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if only because the butchers could be scalded in the attempt .
They said those vats were often used instead to de-fur dead dogs in boiling water .
In the background of the Cambodia clip , a second young worker is seen removing the fur from what appears to be a dead dog in a similar tub of steaming water .
On numerous occasions , Ching claimed that his life was in danger in Asia .
When first asked for details by The Times , Ching responded with written descriptions of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cambodia and China , being punched in the face in Korea , various encounters with butchers who threatened but did not injure him , and being pushed off a “ small cliff ” in Taiji , Japan .
The Times then presented Ching with information from media interviews and social media posts in which he is quoted as saying that , in addition to several assaults , he was shot at , had a machine gun stuck in his mouth and almost died four times .
Ching responded that he had tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he has said occurred in recent years — because of their traumatic nature .
“ Those things happened to me , ” Ching said in an email .
“ Over the years both intentionally and I believe subconsciously I have tried to forget the worst of these experiences as it is best for my mental health.
” Ianniello , the foundation ’ s former executive director , said Ching told her of an incident in which he was pushed to the ground at a slaughterhouse , where he swallowed feces and blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he contracted flesh-eating bacteria that required surgery to eliminate , according to Ianniello and another former foundation employee , Kiana Kang .
Ching did not respond to a Times query about the incident .
He would not provide The Times with any documentation or other means of verifying the more serious episodes , such as medical records or the names of any witnesses .
His foundation said in an email that Ching never reported the assaults to Asian authorities or to American diplomatic officials because doing so “ would have affected the mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported from Los Angeles , and Pierson reported from Indonesia .
Alice Su and Gaochao Zhang of The Times ’ Beijing bureau and special correspondent San Sel in Cambodia contributed to this report .

Paul Pringle, Alene Tchekmedyian, David Pierson

The videos are horrifying. In one, a black dog hangs by its neck, crying and convulsing as it is blowtorched alive. In another, a white dog dangles from a wooden beam, writhing in pain and terror.
The footage came from a 2016 trip to Asia by Marc Ching, a Los Angeles resident who spent nearly a decade in prison for a violent crime before transforming himself into a prominent leader in the local, national and international animal rights communities.
Ching has told supporters that those videos and others were recorded to document the torture and slaughter of dogs at meat markets in Indonesia, Cambodia and other countries in Asia with a limited but enduring trade in butchering the animals for human food.
The gruesome images appear on social media and in an emotional public service announcement that features a roster of celebrities, including Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, and promotes a charitable foundation that Ching started. The Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation has raised millions of dollars for the purpose of rescuing dogs and cats from Asian slaughterhouses.
“It shows you why this has to end,” Ching said after screening the videos at a House briefing in 2016 on Capitol Hill. As he showed the torture scenes, audience members gasped and averted their eyes. “How can you do that to an animal?” Ching asked.
But a Times investigation has found evidence that contradicts Ching’s claims about the authenticity of some of the most shocking videos and raises questions about his rescue efforts overseas.
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Ching, shown at a 2015 fundraiser, garnered celebrity support from the likes of Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara. (Angela Weiss / Getty Images)
Butchers in Indonesia have told The Times that Ching paid them to hang the black dog and burn it to death — a method of killing more cruel than any they say they normally employ — so he could stage the scene for the camera.
In appeals to the public and foundation supporters, Ching has presented videos of that incident and others as candid portrayals of the day-to-day routine at the slaughterhouses he documented mostly while “undercover,” posing as a dog meat buyer. But local animal rights activists in Indonesia, Cambodia and elsewhere in Asia say they have never heard of dogs being regularly tortured or killed in some of the ways depicted by Ching.
And raw footage of Ching’s recordings obtained by The Times casts doubt on whether all of the videos show how butchers typically torture and kill the dogs.
One of the unedited clips captures the dog being burned alive. In a sworn court declaration filed in August 2017, Ching wrote that he happened to be investigating the dog meat trade at a market in Tomohon, Indonesia, when he and his interpreter “stumbled upon” the burning.
Ching wrote that it “was taking place in broad daylight while passersby ignored the dog’s screams. My translator filmed the gruesome act only to use as evidence of the cruelty happening in Indonesia.”
But nearly seven minutes of the raw footage shows the dog being pulled from a cage with a noose and carried through the market by a butcher while Ching’s camera follows him from behind. The camera continues to roll as the animal is strung up by its neck and slowly torched to death. As the dog burns, the butcher looks toward the camera and gives a thumbs up.
Marthen Wondang, a butcher at the Tomohon market, said Ching in 2016 bought four dogs at an inflated price and asked that they be killed in particular ways, including torching one alive, while he recorded video. (Ronny Adolof Buol / For The Times)
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Ching, 41, denied orchestrating that scene or any other and said he never instructed butchers on how to maim or kill dogs.
“If the question is if I pay people to torture dogs — no, I don’t,” Ching said.
In an interview and a subsequent email to The Times, Ching said the allegations against him were motivated in part by rivalries among animal rescuers. Ching accused two activists of conspiring to bribe a butcher in Indonesia to say Ching paid to stage the burning of living dogs.
“Groups slander each other constantly based on the fact that they believe or feel they know better,” he said in the email.
“If the question is if I pay people to torture dogs — no, I don’t.” — Marc Ching
The animal rights activists deny bribing any butchers, and The Times found no evidence of a conspiracy to falsely accuse Ching of wrongdoing.
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Ching’s foundation held a gala fundraiser in 2017 at the W Hotel in Hollywood, drawing the likes of No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, who told an interviewer at the event that Ching was a “superhero.” Others in attendance referred to him as an “Earth angel.”
California Animal rescue charity with star-studded support has ‘troubling’ financial practices, experts say A whistleblower and watchdogs raise concerns over cash withdrawals, allegedly deceptive solicitations and other financial practices at the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation. The charity denies misleading donors or misusing money.
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In March 2019, musician Moby and actresses Alicia Silverstone and Shannen Doherty attended a Culver City fundraiser for the foundation that was hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings. Doherty, who once sat on his charity board, told an interviewer at the event that Ching had “the greatest spirit and always the best of intentions.”
As the star power elevated Ching’s profile, the foundation helped secure a federal law that effectively banned the human consumption of dog and cat meat and a California prohibition on new fur products. Donations continued to roll in.
