Tenacious Unicorn Ranch (TUR) (EIN: 86-3962531) a proclaimed “safe haven” for vulnerable transgendered people and “rescue” animals; is currently raising funds through
GoFundMe,
Paypal,
Patreon($1640/month),
cash donations,
Twitter,
Instagram,
Facebook,
TikTok, etc; previously
claiming to be a Charity in excess of $200,000. They also work as
contractors within the
Wet Mountain Valley (Silver Cliff/Westcliffe Colorado) utilizing the labor of allegedly unpaid temporary, permanent residents and volunteers. Sales from
Etsy, SquareUp and the website merch page are not counted in the above estimation. Many operations on the ranch as of 2020 onward involved utilizing private loans or IOU for animal feed and by locals for the purpose of building a barn ($12,000+ status unknown).
I believe the community at large believes this organization to be tax exempt and make large donations accordingly. This is due to their massive media presence (Reuters, Denver 9 News, Denver 7 News, The Today Show etc and international media such as La Monde) podcasts, previous
social media statements and other propaganda. In particular due to being a
sponsored guest Charity at
large conventions including
Denfur 2021 and
BLFC 2021.They claimed to be a
501(c)(3) (Twitter @TenaciousRanch 19.8k followers) on
GoFundMe(11-27-2021) as well as repeatedly on
Ranch members' social media as a
charity especially by the
Event Coordinator Katheryn Gibbes (
She clarifies donations made to her are separate from her job at the charity) (Twitter
@TransSalamander with 19.8k followers).
Streamers solicit
donations on their behalf as a
charity. It is my understanding they have never publicly stated that they recognized their claim to be false; nor communicated any lapses of coverage to those donating leaving them unable to properly file taxes. As of 1-15-2023 The Colorado Secretary of State registered
NonProfit Corporation and
LLC has a Delinquent Status.
This organization (including: The Tenacious Unicorn Ranch LLC EIN: 83-2578681) convinces people to
live on property to work on their behalf by targeting already homeless or near homeless transgender persons, specifically prioritizing (per their
website statement and
GoFundMe) people of color in crisis and are not filing them as employees. “As always trans POC will get priority placement as they are the most at risk of immediate life threatening danger. These additions will put us at max capacity for this plot of land and help rescue many queer folks from very desperate situations. Any help in reaching our goal is greatly appreciated and will literally save lives”. They repeatedly refer to
housing expansion projects and future poverty reduction yet to my knowledge have never constructed new safe long term housing approved by the county for either animals or people. They intend to expand to Boulder Colorado where the primary founders will move; leaving insufficient workers to care for the 200+ animals they claimed to have “rescued”. They claim to protect the queer community by providing
gun training and frequently post about
political events and hate crime related
shootings.
I moved from New York to Colorado under the promise of co-ownership, primarily to leave my own vulnerable housing situation. To my knowledge there are no background checks or hiring paperwork. The residents are only offered room and board in exchange for their labor and skills. Recruiting members using social media and
press media appearances where my likeness is still being used as of 1-15-2023. To my knowledge these residents are not paid and therefore unable to file taxes for their time on property as there is no HR department or record keeping.
Employee benefits such as health insurance were not provided. Some members' medical expenses were processed through fundraising. Some members were provided cell phone service via T-Mobile and long term members are promised a year (~52 weeks) of service. I only received 47 weeks of service before they were cut without warning. I ended up losing my phone number which is tied to accessing records of app conversations such as on Signal, where ranch members communicated. This caused difficulties with my current employer as I could not complete the training courses without two-step verification.
Some members' had car loans or
repairs financed via the community and
raised funds. A 2014 Chevy Silverado to be used as a work truck purchased in 2021 through a loan with Canvas Credit Union, owned by my spouse and I, was repossessed without my knowledge (Account Closed Apr. 30, 2022). There is a Kubota tractor leased involving my credit, with a current status of past due (balance: -$18,917.55).
I used to work as their formally unpaid CFO August 2019 to September 2021, I did not accept any payments online or cash for any labor performed during this time and was not able to file my personal taxes due to a lack of 10-99 or W2. I do not know the number of hours labored but was repeatedly injured due to the backbreaking nature of ranching. I do not have any prior experience managing a business or as a financial professional. All I had to offer was my personal savings, manual labor skills, medical experience as a home health aide, an understanding of social media presence, and my Peruvian heritage which from an optics perspective paired nicely with their ~80 head alpaca herd at the time of my arrival.
