Pets Alive is not looking for the Port Jervis Humane Society to close down.
We are looking for a better level of care, commitment and compassion for the animals in your care.
No animal shelter in the HISTORY of these battles has EVER won when the public has taken on this cause. The public in your neighborhood WILL see change. We urge you to join WITH us to make changes at your shelter that are positive and worthwhile, and that encourage volunteering and care for the animals in your facility.
Stone walling us, blocking all of us and every negative post on facebook will not work. That is always the first step that shelters take when fighting these things but I have been involved in many of these battles and you never “win” that way.
Once it is out, it is out, and now is the time for you to do the right thing and step up and fix the issues.
We are committed to helping you, if you will accept it.
Next you will likely try to sue everyone involved. Reread my blog carefully. You can sue anyone you like – but in the end you will lose, and this is about fixing things at Port Jervis, not shutting you down. This is about the animals…not YOU vs US.
Chose to move forward. Embrace the community. Let them help you now to go to the next level – a BETTER level than where you have been operating the past few years. When you WANT to fix things, when you WANT change, when you WANT to stop killing, the community will support and embrace you…even now.
Never has a shelter killing animals and with a sub-standard level of care been able to win a battle once the community has stepped up and said ENOUGH. Work with us now to go forward and help the animals in your care find homes instead of death.
To that end, we suggest the following:
1. Your board president, Lisa Eagean should immediately step down or be replaced.
SHE was responsible for the care and conditions there and for the staffing. She needs to be replaced with someone that can take you to a better place.
2. Immediate reinstatement of volunteers that have been banned from the facility. WELCOME volunteers that want to see better conditions for animals – THESE volunteers will HELP you to get there.
3. Stop requiring confidentiality agreements for volunteers. If volunteers see something wrong, they MUST be able to speak out and seek change. In addition, whistleblowers in NY would be exempt from your agreement ANYWAY, so what is your purpose? There is NO reputable animal organization that requires a confidentiality agreement from their volunteers.
4. Change policy on euthanasia. All euthanasia should be done by a well educated, licensed euthanasia tech and should be handled, witnessed and assisted by two people.
5. Prior to euthanasia all animals should be given an opportunity to go into foster, adoption or another rescue willing and able to take them.
6. Immediate training for staff on animal care, animal intake, animal quarantine and animal health.
7. Disposal of all food infested with maggots or bugs, and a plan implemented for safe storage of all animal food.
Pets Alive is willing to help the Port Jervis Humane Society in ALL of these ventures.
- We are willing to have your staff come here and work alongside our staff for animal care training, medical training and quarantine practices.
- We are willing to send OUR staff to you to work with you for the next few weeks, or months, to get the level of care up in your facility and to train on cleaning and organization procedures.
- We are willing to have you join us in all our adoption events and fund raising events to help get your animals placed and in good homes.
- We are willing to send a mass mailing to our volunteers and request their assistance in volunteering at your facility to help your dogs and cats get socialized, their emotional needs met and their environments improved.
- We are willing to work with you on creating a free range cat room so your cats are not forced into such small cages.
However else you feel we can assist you to change things and provide better and more humane care for your animals, we are willing to do.
Don’t shut everyone out, try to block everyone from knowing the truth, obfuscate or deny. It is already out there. Work with us now, and accept our help (and our volunteers and our staff help) to FIX things and make you a viable and loving shelter for animals that find their way to you.
Will you accept the challenge and dedicate yourselves to fixing things or continue this horrible battle and escalate it to the next level?
Is it about YOU and your egos? Or is it about the animals in your care and finding better alternatives for them.
Why would you NOT accept this offer of free help, free training, free labor and assistance in fund raising and adoptions?
If you WANT to help your animals, reach out to us.
WE want to help them.
We hope you really do too.
Beautifully said, Kerry! There is only one response for them and that is YES, please help us!!
I hope for the sake of the animals, this letter works. Way to go!!
Well Written as always Kerri and so very Generous on the Part of Pets Alive to step up to the plate and offer assistance. But don’t be surprised if they do not accept it. I am a local resident there and as you see by their actions on Facebook, they are not very friendly, just belligerent and defensive. Most of the community is the same way. You may get more results contacting the Town Supervisor of Deerpark. Good Luck!!!
Beautiful letter! I adopted a dog three months ago that would have been killed in Poughkeepsie. Thankfully my friend shared his journey and now he is a part of our family. The people running this slum should accept help or leave. It is horrible to think of all the animals that have been harmed, needlessly killed and destroyed.
How can they refuse the offer? If they do, it only supports the lack of morale they are displaying for themselves.
Please remember as everyone is reading these posts and commenting on them…for better or worse….the goal of all animal lovers is to care for these babies as best we can until a home can be found for them.
Posting all these negative things back and forth between Pets Alive and PJHS is not helping the animals at all. The shelter in PJ depends on donations to keep animals and care for them. The more people you scare away from the shelter or persuade them to stop donating means more animals turned away. They do not have an endless supply of funds and like any business or charity has to do the best with what they have. What I see coming from these bullying tactics online is nothing good.
If you all sincerely want to help, stop writing about it in your living rooms or at work and pick up the phone. Call the Board President and or the Shelter manager and talk to them about your concerns. Ask them personally about the issues reported to you (not sure if you’ve seen anything first hand or are solely relying on others for your information) and what plans they currently have in place to make improvements. Then come back here and blog about actual conversations you’ve had person to person and the results. Or go there and offer to be a volunteer. do you have to receive a personal invitation to do that?
Anyone can sit behind a keyboard and write/type whatever they feel at the moment be it true or not. But people that truly want to make a difference will act with decency and respect and take thoughtful action.
I would also ask that you refrain from commenting on people’s ethics and morals that you don’t even know…..or that you haven’t spoken to personally about your concerns (as our mothers used to say “Do unto others as you’d have them do to you”).
I don’t know everyone at the PJHS shelter but I do know there are people there because they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE animals. I know a person there that has tears in her eyes when animals are turned in in such terrible shape you’re not sure how they survived this long. I know a person there that brings home animals even though they already have many of their own just to keep them alive. I know a person there that drove an animal hours and hours away to get them to someone that really wanted him. I know a person that works there without getting paid because she wants to make a difference and she works more hours at her “real” job than most people I know. My point is that even if some of the things you have written about happened in the past it’s possible there is more to the story than what was provided here. It’s possible that action has been taken already, even before you posted about it. It’s possible that someone may have had an ax to grind and it’s also possible that there were some people working there or volunteering that just weren’t top notch or that didn’t care as much as they should. We see that everywhere, ever day. It’s not acceptable but as long as there are some good people there that really care these issues will surface and be corrected immediately.
I hope PJHS responds positively to this thoughtful letter. All differences must be put aside as we try to improve conditions for the animals, and in doing so we will eventually make our world a better place for everyone.
Positive, good actions can only result in a win-win situation for everyone.