The Times’ investigation also found that Ching’s charity has engaged in financial practices that nonprofit experts say are troubling. Foundation records show that more than $350,000 in cash was withdrawn from the charity in a period of 27 months and that Ching has billed the foundation for at least $59,000 in food and other products from his for-profit pet nutrition business, the Petstaurant.
In emails to The Times, and through statements by the foundation’s attorneys, the organization said Ching never misused funds and had contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods, services and cash to the charity since 2014.
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission accused Ching of making false or deceptive claims that an herbal supplement he was selling could treat COVID-19 and that some of his other products could treat cancer. Ching denied wrongdoing and said he was cooperating with the commission.
Board members who oversee Ching’s foundation initially declined to meet with The Times, and the organization at one point suggested the newspaper had tried to persuade people to lie about Ching and the charity.
Dr. Barbara Gitlitz, a Los Angeles oncologist who chaired the charity’s board at the time, eventually sat for an interview in January in the Wilshire Boulevard offices of the foundation’s attorneys. She said she had no reason to doubt Ching’s accounts of the dog torture and that she questioned the credibility of the butchers who accused him of paying them to stage abuse.
“It just goes against everything that I know about Marc and how he treats animals,” Gitlitz said.
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Two days later, she emailed The Times to say the board was launching an independent investigation. She and a foundation attorney did not respond to follow-up questions about the investigation, including a query on who conducted it. The foundation also did not respond to questions of whether any recent changes had been made in the board membership, including the chair position.
In a recent email, the attorney, Russell M. Selmont, said the charity had found no evidence that Ching “ever staged the burning of any dogs (at Tomohon market or otherwise) or ever knowingly or intentionally contributed to the harm of any animals.”
He called the butchers’ accounts unreliable and said Ching’s videos threatened “to expose their inhumanity and shut down their livelihoods. The notion that Mr. Ching paid these butchers to burn and torture the dogs is sick, twisted fantasy.”
A dog is squeezed in a narrow iron cage at the Tomohon market. (Ronny Adolof Buol / For The Times)
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Ching has publicly drawn on his time in prison to explain his devotion to the plight of caged animals. At a 2017 animal rights march in Los Angeles, he delivered a tearful speech, telling demonstrators that during a long stretch in solitary confinement, a scout ant crawled into his cell and took a nibble of a little ball of bread he had saved to lure the insect. The ant left, he said, but in about an hour and a half thousands of them were in his cell.
“It was the first time in so long that I had the contact of anybody or anything,” he told the crowd, his voice catching.
But Ching, who was born in Hawaii and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has revealed little about what landed him behind bars.
In what authorities called a “heinous” and “sophisticated” crime, Ching and several accomplices abducted a man who had stolen $60,000 in a drug deal, bound his hands and drove him to a hotel, where they removed his pants and beat him at length, court records show.
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Corrections officials said he served nine years and seven months in prison for kidnapping and causing great bodily injury. Valarie Ianniello, former executive director of the foundation, said Ching told her he spent 11 months in solitary confinement. A California prisons spokeswoman said there was no record he was ever placed in any type of solitary housing.
Ching did not dispute the lack of such a record, but he said in an email to The Times: “My experience is my experience. And because your definition of confinement differs from mine, that does not make my experience not true.”
Two years after his release in 2010, Ching registered his pet food business and the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation with the state. He describes himself as a fourth-generation herbalist and nutritionist. He also opened the Petstaurant store on Van Nuys Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. In 2015, Ching began making regular trips to Asia and posting disturbing images on social media.
“In Asia once I watched them crucify dogs…. They would get their paws and they would nail gun them into walls.” — Marc Ching, in a BuzzFeed interview
Ching speaks at the 2017 Circle V Festival in Los Angeles. (Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images)
He soon became something of a media darling, telling harrowing tales of being assaulted, threatened with a machete, shot at and nearly killed while uncovering animal abuse overseas.
“In Asia once I watched them crucify dogs,” he said on camera in a 2016 BuzzFeed interview, his eyes red and wet with tears. “They would get their paws and they would nail gun them into walls.” (Ching did not respond to requests from The Times for any documentation or further details of this incident and the more serious of the alleged assaults against him.)
He added: “I have videos of hangings, burning them alive, boiling alive, cutting their feet off while they’re still alive, strangulation.”
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Valarie Ianniello, former executive director of Ching’s foundation, said he grew accustomed to the hero treatment. “The money came in, and it helped build his business up,” she said. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The segment has been viewed more than 3.9 million times. Viewers praised him online as a hero. Contributions to his foundation surged — from about $110,000 in 2015 to nearly $2 million the next year, according to the charity’s tax records.
“I think he recognized that he could be worshiped by this stuff,” Ianniello said. “The money came in, and it helped build his business up.”
Ching has opened a second Petstaurant on the Westside.
::
There is no dispute that dogs and cats are killed for food in countries across Asia, especially outside the major cities. Local activists in those countries have long fought to end the practice, often working in league with Westerners.
Foreign and U.S. activists interviewed by The Times said the methods used by butchers to round up and kill the animals — packing them into cages, drowning them, clubbing them on the head and, in some cases, hanging them — are uniformly inhumane.
They said there had been instances when animal abusers burned dogs alive or brutalized them in other ways, and images of the cruelty are posted online. And there have been many times when butchers, after striking a dog’s skull to kill it, burn the animal to de-fur it, even though it is still alive.
But all of the activists, including seven who do work in Asia, said their efforts had found no evidence to support the notion that the dogs are routinely and deliberately burned or boiled alive, or tortured with beatings and mutilations on a regular basis as Ching has described.
“We’ve never seen animals boiled alive, never seen animals beaten or paws cut or anything,” said Lee Fox-Smith, an author who co-founded the Campaign to End the Dog Meat Trade in Cambodia. Since 2017, Fox-Smith said, he has visited more than 200 slaughterhouses and restaurants that serve dog meat.
He said he initially was afraid to investigate the meat trade because he had heard Ching’s tales of danger. But when he started visiting slaughterhouses, he said, he found that they were the “complete opposite” of Ching’s portrayals.
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“People aren’t chasing you with machetes and guns,” Fox-Smith said.
