Millions in Animal Inheritance Diverted to Friends' New Charities

Alexander Lewis, a Malibu resident who died in 2020, left the majority of his approximately $28 million estate to unspecified animal charities. He entrusted his longtime friend and accountant, Victoria Marie, with the task of selecting the recipients as the executor of his will. Since the estate was distributed in 2024, two charities founded by Marie’s friends have received the bulk of the assets, though investigative reporting suggests these organizations have had limited direct impact on animal welfare.

Laura Nativo, a former reality television star, founded Preston’s Planet Foundation to train service dogs for women and children. She received about $9 million, including a Malibu mansion currently under construction with ocean views. Wanda Love, a former Gardena City Councilmember, established Foster Friends Rescue to house shelter animals. Her organization received $14.7 million, including a commercial complex in Gardena. Both founders began drawing six-figure salaries from their respective nonprofits.

According to The Times, six years after Lewis’ death, the charities have yet to demonstrate significant progress. Preston’s Planet stated it remains in a program-development phase and has not yet placed a single service dog, though it has offered limited guidance to individuals training their own pets. Love, who recently ran for mayor of Gardena, stated that her organization focuses on fostering rather than operating as a shelter, though local shelters reported having no record of working with her charity.

Marie, 53, explained that she selected her friends’ charities because they agreed to hire her as a consultant. She aimed to honor Lewis’ legacy while protecting his widow, Paula Huhmann, who was left with a modest inheritance after their home was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey fire. Marie expressed feeling betrayed by her friends for not keeping her involved in the process after receiving what she considered life-changing gifts.

Lewis, born in Toronto in 1933, moved to California as a child and worked for a Gardena egg ranch before being adopted by the owner, Warren Lewis. He transformed the ranch into a commercial complex and built a family home in Malibu. Lewis married Huhmann in 1995, and the couple had no children but kept several dogs. Marie was hired as a bookkeeper around 2010 and eventually helped manage the Gardena property, which was Lewis’ primary source of income.

Legal disputes preceded Lewis’ death. In 2012, Lewis updated his will to leave assets to five established animal charities. A year later, he amended the will to give Marie discretion over the recipients. Court records reveal that Huhmann attempted to replace the will with a trust that would have reduced the animal charity gifts to $500,000. Another beneficiary, Christine Anderson, accused Marie of exploiting the couple’s vulnerabilities, a claim Marie denied. The case settled with the appointment of an independent fiduciary before Lewis died at age 86.

Preston’s Planet’s board, consisting mostly of Nativo’s friends, approved her $152,000 annual salary based on a compensation study. The organization plans to use the Malibu house as a headquarters and training facility. Meanwhile, Foster Friends’ 2024 tax filing showed that of the $272,978 spent, only $61 was for pet supplies. The charity also granted $50,000 to the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce, which Love heads, and allowed her to borrow nearly $150,000 at zero interest.

Love’s tenure on the Gardena City Council was marked by controversies, including two votes to censure her for criticizing city employees. An outside investigation found she often sought preferential treatment for chamber-related requests. Despite claiming her charity has found homes for over 800 pets, Love declined to provide documentation. Huhmann, now 92, said she is well taken care of and accepted the will’s terms because she knew it was what her late husband wanted.