10-year nonprofit ban for 2 who ran shelter

The former operators of the Colorado Humane Society have been barred from operating a nonprofit for a decade as part of a settlement with the state after a 2008 lawsuit, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced Wednesday.

Robert Warren and Mary C. Warren are also prohibited from owning or operating any animal-related business for five years.

The Attorney General filed the lawsuit in Arapahoe County in December 2008 alleging the Colorado Humane Society violated several laws regulating charities and nonprofits in Colorado, including the Non-Profit Corporations Act, the Charitable Solicitations Act and the Consumer Protection Act.

The Colorado Humane Society closed its doors in Colorado Springs more than four years ago after losing more than $400,000 in 2004, when it got the contract for animal control in the city. It also struggled with complaints from veterinarians who said they weren’t getting paid and citizens who complained about service.

Stephanie L. Gardner, who also helped run the Colorado Humane Society, is barred from operating a charity for two years or an animal-related business for one year, according to the settlement.

“The fact that the Colorado Humane Society is no longer in operation today is a testament to the mismanagement and poor choices of the organization’s former management,” Suthers said. “This case should underline the reality that the managers of nonprofits throughout Colorado have a duty to manage their operations responsibly.”