Help a Young Dog on Death Row find a home

[horsepower]

WHAT THE FUCK. no offense dani, seriously, your heart, as always, is in the right place, but how the hell do we fail like this? peeps are gonna stop clicking on these threads if they keep ending in tears. if intervention is possible, a firm deadline needs to be established, understood, and managed to. otherwise we're all being spun up for a massive heartbreak.

I feel your pain, LB, I do. You have reason to be pissed at me for bringing on this pain to Barf. I should have trusted my instincts but., What could go wrong when I was ready with a safety net.


I begged my kid to just "cut to the chase " and let me adopt days ago, after a couple of leads fell through. Bring me the dog, what are they going to do? Fire you from volunteering??!! My kid wouldn't break their stupid rules. She wanted to be able to continue to help the dogs so she kept trying to comply with that bitch. I wanted to keep Marsh in the public eye til They would at least relent and let me have him.


The cruel reality is that
B]B]if Cesar Milan himself wanted to adopt that dog, he couldn't. They still would have killed it. Why???? They were the professionals, they made the call. They would look stupid? Some weird control issue? Legal bs of we own the dog, we can kill him and Cesar never could have seen it online anyway. Marsh was never in the public eye, never appeared on anyone's radar outside of the shelter for him to stand a chance [/B]
[/B]
People kept going online for adoption info and there was no info there because he wasn't available to adopt; that woman was still insisting that the dog wasn't worthy of adopters and we didn't qualify even to foster the dog:
Allegedly dogs can't handle two hour car rides and death is a better option.

 

[horsepower]

Not the first time this has happened
View attachment 476402

This shelter shouldn't be allowed to continue with this pattern without public transparency and public imput.

There needs to be a strong deadline and accountability of actions and a transparent period of stay or appeal when euthanasia is being considered, not some sick whim if the dog is having a bad day, as Littlebeast noted.
Available for adoption ...or At the shelter with all vices noted .... online with pictures and videos for ALL the dogs at that shelter with appropriate warnings. How can anyone adopt a dog they don't know exists??? It certainly makes it easier to kill without notice or noticing. That's their ultimate failure.

 

[Doobz]

Animal Care Supervisor
Andrea Jordan
831-454-7208
andrea.jordan@santacruzcounty.us

Her supervisors MIGHT be:

Shelter Manager
Ben W.
831-454-7206
asa200@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

General Manager
Melanie Sobel
831-454-7203
melanie.sobel@santacruzcounty.us

The shelter's facebook is here ( https://www.facebook.com/scanimalshelter ). I left a nice message on there in memory of Marsh.

Saving this information before it gets removed. Fuck these people and everything they stand for.

 

[Cyclesuzy]

Left a message on their page and shared that with anyone I know who will listen.

 

[Mr Pepsi]

Left comments on both posts on their FB page.

 

[horsepower]

Saving this information before it gets removed. Fuck these people and everything they stand for.

please preserve this information. However, also remember that hopefully some of those people are in those albeit paid positions because they DO care.
In this specific instance however, I can DOCUMENT and confirm that Andrea Jordan's actions and inactions directly caused Marshs death and therefore until I have all the information and consideration, that's the only one I demand be removed from that job.

Dear Dog expert of the world Ms Jordan,
Give the dog adopting public the last chance to decide what's adoptable and what isn't in due transparency before you kill a dog. Post the dog ONLINE before you kill a dog. you send letters around the shelter asking for help, but tell them not to distribute the letter. WHO THE HELL IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE FOR ADOPTION IF NO ONE OUTSIDE OF A KILL SHELTER KNOWS ABOUT THE DOG!!!
Job: find adoptive homes for love able dogs. Get paid. How tough is that to screw up?

Left a message on their page and shared that with anyone I know who will listen.

You and people like you will change the world. Thank you for taking those few minutes to do it.

 

[phocup]

So I got a response from my FB post:

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter You are speaking to a situation you do not have correct or full information on.

Marsh was euthanized due to his separation anxiety. We did not have a foster home that could safely keep him, he could not be kenneled long term, and none of the rescues had an appropriate space for him either.

He was not an easy dog. All information about an animal needs to be evaluated. We make all decisions with the utmost care and as a group.

This sort of outraged post does not help. If anyone has questions about the Shelter, I ask you please to contact us directly.

There were no adopters or fosters lined up.

Seems like a cut and paste message that they sent to 3 other posters on that page too. Surprise there are not more posters actually.

