Everyone. Every rescue group has gotten these letters- that's why Jodi and her cronies are having a tough time figuring out who is behind this website. This one came to us.
The public is calling for better than you, Jodi. Not just this person, but "everywhere she looks" people are telling her about the killing at Capital. Maybe that's why Franklin is so overwhelmed with dogs- because people KNOW that everthing is killed at CAHS, and of course, Franklin County is an open admission shelter for dogs only. I imagine that if there were an "open admission" alternative to Capital for cats in Columbus they'd be bursting at the seams too. But if they actually tried, and didn't have missing grant money, didn't have ongoing broken heating and ventilation systems while salaries sit at six figures, didn't send all their caring volunteers packing, I guarantee that you'd never hear a bad word about them, even if they did still have to euthanize. Sort of like- well, Franklin County Animal Control.
Here's the letter in it's entirety and our response following. We won't kid you- it felt great to respond with the honest truth. We made them aware of the problems at Capital and the reasons WHY so many groups in Central Ohio have to turn away her sweet kitten. We're encouraging every group to rail against Capital Area when they get the "I don't want to take here there because she'll just be killed" letters and give out our website. Use this blog as a template- maybe we'll post a downloadable one on the website for rescue groups to copy and paste.
Hi, My name is J. S. and I found a link to your website while looking up information on the Capital Area Humane Society. I was looking for information on them because last weekend just before we had the bitter wind chills I found an older kitten on our back porch. She was freezing and hungry. In fact she had been in the cold for about three days when we found her because our neighbor moved and left her cats behind. We figured we would take her in and try to find her a home. We have a fifteen year old cat who doesn't take well to other cats so we knew it would be a temporary thing. Unfortunately no one can take her, we have reached out to everyone in our network. I have either called or emailed every rescue organization in Central Ohio, most never responded back, the ones who did were full and everywhere I look I am told that if I take her to CAHS she will be killed. Obviously if I wanted that I would have just left her outside. She is a super sweet, well mannered cat and we would love to keep her however our cat that we have had has now stopped eating, my husband who has asthma which is normally controlled with medication is now wheezing constantly. I figured since you had such a stance against CAHS you could tell me where I could take her to help her find a home. Please help us!
Dear J.S.
We applaud you for bringing this kitten in from certain death in the cold. Please continue with the next step and look to your network of friends, relatives, co-workers, workout friends at the gym, fellow parents, church members, or anybody else who you may know that might be willing to take this kitty into their home. We are a watchdog group asking Capital Area Humane Society to take responsibility for their actions- many of our group are made up of those rescues you have already called I'm sure.
You should be furious that this kitten that is perfectly friendly and healthy will be facing certain death at the "humane society" after surviving the cold. With their facility, funding, staffing, resources, and long held connections with the Columbus Dispatch, why should this kitten not have a chance? We certainly are- understand that every rescue group in Columbus comes in a distant second to Capital Area in recognition, support, and funding. If any of those groups had half of what Capital had they would be fighting over the chance to place your sweet kitten. Capital Area has every resource to try and do better and they DON'T- ask yourself; why should their "executive board" be paid $70,000, $90,000, or $120,000+ if they can't do any better in their jobs than kill everything in their care? Than to kill your rescued kitten? It's not your job to find homes for homeless animals but it IS theirs- and obviously, they're paid VERY well for it!
This is why we have no answers for you right now on this problem. We are doing what we've been doing for 10 years or more- detouring every caring person away from the "door of doom" and begging them to take responsibility for the pet themselves. It should not be this way, and you should not stand for this behavior.
This correspondence will be posted on our blog but we will omit your name and contact information.
Coalition for Responsible Shelter Practices of Central Ohio
www.capitalarea.org
http://humanechange.blogspot.com
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7 comments:
I see that you were contacted by someone needing help with a cat and instead of helping the animals, you use the situation to incite anger and frustration.
