Breeder licensing laws tortured course

As a community Gwinnett is at the brink of solving many of our long held animal welfare issues. With a proactive approach to problem solving the issues we must discover solutions for still includes recognizing that far too many young pit bulls from still being killed in our proactive shelter.

These are senseless killing as well - we can do better.  But to do so we must get serious and address the much broader issues - breeder licensing and responsible pet ownership laws that address spay neutering our pets.

Addressing the issues of irresponsible unlicensed breeding does more than simply react to many of our current animal overpopulation issues - breeder licensing laws are consumer protection and safety issues which attacks animal issues at its core - those who add to the problem with incessant irresponsible breeding.

It is NOT the taxpayers of this county's responsibility to subsidize unlicensed businesses breeding and selling animals for pets in the community.  In fact, you establish a dual standard unheard of with any other commodity we purchase by allowing unlicensed businesses to compete with licensed establishments including the many pet stores located throughout Gwinnett that have licenses, follow all the rules and regulations required by state and federal laws and pay local sales, inventory and property tax. 

There is NO OTHER business sector that is treated this way.  We do not allow vendors to sell appliances from the side of the road just down the street from licensed, established businesses.  So why do we allow puppy vendors the same governmental courtesy?

As a consumer I am outraged that I have more consumer protection purchasing a lawn mower or a toaster from a local business than I do should my family decide to add a family pet.  When I buy that toaster not only do I know the toaster was manufactured to governmental regulations for that product and was safe but in fact also comes with a warranty where it can be returned should I as a consumer find it doesn't meet my needs. 

With puppies being sold on a governmental protected black market for puppies, consumers have no recourse returning these often times "defective" puppies which leads to consumers simply dumping the problem on our shelter and the taxpayers who fund it.

For those who argue that breeding puppies is a long established southern hobby my response is "so is playing golf or hunting" and I object to tax revenue being used to subsidize those hobbies as well.

More than a consumer safety issues buying puppies in an unregulated black market is a consumer safety issue as well.  We hear all too often horrible stories of consumers being robbed, beaten and even killed simply trying to purchase a used IPhone on craigslist yet we send families to these same shucksters to buy their puppies. 

Many of the pit bull puppies being marketed through advertising medians like craigslist are specifically bred for "customers" involved in the sale of illegal narcotics, gang members involved in felonious dog fighting and breeders who simply raise and train puppies to be aggressive which is NOT a trait conducive t family living.

What will it take before our politicians understand the implications of not protecting our consumers from these dangers?  Hopefully we will not simply react do to a senseless loss of life in situations that should have been prevented in the first place.

We must do more than simply react to current issues. Gwinnett has the solid leadership in running and managing our animal issues in Chip Moore.  We need to give Chip the tools to get the job done.

Those tools start with passing a local breeder licensing law in Gwinnett that requires those who want to breed to have a business license, pass a criminal background check - the same as we require our licensed plumbers to do, and pass yearly inspections by animal control assuring compliance with all of Gwinnett's animal welfare ordinances.  

Licensing Breeders – a community and consumer safety issue

Why breeder licensing laws?  Breeder licensing laws protect consumers from fraud and the criminal element involved in a highly profitable black market of breeding and selling puppies by closing off the loopholes that allow this "industry" to prosper.
 It is simply indefensible for the community to allow people to breed dogs that can be used as weapons.  It is indefensible that citizens can inadvertently purchase a poorly bred dog powerful enough to seriously injure or kill its owner, a family member or a neighbor. 

The risk of raising and selling aggressive dogs that could endanger other citizens in the community is indefensible.  Since pit bulls can be more dangerous to humans and other animals, and more difficult to handle then most dogs and more importantly since they attract “owners” who may want to exploit them – breeding pit bulls must be tightly regulated at a county level.

Gwinnett should lead the way on responsible oversight in the area of pet overpopulation by requiring all breeders be licensed, that licensing requirements include a criminal background check, that breeder’s maintain a city business license and have yearly inspections from animal control.

These requirements should be across the board for breeding and selling of companion animals and not breed specific.

Without laws and programs that severely reduce the number of pit bulls entering the shelter; especially those bred by an irresponsible backyard breeder market, adopting out enough pit bulls to dramatically reduce the number being killed only risk placing pits with social and behavioral issues or lowering the standards of pet owners who can and would care for their pits as pets.

Public policy of breeder licensing should NOT be set by breeders and fanciers, and certainly not by dog fighters who pose as breeders and even pretend to be rescuers. When so-called pit bull lovers and rescuers use language like “it is the right of every American to buy or breed whatever kind of dog they want” then they are obviously not animal advocates.

Breeding, buying, and/or selling pit bulls are all inconsistent with ending pit bull exploitation. .

An effective response to pit bull overpopulation is to target irresponsible unlicensed pit bull breeders and this must be done mandated legislatively by our county government, since the high profitability of the pit bull market has proved that pit bull breeders are resistant or opposed to any and all forms of gentle persuasion.

Only if these standards are achieved is there hope of achieving a no-kill sheltering model for all dogs regardless of breed. Unfortunately, behavioral issues cannot be ignored – whether the focus is the behavioral traits of pit bulls or the attitudes and behavior of the people who tend to keep pit bulls.

The community can no longer ignore or condone irresponsible breeding or ownership of pit bulls. Thus forming a coalition of responsible pit bull rescue partners to overlook placement and adoption criteria for all pit bulls is crucial in protecting not only the community but the breed as well.

Breed Specific Legislation is not the answer

Opponents of breed specific legislation (BSL) often argue that disproportional high rates of fatal and disfiguring pit bull attacks on humans and other animals are the fault of the pet owners of those particular pit bulls, and not representative of typical pit bulls.

