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The Humane Exchange

Animal Shelters: Under Fire -- and Underappreciated

Posted November 5, 2009

Our Red Star Animal Emergency Services™ team responded to a request last week that was a first for us. The Shelby County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Office was preparing to execute a search warrant of the City of Memphis Animal Shelter, and needed our help caring for the pets involved. The warrant had been issued after a concerned citizen accused shelter workers of negligence and abuse.

Shelters are usually among our strongest allies, and many of our employees are former shelter workers -- so you can imagine how shocked we were. Although the case remains under investigation, it would be a tragic irony if any of the allegations -- which include housing vicious and sick dogs in group kennels with other pets, failing to provide animals with adequate food and water, and inhumanely euthanizing pets -- turn out to be true.

I want to make it clear that American Humane is not a governing agency for animal shelters. However, we regularly train shelter workers and, at shelters’ request, conduct assessments to help them operate more effectively. With this in mind, I went to our animal protection team for some tips on what to do if you suspect a problem at your local shelter:

• Start by speaking with the shelter manager to discuss your concerns in a non-accusatory fashion. Usually, issues can be resolved quickly when they are brought to the attention of management.
• Offer to help by volunteering to clean cages, walk dogs, organize a food and blanket drive, or recruit other volunteers in your community. Many shelters are underfunded and understaffed, and volunteering to give animals some extra attention can make a huge difference.
• If you feel that there is true neglect or abuse occurring and the shelter’s management is not responding appropriately, then you should contact the governing body for that shelter and request an investigation. In the case of a nonprofit shelter, this would be the board of directors. In the case of a municipal animal shelter, governance would fall under a sheriff, mayor, chief of police, city council, or board of county commissioners. Remember that an investigation may take time.

It is always important to report suspected abuse. But please don’t let a few “bad apples” cause you to make assumptions about all shelters. The overwhelming majority of them are doing things right -- and getting very little credit for their hard work.

What would happen to the millions of homeless pets in this country without local animal shelters and the dedicated, caring people who staff them? Day in and day out, shelter workers advocate tirelessly for animals. Furthermore, they do so in the face of hard truths -- truths that can take an emotional toll over time:

• Many pet owners relinquish animals to shelters for poor reasons.
• There are not enough willing adopters for all of the friendly, healthy shelter animals who need new homes. According to an American Pet Products Association 2009 survey, only 20 percent choose to adopt when acquiring a new pet.
• Many shelters operate mostly or exclusively on donations from the public. When shelters do receive government funding, it usually covers only a small portion of their total operating budgets.

The last thing our nation’s shelters need is an undeserved bad reputation. If you don’t already, consider donating to your local shelter. I’d also love to hear about your shelter experiences. What is your impression of the animal shelter in your community?

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Should Parents and Kids Be Scared of Halloween?

Posted October 29, 2009

Each year, when Halloween comes around and the news media start running scary stories about the dangers of trick-or-treating, I find myself wondering if times were safer in years past. Are there really more dangers lurking in the shadows now than there were in the “good old days”?

Have Pets, Will Move

Posted October 22, 2009

In recent weeks, I’ve noticed more “For Sale” signs around the community. With the current economic situation still affecting many people, I asked Dena Fitzgerald of our Animal Protection Division staff to be a guest blogger and discuss moving with pets.

Is it Natural to Be Nice?

Posted October 15, 2009

Two weeks ago, I wrote about selfishness and selflessness, and received a lot of comments. In that blog, I wondered what makes some people act selfishly and inconsiderately, while others act with generosity, empathy and compassion. I just read an article by Christine Kenneally that discusses some fascinating observations on empathy and compassion in animals -- and relates it to humans.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Posted October 8, 2009

I recently read an article about an unusual case involving neighbors in Michigan -- a case I first saw as a bureaucracy gone wild. It involved a mother, Lisa Snyder, who was warned by the state to stop running an unregistered day-care operation. Was this mom running an illegal business? No. She was simply being a good friend and neighbor by routinely watching several neighbors’ kids as they waited for the school bus. The bus stop is right in front of her house.

What Makes Us Selfish or Selfless?

Posted October 1, 2009

As I was walking in Washington, D.C., last week, I passed a woman who dropped a crumpled piece of paper on the ground. It may have fallen by accident, but then I saw her look at it lying there -- and continue walking away.

Should Fighting Dogs Be Given a Fighting Chance?

Posted September 24, 2009

You may have heard about the nation’s largest dogfighting bust, which took place this summer in eight states, including Missouri. Because of American Humane’s current involvement with the case, I asked Katenna Jones, animal behaviorist and humane educator for American Humane’s Office of Humane Education, to be this week’s guest blogger.

Business or Pleasure? Tennessee Walking Horse Show Qualifies for Both

Posted September 17, 2009

I spent Labor Day weekend in my home state of Tennessee -- Shelbyville, to be exact, home of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which is the most prestigious horse show of its kind. The amazing -- and controversial -- horses it celebrates were the reason for my attendance, both in my official capacity representing American Humane, and as an appreciative spectator.

Hard Times Hitting -- and Hurting -- Animal Shelters

Posted September 10, 2009

I’ve been hearing lately that the recession is over, or almost over, or will be over by the end of the year. Apparently nobody knows for sure, but one thing is certain: Millions of Americans have lost businesses, jobs and homes -- or are on the brink of doing so. Times are still tough, and it’s not only humans who have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

A Furry Friend to Lean On

Posted September 3, 2009

Imagine the fear and shame of a child who has been sexually abused by a trusted adult, perhaps even a parent, and who must now undergo a physical exam by another adult to collect evidence. Or the terror of an abused child who has to sit on the witness stand in a courtroom and re-live the horrific details of the abuse in order to testify not only in front of a judge and jury, but with the perpetrator sitting in plain sight.

Looking Out for Livestock

Posted August 27, 2009

I finally got around to seeing the film Food, Inc. It certainly serves up a lot of food for thought. I grew up on a farm, so some of the film’s images of animals being mistreated hit me hard. On the whole, the film seems to suggest that all animal products (meat, eggs, dairy, etc.) are produced on huge farms that resemble factories more than they do the pleasant and often-used image of cows grazing in an open field.

“No-Kill” Isn’t That Simple

Posted August 20, 2009

Rachael Ray has begun the “Mutt Madness Awards Program,” a giveaway which her website says is to “help the good guys” -- the “most deserving charitable organizations in America, which have demonstrated exceptional commitment to pet rescue, rehabilitation or adoption.” She is limiting the contest to “no-kill” organizations.

Are Children No Different From a Litter of Puppies?

Posted August 13, 2009

In a recent story on the Today Show about the possibility of “Octomom” Nadya Suleman doing a reality show featuring her and her 14 children, Paul Petersen, former child star of The Donna Reed Show, said, “I want you to consider these octuplets as a litter of puppies. Because if they were a litter of puppies, the American Humane Association would have an animal control officer there in a second. Our priorities have been flip-flopped somehow.”

Pets and Babies Living Together

Posted August 6, 2009

You may have been saddened and horrified last month, as I was, on hearing a news story about an infant in Kentucky who was hospitalized after being picked up and taken out of his crib by the family dog.

The Call of the Wild

Posted July 30, 2009

Have you ever wanted to own a snake, tiger, monkey or bear? For a growing percentage of the population, the call of the wild is irresistible. Tempted by the idea of having an exotic animal in the house -- and despite some state and local laws that prohibit owning certain types of animals -- some people are expanding the definition of “pet” to include creatures typically found only in nature or in zoos.