 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Rescue / February 2005Animal Control inspector seems obsessed with our shelter.
I work with a small, cats-only rescue group in North Texas. We have a small shelter which is not purpose-built, so it isn't a perfect shelter, but we pay daily cleaners and are fortunate enough to have some truly compassionate volunteers caring for the occupants. We will also be moving to better facilities in a few months. During the 18 months the shelter has been open, we have been inspected by the local SPCA and Humane Society, and passed both inspections without a hitch. However, I should point out that we don't know why we were singled out for inspection, except that the Humane Society admitted that a passerby didn't recognize our facility for what it was (we do not have signage; otherwise we'd have dozens of dumped animals on the doorstep every morning). Like Child Protective Services, complaints to the SPCA must be investigated without identifying the complainant. However, the city's Animal Control inspectors decided to look over the shelter last month. Again, we don't know why, although we suspect an ex-volunteer is responsible (she was extremely unreliable and we gradually realized she had a drug problem, so she was asked to leave). The animal control inspector has been to the shelter three times during the last four weeks. Each visit lasted well over an hour, and the animal control veterinarian accompanied him during the last visit. We have produced medical records for the last two years, including proof that every cat in the shelter has been "combo tested" for FIV and feline leukemia. However, we have not received any sort of report, citation, and/or feedback. Nada. Today, we received a phone call from the same inspector. Now he wants to know the prognosis of two cats quarantined for URI during their last visit, plus copies of ALL our rabies certificates, plus a lot of other records - all produced by the end of the week. We are beginning to feel this has gone on for too long. The SPCA and Humane Society did thorough inspections with one visit - now Animal Control is planning to visit a fourth time. Our Board of Directors is considering hiring an attorney. Should we take any additional action - or different action? > > We are beginning to feel this has gone on for too long. The SPCA and > Humane Society did thorough inspections with one visit - now Animal > Control is planning to visit a fourth time. Our Board of Directors is > considering hiring an attorney. Should we take any additional action - > or different action? I have no experience to offer, but I wonder if any of your Board knows any local politicians who could make a phone call and rattle someone's cage, if you'll forgive the metaphor. Are any of your supporters well placed in the local community? While hiring an attorney might be the way to go, a powerful person showing interest could make the trouble-maker subside. Like with cats, if they know you're not defenseless, they may treat you with more respect. Good luck to you! Priscilla I have no experience with this sort of thing either, but also agree with Priscilla. I would get on the phone with your local congressmen and representatives and plead you case with them. Sometimes they will take the action needed to stop local government harassment. They are there for you and your community, this is their job. And they may want your vote for the next election. Getting an attorney is an option, but can be costly. See what you local representatives have to offers first. What a shame, your shelter is for the good of your community, and is helping care for homeless cats that would otherwise be out on the streets having babies, transferring any disease that comes their way. Instead of local government harassment you deserve a metal for the unselfish contribution made to your community. Good luck to you. Linda=^..^= Did you supply this inspector with the reports from the SPCA and the Humane Society? Have you also talked with this inspector's boss to find out what is going on? Depending on where you live I would call your local representative in the state legislature. Usually they can help put you in touch with someone who can resolve matters like this. The State Attorney General might also be able to help as well but they also might not be so willing to go after another state agency. Your local city government might also be able to help. It's a shame you are going through this but there are options in fighting this issue as well.  SignatureCat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs! www.panthertekit.com >I work with a small, cats-only rescue group in North Texas. We have a > small shelter which is not purpose-built, so it isn't a perfect [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > considering hiring an attorney. Should we take any additional action - > or different action? One other option I forgot to mention is to open your shelter to local media. You'd be surprised what a small story in the newspaper and TV can do. SignatureCat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs! www.panthertekit.com >I work with a small, cats-only rescue group in North Texas. We have a > small shelter which is not purpose-built, so it isn't a perfect [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > considering hiring an attorney. Should we take any additional action - > or different action? >We are beginning to feel this has gone on for too long. The SPCA and >Humane Society did thorough inspections with one visit - now Animal >Control is planning to visit a fourth time. Our Board of Directors is >considering hiring an attorney. Should we take any additional action - >or different action? If