This shortsighted thinking overlooks that pit bulls, like other breed is produced for a specific purposes and have been often times bred with a mindset and inclination to tear other animals to pieces. This has in turn made pit bulls attractive to the sort of people who have made them the dogs most likely to be violent abused and/or neglected: sadists, people with drugs and alcohol addiction, those involved in criminal activity, and people seeking to toughen their image to compensate for their own perceived negative self image issues.

The central behavioral issue involving pit bulls is not a matter of natural genetics per se but rather a product of inherently problematic dogs being acquired by inherently problematic people, who keep, train and often times neglect and abandon in a manner which multiplies the community’s risk factors.

It is the actions of the dog that makes a dog vicious, not the breed line. BSL does not work and will not work because the target of the laws – those irresponsible pit bull owners are often times the criminals, the drug dealers, the gangbanger’s, and those inclined to fight their dogs – these type of dog exploiters definitely would not be registering their dogs with any police agency that might stumble on their criminal activity or previous outstanding warrants.

Criminals will continue to own pit bulls irresponsibly and responsible pit bull owners who were role models in the community but feared registering would be outlaws as well. The cost of enforcing breed specific legislation and sorting out the new criminal element would be enormous.

Breed Specific Legislation, is not the answer, it does not solve the human issues involved and actually does more harm than good in accomplishing the cultural shift needed to encourage responsible ownership of pit bulls.

Investing in spay/neuter solutions

A unique opportunity for the county presents itself to selectively invest in programs that will continually lower our intake numbers moving us closer to ending all the needless killing of dogs and cats in our shelter.

We the Pet Owners of Gwinnett encourages our elected officials into seeking programs that would mandate spay neutering on all pets - especially the widely abused pit bulls. The natural follow up to the crisis of “pit bull” pet over population would be the passage of a responsible pit bull owner resolution encouraging all pit bull pet owners to spay/neuter their pet.

Reducing the pit bull populations to a level kept safely in stable homes would require a responsible sterilization rate of 90%. Making those spay/neuter services available through low cost clinics or even free to income qualified pet owners has been successful in increasing the numbers of pit bulls who can not reproduce further adding to our already overpopulation issues on pit bulls throughout the Atlanta area.

Setting aside behavioral issues that should be minimized through responsible breeder licensing requirements, just looking at the numbers, a 90% sterilization rate is necessary if no kill sheltering for pit bulls is to become a theoretical possibility.

Spay/Neuter Policy Recommendations

Responsible citizens can all agree that pet owners need to be responsible to the community by spay/neutering their pets as a quality of life issue. Our community is a village of responsible pet owners; studies suggest that 90% of responsible pet owners are altered to prevent them from adding to the community’s pet overpopulation issues.

The focus on spay/neuter funding should be on the two largest contributors to shelter intake numbers – pit bulls and feral/domesticated cats. The community should adopt a policy of providing low cost or free spay/neuter for pit bull owners seeking to alter their pets.

Promoting investments in low cost spay neuter and release of feral cats in partnership with the feral cat rescue community will work towards long-term reductions and control of feral cat populations as well.  Partnering with non-profits spay/neuter organizations that provide and promote affordable low cost spay/neuter services for all responsible pet owners is a quality of life solution.

Promoting with community outreach programs that educate our citizens on the critical importance of spay/neuter as a solution to reducing our shelter intake numbers is the mechanism for long-term success.  However, focused attention on the irresponsible ten percent of pet owners who fail to alter their pets is also critical to a community’s long-term success as well.

In order to target irresponsible pet owners who not only fail to alter their pets but also fail to comply with the county’s animal ordinances as well is to “mandate” that all pets that enter the publicly funded animal shelter must be altered prior to being reclaimed by their owners.

This type of selective enforcement of a “mandatory spay/neuter” law would exempt all responsible pet owners who maintain control of their pets and comply with all the ordinances as they pertain to being responsible.

Excessive costs of trying to enforce a spay/neuter mandate through door-to-door enforcement that in itself raises constitutional and moral arguments to the issue.  The issue is simple – those pet owners who can’t or won’t maintain control of their pets add to our community’s animal welfare problems. They need not be rewarded or ignored for those contributions to our shelter issues.

Task Force transformation in ideology takes root

We have compelling reasons for following in the footsteps of other progressive communities that have successfully implemented progressive sheltering parameters. We have seen the depths of frustration that our old sheltering model delivers. Yet, there are reasons to be optimistic about the immensely productive changes that lie ahead.

With the recent findings of Gwinnett’s “Animal Task Force”, the mechanism has been created for dramatically reducing the number of adoptable pets being killed in our shelter while developing a long term strategic plan to reduce governments role in that process.

The Gwinnett Animal Task Force builds the foundation for developing a compassionate but effective animal welfare policy that will serve the entire communities needs. It removes all obstacles that prevent responsible citizens from having oversight and participating in this process.

More importantly, it gives a huge voice to all of our community’s animals whose entire future rests in the balance. Simply talking about change, the future and emerging dreams does not ensure results. Everyone agrees that change is constant, that today’s choices create tomorrow’s future, and that we have many options in developing solutions to fulfill that dream.

There could not be a better time for this county to reach out to it’s citizens for help in attaining our shared goals. Our county commissioners bold decision to tackle these issues with our newly formed “Animal Task Force” is a stepping-stone to that success. It is certainly is a better approach then to continue squandering the community’s trust instead.

"We the Pet Owners in Gwinnett" seek leadership with a vision to think outside the normal realm of solutions and take our county into a new frontier of best sheltering services provided to our compassionate community of pet lovers.  We are served by some of the hardest working volunteers and civil servants.  We are proud of their tireless efforts.

Armed with information and wisdom we can make this world a better place for our companion friends. We truly remain hopeful on the exciting future that lies ahead. 

Building a model for truly responsible pet ownership in our community is a lofty goal worthy of our elected officials attention.  I thank the commissioners in advance having the political courage to protect us all in considering these critical issues - BREEDER LICENSING and RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS SPAY NEUTER LAWS.

