Cat shelter owner must return $50,000 Pepsi grant

[The Straight Story]

Cat shelter owner must return $50,000 Pepsi grant

A South Elgin woman who won $50,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project for her cat shelter must return the money after the soft-drink company said Wednesday that it found evidence of deceptive voting practices.

Carol Schultz of Guardian Angels Feline Rescue said she legitimately won the grant to help care for her 28 or so cats, many of which have been abandoned, she said.

"Their future isn't looking very good at this point," she said. "I either have to open the door and release them or euthanize them."

Pepsi awards grants in various categories each month based on results of online voting. A Jan. 7 Tribune story chronicled allegations of vote-buying made by some contestants in the competition.

Ann Goody, curator of Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Hawaii, shared e-mails apparently from Schultz acknowledging paying an overseas contact to boost her totals.


http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/ct-met-pepsi-grant-rescinded-0120-20110119,0,5915304.story