He said he first contacted Ching through Facebook in 2018 and offered to help Ching’s foundation shelter dogs rescued in Cambodia. They met twice in that country, Fox-Smith said, and he questioned Ching during the second meeting about Ching’s claim that dogs were boiled alive in Cambodia.
Fox-Smith said Ching told him, “They don’t really torture the dogs in Cambodia.”
“He’s basically taking the most vulnerable animals in our society and exploiting them … and it’s disgusting,” Fox-Smith said.
He said Ching was cagey in answering other questions and declined to disclose the locations of slaughterhouses he had visited, making it impossible for Fox-Smith to verify Ching’s claims.
A still from the video shows butcher Marthen Wondang flashing a thumbs up toward the camera. “This is exactly what you want, right?” he is heard asking in a local language as a dog is torched. (Image from video obtained by The Times)
At the market in Tomohon, Indonesia, butchers gave The Times a much different account of the dog torched than Ching offered in his court declaration. They said Ching specifically wanted the dog burned alive, something they and others insisted was not normally done at the market.
In the raw footage The Times obtained, a man is seen pulling the dog from a cage by its neck. Marthen Wondang, a butcher, moments later takes the dog, hanging from a noose, through the market.
Someone yells out about a demonstration as Wondang carries the dog to a patch of dirt where chickens are underfoot.
As the dog tries to escape, Wondang twice throws a rock at its head, subduing it before hanging the animal from a wooden cane. Another butcher starts to blowtorch the dog, which thrashes about in agony. Wondang looks toward the camera and flashes a thumbs up. In a language local to the area, he asks a question whose English translation is, “This is exactly what you want, right?”
A minute and 19 seconds into the burning, the dog, its body charred, lets out its final whimper.
× Butchers in Indonesia told The Times that animal rights activist Marc Ching paid them to hang and burn a dog alive — a method of killing more cruel than any they say they normally employ — so he could stage the scene for the camera. Ching denied doing so, and his foundation questioned the butchers’ credibility, saying his work threatened their livelihoods.
The market has earned a grisly reputation thanks to social media and animal welfare campaigns.
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In one section under brightly colored tarpaulins, vendors hawk local favorites such as smoked skipjack tuna, spiky golden pineapples and tropical jeruk manis oranges that turn green when ripened.
The center of the bazaar features rats impaled on bamboo sticks, listless reticulated pythons coiled into mounds and charred bats, mouths agape and showing off rows of fangs and thick, pointy tongues. The smell is a noxious mix of cigarette smoke, unrefrigerated meat and kerosene from blowtorches singeing away dead animal hair.
Dogs are kept in small cages on wheels before they’re slaughtered, their tails tucked between their hind legs and faces withdrawn with droopy eyes.
Several butchers in Ching’s videos told a Times reporter on a recent visit to the market that they met Ching when he showed up with an interpreter in 2016, saying he wanted to buy dog meat. Wondang said Ching bought four dogs at an inflated price and asked that they be killed in particular ways, including torching one alive, while he recorded video.
Ching “was smiling and laughing throughout the process … like he was happy.” — Marthen Wondang, butcher
Wondang and the other butchers said they typically killed dogs by beating them on the head. Burning dogs to death, they said, would be too costly in terms of kerosene and more likely to result in the butchers getting bitten or scratched.
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Strangely, Wondang said, Ching left the dog meat behind after he finished recording.
“He was smiling and laughing throughout the process,” he said of Ching. “Like he was happy.”
Ching did not respond to a question about that claim. He said one of the butchers, whom he did not identify, told him in 2016 that they burned 50 dogs to death a day at the market.
In interviews with The Times, animal welfare activists based in Europe and Asia said some of the butchers had given them the same account of Ching paying to have the dog burned alive on camera. They said the butchers told them this separately at various times between late 2017 and spring 2018, well before The Times began its investigation.
Lola Webber, Bali-based co-founder and director of the Change for Animals Foundation, a charity registered in England, told The Times she visited the Tomohon market around Christmas 2017. She said “maybe three” butchers, including one she recognized from Ching’s videos, together approached her group asking whether they were with Ching. Webber said she told them no.
A dog lies inside a cage at the Tomohon market. (Ronny Adolof Buol / For The Times)
The butchers related that Ching had paid them to torture the dogs on camera in certain ways — one hanged, another torched alive, Webber said.
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She said she had a similar experience when she visited a meat market in nearby Langowan. About five butchers walked up to her group and asked whether they were associated with Ching, she said.
“We said, ‘No, we have nothing to do with Marc Ching,’” Webber added. “They said, ‘Do you want to pay us?’”
Webber said Ching’s actions undermined the work of activists devoted to ending the dog meat trade, which kills dogs in ways that are cruel enough. “It’s totally shameful,” she said.
Frank Manus manages Animal Friends Manado Indonesia, which operates a shelter in Tomohon. He said that during a brief meeting in 2016, Ching showed him photos of a dog being burned alive at the Tomohon market. Manus said he immediately doubted the photos.
Frank Manus, who manages an Indonesian animal rescue organization, said he immediately doubted the photos Ching showed him of a dog being burned alive in Tomohon: “I go to the market every day, and no such thing happens.” (Ronny Adolof Buol / For The Times)
“I go to the market every day, and no such thing happens,” Manus said.
Other activists have questioned Ching’s videos. He sued one of them: Deborah Hall, a volunteer who posted on Facebook that Ching “paid to have dogs torched and legs cut off,” according to the suit. A judge tossed the part of the lawsuit concerning that statement. Hall declined to comment on the suit, which the parties eventually settled.
Sebastian Margenfeld, a German activist, said he first learned of Ching in 2016 when he stumbled upon a YouTube video on Ching’s rescues in Asia. He said it moved him so much that he reached out to Ching’s charity with the goal of producing a public service announcement, or PSA, in German similar to the foundation’s, using the same footage.
Soon after, Margenfeld said, he started his own foundation with a name that echoes that of Ching’s charity when translated into English. Margenfeld said the early web postings of his foundation focused on Ching’s work. He added that his foundation later contributed more than $50,000 in funds and services to Ching’s efforts, including the cost of flying American veterinarians to China.
In the meantime, he said, Ching’s foundation put him in touch with the production company that created its PSA, Sugar Studios LA, which sent Margenfeld a zip file in November 2016 with Ching’s raw footage.