Censor this

 

 

What retribution would that be?  Plotting to send old hound dogs to a local shelter to be killed?  

Those of you interested in listening to both sides of the controversial civil case No Kill Nation and Debi Day versus the Drats blog - here is my response to the court.  We'll see how long it takes No Kill Nation's crack attorney to take this down too as being "defamatory" towards his client.

The Honorable Judge Eileen O’Connor
201 S.E. 6^th Street
Room 930A
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

RE: "No Kill Nation et al v Miami Dade Rescue Railroad et al"

Case Number 11-27877(04)

Judge O’Connor

As the defendant in the above referenced lawsuit I am in receipt of plaintiff’s attorney Ryan Lehrer’s letter to the court dated February 5^th, 2013 recapping statements and comments at the January 29, 2013 Show cause Hearing set by your court.

I disagree with Mr Lehrer’s assessment that I’m not working towards a resolution in this case. I’ll remind the court that during last weeks hearing I did in good faith offer to travel to Florida in the spring in order that these petty issues could be resolved. I respect the courts position that providing funding for indigent defendants isn’t possible. I am attaching financial documentation to the court on my current financial status as provided Georgia Department of Family Services.

Mr Lehrer’s suggestion that extradition is needed to resolve issues he has compounded is insulting on many levels. We are talking about a civil case where no evidence has been heard, no damages proven nor any "lies and defamatory" comments being tracked back to me personally. This case has gone past the point of seeking the truth over allegations that have not only not been proven but in fact that I have insisted no guilt to.

Since it appears the court is considering criminal charges in this case I am hereby requesting an attorney in south Florida to defend me as an indigent defendant.

Attorney Lehrer’s interpretation of the comments are wildly imaginative on with his view that "DeCarlo’s complete failure to abide by the Permanent Injunction, coupled with his statements to this court at the Show Cause hearing that he has no intentions of complying with the provisions of the Permanent Injunction prohibiting him from repeating the defamatory statements….." is blatantly false and seriously misleading.

Please find the following steps I have taken to comply with the court’s "permanent injunction" as supported by law.



I.  Complying with Permanent Injunction on FaceBook statements
Per the injunction signed by this court "to remove statements from Facebook that refer to plaintiffs as "being frauds or scam artists, or that refer, directly or indirectly, to plaintiffs stealing donations or perpetrating charity fraud", those posts have been removed from the public domain.

In the Affidavit of Catherine Santomero dated February 4 2013 Santomero acknowledges that she "is only able to view statements going back approximately one week from the particular day ….." and therefore "unable to verify whether DeCarlo complied with the Permanent Injunction by removing the statements…". Since Santomero is in agreement that she can no longer see the "alleged statements" the requirements have been met.

To the best of my knowledge there are no statements on Facebook pages attributed to me in violation of the court’s injunction.

Santomero was also unable to view any of these statements in her original affidavit filed in November 2012 as well. These settings are consistent with privacy settings maintained since joining Facebook. Posts have never been available on the public domain after a length of time chosen by Facebook.
II Complying with Permanent Injunction on "Drats the Squirrels and Nuts" blog postings
Per the injunction signed by this court I am only ordered to remove statements from the "88" http://squirrelnuts.blogspot.com blogs that refer to the plaintiffs as "being frauds or scam artists, or that refer, directly or indirectly, to plaintiffs stealing donations or perpetrating charity fraud.




While it is true that Santomero affadavit lists "88 blogs" alleged to contain "defamatory statements" against No Kill Nation the fact is a vast majority of the blogs written have absolutely nothing to do with No Kill Nation or the plaintiff.   

From Plaintiff’s Composition Exhibit A

Trip Down Yellow Brick Road dated May 24, 2011– Personal story, there are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Texas Action Alert SB 1451 Passes Senate" dated May24, 2011 is an article about Texas passing puppy mill reform SB 1451. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill – A Movement or a Cult dated May 23^rd 2011. Op-ed piece discussing cults. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Temperament Testing – deciding which shelter dogs die dated May 2011. An article on temperament testing shelter dogs. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Miami Dade "Rescue Group Closing" dated May 20, 2011. Press Release info from MDAS. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Why Does Bett Sundermyer Oppose Puppy Mill Reform? dated may 19, 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

RPOA Press Release on Texas SB 1451 Puppy Mill Bill dated May 17, 2011. More on puppy mill issue. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Near The End dated may 16, 2011. Lyrics from the song "Near the End". There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Houston "we have a problem – the puppy mill nuts have taken over" dated may 1, 2011. Article on puppy mills. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Hey you, is there anybody out there? Dated May 16, 2011. Article on Nathan Winograd written as an op-ed. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Have we reached a point where the art of shared compromise is lost? dated may 13 2011. Writer’s personal observations. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

The Death of Hope’s Law dated May 2011. Observations on the failing of Nathan Winograd’s "Hopes Law" in Texas. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Voices from the night dated July 9 2011. Blog on opposition to planned protest at Miami Dade Animal Services. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Nation Issues False Press report on MDAS Parvo Outbreak dated July 7 2011. Discusses parvo outbreak at MDAS. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Nathan Winograd’s "Blows Against the Empire" dated July 3 2011. Article on Nathan Winograd. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

The Grim Realty of No Kill Miami dated August 22 2011. Observations on perils facing a no kill Miami Dade. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Miami Dade – Is No Kill Possible? Dated August 21 2011. Observations on Miami Dade’s no kill resolution. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Winograd’s Parting Shot at Maddie’s Fund dated August 2011. Article on Nathan Winograd. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