I felt forced to take on additional financial responsibility after learning TUR didn’t have a clear understanding of their debts; during my move to Colorado I was repeatedly asked for additional funds. I was not provided previous proper itemized receipts of cash donation, expenses, loan information, etc. Ranch Members regularly made purchases using credit cards associated with TUR, personal credit cards opened for the LLC and cash purchases. My account with TractorSupply Co. Store Card with a balance of 544.25 as of September 2021, no payments made by TUR thereafter. After getting a job while couch surfing, I began making payments in March 2022 (Balance: -$670.53) and it was fully paid off 07-08-2022. This card was used to purchase feed, ranch supplies, medication and fencing. Negatively impacting my credit is a Home Depot card in collections for $8,920 and with Chase Bank for $9,042.49(Account ending in 714

. My Elevations Visa rewards card (0040) has been used for some personal expenses post ranch, current balance of $2,561. In general however these cards were used without my direct supervision, I was rarely provided proper documentation (itemized receipts or inventory of supplies). I cannot account for the exact items purchased and if they pertained to the Ranch or for personal use.
I assisted Penny Logue with filing taxes for 2019. During the filing we had no paperwork to draw from and Penny dictated numbers to report, which at the time I presumed to be honest. Company finances in 2019 and early 2020 were being mostly run out of personal accounts. We held all-hands meetings most weeks but to my knowledge no minutes were being recorded, disseminated and no records of what was discussed or who attended exist.
In March 2020 I was convinced to purchase the property they currently operate from (Loan amount $229,900 and $217,469 remaining LOANDEPOT.COM LLC), leveraging my spouse’s and my mother’s credit as well as a $12,000 down payment out of Sky’s Metlife account. Penny claimed intent of transferring ownership to the company at the time and current press release. Penny’s family members were ending the lease for their rented house in Livermore, CO and no one else had the credit or financing to open a mortgage. I have never offered them a lease nor attempted to collect rent, no direct transfers of any funds have been sent to me since my departure. I have not resided there since September 2021.
A
fundraiser was posted August 9 2022 for
damages in what I believe to be my former bedroom, the bathroom underneath, and the basement below that. I was never informed of this or other damages incurred to my property. Penny has impersonated me to the mortgage company in order to continue paying for the property as if it is owned by the company (see attached screenshot).
Edit March 1st 2023: I only recently learned that Penny was working with my mother to pay the mortgage but the details of how this arrangement worked are not clear to the other parties involved
The ranch made a public statement in response to public allegations I made regarding my concerns of their operations, including mentioning that the alpaca were
intentionally not shorn in 2022 which is largely considered to be inhumane within the industry. The cost is roughly $3500 to shear the entire herd. It was reported to me they canceled on their usual shearer last minute. I do not believe they have the solvency to support the animals in their possession but continue to adopt new ones. They are in excess of Custer County limits on cats and dogs, yet
continue to hoard them.
“The real estate title for the land upon which we operate was initially drawn up under our CFO’s name as opposed to our entity’s name. This was, plainly, an improper way to formulate this paperwork and that is a clerical matter being addressed very soon this coming year. The Ranch has made every mortgage payment, and the ownership of the land as well as our status upon it is not in dispute by any of the current stakeholders.”
Statement by Tenacious Unicorn Ranch (
Twitter @TenaciousRanch 12pm Dec, 28th 2022)
Copy of Statement by Tenacious Unicorn Ranch (Backup copy made 1-1-2023)
There are three recreational trailers on the property, which I am aware of. I do not believe they have been registered per Custer County guidelines. None of these are owned by TUR or current members. I can't confirm appropriate ownership but one may belong to Daisy. We drove one from Indiana that was claimed to be owned by someone accepted to join TUR for their labor skills by the name Dani (Danny?). They only stayed for a few days before leaving for a family related matter. Ophelia, known at the time as Justyne, left her trailer on the property after realizing they had no way of transporting it or storing it.
TUR claimed in their statement that they assist members leaving in finding safe housing or monetary support. I personally still am not on a new lease in part due to the repossession of my ranch vehicle and my current credit concerns from my time there.
After a traumatic personal incident at the property, I needed a sabbatical and with Penny and other members' encouragement I departed on unpaid temporary leave for my physical and mental health. I prepared the communally available office laptop with all relevant logins and bookmarks; Penny was informed of these preparations so as to not interrupt ranch operations. Until December 2021 I remained available on call by text and phone to assist with any business or finance concerns.They did not utilize my availability. Shortly after my departure a
documentary film crew headed by Ash Kries, with the main founders Penny, Kat, and Jen came to visit my temporary lodgings professing my improved health and the intent for me to return. This was also repeated by Penny to the reporter Jordan Kisner of the Atlantic while on a phone call that my reason for departure was due to “the winter conditions and my poor health” but that my return in spring was expected.
I did not return initially due to discomfort with unresolved marital concerns but primarily due to the
unsafe and hostile work
environment, lack of OSHA
safety guidelines, especially the ritual of
alcohol consumption around firearms. There seems to be a
glorification of gun culture. I am disturbed by the
mocking of concerns for animal welfare as I have not felt safe to return to check on their wellbeing and have reported those concerns to the Colorado Humane Society January 2023. For similar reasons my spouse (separated not divorced) is also not living on the property and resides and works elsewhere.