Animal Control, the Humane Society and the SPCA have visited four times to check the shelter, then there's more to the story than you may be aware of or that you are telling us. There are awful shelters in this country which should be shut down. Sounds to me as if you may be working for one. Sometimes directors hide a lot of information from volunteers. They may be told that sick cats are being medicated when they are not. They may be told that vaccinations are up-to-date when they aren't. There are collectors who pose as shelters and never attempt to find homes for cats. They never let volunteers see financial statements. Some shelters are filthy until they know there's going to be an inspection and they clean up temporarily. Any volunteer who tries to make a change will be shut out with some excuse. "She was a drug user" is typical and tells me quite a bit. Someone who knows more than you do, blew the whistle. Sit tight, if the director has nothing to hide, it will come out. Mary T. I can understand your statement however maybe she was a drug user. Sound like you are forming false opinions as well as the people who are doing the harrasing. Maybe you and the inspectors can go into the harrasment business together Well, if someone smells like pot and their eyes are dilated to the size of dimes, they're probably smoking pot. And I am afraid I went to college with too many amphetamine users; they're easy to spot. I think you're better suited to the harassment business than I am. Want me to send some job leads? >Well, if someone smells like pot and their eyes are dilated to the size >of dimes, they're probably smoking pot. And I am afraid I went to >college with too many amphetamine users; they're easy to spot. Which was it, pot or amphetamines? Make up your mind. Even if we suppose you aren't lying, and I believe any accusation against a whistle blower is highly suspect, I'd like to hear time and place. Did she show up at a pet store while you were there? What was she doing there? What were you doing there? Were there witnesses? Even so, at least perhaps she showed up, which is more than I can say for a lot of volunteers. One does have to have some excuse to get rid of a volunteer who can't be cowed, doesn't one. It's just that "drug use" is SOOOOO passe. >I think you're better suited to the harassment business than I am. >Want me to send some job leads? Preventing harassment and false accusations is more my line, thank you though. Mary Here is some more background on the situation. I am in the shelter on almost a daily basis, as I have a key to the premises and have worked with the Board of Director volunteers for about 10 years now (we were all initially with other local groups). Also, I do all the records filing, so I know who is up-to-date on vaccinations and who isn't - I flag the files of the cats who will need a booster soon. Also, I file adoption contracts and do some of the followup phone calls to adoptors. The shelter's only paid staff are daily cleaners, so the place is cleaner than the local animal control and SPCA facilities. It isn't perfect - some areas are hard to clean as it is not a purpose-built shelter. We will be moving to new premises soon as the ventilation system doesn't match HSUS standards. Also, we tend to take cats other rescuers won't take - black cats, older cats, and some "special needs" cats. The Humane Society was called in because our shelter is not labeled, and a passerby wondered why they saw so many cats in one area (we had moved a room's worth downstairs while we bleached their usual room). The reason we have no signage is that people will start dumping animals on your doorstep if you identify yourself as a shelter. As to the SPCA, they regularly inspect all shelters. We have asked for a report of last December's inspection, but the inspector has since left the SPCA - also, they will only release the report to a member of our Board. I am not on the Board. As to our "drug user" volunteer, I was the one who identified her. Personally, I don't care what people do at home but the manager of your local Petsmart will not be impressed if your volunteers come in reeking of pot and with eyes like dimes. We have to maintain good relations with Petsmart, otherwise we lose a valuable adoption venue. We do most of our adoptions at two local Petsmarts. Lastly, in regard to my original posting: the folks at Animal Control seem to have strangely lost all interest in us. Our calls to them have not been answered in two weeks (they had mentioned wanting to see medical records). The whole thing is a mystery, and will probably remain one until they close their files (we can get a copy of the file when it is closed). In the meantime we have found an attorney who has offered to assist on a pro bono basis, if and when he is needed. >Here is some more background on the situation. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >a booster soon. Also, I file adoption contracts and do some of the >followup phone calls to adoptors. OK,I excuse you from being among the naive volunteers. All this work for ten years and you aren't on the board? Let me guess. There is no board, or, if there is one, it amounts to a group of yes men who agree with every decision made by an overpowering, steamroller of a director. "I started this group and you are just here to ratify my decisions". Been there, done that.:( >The shelter's only paid staff are daily cleaners, so the place is >cleaner than the local animal control and SPCA facilities. It isn't [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >and a passerby wondered why they saw so many cats in one area (we had >moved a room's worth downstairs while we bleached their usual room). Last post you