A Tale of Four Cities but reality for one dated August 11 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Nation – MDAS Out of the Darkness dated August 9 2011. Observations on MDAS shelter management transition. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Tompkins SPCA – the little shelter that couldn’t dated August 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Mike Fry – The Myth of the Myth of Pet Overpopulation dated August 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Nation to negotiate a new tomorrow for MDAS dated August 6 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

What’s up at Memphis Animal Services? dated August 7 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Nation’s Relentless Attack on MDAS – who really suffers? dated August 3 2011. Article addressing MDAS shelter and management policy. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Sanctuary or Puppy Mill dated September 24 2011. Article on no kill sanctuary raided for hoarding. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Why Tompkins SPCA is not an Open Admission No Kill Shelter dated September 11 2011. Article on no kill sheltering and open admission policies. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Winograd – ASPCA’s Mission Orange does more harm than good? dated October 31 2011. Commentary on Nathan Winograd article. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

I can see very well dated October 25 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Animal Ark’s private war with AHS dated September 11 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

The Homestead Dogs dated October 24 2011. Blog on stray dog issues in the Everglades. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Is pet overpopulation a "myth" dated October 12 2011. Article on pet overpopulation. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Greatest Love of All dated October 11 2011. Article on my dogs. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Biscuit for Shirley dated October 6 2011. Article on no kill blogger Yesbiscuit. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.


Winograd – ASPCA’s Mission Orange does more harm than good? (repeat)

I can see very well (repeat)

Animal Ark’s private war with AHS (repeat)

The Homestead Dogs (repeat)

Is pet overpopulation a "myth" (repeat)

Greatest Love of All (repeat)

No Biscuit for Shirley (repeat)
Sometimes you can’t please anyone dated November 25 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Does a leadership void threaten the no kill movement? dated November 25 2011. Op ed article on no kill movement’s lack of leadership. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Digging through the no kill spin dated November 24 2011. Removed blog from public domain.

Can you hear me now? dated November 23 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Florida Rescue Act – what it doesn’t do – protect shelter pets dated November 22 2011. Article opposing FARA. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Donate to No Kill Nation? It all makes perfect sense dated November 2011. Removed from public domain.

Solving Our Pit Bull Problem dated November 14 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Do Draconian Dog Barking Laws add to shelter killing dated November 12 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Finding target audience in this nosy advocacy world dated November 9 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Good morning No Kill Nation dated November 7 2011. Removed from public domain.

Very Truly Up Yours dated November 1 2011. Removed from public domain.

No Kill Nation’s failed message of hate kills dated December 24 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Howliday Cheer to a no kill – "no suffering" nation dated December 23 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

No Kill Nation – "enough homes for all unwanted animals? dated December 22 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Nathan Winograd and his support team dated December 21 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Valerie "Gossip Girl" Hayes Rattles Her Craddle dated December 20 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Why the LIES from Chris Benson and Valerie Hayes? dated December 19 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

Who is responsible for shelter killing? dated December 18 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

NKN Lawsuit – A Battle of Words dated December 2011. There are no references to NKN being frauds or involved in charity fraud included.

　In other words No Kill Nation's attorney and No Kill nation board officers Debi Day and Kathy Santomero knowlingly submitted a falsified affidavit in order to influence this case during a hearing that the defendant was not allowed to offer rebuttal testimony to the court.  A clear violation of due process.

Here is a list of those blogs "censored" and banned under this court ruling.

From Google’s "Blogger Team"
We'd like to inform you that we've received a court order regarding your blog http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com. In accordance with the terms of the court order, we have removed content previously located at:


