Underground Railroad Rescue Kitty Network

This group is not all it claims. They continue to transport sick kittens, they have lost kittens, and they have had a kitten taken off a transport, which is a violation of the law, yet it is condoned by Tina LaBlanc, CEO of URRKN. The justification was «as long as the kitten gets a loving home». That is not the law. The persons who took the kitten publicly offered to give URRKN money for their trouble. Tina LaBlanc never did post whether she took that $$$. Now on Nov 7, 2015 she put up a post on her personal fb page, the Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network Friends and Family page and the Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network public page, asking the members of URRKN to come here to Unilocal and give rave reviews. What is that all about? Desperation? By the way, Tina LaBlanc, CEO of URRKN also took your logo and may have violated your copyright of the Unilocal logo by placing the URRKN logo over it. What gives here. The founder telling members of a group to come to this site and post good reviews of this group. If this is going to be the way Unilocal allows comments and rating to be achieved, then your site will be questionable to all who come to it looking into other businesses. If you feel it necessary a SS is available to send to you to support those actions.
RESTORE THE REVIEW BY SANDRA P. YOU HAVE IT IN THE NOT RECOMMENDED. IT IS THE TOTAL TRUTH AND YOU HAVE PERMITTED THE OWNER, AND CEO OF URRKN TO DISPARAGE SANDRA P AND HER TRUTH. THIS IS STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THIS GROUP. SLAM THE TRUTH AND HOPE TO KEEP THEIR REVIEWS OFF THIS SITE. I EXPECT Unilocal WILL TAKE THIS REVIEW OFF ALSO BECAUSE IT IS NOT COMPLIMENTARY FOR URRKN. SO IF THAT HAPPENS, I ASK HOW MUCH INTEGRITY DOES Unilocal REALLY HAVE/​AND OTHER SS IS BEING ADDED FOR ALL TO SEE.

I have been a volunteer conductor with URRKN for about two years. I have driven many legs and transported cats by plane. I also provide similar volunteer support for other transport groups. URKKN is among the most organized and efficient among those I have worked with.
This group does a great deal of good with almost no momey. I transport with a number of groups like this and it is standard for transporters to drive for free. That is why they call us volunteers. However, when I have a direct out of pocket expense such as an airline pet fee URRKN reimburses me.
URRKN does not require a sending rescue or a receiving adopter to pay for a transport. URIKN covers the cost of Internet service and computer equipment to maintain the Facebook page and website, the crate, printed tags, carabiners and other supplies needed for every transport. Not to mention the accounting fees required to keep accurate books and report annually to the IRS as a regulated 501©(3) organization.
People are always entitled to their own opinion, but it is hard to give much credence to those who base their opinions on no evidence whatsoever, on the naïve belief that nonprofits do not have expenses other than salaries, or some paranoid belief that URKKN can somehow exert influence even large businesses do not have and get valid negative reviews removed.
No one forces anyone to deal with URRKN or similar transport groups. Rescues that do use them are able to save more cats. And that is what is all about.

So I feel the need to respond to the negative reviews, especially Brenda T. Our Gersemi was transported prior to our donation being sent in. So it is simply not true that the cats will not be transported unless large sums of money are donated.
It is true that organization times vary. Ours was fairly long — but that was the fault of the foster mom and myself not staying «on task». Certainly, one of the tie-​ups was getting Gersemi’s health records, without which she would not have been transported. So any driver should know that they are transporting a sick or contagious cat, and keep it isolated during transport. If the adopter is so equipped to nurse a sickly cat back to health, or willing to share their home with only one cat because it has FIV and is contagious, more power to her/​him.
I cannot speak to the incidences of volunteers being asked to donate money for administrators expenses. That would be a «poor choice» on Tina’s part. If asked, just say «no». Unfortunately, in large organizations, there are always personal friendships that develop that may appear to be favoritism or, on the other hand, conflicts that arise. It’s just not logical to expect anything else.
Our particular experience happened to be superlative. All the volunteers were spot on. Everyone kept everyone else informed as to the progress, where Gersemi was, and when the next transporter could expect her to arrive. Even had a short update from the person at the B&B. Gersemi arrived in apparent good condition and good spirits. Especially after having spent two days in various cars. In fact, I think Gersemi took to it better than my husband does/​did!

I was a volunteer driver for two years for URRKN. They are a nonprofit 501c (3) organization run by Tina LaBlanc and her husband. I was very excited to be a member with all these cat lovers taking cats to their forever homes. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to URRKN. Tina LaBlanc was asking members to donate to various causes that covered personal, not URRKN related, expenses for Tina and other Administrators only. From trips, vacations, car repairs and clothing to house upgrades. All members, including management, are volunteers and provide their time free of reimbursement. URRKN is not a rescue, foster, or other pet related organization. It is a transportation group only. Moving cats from point A to point B, all free of charge. Any expenses for the cat is absorbed by the adopter and adoptee.
It was also brought to my attention that transports were based on how big a donation you made to URRKN, not the first come first serve basis we all thought. Some transports were taking up to 5 months to organize. Others in two weeks.
Just recently, a You Caring request for $ 3000 in funds was posted on the members page requesting donations to fix a administrators car. At this time, no administrator is taking a salary or being reimbursed for expenses. I questioned these donations and was banned from commenting. I since realized that URRKN was violating 501c (3) nonprofit operation rules and found another group to drive for who is totally transparent.
Before you join or donate, please research this organization. Do not be taken advantage of like I was.

A
love
train
URRKN stands for Underground Railroad Rescue Kitty Network and was started by Tina LaBlanc in Oct of 2011. It’s a way of transporting kitties from shelters, foster homes and temporary homes to their «forever homes».
It’s basically a series of wonderful volunteers that are willing to transport cats from one place to another. One long trips each volunteer will drive whatever distance they feel comfortable and then meet another volunteer at a prearranged location.
On a long trip it might be many volunteers that selflessly give their time and transportation to help the kitty get to it’s finally destination. A person waiting for the kitty can actually keep track on the progress as the cat travels on it’s «love train».
We recently adopted a kitty from Florida that had to be transported to Rhode Island. We contacted URRKN and volunteers were quickly arranged so our kitty, Gersemi, arrived to us quickly and in great health and spirits.
There is no charge for this incredible service but of course donations are accepted. It all depends on the kindness and generosity of strangers who anonymously do good without asking for anything but a simple thank you.
The volunteers of the URRKN along with Tina LaBlanc, are doing great deeds in a quiet way. Such acts of kindness for no other reason but to be kind are wonderful and rare things that should never be taken for granted.