 

[DReg350]

Seems like a cut and paste message that they sent to 3 other posters on that page too. Surprise there are not more posters actually.

I deleted my Facebook account a long while back, so I can sometimes read, but can't post. I will write a letter. Whole situation, and the shelter's explanation SUCK!

 

[horsepower]

So I got a response from my FB post:



Seems like a cut and paste message that they sent to 3 other posters on that page too. Surprise there are not more posters actually.

There will be more coming, I promise.


Imagine YOUR well loved dog and then imagine him in a shelter. There is going to be separation anxiety once he finds kindness again. He is going to cling to it.

It probably doubled when Sam started to take him home.
It would have ENDED once he came to me.
THEY KNOW THAT WAS ON THE TABLE.

 

[phocup]

So I replied to their generic message

If there's things you think we don't know about Marsh's story from your side, please share and clear it up! This sort of outrage post definitely does not help you when you're trying to keep this story in the dark .. as evident by your request in emails to INTERESTED ADOPTERS to not share Marsh's situation / need for adoption to anyone ( public or private ). And by the way, this is how the modern world contact your shelter directly AND PUBLICLY with questions.

And this is what I got back .. more generic crap.

When there is information that another person, such as a previous owner, shares with us about an animal, we are unable to share the details with the public.

 

[TripleSeven]

Some Hitler shit. FUCKERS.

 

[KWeezyXB12]

I'm sure on mention to a local news station of animal cruelty will get their attention. I mean I really don't see this being a normal thing. Yes they're a kill shelter but they have guidelines to follow. this seems like it had malicious intent

 

[rodr]

Wow. Very sorry Dani.

Marsh

 

[horsepower]

Please write the two supervisors and post on the shelters Facebook. Two minutes to say RIP Marsh.

Marsh's desire to be loved and the anxieties of being loved and left alone are what we as humans can all certainly relate to.
No matter how good Marsh wasor how difficult they claim his anxieties were at times , by every documented fact, video I saw and eyewitness account you weren't given a fair shake. A dog with some problems at an adoption shelter.
Who would think??????

 

[F4iChic]

So sorry to hear this dog was killed. I won't say euthanized because that is not what it is. They murdered him because they are too fucking lazy to do anything to get them adopted. It's the same everywhere. Every fucking day. EVERY. FUCKING. DAY.

Why do you think I am not on BARF much? Because I am spending my time trying to get our local shelters reformed. Do you know how piss poor Antioch Animal Services are? They are so lazy, not only do they kill cats and dogs, they allow them to die due to neglect. In the period Jan-Aug 2015, 63 cats were found dead. Not killed, found dead. In the same period, 30 dogs found dead. 12 of them in one day. January 29th 2015 12 dogs found dead in their kennels at Antioch Animal Services

Hate to say it but unless there is an organized effort to bring about shelter reform, your individual emails won't make a tiny bit of difference

You want to see change? Do a California Public Records Act request to get all of their statistics: Live Intake, Adopted, Rescued, Killed, Died, Lost. Make sense of it, charts, graphs, and send the outcome to the local officials.

So sorry about this dog, but this is how I spend my life. Every single day. Trying to get the public aware of the atrocities being committed in our name, with our tax dollars

Oh, Antioch also had 166 cats and dogs go out to foster in this same timeframe, never to be heard of again. Fostered, it's the new DEAD

https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaPetsAlive/

 

[phocup]

Wow .. how is it possible that many animals are just 'found dead' ?

I had always believed people went to work at shelters at some level honestly love animals to work that jobs everyday .. kinda like how teachers loves kids .. I guess its now time for me to grow up.

Although the 'found dead' issue is also horrible ( perhaps worse than Marsh's even ), its not the same situation IMO. Marsh had someone ready willing and WAITING to adopt him.

Did some quick research and found this site which I thought I might share ( http://www.dogsindanger.com/ ).

 

[horsepower]

Wendy, you are a rockstar for the animals. I know it and I love you for it.
I couldn't do what you or any shelter does, but if Any one of us did, I have no doubt we wouldn't do it this way.

The shelter has clammed up and shut its mouth. They are huddling with their story. I hadn't talked to my kid since I threw the phone off the mower. At midnight I emailed her with some hard questions...
Were you passing on all the Barf info? Were you making them aware of our conversations. Why would you hand him back to that woman after everything I said???
The answer came:


"Mom. The past 12 hours have been terrible.
I was completely blindsided by the shelter.