http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/trip-down-yellow-brick-road.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/texas-action-alert-sb-1451-passes.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-kill-movement-or-cult.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/temperament-testing-deciding-which.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/miami-dade-rescue-group-closing.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-does-bett-sundermeyer-oppose-puppy.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/rpoas-press-release-on-texas-hb-1451.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/near-end.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/houston-we-have-problem-puppy-mill-nuts.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/hey-you-is-there-anybody-out-there.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/have-we-reached-point-were-art-of.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/05/death-of-hopes-law.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/07/voices-from-night.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/07/no-kill-nations-issues-false-press.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/07/nathan-winograds-blows-against-empire.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/grim-reality-of-no-kill-miami-dade.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/miami-dade-is-no-kill-possible.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/winograd-parting-shot-at-maddies-fund.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/tale-of-four-cities-but-reality-for-one.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-kill-nation-mdas-out-of-darkness.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/tompkins-spca-little-shelter-that.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/mike-fry-myth-of-myth-of-pet.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-kill-nation-negotiate-new-tomorrow.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-up-at-memphis-animal-services.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-kill-nations-relentless-attack-on.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-kill-sanctuary-or-puppy-mill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-tompkins-spca-is-not-open-admission.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/winograd-aspcas-mission-orange-does.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-can-see-very-well-theres-boat-on-reef.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/animal-arks-private-war-with-ahs.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/homestead-dogs.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/is-pet-overpopulation-really-myth.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/another-man.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-biscuit-for-shirley.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/sometimes-you-cant-please-anyone.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/does-leadership-void-threaten-no-kill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/no-kill-nations-leadership-team-wants.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-you-hear-me-now.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/florida-rescue-act-what-it-doesnt-do.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/donate-to-no-kill-nation-it-all-makes.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/solving-our-pit-bull-crisis.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/do-draconian-dog-barking-laws-add-to.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/finding-target-audience-in-this-noisy.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-morning-no-kill-nation.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/11/very-truly-up-yours.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-kill-nations-failed-message-of-hate.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-kill-nation-howliday-cheer.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-kill-nation-enough-homes-for-all.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/nathan-winograd-and-his-support-team.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/valerie-gossip-girl-hayes-rattles-her.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-lies-from-chris-benson-and-valerie.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/who-is-responsible-for-shelter-killing.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/nkn-lawsuit-battle-of-words.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-kill-nations-fraudulent-craigslist.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-kill-nation-honeymoons-over-with.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/winograd-weighs-in-on-what-is-true.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-kill-nations-attack-on-mdrr.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/nathan-winograds-distorted-view-on.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-kill-nations-booming-rescue-business.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/tompkins-spca-officials-see-jump-in.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/welcome-to-debis-world.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/fur-is-flying-with-no-kill-nation.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/florida-rescue-act-why-should-rescue.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/01/message-about-nothing.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-kill-nations-flawed-florida-animal.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-kill-revolutions-steve-phipps-dirty.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/03/sgt-winograds-at-helm.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/03/no-kill-nations-quest-for-fame-and.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-hard-to-tell-good-guys-from-bad.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/when-is-no-kill-not-no-kill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-kill-nation-law-suit-heats-up.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/are-political-obsessions-responsible.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/msn-analogy-on-breeder-no-kill-spin.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/can-you-spayneuter-your-way-out-of.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-kills-fantasy-world.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/step-back-in-time.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/hyprocracy-of-no-kill-hospice-care.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/redemption-and-letting-go-of-status-quo.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/hypocracy-of-no-kill-movement.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/winograd-sponsor-moans-about-hb1451.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-can-nkns-debi-day-not-know-who-naia.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/amused-to-death.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/is-debi-day-barking-mad.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/did-you-know.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/usda-proposed-regulations-would-crack.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/nathan-winograds-blind-allegiance.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-just-two-cents.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/05/death-of-miami-dade-rescue-railroad.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/06/senate-passes-farm-bill-no-kill-passes.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/06/only-pawn-in-shelter-reform-game.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/06/dumbing-down-no-kill-nation-with.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/07/no-kill-lost-in-haze-of-soft-middle-age.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/07/nathan-winograds-divisive-message-of.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-impossible-to-separate-players.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kills-blind-dangerous-to-animal-abuse.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/positively-absolutely-debi-d.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/all-bloggers-are-not-created-eqaul.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/is-no-kill-nation-fleecing-rescue.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kills-message-of-bigotry-bullying.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kill-miami-can-we-afford-anotr.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kill-nations-motion-to-compel.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/coming-soon-no-kill-nation-action-hero.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kill-sells-out-post-war-dream.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kill-news-killing-apologists.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/ryan-clinton-non-profits-are-big.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/nkn-lies-stonewall-demands-for.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/no-kill-nation-debi-days-mistruth-of-day.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/nkn-partnership-with-backyard-pit-bull.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/good-morning-lincoln-day.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/are-lies-and-censorship-killing-no-kill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/demise-of-mdrr-its-about-power-money.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/08/nkns-ryan-lehrer-and-his-quest-for.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-kills-betrayal-of-puppy-mill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-kill-nation-contempt-of-court.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-kill-nations-message-of-love.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-no-kill-nations-leadership.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-kill-nation-or-charity-fraud.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/no-kill-nations-greedy-war-on-rescue.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/running-away-from-our-egos.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-can-i-do.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/does-no-kills-apologist-agenda-support.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-no-kill-culture-war-or-big-business.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/09/lambriar-exits-puppy-mill-arena.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/10/no-kill-nation-v-miami-dade-rescue.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/10/no-kill-revolution-brain-of-squirrel-or.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/10/false-prophets-of-no-kill-or-friendly.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-happiness.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-to-no-kill-nations-debi-day.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/is-nathan-winograd-truly-that-ignorant.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-back-pages.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/no-kill-nation-who-they-really-are.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-minds-of-babes-green-chesse-and.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/11/think-before-you-donate.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/12/no-kill-nation-private-war-on-rescue.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-case-against-debi-day-and-no-kill.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/12/no-kill-nation-thoughts-from-pickled.html

http://squirrelsnnuts.blogspot.com/2012/12/nkn-vs-drats-pertinent-facts.html
A copy of the court order we received is attached.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
The Blogger Team

Manatee County post gains in 2012 shelter numbers

The 2012 shelter numbers are in for Manatee County as it moves forward seeking to attain the No Kill "holy grail".

Manatee County did fell short on reaching no kill status with "live save" rates of 79% which is a giant improvement from the previous year according to the article. I haven’t had the chance to analyze the numbers nor would that alone paint the entire picture without cross referencing the numbers with cost and budget numbers to compare.

One item that never gets counted as we "crunch the numbers" is the relationship of the shelter to its citizens on whether or not goals were met. In that category I give the shelter staff, its citizens and the rescue a 100%. you are all working together as a team and ultimately that's what the animals really need.

http://www.no-killnews.com/?p=6222

Gwinnett Animal Task Force Final Report

It's over, Gwinnett's long awaited animal task force report is available for all to read on our county.  Glancing through the report I marvel at how thorough the report is. It digs into the long held dirty secrets and horror stories on what goes on behind closed doors.

We started down this road over four years ago as a small group of volunteers pushed forward demanding changes in how we handled our animal welfare issues. While I don't agree with a number of issues recommended I do support the overall findings of the task force and the direction these changes will bring. We are at the brink of solving many of our long held animal welfare issues. With a focus on solving the issues that lead to far too many pits still being killed in our shelter, pushing forward with an exciting Trap Neuter Release program as recommended by Planned Pethood and closing off the excuses that leads to far too many senseless killings as well.

We must do more, however, than simply react to current issues. Gwinnett needs to have the solid leadership in running and managing our animal issues as we proudly do in ALL our other governmental departments. We seek leadership with a vision to think outside the normal realm of solutions and take our county into a new frontier of best services provided to our compassionate community of pet lovers who are served by some of the hardest working volunteers.

We are proud of your tireless efforts - the hounds and I are thankful for your efforts bringing these issues to light. Rest up, reward yourself for a job well done and rearm yourself with the information and wisdom to make this world a better place for our companion friends. Today the rescue community will be abuzz on the exiting future that lies ahead.