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Margenfeld said he watched it all. He offered to join Ching on rescue missions, but Ching always refused the help.
It wasn’t until he visited Indonesian slaughterhouses in April 2018 to shoot his own footage that he began to question Ching’s footage, Margenfeld said.
“Because I had never been to Asian slaughterhouses, I thought it was real,” he said of the torture. “I went to Tomohon and it was so different from Ching’s video.”
Margenfeld, who is a physical therapist in the town of Freiburg in southwest Germany, said he told the foundation board members of his suspicions about Ching in a May 2018 conference call. The board members stood by Ching, Margenfeld said.
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In 2016, Ching traveled to Cambodia with a professional cameraman to film more slaughterhouses. Raw footage from the trip features long monologues during bumpy car rides in which Ching chokes up as he reflects on what he says he witnessed.
“The people that really hurt these animals, they’re going to hurt children,” he says during one ride. “They’re going to molest kids, kidnap people, they’re gonna beat them up.”
In one scene, Ching is kneeling beside a brick cage of dogs describing the meat trade for the camera.
“How many dogs you want?” his interpreter is heard asking him shortly after.
Ching cuts him off by saying “whoa” several times and “time out,” while making a gesture to direct the cameraman to stop shooting. The cameraman points the camera down but keeps it rolling.
Dressed in a black T-shirt lettered #CompassionProject with the foundation’s web address, Ching says to the cameraman, “You know going undercover, they show us, just because as a dog meat buyer, usually, this guy is gonna tie one up, he’s gonna hang one over here, and beat him.
“You know, we’re gonna cut him down so he doesn’t kill the dog and stuff,” he continues on the footage. “So are you OK documenting that stuff?”
Someone says, “Yeah.” And Ching replies, “I’ll just do one then.”
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After a few moments, the cameraman asks, “Do you feel like this is necessary?”
“It’s up to you,” Ching replied. “I’d rather not document it…. When I go undercover, I don’t know, I like it better, because, like, it’s just natural, you know. They’re doing it already.”
A person familiar with the incident said Ching had arranged to have the slaughterhouse hang and beat the dog for the purpose of filming it. The person, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation by Ching, said the hanging and beating ultimately did not occur.
× A person familiar with the incident captured on this video clip said Ching had arranged to have the Cambodian slaughterhouse hang and beat the dog for the purpose of filming it. The person said the hanging and beating ultimately did not occur. Ching denied making any arrangement to harm a dog. An attorney for his foundation described the clip as a discussion about filming a “dramatic reenactment” of a previous hanging at the slaughterhouse, without harming the dog.
Ching and two Los Angeles attorneys for his foundation offered a series of descriptions of the clip.
Jeremy Gray, one of the lawyers, said in an email to The Times that the video from Cambodia “appears to be a misleadingly doctored clip that is removed from its appropriate context.”
The Times engaged an audio-visual forensics expert in Michigan, Ed Primeau, to analyze the Cambodia footage. Primeau said he found no evidence that it had been altered.
“These video recordings are authentic and represent the events as they occurred,” he said.
Ching later said in an email to The Times, “It is likely that the clip recorded a discussion about organizing the filming and that may have included some payment to enter the slaughterhouse.” He said that there was no plan to mistreat a dog and that no animal was hurt.
Selmont, the other attorney for the foundation, described the clip as a discussion about filming a “dramatic reenactment” of a previous hanging at the slaughterhouse without harming the dog.
“Mr. Ching and the foundation ultimately decided against including anything like that in the documentary and the videographer himself has confirmed that no such event ever occurred,” Selmont said in an email.
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Selmont said the earlier hanging occurred several months before the discussion on the clip: “Mr. Ching posted an iPhone video of him cutting down a dog that he saw in real time being hung at a dog butcher. Mr. Ching, at that exact moment, paid for the dog and filmed himself in real time cutting down that dog who otherwise [would] have been slaughtered for meat.”
The foundation’s PSA includes a shot of Ching cutting a hanging dog free.
In another clip from Cambodia, a young man in board shorts drops a live dog into a vat of scalding water. As the dog thrashes about, the man quickly jumps back to avoid getting splashed. Moments later, the vat falls over as the dog tries to escape.
Activists told The Times that dogs are not normally boiled alive in Cambodia, if only because the butchers could be scalded in the attempt. They said those vats were often used instead to de-fur dead dogs in boiling water. In the background of the Cambodia clip, a second young worker is seen removing the fur from what appears to be a dead dog in a similar tub of steaming water.
On numerous occasions, Ching claimed that his life was in danger in Asia. When first asked for details by The Times, Ching responded with written descriptions of two car crashes, getting into altercations in Cambodia and China, being punched in the face in Korea, various encounters with butchers who threatened but did not injure him, and being pushed off a “small cliff” in Taiji, Japan.
The Times then presented Ching with information from media interviews and social media posts in which he is quoted as saying that, in addition to several assaults, he was shot at, had a machine gun stuck in his mouth and almost died four times. Ching responded that he had tried to suppress his memories of those incidents — which he has said occurred in recent years — because of their traumatic nature.
“Those things happened to me,” Ching said in an email. “Over the years both intentionally and I believe subconsciously I have tried to forget the worst of these experiences as it is best for my mental health.”
Ianniello, the foundation’s former executive director, said Ching told her of an incident in which he was pushed to the ground at a slaughterhouse, where he swallowed feces and blood. Ching said that as a result he contracted flesh-eating bacteria that required surgery to eliminate, according to Ianniello and another former foundation employee, Kiana Kang.
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Ching did not respond to a Times query about the incident. He would not provide The Times with any documentation or other means of verifying the more serious episodes, such as medical records or the names of any witnesses. His foundation said in an email that Ching never reported the assaults to Asian authorities or to American diplomatic officials because doing so “would have affected the mission of the trips.”
Pringle and Tchekmedyian reported from Los Angeles, and Pierson reported from Indonesia. Alice Su and Gaochao Zhang of The Times’ Beijing bureau and special correspondent San Sel in Cambodia contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-24--With masks, temperature checks and anxiety, California's retail economy gingerly reopens

Linda Sims tucked into a booth across from her husband Anson Saturday in the back of the Busy Bee Café in downtown Ventura .
Her first decision took some judgment : entering a restaurant for the first time since the coronavirus stay-at-home order was imposed .
