A now-defunct nonprofit and its founder are being accused of misusing more than $25,000 in donations.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit against Pawsible Angels, Inc. of Findlay, a charity that trained and provided service dogs to people with chronic illness and disabilities, and its former executive director, Michele S. Frank, alleging that donations were diverted to cover Frank's personal expenses.
“Ohioans donated to help people in need — not to pay someone’s rent, piano lessons or dating services,” Yost said. “This is a blatant betrayal of public trust, and we’re holding her accountable.”
Here's what happened.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's investigation alleges misuse of charity funds
Yost’s investigation alleges that Frank, who controlled the nonprofit’s finances and operations, used charitable funds for rent and utilities at her residence, personal debt and overdraft fees, medical bills, clothing, meals, dating services and private music lessons.
The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, also alleges that Frank failed to maintain financial transparency, refused to provide the organization’s board with access to financial records and continued to act on behalf of the charity even after resigning.
The attorney general's office is seeking restitution, civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, and to permanently bar Frank from operating or serving on the board of any charitable organization in Ohio.
Families say Pawsible Angels never provided service dogs they paid for
WTOL TV-11 in Toledo reported in 2023 that several families accused the Pawsible Angels of not providing the trained service dogs they paid for, bilking them out of thousands of dollars. The three families interviewed for the report spent a combined total of $10,000 for services that were not provided, according to WTOL.
WTOL reports that Frank initially agreed to be interviewed, but later declined on the advice of her lawyer. She instead sent a statement denying any wrongdoing.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio sues defunct dog charity, owner: 'Blatant betrayal of trust'
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