While Gwinnett's animal task force was truly a community effort a special shout out to some truly dedicated volunteers. Tati Romeo who's boldly sought out the truth no matter where it took her. Wanda Johnson who provided some insight and open communications that were critical in exposing the truth. Kellie Alder - I am impressed with her efforts in tackling many aspects of shelter care and her interest in the issues of behavioral analysis and training and of course her dedication to the plight of our pit bulls. Elizabeth Burgner for her leadership in the trap neuter release proposals. Jane Stewart - another of our tireless leader's - her support and knowledge brought clarity to many of our spay neuter issues.

A special thanks goes out to Joyce Kretchting, who kept the process of communicating with our commissioner's fluid, Carla Brown and Sheriff Conway who have always inspired us all. Carla's rescue group Canine Pet Rescue is a model for truly responsible rescue that all should strive to match, Sheriff Conway's tenacity ending the horrors of dog fighting is leadership we are all proud, his Jail Dog Program is recognized world wide. Theresa Cox - we may not have seen eye to eye on many of the issues I advocate for but your leadership helped bring about this success. Our board of commissioners for having the political courage to bring this project about.

My friend Sam Jeannes - a man who always had a kind heart for our shelter animals and who has been instrumental in understanding the inner workings of our shelter.

My friend Ken Coor who has promoted the targeted spay neuter programs inspired by Peter Marsh. It is the work of Peter that has lead many of the northeastern states to be role models in low kill sheltering through prevention rather than enforcement protocols.

My dear friend Susan Roelle - all the animals in Gwinnett bow in respect as Susan goes about her efforts. Her "unofficial" Facebook page Helping Gwinnett Animals has saved countless lives in the past few months away. Susan's ability to take the word no we can't and turn it into "YES WE DAMN WELL WILL" has not saved precious lives but it has inspired others to follow in her footsteps demanding we do MORE to save these precious lives.

All the citizens in Gwinnett and volunteers (including the rest of the task force members) who took time from their busy lives to attend task force meetings, write letters of support or simply spread the word to our neighbors, those who attend our church and fellow pet owners that WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS. Together YOU will take back your shelter and make this a much more compassionate community for our companion friends.

The final report is available on the county website To read the final report: http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/animal_welfare/pdf/ATF_Final_Report.pdf

Fear, loathing, frightening cats to death

Fear and loathing in the kill room

Euthanasia Methods Under Fire.

Please do something about ip's in ALL the cats...not just the wild ones. It's enough to make grown men cry when they are forced to do that method". Anonymous text from the euth room - a cry for help.

Gwinnett's Animal Task Force has been instrumental in uncovering a number of shelter practices that scream out for change. One such abhorrent practice exposed is the killing of "fractious" cats by intraperitoneal injection.

While there had been rumors of abhorrent killing methods being used in the "euthanasia room" the policy was validated at an animal task force meeting by temporary shelter director Captain Bruno and Animal Control Kennel Supervisor Charles Johnson.

Citizens and pet owners in Gwinnett should be outraged that OUR OWN animal control staff entrusted with enforcing animal neglect and cruelty laws has in effect been inhumanely killing cats by the thousands.

How long has I.P. been the preferred method for killing feral cats? Management, advisers and staff overlook blatant animal abuse for years. Over 14,000 cats have met their demise having been killed in such a painstaking method in our shelter since it opened in the fall of 2007.

What is I.P. or intraperitoneal injection?

Even intravenous injection is not possible, euthanasia drugs such as pentobarbital can be injected directly into a heart chamber or body cavity. While intraperitoneal injection is fully acceptable it may take up to 15 minutes to take effect in dogs and cats.

In California, performing IC injections on a fully conscious animal is a crime.

The "Euthanasia Best Practice for Companion Animals" was developed to provide organizations with information to ensure that when performed, euthanasia is done in the most humane way.

Live animals should never be able to witness euthanasia taking place. Pre-sedation or pre-anesthesia should always be an option or consideration to be used for the welfare of animals.

True euthanasia of a suffering animal brings about a peaceful death. In many ways euthanizing an animal to help end it's suffering is the ultimate gift we humans can offer our loyal often lifelong companions as long as that passing is dignified.
Killing an innocent animal in a painful, frightening manner is not dignified, it's an act of animal cruelty.  This is a classic example of what happens when a department that has no experience or business running an animal shelter is allowed to oversee shelter operations.

Ultimately, it was GPD Chief of Police Charles Walters responsibility to only hire competent shelter directors yet Walters appointed Lt Respess to a position she had no previous experience in nor qualifications to fill.

The results of this extremely poor management choice was a department that now has seen three of it's top supervisors, including Lt Respess, reassigned and forced into early retirement not for killing 14,000 cats and countless dogs but for "running a hostile work environment". 

Additionally several other animal control officers have been suspended from the internal investigation.  How many highly paid supervisors and officers looked the other way while animals were being killed in this hostile work environment?

Clearly, this is troubling. But what's more troubling is discovering that the shelter failed to update their "standards operating procedures" for over five years now. It is simply NOT acceptable that animal control lack the pride in job performance that allowed animal control officers to leave tags on citizens doors advising them that their pet had been picked up and would need to be reclaimed at the old High Hope Road address.

After spending several million dollars building a state of the art shelter Charles Walters management staff didn't have the pride to even change out their warning stickers.

Would we allow other department to send up water bills, court summons or any OTHER legal paper work advising us to report to the WRONG address? Why do we allow an incompetent animal management team to do exactly that for over four years now?

If this was a "Keystone Cops" moment it might just be comical but it is not. This about citizens pets, parts of our family, that are being killed through sheer negligence.