Just have one of you wonderful former CAHS volunteers take the poor cat and find it a home. The person said that they are not able to keep it and that they have no resources.
Don't make this cat suffer. If all of the other rescue groups would have been honest and told her that she could try CAHS and this time of year the cat had a good chance at making up for adoption and she could always have them call to come get the cat if they deemed it unadoptable instead of the fear the other rescue groups shove down peoples throat of "THEY WILL KILL IT". They do rescue and adopt thousands of animals every year.
You didn't offer one bit of help or a solution for this person or this animal but I hope you sleep well tonight after sacrificing the poor cat to try to make CAHS look like the bad guy.
Why do you say that it is CAHS to take in strays but not the other rescue groups? If you say that it is a rescue groups job to find a home for all animals, then why do other rescue group get to refuse to take in animals?
I hope that CAHS becomes an appoinment only rescue group and then lets see how many animals are left on the street, hungry, diseased, injured, etc.
Your blog is nothing but a bunch of lifeless individual that think they have all the answers. Stop spending your energy, time and money on stopping another organization and take the poor cat in for the lady that says she can't keep it.
Great comments friends! This is exactly the kind of response we wanted... "why don't you take them in?" Well, we don't have a million dollar shelter, six-figure paid staff, and corporate sponsorships- but Capital Area does! We are angry with them for wasting all those resources, and like we said- if we had half of them, we'd be begging to take this persons kitten!
I couldn't have said it better myself. I agree 100% with both "anonymous" posts.
What you people don't understand is the sheer number of animals that pass through the shelter doors at CAHS EVERY SINGLE DAY. Owner surrenders, humane rescues, good samaritans, and plain old "doorstep dumps" ... there are hundreds of them EVERY SINGLE DAY. Cats, dogs, hampsters, rats, mice, iguanas, birds, ginuea pigs, bunnies, birds and turtles flood their intake office EVERY SINGLE DAY. Unfortunately a good number of them are sick, injured, diseased, abused and neglected. It is so unfortunate that not every one can be saved, but it is the tragic truth. That blame should not lay with the humane society (or any organization set forth to help animals)but rather on a public that deams animals as disposable and a government that does not have sufficient laws in place regarding the breeding, selling, and care of pets.
Instead of belittling the efforts made by the hard working, caring individuals at CAHS, perhaps you should take another look at your dogmatic and unrealistic view of how things should be done and start "getting real". While your revisiting that thought, perhaps you should also take time to look at the number of positive programs that CAHS has in place today. Maybe then the "numbers" will start making more sense. After all, we would want this to be a "one sided" blog, right?
It is so unfortunate that organizations such as yourself shed such a horrible (and inaccurate)view of CAHS. As stated in previous comments, once they are forced (by your negative publicity) to become an appointment only shelter - or worse - close their doors for good, the cats and other animals of Franklin and surrounding counties are truly, truly going to be the ones to suffer.
But, by all means, grab another stack of fliers and spread the word.
Well, I am glad that you have managed to take certain parts of my comment and take them out of context so that readers don't see the entire thing. Just like the media ... spin it how you want it to make the headline. At least you had the decency to post the entire thing in the comments section.
Once again you address me - just a commenter - as though I "am" CAHS. Yet another spin. I am not affiliated with them, I am just trying to get you to see another point of view. Obviously that is not going to happen. And you say I'm the one "drunk on whine".
Capital supporters:
Where's the missing grant money?
Why are other communities able to make such positive changes even while facing the same problems?
If the public is such a problem, why was ADVOCAT limited to one voucher per household per year?
So quick to defend... SO SLOW to take responsibility!
I'm curious Anonymous...if you are not associated with CHS, how do you know that they are hardworking, caring individuals?? How do you know the there are animals coming in EVERY SINGLE DAY? How do you know that everyone is picking on poor rich CAHS? Please you need to volunteer with a grassroots rescue group and see what they do with far, far less but have just as many adoptions. Oh and don't kill them to get rid of them.
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