The second decision was easier : getting the pancakes .
“ We come here every Fourth of July , ” she said of the 1950s-style diner .
“ And this is where we always have breakfast.
” The Simses , who wore face masks while waiting on the sidewalk for a table , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reopening now , but it has to happen sometime .
“ We ’ re at the vulnerable age , ” she added .
“ But you know what ?
You ’ ve got to dip your toe [ in ] .
If they ’ re willing to open up knowing that it ’ s safe — they ’ re not going to kill us — we need to patronize them .
I ’ m going batty by being in the house.
” After more than two months on lockdown , large swaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming back to life Saturday .
This marked the first weekend since many counties got the go-ahead to reopen restaurants , retail stores and even shopping malls for business .
Some once-bustling shopping and entertainment districts across California did see a burst of customers , though it ’ s far too soon to tell whether it will be enough to make the businesses sustainable .
Restaurants were supposed to open with a swath of new safety rules including face masks and temperature checks for employees and social distancing for customers .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their part .
But there were some exceptions .
El Prez , a bar in San Diego ’ s Pacific Beach district , came under the spotlight after patrons posted videos featuring crowds of people drinking , often maskless and far closer to each other than the six-foot standard set for restaurants under newly approved reopening guidelines .
County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said the scene created “ an imminent health and safety risk ” and said county health officials served the business with a closure notice .
State officials have now cleared 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping .
The latest were Orange and Riverside , two of California ’ s largest population centers .
Orange County had seen a spike in deaths over the last week , and officials said they were thrilled they could begin reopening the battered economy .
Before reopening , businesses must review state guidance relevant to their industry , prepare and implement a safety plan and post an industry-specific checklist in their workplaces .
“ We understand that many businesses are hurting at this time and greatly want to reopen with as little issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wagner said .
The Orange County reopening was made possible after Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday adjusted the requirements counties must meet to accelerate their reopening schedules .
Most notably , Newsom announced that counties would no longer be kept from loosening stay-at-home rules if they have recorded COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks .
Local leaders can now move toward a more expansive reopening if they can show fewer than 25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days , or show that fewer than 8 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seven-day period .
Data submitted by Orange County last week show that 7.95 % of residents tested for the virus between May 13 and Tuesday were positive , coming in just under the state ’ s maximum .
Orange County public health officials Saturday reported 12 new coronavirus-related deaths , bringing the county ’ s overall death toll to 130 .
Nearly a third of the fatalities were recorded in the past four days , with 10 deaths recorded Wednesday , 14 Thursday and six Friday .
Before Wednesday , the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in a single day .
Officials said that many of the new deaths are due to outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities .
In total , 52 residents of skilled nursing facilities had died as of Saturday .
The county also reported an additional 216 cases of the virus Saturday , bringing the countywide infection total to 5,157 .
Los Angeles County , the epicenter of coronavirus in California with more than 2,000 deaths , has been slower to expand reopening .
Officials set a goal of reopening by July 4 .
Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday 1,032 new cases of the coronavirus and 41 related deaths but also revealed encouraging signs of progress in slowing the virus ’ s spread .
The county has seen a 13 % decrease in its latest seven-day average of deaths per day and a 16 % decrease in its most recent three-day average of hospitalizations per day , according to that tracks metrics related to recovery .
In addition , the percentage of people who have tested positive in L.A. County has reached an all-time low of 8.5 % , compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , on Saturday .
Her comments came the day after the White House coronavirus response coordinator , Dr. Deborah Birx , singled out Los Angeles as one of three metropolitan areas that has seen a persistently high number of new daily cases , which she said was a cause for concern .
With unemployment now at 15.5 % in California , there is hope that easing the stay-at-home restrictions will bring some recovery .
The door was open although the restaurant was technically closed late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curious customers filed into Nature ’ s Grill , Thomas Larsen ’ s storefront cafe in Ventura .
“ We open at 11 , ” Larsen whispered with a shrug , a cloth face covering hiding a smile as he glanced at his watch .
It read 10:55 .
No one , least of all Larsen , wanted to wait another five minutes for the restaurant to open , not when they ’ ve already waited more than two months .
“ Business isn ’ t going to come rushing back , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sits along a trendy five-block stretch of bars , boutiques and restaurants in downtown Ventura , a half-mile from the beach .
“ It ’ s been a struggle .
But I think everyone ’ s navigating it the best they can.
” Larsen said the shutdown crushed his business , forcing him to lay off all but a handful of his 16 employees and dip into his personal savings to avoid closing completely .
To reopen , restaurants must agree to county rules requiring face coverings and temperature screening for all employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thorough cleaning of menus , tabletops and other frequently touched objects .
And while Larsen may fudge the rules when it comes to opening time , he ’ s sticking to the ones that will keep those doors open .
That means closing every other booth in his restaurant , moving some of the maple chairs and tables outside and serving food in disposable containers .
“ I ’ m going to overdo it , ” he said .
“ I ’ d rather be overcautious right now .
The whole pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just packing people into restaurants at this point isn ’ t smart.
” For Larsen , the fear of the novel coronavirus isn ’ t theoretical .
His sister , a nurse in Santa Barbara , was tested three weeks ago after coming into contact with a COVID-19 patient ; the hours waiting for the results were long .
“ It ’ s absolutely a real thing , ” Larsen said .
“ It ’ s something that everyone needs to take seriously .
People are going to have to decide for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come out and dine .
Some are going to take their time.
” Times staff writer Hannah Fry and Lyndsay Winkley of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report .

Kevin Baxter, Alex Wigglesworth, Sonali Kohli

Bryson Finger serves coffee to Jeric Gambon, 24, as he enjoys breakfast at Busy Bee Cafe on Main Street in downtown Ventura Thursday.
Linda Sims tucked into a booth across from her husband Anson Saturday in the back of the Busy Bee Café in downtown Ventura.
Her first decision took some judgment: entering a restaurant for the first time since the coronavirus stay-at-home order was imposed. The second decision was easier: getting the pancakes.
“We come here every Fourth of July,” she said of the 1950s-style diner. “And this is where we always have breakfast.”
Advertisement
The Simses, who wore face masks while waiting on the sidewalk for a table, said they know there’s a risk in reopening now, but it has to happen sometime.