Time for serious change is now"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -
George Santayana


Critical life saving recommendations from Animal Task Force Policy Committee must be implemented NOW, including:

1. Revised euthanasia criteria: to require sign-off by the rescue coordinator, shelter director, and a veterinarian, with written justification for the decision by each approver
2. Revised euthanasia method for cats: we will address sedation prior to the lethal dose, and restrictions on the use of catch-poles for restraint.
3. Implement TNR program.
4. Feral cats: referral program to a Planned Pethood-sponsored team to promote TNR or relocation in lieu of drop-off by the public for killing at the shelter
5. Website update: cross-train so that more than one person has the ability to add and remove animals from the site, and the site can be kept current and each animal has photo posted within 24-hours of entering the shelter.

　
Reform, restructure or simply rid the shelter of incompetent management?
How much change is enough?There seem to be three phases in change in our personal lives that apply to shelter reform as well. The first phase of change is developing the conviction to change. That is when the community or the community's leadership decides the problems at the shelter are real and that it's time to do something about it.

One could suggest that in assigning a task force to evaluate problems at our shelter we have the conviction to change but a community having conviction still needs leadership committed to bringing about that change. The conviction coming from our leadership could simply be because the leadership is tired of hearing all the citizen complaints and realize that ultimately not doing anything could be detrimental in a political sense.

The second phase to bringing about dramatic change is commitment. While I recognize the commitment to bring about change with the inspired work of the animal task force I don't see that commitment for change coming out of the county leadership.

That commitment for change requires those locked into the status quo of failure to relinquish the control they have on a failing process. Most people feel that commitment to change is the end of the road, when ultimately commitment to change is the beginning of taking a new path towards building a successful and highly respected animal services unit. Commitment requires the demonstration of seriousness by doing, or in some cases, by not doing.

The third phase is conversion. The converted have already passed through the conviction to change and commitment to bringing about change thus anxiously awaiting the reality of change that collectively all worked so diligently in bringing about. The converted are not tempted at taking shortcuts in the process or to return to the destructive, deadly ways of the past..

While it is certainly culturally and morally wrong take the life from an otherwise healthy adoptable animal, it is callous and outrageous to cause those same innocent animals to suffer a painful undignified death as part of that killing process.

Hiring Competent Professional StaffHiring a qualified shelter director becomes paramount to building a quality animal services unit. Having a knowledgeable leader who provides quality "do it right the first time" best practices in animal sheltering services saves the community the cost of providing unquality services. Quality best practices saves lives, saves taxpayer money too.

It should be obvious from the onset that people perform to the standards of their leaders. If the leadership thinks staff doesn't care about customer service and saving lives, then staff won't care. Hiring unqualified leadership to manage our animal control process costs more than simply hiring a qualified manager. A quality animal services director not only has the skills and experience needed to run a successful animal services unit but more importantly has the vision of what that success entails.

Should we as citizens continue to tolerate the leadership of our animal control department to run our shelter like a prison, like a jail or like an execution center or should we demand that OUR shelter is run as an animal shelter where our communities homeless pets are kept safe and out of harms way while our citizens and humane community works diligently in finding resources where they can be rehomed?

The time for serious reform in Gwinnett is way past do. Our current animal control structure under the Gwinnett Police Department is broken - it can't be fixed. This is no longer about providing our communities homeless pets with best sheltering practices . Ours is simply an issue of understanding RIGHT from WRONG.

Animal control and enforcement needs to be separated split from an animal services unit and run by a professional manager that reports directly to the county administrator.

Gwinnett's Task Force disagrees on shelter's direction

KILLED by animal control - "possible cold"?

At last night Animal Task Force meeting scheduled to discuss the groups final recommendations turned contentious on the issue of who would be best qualified to run our animal control and sheltering operations.

Gwinnett's Daily Post's Frank Reddy captured some of the raw emotions that have driven by the mismanagement of our new shelter under the control of the Gwinnett Police Department.

The task force was divided of supporting recommending a change that would have animal control and the sheltering operation report to the county administrator and as stand alone department of it's own reporting to the county administrator.  Policy, Programs and the Partnership subcommittees all agreed that this change was critically needed while the "Structure Subcommittee chaired by Beaudreau appointee Jon Richards disagreed instead recommending virtually no change in current operations.

How Richards could arrive at his conclusion that no change is needed at animal control is truly mystifying.

One would have to ignore the inhumane slaughter of over 14,000 cats using a extremely cruel and painful method to kill these cats under the watch of now re-assigned shelter manager Lt Respess in the process. GPD has a history of making poor choices when it comes to running it's version of what can be described as nothing less than a brand new facility run as slaughter house.

Despite the fact that Shelter Director Lt Respess was reassigned not because she was "supervised" overlooked the killing of over 20,000 dogs and cats many of whom didn't need to be killed.  Nor was she reassigned once information started spilling out on the horribly inhumane methods the cats were being slaughtered.  One task force meeting described the killing "if citizens killed these cats using the same methods they would be charged with animal cruelty" yet animal control committed over 14,000 acts of inhumane slaughter under Respess direction.  It was one of Respess own employees who leaked this aspect of how animals were being killed in our new shelter.

KILLED by animal control - no reason given

She wasn't even fired for failing to keep the operating procedures current and making sure those procedures were even being followed.  How GSP management wasn't able to under cover these serious management lapses in their yearly review process is telling.

Killing and slaughtering more than 14,000 cats didn't lead to the demise of Respess, she was "removed" was removed for "creating a hostile work environment".  Taxpayers deserve better than that and Richards wants to give high marks for this incompetence?

The translation of losing control of your staff was having a work force that has virtually run a muck often times killing innocent dogs and cats often times without authority as retribution to try and get even in some sort of sick political power grab were not only were the animals abused but the taxpayers as well.

To be clear, only the "structure subcommittee chaired by Richards was in disagreement with the communities for new professional management of OUR shelter. The humane community is simply tired of the excuses, the incompetent management choices and failed leadership coming from the Gwinnett :Police Department.