Before I tell you all that happened, know this mom. I have been replaying every single conversation, interaction and email I have had with this people. Did I drop the ball?

When I dropped him off for his evaluation yesterday morning, I told them that 1. if there was any reason it would come to euthanasia based on the evaluation, that you and i would take him 2. please do not put him down or make that decision without talking to me…don't blindside me

When I picked him up after work, they told me the evaluation went well. Rescue groups, breed specific had been reached out to that could help him with separation anxiety. We spent the evening together. I talked to you on the phone.

I woke up that morning with Marsh and took him on a long run, then out to breakfast with my friend and I. We took a long walk back to the shelter on a warm sunny day. He was happy, he was great. I had considered him my dog by this point, ready to take him to the farm but I couldn't make it yesterday…I had an interview that afternoon in boulder creek (I will forward you the email with the time and date to prove). I forgot to tell you last night when we talked. Yesterday morning, my phone's screen turned red and I couldn't call you to tell you this. I thought it would be ok if we came friday, maybe a rescue group would reach out in that time but if they didn't, Friday would work. I had no idea mom. No idea….

I dropped him off at 12:30. I talked to AJ (one of the two women I have been dealing with). Marsh sat on command, he did not jump.
"He is doing great," she said.
"He really is, I am so proud of him," I said.
I asked her if she could put him back in his kennel because it was too sad for me to do it, even though it was just a few hours. That he didn't know I was coming back.
"No you can do it, go ahead. The more you do it, the more he learns you will come back from him."
I told her I would pick him up that night.

So I put him back in his kennel.

I received an email at 2:45 which I read at 4:30. By the time I called the shelter, AJ said she had already put him down.
I was furious, crying, incoherent. Why? She said she called the owners that surrendered him to ask if they would take Marsh back and they told her info that she was not initially aware of …. that he had escaped their house 7 times.

I hung up. But I don't even know if they asked, how long was he being left? In what state? Why would this otherwise perfect dog be exhibiting this behavior. It to me is so obvious it was human induced but nothing that couldn't be fixed by you or by time. They had told me again and again Marsh was doing well. Never did they hint to me they would euthanize him.

I will talk with you more by phone.
Please, I just need you to not blame me right now. I am already blaming myself."

 

[F4iChic]

There are thousands of cats and dogs being killed in shelters every day, when people are ready, willing and able to adopt them.

Sorry to say it, but Marsh is just a statistic. Among thousands. Jan-Aug 2015 Antioch Animal "Services" killed 195 cats and 247 dogs.

To your question "how are they found dead" Well, they don't vaccinate the animals upon entry to the shelter, so Parvo (in dogs) is rampant. Then they don't check on their medical well being. Maybe they don't even feed them.

I have a cat in my house that I am fostering and rehabilitating. He came from Antioch "shelter". 1.5 years old weighing only 5.5lbs when he exited the shelter. Emaciated, dehydrated, tapeworms, starving to death. Had been there a month. And nearly died. He is safe now. But he is one of thousands who are neglected daily, all over the county, state and country

 

[F4iChic]

Dani, how long had this dog been at the shelter before he was killed? Did they hold him for the legal period they are required? What was the owner surrender reason?
I can help you write a letter asking for all of his records, which they are legally required to provide, but again, it is going to take a targeted effort to effect change at any shelter. A story of one animal doesn't have the impact required, so sorry to say.

And tell your daughter, from me, not to blame herself. This happens every day, at every shelter. Lies, broken promises, needless killing. Tell her if she wants to avenge his death, it is going to take true grit on her part. And she will likely lose her job if she becomes a whistle blower. If she is a volunteer they may ban her from volunteering, which is illegal but always happens.

Which shelter is it? Who runs it? Is it under the auspices of a police department?

As to the employees circling their wagons, to be expected. They don't want the public knowing the truth. Period. And they will lie to ensure the truth is never found out

 

[F4iChic]

I'm sure on mention to a local news station of animal cruelty will get their attention. I mean I really don't see this being a normal thing. Yes they're a kill shelter but they have guidelines to follow. this seems like it had malicious intent

good luck trying to get interest from a tv station regarding one dog. I'm sorry but you have to prove a systemic problem, provide facts, figures and evidence. No-one is going to go after a shelter based on the story of one animal

Trust me, I have been in these trenches for over a year and a half now, fighting for shelter reform in Contra Costa County. I know what I am talking about