“We’re at the vulnerable age,” she added. “But you know what? You’ve got to dip your toe [in]. If they’re willing to open up knowing that it’s safe — they’re not going to kill us — we need to patronize them. I’m going batty by being in the house.”
After more than two months on lockdown, large swaths of California’s retail economy began coming back to life Saturday. This marked the first weekend since many counties got the go-ahead to reopen restaurants, retail stores and even shopping malls for business.
Some once-bustling shopping and entertainment districts across California did see a burst of customers, though it’s far too soon to tell whether it will be enough to make the businesses sustainable.
Restaurants were supposed to open with a swath of new safety rules including face masks and temperature checks for employees and social distancing for customers.
Advertisement
For the most part, merchants and customers did their part. But there were some exceptions.
El Prez, a bar in San Diego’s Pacific Beach district, came under the spotlight after patrons posted videos featuring crowds of people drinking, often maskless and far closer to each other than the six-foot standard set for restaurants under newly approved reopening guidelines. County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said the scene created “an imminent health and safety risk” and said county health officials served the business with a closure notice.
State officials have now cleared 45 counties to resume in-restaurant dining and in-store shopping. The latest were Orange and Riverside, two of California’s largest population centers. Orange County had seen a spike in deaths over the last week, and officials said they were thrilled they could begin reopening the battered economy.
Before reopening, businesses must review state guidance relevant to their industry, prepare and implement a safety plan and post an industry-specific checklist in their workplaces.
“We understand that many businesses are hurting at this time and greatly want to reopen with as little issues as possible,” county Supervisor Don Wagner said.
The Orange County reopening was made possible after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday adjusted the requirements counties must meet to accelerate their reopening schedules . Most notably, Newsom announced that counties would no longer be kept from loosening stay-at-home rules if they have recorded COVID-19 deaths in the previous two weeks.
Local leaders can now move toward a more expansive reopening if they can show fewer than 25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days, or show that fewer than 8% of residents tested positive for the virus over a seven-day period. Data submitted by Orange County last week show that 7.95% of residents tested for the virus between May 13 and Tuesday were positive, coming in just under the state’s maximum.
Orange County public health officials Saturday reported 12 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the county’s overall death toll to 130. Nearly a third of the fatalities were recorded in the past four days, with 10 deaths recorded Wednesday, 14 Thursday and six Friday. Before Wednesday, the county hadn’t reported more than five deaths in a single day.
Officials said that many of the new deaths are due to outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities . In total, 52 residents of skilled nursing facilities had died as of Saturday.
The county also reported an additional 216 cases of the virus Saturday, bringing the countywide infection total to 5,157.
Los Angeles County, the epicenter of coronavirus in California with more than 2,000 deaths, has been slower to expand reopening. Officials set a goal of reopening by July 4.
Los Angeles County public health officials announced on Saturday 1,032 new cases of the coronavirus and 41 related deaths but also revealed encouraging signs of progress in slowing the virus’s spread.
The county has seen a 13% decrease in its latest seven-day average of deaths per day and a 16% decrease in its most recent three-day average of hospitalizations per day, according to a Department of Health dashboard that tracks metrics related to recovery.
In addition, the percentage of people who have tested positive in L.A. County has reached an all-time low of 8.5%, compared with 28% in New York City, said Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, on Saturday.
Her comments came the day after the White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, singled out Los Angeles as one of three metropolitan areas that has seen a persistently high number of new daily cases , which she said was a cause for concern.
With unemployment now at 15.5% in California, there is hope that easing the stay-at-home restrictions will bring some recovery.
The door was open although the restaurant was technically closed late Saturday morning when the first group of curious customers filed into Nature’s Grill, Thomas Larsen’s storefront cafe in Ventura.
“We open at 11,” Larsen whispered with a shrug, a cloth face covering hiding a smile as he glanced at his watch. It read 10:55.
No one, least of all Larsen, wanted to wait another five minutes for the restaurant to open, not when they’ve already waited more than two months.
“Business isn’t going to come rushing back,” said Larsen, whose Main Street storefront sits along a trendy five-block stretch of bars, boutiques and restaurants in downtown Ventura, a half-mile from the beach. “It’s been a struggle. But I think everyone’s navigating it the best they can.”
Larsen said the shutdown crushed his business, forcing him to lay off all but a handful of his 16 employees and dip into his personal savings to avoid closing completely. To reopen, restaurants must agree to county rules requiring face coverings and temperature screening for all employees, ample social distancing for customers and the thorough cleaning of menus, tabletops and other frequently touched objects.
And while Larsen may fudge the rules when it comes to opening time, he’s sticking to the ones that will keep those doors open. That means closing every other booth in his restaurant, moving some of the maple chairs and tables outside and serving food in disposable containers.
“I’m going to overdo it,” he said. “I’d rather be overcautious right now. The whole pandemic is something you need to worry about. Just packing people into restaurants at this point isn’t smart.”
For Larsen, the fear of the novel coronavirus isn’t theoretical. His sister, a nurse in Santa Barbara, was tested three weeks ago after coming into contact with a COVID-19 patient; the hours waiting for the results were long.
“It’s absolutely a real thing,” Larsen said. “It’s something that everyone needs to take seriously. People are going to have to decide for themselves when it’s safe to come out and dine. Some are going to take their time.”
Times staff writer Hannah Fry and Lyndsay Winkley of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-24--Animal rescue charity with star-studded support has 'troubling' financial practices, experts say

Four years after the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation ’ s launch in 2012 , donations to the charity skyrocketed , fueled by the well-publicized efforts of founder Marc Ching to rescue dogs and cats from Asian meat markets .
Contributions to the Sherman Oaks-based foundation ballooned from about $ 110,000 in 2015 to nearly $ 4 million over the next two years .
And as the money rolled in , much of it rolled out — in cash .
In early June 2016 , $ 25,000 in cash was withdrawn from the foundation .
Five days later , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came one for $ 12,000 and another for $ 25,000 .
Altogether , from January 2016 to March 2018 , cash withdrawals totaled more than $ 350,000 , a Times investigation has found .
According to interviews and an examination of the organization ’ s financial records , the cash outlays are among a number of spending practices and fundraising methods employed by the foundation that nonprofit watchdogs say are troubling for a charity .