You can't sugar coat the reality that GSP's own management team which includes higher ups that report directly to Chief Walters failed to even rewrite their own operating procedures for over six years. GPD didn't even have enough respect for taxpayers or citizens to even change their own paperwork correcting the addresses left for pet owners who received warnings or even notification that animal control had one of their pets. Pets owners were left with notification to pick up their pets at the old shelter on High Hope Road - there is simply no excuse for being that disconnected to shelter operations.

The fact that Richards didn't bother to investigate any of the issues his committee gave recommendations for is insulting to hard work and thorough investigations done by the other three committees.

There are a number of serious issues that need to be corrected now by OUR shelter officials. To suggest that GPD has previous mistakes in staffing management positions with people who are either incompetent or who care about serving the communities needs HASN'T changed since Lt Respess was removed. Recent decisions to run off volunteers at the shelter is insulting to taxpayers willing to roll up their sleeves to try and help save the lives of animals that don't need to die. Hiring a "new" rescue coordinator to replace the old rescue community who resigned her position as well with a person who is pregnant and has doctors order not to be around animals is the height of management stupidity that Richards has to ignore as well.

Having staff meetings were the discussion doesn't focus on saving lives instead focuses on how the staff but instead discusses and orders the discontinuation on providing local volunteers with critically updates on the status of shelter animals in an attempt for these local volunteers to share that information networking on Face Book.  No discussion on how animal control could find rescue for dogs and cats scheduled to die.  For a staff meeting to even discuss not cooperating with local volunteers when the shelter's own inept management is not even able to keep it's own website current is telling on the real motivation Gwinnett Police has with running it's own version of jail and execution center for the communities homeless pets.

This is not only insulting to those taxpayers pay these officers salaries but it's an but it is abuse of power as well.

I would encourage all citizens to read the task force final report and see for yourself how YOUR tax dollars are being wasted. The community deserves better use of our tax dollars especially in these tough economic times. sometimes the only tool you have left as a citizen to you educate yourself on the issues

Here's the article;

Animal Task Force divided on issues

LAWRENCEVILLE -- A question over whether the police department should continue operating the county animal shelter has sharply divided a group appointed to review the processes of the municipal division.

"The police are the police," said Kelly Alder, a Gwinnett County Animal Task Force member in attendance at Tuesday's meeting. "Their job is code enforcement. Right now, there are officers who go to animal control just to bide their time until they retire."

Member Jon Richards disagreed.

"It makes sense for it to continue to be under the police department," said Richards, adding though, that the position of a new shelter director should be someone experienced running shelters "and not necessarily a sworn police officer."

Chairman Joel Taylor tried to guide the 17 people toward some sort of consensus to take back to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, the group's charge.

Whether or not to continue to allow the shelter to be operated by the police department as well as the role and membership of the Animal Advisory Committee were contentious points among the group.

We owe it to the board to give them our views. We're not telling them what to do. We're recommending," Taylor said. "We should provide them with all of these views."

Recommendations could include the current animal-related ordinances and services, development of best practices and study of the role of the Animal Advisory Committee.

The animal task force's four subcommittees -- partnership, policy, program and structure -- presented all of its recommendations before the group during Tuesday's meetings, but found little common ground.

According to the county's website, the Gwinnett Police Department "operates the Animal Shelter to enforce animal control laws and to shelter animals that have strayed, gotten lost or been turned over for adoption."

The board of commissioners could review the Animal Task Force's recommendations at an upcoming meeting. The task force has until the end of April to make its presentation to the board of commissioners.

Taylor said there would likely be another meeting of the task force to make final edits and alterations to the list of recommendations prior to that.

For information about upcoming meeting dates and times, visit www.gwinnettcounty.com.

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2012/apr/24/animal-task-force-divided-on-issues/

Focus on interests, not positions

Wise solutions reconcile interests, not positions

Typical of many shelter reform negotiations the shelter problems appear to be a conflict of positions, and since the goal is to agree on a position, the natural progression is to talk, think and discuss the differences in positions rather than focusing on which interests or goals the opposing views may share. This type of negotiation process often simply reaches an impasse with neither side willing to compromise on positions right or wrong.

In reality the differences between positions and interest are crucial because interest typically define the problem. The basic problem lies not in the conflicting positions, but the conflict between each sides needs, desires, concerns and fears. Yes, fear of the unknown plays into every conflict resolution as well.

Looking towards shared interests instead of fixating on differing positions is what makes it possible to develop a solution that both sides can buy into. Reconciling interests rather than positions works for two reasons. First, when you look behind opposed positions for motivating interests, you can often find an alternative position which meets not only your primary interest but your oppositions as well.

Reconciling interests rather than compromising between positions also works because behind opposed positions lie many more interests than conflicting ones.

Behind opposed positions lie shared and compatible interests, as well as conflicting ones. We tend to assume that because the other side's positions are opposed to ours, their interests must also be opposed. If we have an interest in defending ourselves, then they must want to attack us. In many negotiations, however, a close examination of the underlying interests will reveal the existence of the many more interests that are shared or compatible than the ones that are opposed.

Gwinnett's political leadership has an opportunity to reach out to our community and find a solution that lies in the areas of shared interests. Those shared interest include delivering an animal services unit that not only works diligently towards saving all of Gwinnett's adoptable pets but in seeking ways to co-exist peacefully with those animals in our community who are not readily adoptable as in the case of feral cats.

We have an opportunity to revitalize our animal services unit by bringing in a professional shelter manager capable of thinking outside the box who can bridge the gap between opposing positions despite our shared goals. It is these shared interests which ultimately brings a community closer together. Agreement is often made possible precisely because interests differ.

Shared interests and differing but complimentary interests can serve as the building blocks for a wise and fruitful agreement.