guessed that was why they were called in. You have no way of knowing. You said, "However, I should point out that we don't know why we were singled out for inspection, except that the Humane Society admitted that a passerby didn't recognize our facility for what it was" A passerby didn't recognize that it was a shelter? What did they notice? Was it perhaps the smell that disturbed them? >The reason we have no signage is that people will start dumping animals >on your doorstep if you identify yourself as a shelter. As to the >SPCA, they regularly inspect all shelters. We have asked for a report >of last December's inspection, but the inspector has since left the >SPCA - also, they will only release the report to a member of our >Board. I am not on the Board. The SPCA, Humane Society, Animal Control have more important things to do than hassle good shelters. Even the half-way good are usually acceptable. When AC comes back for the third time with their vet in tow to examine conditions you better be thinking of covering your own a... . I'd be glad, very glad, I wasn't on that board. >As to our "drug user" volunteer, I was the one who identified her. >Personally, I don't care what people do at home but the manager of your >local Petsmart will not be impressed if your volunteers come in reeking >of pot and with eyes like dimes. We have to maintain good relations >with Petsmart, otherwise we lose a valuable adoption venue. We do most >of our adoptions at two local Petsmarts. Most stores wouldn't recognize volunteers, much less be impressed by them. What they do recognize is sick cats with diarrhea, upper respiratory, ringworm, and just plain filthy animals who are left at the adoption center by many groups. If volunteers bring sick animals or don't show up to clean cages, your group is out of there. >Lastly, in regard to my original posting: the folks at Animal Control >seem to have strangely lost all interest in us. Our calls to them have [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >In the meantime we have found an attorney who has offered to assist on >a pro bono basis, if and when he is needed. Good, you may need him. Look, I know what a bind volunteers can be in. If they complain, then the shelter may be shut down and what is going to happen to those cats? Some may be euthanized if other groups can't take them. If the volunteer doesn't blow the whistle, conditions continue to get worse. More and more animals keep coming in. I've seen it happen in my city as well. Are you in touch with other volunteer groups who will support you? Every city has a network of rescue people. The rescue people I know work closely with animal control. AC emails rescue groups to notify of animals scheduled to be euthanized. Rescue people visit the shelters and try to pull animals that can be saved. The idea that they are hassling your group for no reason just does not ring true to me. Mary >OK,I excuse you from being among the naive volunteers. All this >work for >ten years and you aren't on the board? Let me guess. There is no >board, >or, if there is one, it amounts to a group of yes men who agree >with >every decision made by an overpowering, steamroller of a director. >"I started this group and you are just here to ratify my decisions". >Been there, done that.:( Actually so have I. This group's board is strictly hands-on. It's a very small group. No yes-men - no men at all, actually. And I've never wanted to be on a Board of Directors. >The shelter's only paid staff are daily cleaners, so the place is >cleaner than the local animal control and SPCA facilities. It isn't >perfect - some areas are hard to clean as it is not a purpose-built >shelter. We will be moving to new premises soon as the ventilation >system doesn't match HSUS standards. Also, we tend to take cats other >rescuers won't take - black cats, older cats, and some "special needs" >cats. >The Humane Society was called in because our shelter is not labeled, >and a passerby wondered why they saw so many cats in one area (we had >moved a room's worth downstairs while we bleached their usual room). >Last post you guessed that was why they were called in. You have >no way >of knowing. You said, "However, I should point out that we don't >know >why we were singled out for inspection, except that the Humane >Society [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >notice? >Was it perhaps the smell that disturbed them? No, it was about eight cats enjoying the sunshine on a window ledge. The ground-floor windows don't open. But no authority who is called in is allowed to give you names of those who report abuse, real or imagined. It's a lot like Child Protective Services. Also, the local Humane Society is not of the same status as the SPCA. And it closed its doors last year, due to lack of funding and the death of its founder. >The reason we have no signage is that people will start dumping animals >on your doorstep if you identify yourself as a shelter. As to the >SPCA, they regularly inspect all shelters. We have asked for a report >of last December's inspection, but the inspector has since left the >SPCA - also, they will only release the report to a member of our >Board. I am not on the Board. >The SPCA, Humane Society, Animal Control have more important >things to >do than hassle good shelters. That's what I thought - until recently. Our city is especially guilty of poorly funding Animal Control and the SPCA. The local Animal Control facilities are grotesque. I literally cannot go there to pull animals any more, as I couldn't stand the fact that I had to leave so many to die in such miserable conditions. >Even the half-way good are usually >acceptable. When AC comes back for the third time with their vet