Lodestar Shelter Inc. mailing address is P.O. Box 994 Mena, AR 71953-0994, tel 870 387 5632 and 3339. It is listed as a Code 3 private operating foundation with a 50% deductibility limitation (only 50% of your donation to Lodestar is tax deductible). Lodestar has filed the required Form 990 for 1998 thru 2003. Vicci Andrews, Pres/Treas. Jennifer Lugenbeal from Lakeland, FL, Vice-Pres. CPA is Patrick Dugas from Winter Haven, FL.

Vicci Andrews, a school teacher, founded Lodestar in 1982 while living in Florida. Lodestar received its nonprofit status the same year. According to Vicci, "the officers decided long ago, for practical purposes, to never publish the exact number of animals at any given time".

In 1992, the Humane Society of Polk County in Florida charged Vicci with abuse. A judge ruled to govern the number of animals that Vicci would be allowed to keep in a pen, put stipulations that animals were not to be kept in travel crates, and ordered Ms. Andrews to permit yearly inspections. See the injunction . This drove Lodestar out of Auburndale, Florida and into Arkansas.

Another quote from Vicci is "Florida would meet me at the border if I ever tried to come back".

In approximately 1996 Vicci, with the help of  For the Sake of Animals, moved to Arkansas and stayed, for a while, at For the Sake of Animals near Mena, AR. For the Sake of Animals asked Vicci to leave when the condition of her animals began to deteriorate and Vicci refused to care for her animals humanely.

In July of 1997, there was a post made on Vicci's behalf, looking for new accomodations. The post specifies "anyplace BUT Florida, the NW or the NE". (Vicci is originally from New Jersey).

Week of 9/23/2001 we were able to track down someone who knew Vicci when she lived in Florida. This woman was a previous supporter of Lodestar. Because the conversation is hearsay, it is not wise to print it here, however one fact is that three of the people who used to give monthly donations to Lodestar stopped immediately when the living conditions of the animals were discovered. Unfortunately, the conditions were not discovered until the day of the move from Florida to Arkansas. A quote from one of the former supporters is," the water dishes were filled with mud and feces, some [dishes] would not come clean. Vicci would give the dogs water by spraying the cement with a hose and letting the dogs lick the cement." When Vicci left Florida, she did not take all of her dogs at once. One of the dogs she left behind with someone was named Gentle. When Gentle lived at Lodestar in Florida Gentle was in the bottom cage of a two-tier stack of crates. The waste from the cage above would trickle into Gentle's cage. Gentle never overcame his traumatic experiences at Lodestar and was eventually destroyed.

Vicci was a schoolteacher at the Caldwell Elementary School while living in Auburndale, Florida.

Vicci was living in her own trailer on acreage in Cove, AR that she leased from supporter, Jane Thomas.

Form 990 filed by Lodestar Shelter, Inc lists under activities:
"To provide medical attention, food and shelter to animals. All of the sheltered animals are available for adoption. All funds donated are used for the care of the animals. There are no payroll or administrative expenses."
Vicci has been known to say that most of her animals are not adoptable, she has also told me that she is not set up to have people come on site and adopt. It seems that what she says and what she documents are in conflict.

Form 990 can be seen at http://www.guidestar.org search on Lodestar Shelter.

Some history of Vicci Andrews Some of the early year info was told to someone by Vicci. This means it may not be accurate since Vicci has shown some discrepancies in her stories. August 1942, born in Teaneck, NJ raised in Oradell, NJ. (was the middle child in a family of seven children) Approx 1956, gets her first dog. Attends St. Josephs in Oradell, NJ; St. Cecilia's HS in Englewood, NJ; Immaculate Conception in Lodi and one year in Pleasantville HS, Mount Kisco, NY. 1962, Vicci graduates with an AA degree in Business. 1964, buys Bantry Bay in Allendale, NJ from a dealer name Kennedy. Horse is said to be a 'cowpony' from OK. Kept horse in Upper Saddle River, NJ seven year span, works as a secretary for Marlow Pumps in Midland Park, NJ Works in Oradell Free Public Library 1971, Moves to Florida with her parents. Becomes a teacher. 1982/83, starts Lodestar Shelter, Inc. 1987 or thereabouts, Bantry Bay dies at approx age of 37. 1990, parents die within nine weeks of each other. 1990, takes one year leave of absence from teaching, living trust helps with her support. 1992, Vicci is charged with animal abuse which results in an injunction that sets some standards for her to follow. Vicci retires from teaching and starts collecting pension. 1996, Vicci moves to Arkansas with the help of well meaning people. 1997, Vicci is asked to move off of the property by these people, due to the unacceptable conditions that Vicci kept her animals in. 1997, April 1st, starts work as seconds operator at Aalf's Mfg. Co 1997/98, Vicci moves to Cove, AR and rents (approx $25.0/month) land from Jane Thomas. 2001, October time frame, she is laid off of Aalf's and starts collecting unemployment. 2002, March 23rd, Vicci is arrested and charged with animal cruelty 2002, April, Vicci places an ad in a local paper listing some of the dogs that were confiscated in the raid. The ad asks if anyone has seen these dogs. (?!) 2002, May, court date is postponed because Vicci's vet, her witness, does not show up. 2002, June the vet still does not show up. Proceedings go on and will continue on July 12th. 2002, July 12. Vicci Andrews found guilty of neglect of the animals in her care at the Lodestar Shelter. Andrews is given a six month suspended sentence, and can have no more than 10 animals.