Most of those practices and methods were the subject of an anonymous complaint that former foundation director Valarie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the California attorney general ’ s office .
Ianniello told The Times she was fired in 2018 after repeatedly complaining about the lack of financial controls at the charity .
The complaint , a copy of which was reviewed by The Times , raised concerns about the cash withdrawals and purchases the foundation made from Ching ’ s for-profit pet nutrition business , the Petstaurant .
The charity ’ s tax returns show it paid the Petstaurant at least $ 59,000 for food and other products .
In her complaint , Ianniello @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 250,000 of the foundation ’ s money on an investment in a for-profit pet food company that soon went bankrupt and that he appealed to donors using deceptive solicitations .
Ianniello said she never received a response to the complaint , which included her name and phone number along with those of other current and former employees .
In December , the attorney general ’ s office declined to discuss Ianniello ’ s allegations with The Times .
Days later , the office notified the foundation that it would conduct an audit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ through statements by the foundation ’ s attorneys , the organization said Ching never misused funds and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods , services and cash to the charity since 2014 .
The foundation also said Ching did not mislead donors and has never taken a salary .
“ While Mr. Ching admittedly could have done a better job early on keeping receipts and financial records to be in compliance with the statutes governing non-profits , the notion that he is … personally making money off the foundation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Selmont wrote .
The charity ’ s bookkeeper , Meredith Freeman , said that Ching used the cash on his international trips and that some expenses are accounted for in receipts .
The foundation would not provide additional details or documentation .
Speaking as chair of the foundation ’ s board of directors , Dr. Barbara Gitlitz , a Los Angeles oncologist , said vendors at some of Ching ’ s destinations did not accept credit cards and did not always give receipts .
Ianniello , who was executive director when most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she never saw receipts for how that cash was spent .
In a subsequent statement to The Times , Selmont said the foundation conducted an “ independent investigation ” and concluded “ no AHWF money was stolen , embezzled or otherwise improperly used for non-AHWF benefits or purposes.
” In reference to the attorney general ’ s office , Selmont said , “ Our review of the DOJ audit is consistent with this belief and we are confident that there is no evidence of any financial wrongdoing .
“ The money spent by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Asia has been documented and we have conferred with guides and resources in Asia who have corroborated Mr. Ching ’ s and the Foundation ’ s documentation of monies and use of funds spent on rescue , related projects , and other operations.
” Selmont did not respond to The Times ’ request for a copy of the audit and for more information about the foundation ’ s investigation , including who conducted it .
Ianniello joined the foundation as a volunteer in early 2016 .
She said that within a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid a salary and given access to the charity ’ s bank account , although Ching still controlled the outlays .
Ianniello showed The Times numerous text exchanges in which she challenged Ching over spending , including for thousands of dollars in food from his store .
She also provided emails in which she urges the bookkeeper to review a range of expenses by Ching .
In a text , Ianniello said , Ching told her a $ 2,500 payment from the foundation to a Petstaurant worker had been for the man ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lost puppy .
“ And really I am sure supporters would be fine with that , ” he wrote .
“ : ) ” Elena Roberto , the foundation ’ s current executive director , said in an email that Ching gave the organization discounts on the products from the Petstaurant , which sits around the corner from the charity ’ s office .
Ianniello said it wasn ’ t until she insisted that Ching began to give the discounts .
The foundation said Ianniello , not Ching , directed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The foundation ’ s tax documents show the organization bought nearly $ 19,000 in products from Ching ’ s business in 2015 , the year before Ianniello joined the charity .
Daniel Borochoff , the founder of CharityWatch , a Chicago nonprofit organization that rates charities for sound financial practices , said that a foundation purchasing products from its chief executive is “ problematic ” and that it should seek competitive bids before doing so .
Ching ’ s foundation did not respond directly to a Times query on whether it sought competitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no such effort .
After learning that Ianniello was speaking to The Times , the foundation filed a lawsuit against her , alleging she took money and property from the organization and violated a separation agreement she signed when she was fired .
The lawsuit contended that Ianniello kept the signed agreement as well , so the foundation had no copy .
Ianniello said she never signed the agreement .
Freeman , the foundation ’ s bookkeeper , told The Times she knew of no evidence that Ianniello stole from the organization or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior .
In her complaint to the attorney general , Ianniello alleged that , in an effort to draw more donations , the foundation exaggerated its efforts on social media and used videos that had “ been staged and/or falsely described.
” Ianniello told The Times that a foundation initiative to microchip 100,000 pet dogs in China as a way to protect them from the meat trade was soon abandoned after just a handful of dogs were microchipped .
Even so , she said , Ching continued to promote the campaign in social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text exchange , Ianniello told Ching she had a problem with him “ lying ” to his supporters about the existence of the microchip program .
Ianniello said Ching staged a video on the foundation ’ s Facebook page in which a foundation employee finds a microchip in a dog recently rescued from the meat trade in China .
She said Ching told her ahead of time that he was going to inject the chip in the dog before recording the video .
Later , in a text exchange with Ianniello , Ching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chip part look fake.
” In an email to The Times , Selmont , the foundation ’ s attorney , said , “ Separate and apart from the money the Foundation sought to raise for that program , Mr. Ching himself directed a few dogs in China be implanted with microchips and made a subsequent social media post attempting to raise money for those rescued dogs ’ medical care.
” He added that “ this was not done with the intent to deceive the public.
” The Facebook video was paired with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescued dogs had microchips .
The post said the foundation would try to reunite them with their families .
A donation tracker accompanying the video said the post generated nearly $ 29,000 in contributions .

Actress Shannen Doherty and Marc Ching at a March 2019 fundraising gala for the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by Ching.
Four years after the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation’s launch in 2012, donations to the charity skyrocketed, fueled by the well-publicized efforts of founder Marc Ching to rescue dogs and cats from Asian meat markets.
Contributions to the Sherman Oaks-based foundation ballooned from about $110,000 in 2015 to nearly $4 million over the next two years. And as the money rolled in, much of it rolled out — in cash.
In early June 2016, $25,000 in cash was withdrawn from the foundation. Five days later, a $40,000 withdrawal was made. Then came one for $12,000 and another for $25,000. Altogether, from January 2016 to March 2018, cash withdrawals totaled more than $350,000, a Times investigation has found.