in >tow >to examine conditions you better be thinking of covering your own >a... . >I'd be glad, very glad, I wasn't on that board. Animal Control has already been back with their vet in tow. That was during Visit #3. She was actually the nicest one of the bunch, although she seemed to know less about feline leukemia than we did. (She'd never heard of immunoregulin, for example - one of my feleuk positives had the treatment and is about to celebrate her third birthday.) That's why the latest request for vet records - which have been available for inspection during every visit - was, and is, strange. >As to our "drug user" volunteer, I was the one who identified her. >Personally, I don't care what people do at home but the manager of your >local Petsmart will not be impressed if your volunteers come in reeking >of pot and with eyes like dimes. We have to maintain good relations >with Petsmart, otherwise we lose a valuable adoption venue. We do most >of our adoptions at two local Petsmarts. >Most stores wouldn't recognize volunteers, much less be impressed by >them. Not at our Petsmarts, especially since last year. One of them is ex-military and I'm pretty sure he also smelled Miss Doper, too. I wasn't the only one. (Plus, the fact that it was taking her 15 minutes to set up a single cage was a giveaway.) Over the years, Petsmart managers have become much more involved with the rescue groups. This is a corporate incentive - managers can now be "written up" if the adoption centers aren't well-maintained. And both Petsmart managers insisted on visiting our shelter before we were allowed to do adoptions at their stores. >What they do recognize is sick cats with diarrhea, upper >respiratory, ringworm, and just plain filthy animals who are left at >the >adoption center by many groups. If volunteers bring sick animals >or >don't show up to clean cages, your group is out of there. True. (Hey, you got ONE thing right.) >Lastly, in regard to my original posting: the folks at Animal Control >seem to have strangely lost all interest in us. Our calls to them have >not been answered in two weeks (they had mentioned wanting to see >medical records). The whole thing is a mystery, and will probably >remain one until they close their files (we can get a copy of the file >when it is closed). >In the meantime we have found an attorney who has offered to assist on >a pro bono basis, if and when he is needed. >Good, you may need him. >Look, I know what a bind volunteers can be in. If they complain, then >the shelter may be shut down and what is going to happen to those >cats? >Some may be euthanized if other groups can't take them. Considering that kitten season is just around the corner, I think that most, if not all, cats/kittens from ANY shelter would be euthanized if they were suddenly shut down - not just "some" as you say. >If the volunteer >doesn't blow the whistle, conditions continue to get worse. More and >more animals keep coming in. I've seen it happen in my city as well. Did you miss the part where I mentioned that I'm the lucky volunteer who maintains the medical records and adoption files? >Are you in touch with other volunteer groups who will support you? >Every city has a network of rescue people. Most other local groups have only wanted to dump "special needs" cats on us. Only two have ever actually helped us out to any significant extent. This is another reason I have no desire to be on a Board of Directors. It's a sad truth that a fair percentage of people in animal rescue are doing it to deify themselves. The animals come in a poor second with these jerks. >The rescue people I know work closely with animal control. AC emails >rescue groups to notify of animals scheduled to be euthanized. Rescue >people visit the shelters and try to pull animals that can be saved. We only have one volunteer who pulls from shelters, as we are a small group. We also take cats and kittens that have been dumped at the vets we use, and in front of Petsmart before they open. >The >idea that they are hassling your group for no reason just does not >ring >true to me. It doesn't ring true to me either, hence my initial posting. Too bad you decided it was your job to insinuate that we deserved it. I can see why you choose not to archive your posts; it's like shooting yourself in the foot and then hurriedly putting your shoe back on before too many people notice. >I can see why you choose not to archive your posts; it's like shooting >yourself in the foot and then hurriedly putting your shoe back on >before too many people notice. Yes I choose to keep my posts out of Google. I prefer not to have the organization I work for responsible for my posts.( Of course they can be quoted.) You undoubtedly could find out my last name, city and organization if you tried hard enough, although I seldom post. I just couldn't stand to see good people in AC maligned. Outing people Veruca? I wouldn't even start down that road if I were you. Mary >>I can see why you choose not to archive your posts; it's like shooting >>yourself in the foot and then hurriedly putting your shoe back on [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Mary So now you know who I am just as I know who you are Linda. Shall we call a truce :) BarB >Outing people Veruca? I wouldn't even start down that road if I were >you. Questioning your decision not to archive posts has nothing to do with "outing" people. I'm not interested in who you are, just what you choose to say (and I've lost interest in that). And even though Google won't archive your posts, other news servers may. You might want to do a search for portions of your older posts to see if this is happening.
|
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.