THE founder of a pug rescue remains banned from being a charity trustee after losing her appeal against the decision.

Kristine Lovelady was handed a Removal Order in May 2023 for her ‘misconduct and mismanagement’ of the Muffin Pug Rescue charity as part of an ongoing inquiry by the Charity Commission.

For five years Lovelady failed to file the charity’s accounts and also used funds from the charity to pay for her family home in Northwich - the registered address of the charity.

Lovelady appealed the Removal Order but it has now been confirmed that, following a tribunal held last December, this was unsuccessful.

Tribunal judge Damien McMahon said: “While the appellant continued to maintain there was no misconduct or mismanagement on her part in discharging her role as a trustee of the charity, the tribunal concluded, on the evidence, on the balance of probabilities, and its findings of fact, the appeal had to be refused.

“The tribunal further concluded the appellant was the person primarily responsible for the proven misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity, due to a lack of understanding on her part of the proper management of charities.”

Lovelady founded Muffin Pug Rescue in October 2015 and remained a trustee until August 2022.

According to the court documents published on April 4, there was ‘at time animosity’ between her and other trustees of the charity.

It states she did ‘not fully appreciate’ her role and responsibilities – failing to comply with various directions and orders issued by the Charity Commission, failing to file accounts, and breaching the charity’s Governing Document among other things.

Lovelady and her family also accrued a ‘substantial personal benefit’ as they paid for the rent of their home in Chester Road using charity money.

She then provided ‘misleading’ information to the Charity Commission when questioned about who was paying for the property.

She also used charity funds to purchase personal items, admitting that this was ‘poor judgment’ but arguing these were repayments of loans she had made to the charity previously, of which there was no evidence.

In his conclusion, Mr McMahon said Lovelady showed a ‘worrying disregard or complete lack of understanding’ for the law relating to charities.

“There was a distinct lack of appreciation shown by the appellant of her roles and responsibilities as a trustee of a charity and that she did simply not appreciate or understand the issues her actions, as a trustee, raised for the proper conduct and management of the charity,” he added.

“The appellant, by her conduct, placed the charity in significant financial and reputational risk; that the appellant was unfit to discharge the duties of a trustee of the charity as, by her conduct, the appellant damaged public trust and confidence in charities generally.”

The Charity Commission's inquiry into Muffin Pug Rescue is ongoing.

In January this year, the charity changed its name to Pug Life and is now under new management.

A spokesperson said they are working closely with the commission to ensure the charity is 'compliant with all necessary legislation and best practice'.

They added: "The trustees remain committed to the charity's mission statement, rescuing pugs and pug crosses across the UK."