Animal Society's Karesh resigns

Charles Karesh, a prominent philanthropist who spearheaded drives to stop dogs and cats from being euthanized and find mentors for underprivileged children, has left the Charleston Animal Society's board after the nonprofit discovered $69,000 missing from its accounts.

In a statement Wednesday, the board said checks were written to the Charleston Animal Society in exchange for cash. The checks were returned because of insufficient funds. The checks were written over the past four years, said Barbara Eggers, president of the society's executive committee.

A SunTrust bank employee discovered the checks Sept. 24 and contacted the Animal Society's associate director, Marc Edwards, who informed the group's board. Eggers said the board's committee met with Karesh about the issue Sept. 27, and he resigned three days later.

Shelter cheerleader

Board members were devastated and angry, Eggers said.

Karesh had long been one of the group's most active and effective leaders, pushing hard for a new shelter on Remount Road. Last March he was elected president of the group's executive committee, an unpaid position.

"Without Charlie, that magnificent building wouldn't be there," she said. "I was personally heartbroken; others are angry and feel betrayed. The important thing is that we're very concerned about how all of this will affect our mission to protect animals."

Karesh could not be reached via email or his cellphone or at his office and home over the past four days.

In interviews, board members painted a portrait of a dedicated volunteer who spent time on his philanthropic work at the expense of his downtown Charleston insurance business.

Among his many civic activities, Karesh was president of his synagogue and past chairman of the Charleston County Heart Association. In the late

1990s, he created the city's Lunch Buddies program, which paired hundreds of mentors with children from low-income schools. He's on the city's planning commission.

But it's his work with stray and lost animals that consumed hour after hour of his time, board members said. When he first became involved in the animal shelter, the organization was housed in a trailer behind the county's detention center. Most dogs and cats that were picked up and brought there ended up being euthanized.

Karesh was a relentless cheerleader for the group's push to build the new $11.2 million building. He spent hours every week playing with the dogs and once said he got involved because animals can't fend for themselves. "There's something about animals that brings out the heart in people," he once told reporters.

Tracking the money

While Karesh spent time on his philanthropic work, his financial situation showed signs of strain. In 2006, a bank foreclosed on his home on Beverly Drive in West Ashley, court records show. Earlier this year, a cardiologist and an apartment rental company took him to small claims court for unpaid debts, records show.

Eggers said that beginning in 2007 and ending Sept. 20, 2011, checks were written to the Animal Society and cashed there. The Animal Society's statement said that the group's bookkeeper during this period, JoAnn Pridemore, no longer works with the organization. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Eggers said as soon as the group learned about the missing money, its treasurer, Hilton Smith III, began researching the matter. The group then hired accountants to further document what was missing.

The accountants completed their report Wednesday, prompting the board's move to issue its statement.

Officials with the Animal Society said they're trying to recover the missing $69,000, and Eggers said she is optimistic that all money will be returned. The group's statement said the organization isn't focusing on "pressing criminal charges." In the meantime, the group has hired a new finance director and is poised to hire a new executive director early next year.

Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said that he's asked the State Law Enforcement Division to examine whether a criminal investigation is warranted. He decided to contact SLED because money from his department goes to the Animal Society for the county's animal control work.

Cannon said Karesh was a friend "and an amazing friend of the Society, and quite frankly, I think he could have justified a salary based on the hours he worked there."

Elliott Summey, a Charleston Animal Society board member and county councilman, said he has directed the county to do its own audit of the nonprofit's finances.

"I literally watched people in the board meeting cry over what happened," Summey said. People were crushed because Karesh spent so much time at the shelter and had worked so hard on its behalf.

Shelter's great strides

The Charleston Animal Society has roots stretching back to 1874 when community leaders formed a group to combat animal cruelty. The county eventually closed its own pound and contracted with the society to care for animals collected by animal control officers.

In December 2007, the group changed its name from the John Ancrum Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals to the Charleston Animal Society and moved into its new shelter at 2455 Remount Road, with Karesh telling The Post and Courier then: "The goal is still to save every animal that comes in the door. When we get any animal, it will be given every chance."

The shelter made great strides over the past decade. Three years ago, 37 percent of the animals at the shelter were adopted or returned to owners, with the rest being euthanized. This year, about 63 percent left the shelter alive, or about 3,000 more animals a year than in 2007. The agency has a $3 million budget, about 60 part- and full-time employees and more than 300 volunteers.

"One thing you do as a public official is try to help those who can least help themselves, and animals are a great example of that," Summey said. "(Karesh) has always been there to help those who couldn't help themselves. ... You hate to watch people hurt themselves."