According to interviews and an examination of the organization’s financial records, the cash outlays are among a number of spending practices and fundraising methods employed by the foundation that nonprofit watchdogs say are troubling for a charity.
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Most of those practices and methods were the subject of an anonymous complaint that former foundation director Valarie Ianniello said she filed early last year with the California attorney general’s office. Ianniello told The Times she was fired in 2018 after repeatedly complaining about the lack of financial controls at the charity.
The complaint, a copy of which was reviewed by The Times, raised concerns about the cash withdrawals and purchases the foundation made from Ching’s for-profit pet nutrition business, the Petstaurant. The charity’s tax returns show it paid the Petstaurant at least $59,000 for food and other products.
In her complaint, Ianniello also alleged that Ching lost nearly $250,000 of the foundation’s money on an investment in a for-profit pet food company that soon went bankrupt and that he appealed to donors using deceptive solicitations.
Ianniello said she never received a response to the complaint, which included her name and phone number along with those of other current and former employees. In December, the attorney general’s office declined to discuss Ianniello’s allegations with The Times. Days later, the office notified the foundation that it would conduct an audit.
In emails to The Times, and through statements by the foundation’s attorneys, the organization said Ching never misused funds and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods, services and cash to the charity since 2014. The foundation also said Ching did not mislead donors and has never taken a salary.
“While Mr. Ching admittedly could have done a better job early on keeping receipts and financial records to be in compliance with the statutes governing non-profits, the notion that he is … personally making money off the foundation is a fallacy,” attorney Russell M. Selmont wrote.
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The charity’s bookkeeper, Meredith Freeman, said that Ching used the cash on his international trips and that some expenses are accounted for in receipts. The foundation would not provide additional details or documentation.
Speaking as chair of the foundation’s board of directors, Dr. Barbara Gitlitz, a Los Angeles oncologist, said vendors at some of Ching’s destinations did not accept credit cards and did not always give receipts.
Valarie Ianniello said she was fired as executive director of the Animal Hope & Wellness Foundation in 2018 after repeatedly complaining about the lack of financial controls at the nonprofit. (Valarie Ianniello)
Ianniello, who was executive director when most of the cash withdrawals were made, said she never saw receipts for how that cash was spent.
In a subsequent statement to The Times, Selmont said the foundation conducted an “independent investigation” and concluded “no AHWF money was stolen, embezzled or otherwise improperly used for non-AHWF benefits or purposes.”
In reference to the attorney general’s office, Selmont said, “Our review of the DOJ audit is consistent with this belief and we are confident that there is no evidence of any financial wrongdoing.
“The money spent by Mr. Ching and the AHWF for trips to Asia has been documented and we have conferred with guides and resources in Asia who have corroborated Mr. Ching’s and the Foundation’s documentation of monies and use of funds spent on rescue, related projects, and other operations.”
Selmont did not respond to The Times’ request for a copy of the audit and for more information about the foundation’s investigation, including who conducted it.
Ianniello joined the foundation as a volunteer in early 2016. She said that within a year, she was named executive director, paid a salary and given access to the charity’s bank account, although Ching still controlled the outlays.
Ianniello showed The Times numerous text exchanges in which she challenged Ching over spending, including for thousands of dollars in food from his store. She also provided emails in which she urges the bookkeeper to review a range of expenses by Ching.
In a text, Ianniello said, Ching told her a $2,500 payment from the foundation to a Petstaurant worker had been for the man’s help in finding Pepper, Ching’s lost puppy.
“And really I am sure supporters would be fine with that,” he wrote. “:)”
“but she’s your dog,” Ianniello wrote back.
Elena Roberto, the foundation’s current executive director, said in an email that Ching gave the organization discounts on the products from the Petstaurant, which sits around the corner from the charity’s office. Ianniello said it wasn’t until she insisted that Ching began to give the discounts.
The foundation said Ianniello, not Ching, directed the charity to buy from the Petstaurant. The foundation’s tax documents show the organization bought nearly $19,000 in products from Ching’s business in 2015, the year before Ianniello joined the charity.
Daniel Borochoff, the founder of CharityWatch, a Chicago nonprofit organization that rates charities for sound financial practices, said that a foundation purchasing products from its chief executive is “problematic” and that it should seek competitive bids before doing so.
Ching’s foundation did not respond directly to a Times query on whether it sought competitive bids. Ianniello said she knew of no such effort.
After learning that Ianniello was speaking to The Times, the foundation filed a lawsuit against her, alleging she took money and property from the organization and violated a separation agreement she signed when she was fired. The lawsuit contended that Ianniello kept the signed agreement as well, so the foundation had no copy.
Ianniello said she never signed the agreement.
Freeman, the foundation’s bookkeeper, told The Times she knew of no evidence that Ianniello stole from the organization or engaged in any other kind of dishonest behavior.
In her complaint to the attorney general, Ianniello alleged that, in an effort to draw more donations, the foundation exaggerated its efforts on social media and used videos that had “been staged and/or falsely described.”
State law prohibits charities from engaging in deceptive fundraising practices.
Ianniello told The Times that a foundation initiative to microchip 100,000 pet dogs in China as a way to protect them from the meat trade was soon abandoned after just a handful of dogs were microchipped. Even so, she said, Ching continued to promote the campaign in social media posts.
In a May 2017 text exchange, Ianniello told Ching she had a problem with him “lying” to his supporters about the existence of the microchip program.
“It feels wrong,” she wrote.
Ianniello said Ching staged a video on the foundation’s Facebook page in which a foundation employee finds a microchip in a dog recently rescued from the meat trade in China.
She said Ching told her ahead of time that he was going to inject the chip in the dog before recording the video. Later, in a text exchange with Ianniello, Ching asked her, “does the micro chip part look fake.”
In an email to The Times, Selmont, the foundation’s attorney, said, “Separate and apart from the money the Foundation sought to raise for that program, Mr. Ching himself directed a few dogs in China be implanted with microchips and made a subsequent social media post attempting to raise money for those rescued dogs’ medical care.” He added that “this was not done with the intent to deceive the public.”
The Facebook video was paired with a donation tab and a caption claiming four rescued dogs had microchips. The post said the foundation would try to reunite them with their families.
A donation tracker accompanying the video said the post generated nearly $29,000 in contributions.