The
atmosphere on the Ranch is very
politically charged: one of
ongoing crisis,
fear-mongering about
theoretical violence and profound isolation from other community resources.There existed no proper forums for
conflict resolution, counseling and therapy, or any form of financial independence for most members.We experienced a lot of online threats purported by Penny from Right Wing militia members, some allegedly coming onto our property referred to
in media as “the Siege”. There was no trauma or crisis counseling provided to me after this time and many members remained
unstable emotionally thereafter. They are reported to still openly carry firearms in town allegedly including their ARs. The townsfolk have repeatedly expressed discomfort as most ranchers have firearms strictly for the protection of their stock from wild animals, while many acknowledge the special circumstances this still creates tension.
I did not previously own a firearm and was convinced to purchase them using ranch funds, through talks with Penny. I possess two firearms which have been recovered from TUR property to prevent their improper use, A Ruger 57 Handgun with one magazine(~$750), and a Ruger Precision Rifle(~$2000 w/ accessories) with no ammunition. Due to Penny’s current
fundraising and
Patreon for the
Unicorn Battalion and the Veteran lead
Unicorn Brigade I would like to formally state that I have no involvement with any of these activities. I personally found the “training” provided to be severely lacking in regards to mental state, gun safety and no medical training for wounds was included. This sentiment is echoed by former volunteers and trainees.
It is true that the transgender population faces hate crimes and violence; however I believe this aspect of our existence is being used to create a militia-like atmosphere causing the traumas and addictions of members to trigger frequent disagreements. For instance several members yelling at each other (sometimes while intoxicated), our business partners and volunteer guests. Including Penny screaming at my spouse (Nov 2021) during a conversation she offered to mediate between us, along with ableist behavior (towards ranch members and guest volunteers) during my visits home. I repeatedly offered assistance including labor and finances but Penny assured me of their financial wellbeing due to working local contract gigs.
My final visits occurred in December 2021 to get some of my personal belongings though many remain at the Ranch. I was never provided with any paperwork regarding my departure, and was repeatedly told I would return in spring 2022. I decided not to return upon hearing credible allegations of abuse in person from the original co-founder GC (201

and seeing the prolonged emotional effect it had caused her. I have experienced a general lack of communication about the business, the repossession of my truck and lack of access to medical care if I were to return.
My personal car (2012 Nissan Leaf)(remaining balance $315 of $11,06

owned by me and Sky is currently on the TUR property as I no longer have a truck to transport it with. I've had to leave a number of other possessions behind due to my expectation of return, lack of moving vehicle or funds. Among the items left include a standing desk I custom made for my desktop computer, king size foam mattress, my deceased Father’s tools (sentimental) and electric keyboard. The manufacturer supplied gun locks and owners manual were specifically asked for and not returned when my firearms were. My Peruvian flag and personal possessions likely totaling in less than $5,000 value. I am not capable of being approved for a new lease (though I am gainfully employed) due to my credit being leveraged by the Ranch (including a missed payment to the mortgage reported to creditors) and rely fully on friends' couches etc for my housing.
I have links to additional GoFundMes organized by Penny. Notably
12-21-2021 “the finances gathered here will be distributed as cash into the hands of people who need it most.” Featured in
this video (1-21-2022). It is unclear how much of the raised funds were actually distributed. “Our plan is to give it in 5000 dollar increments to family's hit hard by the pandemic.” In
this video (1-22-2022) they appear to be donating their own merchandise (Yarn, T-shirts, etc) which was reported on their website as being sold out. They collected knit donations (
Twitter 2-1-2022) as well as items from a wishlist first sent to them. This
amazon wish list (
Twitter 12-5-2022) was created the following year.
Penny's Whish list “This is a list of things I want that will help me on the ranch and with our new drywall buisness.” Some of these
tools were allegedly gifted others
purchased.
An estimated amount in surplus of $200,000 (not counting all donation sources such as cash, paypal, patreon) has been collected from predominantly the online trans community for the explicit purpose of creating additional housing, it is unclear if any drafts, permits or construction of safe permanent housing for either animals or humans has been created.
$9,357 raised by Penellope Logue Created October 22, 2018
$789 raised by Penellope Logue Created January 20, 2020
$6,206 raised by Penellope Logue Created April 18, 2020
$10,400 raised by Penellope Logue by Created June 1, 2020
$117,177 raised by Penny Logue for Bonnie Nelson (nonprofit account) August 6, 2020
$2,769 raised by Penellope Logue Created October 18, 2020
$18,230 raised to Penellope Logue Created July 2, 2021
$16,000 Per @DenFurCo on
11:47 AM · Aug 23, 2021
$3,177 raised Penellope Logue Created November 27, 2021
$245 Work Truck for J Stanley January 6, 2022
$8,100 raised by Penellope Logue Created August 9, 2022
$7,018 raised Penellope Logue October 29, 2022 (ongoing)
$723 Unicorn Battalion GFM for Penellope Logue Created November 12, 2022
$7,666 allegedly distributed in cash to Oglala Lakota Created December 29, 2021
8-28-2022 Conversation between Penny and Bonnie