Shreveport non-profit owner blames alleged online harassment for closure

By Madison Edwards

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — A non-profit in Shreveport has closed its doors due to alleged online harassment.

Broadmoor UP was a 501(c)(3) which cared for homebound senior citizens and helped rescue animals for over two years.

Amy McDonald created the organization after she had too many strawberries and wanted to give back to the community. This act spawned community gatherings at her home each Sunday, which grew into hosting co-ops and community events. Broadmoor UP then began giving meals to the elderly, and rescuing animals in need.

McDonald claims the harassment started when she began her meal service.

“Various other meal programs began reaching out,” McDonald said. “One in particular wanted a list of all of my homebound friends in the neighborhood to make sure that no one was double dipping.”

She said the harassment continued when Broadmoor UP started animal rescue operations. To date, over 150 animals have been saved, McDonald said.

After posting about two kittens up for adoption, one commenter’s post was deleted when it had little to do with adopting the animals.

“Her buddy jumped on the post,” McDonald said. “She is another woman in the animal rescue community. I think they sent animal control out to my home.”

McDonald filmed the encounter with Caddo Animal Services. She can be heard asking if she needs a lawyer to which the officer responds, “For me, probably not.” McDonald let the officer in even though he didn’t have a warrant.

Caddo Animal Services sent the following statement to KTBS about their visit:

“Caddo Animal Services received several inquiries about the conditions at the Broadmoor UP organization. Animal control officers responded to the location to conduct a welfare check, and no warrant was needed.The officer at the scene conducted a wellness check at the location with the owner’s full cooperation and found no violations or cause to issue any citations. As with all calls that officers are dispatched to, pet education was shared with the owner.”

“I have lost my peace now that I know that at any time Caddo can send an officer into my home,” McDonald said.

According to McDonald, the rescue community is competitive and cutthroat, but she was only trying to do her best to help animals that needed her most.

“When I take in a little one-day old animal, and it’s been washed up and there’s really not much chance for it, it blows my mind that four or five months later, their new mom would send me a picture of a huge furry cat. This is my purpose in life. This has been everything to me,” McDonald said.

Over 130 animals in Caddo’s custody were euthanized in February. Broadmoor UP was one of the many organizations that helped relieve other shelters and save the lives of hundreds of animals.

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