It’s been a busy holiday(?) weekend, and a couple of updates are in order. There was a follow-up to the Animal Care and Control exposed story aired on WGN September 4 that was a written response from Animal Care and Control. Some of you may have seen it on my FB page or elsewhere, but I’ll include it at the end of the post for those of you who missed it.
To summarize, ACC responded through the press office saying there was no overcrowding at the facility(pants on fire!) and that at the time of the scheduled visit by the reporter there were no overcrowding problems to which statement the reporter agreed, but pointed out the documents WGN has clearly showing there are often nearly twice as many animals than space available. Imagine that. That is a real mess. Paula Fasseas, founder of PAWS, was quoted on the clip, blaming the overcrowding on the community. I don’t agree. It’s a lack of management issue. And since the initial September 1st report, I haven’t heard anything to disspell that notion.
I knew this “it’s the community’s fault” was a popular refrain years ago, but hasn’t the narrative long since changed? We really want the community to work with us, don’t we? We don’t blame people for turning their animals in, and we don’t want them releasing their pets on the streets.
The irresponsible owners make a lot of noise in the news, but really they are a small percentage of the animal loving population (I believe Petsmart did a study on this). It’s incumbent on shelters to work with people, help match the right pet for their lifestyles, find affordable training, provide written, easy to follow simple training tips and general facts about dogs or cats as they leave, and follow up for success. There’s more, but that’s another conversation. I simply think that blaming the community is counterproductive. It may serve to spin the conversation away from some ugly facts here, but neither looking away nor silence is the way to go – especially when that silence is costing lives.
And then came the taping of an upcoming Oprah show on which the ACC Director Cherie Travis appears. Oprah said she’d heard there’s been some controversy and Cherie laughed and said something about how she was just trying to save animals (this is from a friend who was in the audience, so no direct quotes, just concepts) . The problem with this is not just the laugh – however inappropriate, offensive, and arrogant that can appear to be.
The problem is that having Travis on Oprah’s show lends her credibility, gives her political cover, and actually confers Oprah’s blessing on her in the eyes of many people. with or without Oprah actually saying so. And that’s what works to sweep things under the rug…important things that demand attention.
If you don’t think dead, dying and sick animals housed with healthy animals is a laughing matter, act now: send an email through the Oprah website If at least 1000 respond, the show should pull her segment. If you care, don’t wait. Do it now please – there are only two days for this to happen or not. (There are several headings and emails so make sure you first go to the heading ”The Oprah Show” and click the second email under that heading, “send in your thoughts.”) The shelter animals who deserve better thank you!
Oh, and a note on Steve Dale’s Facebook said that Travis has pointed her finger at him, saying it was at his behest that WGN went undercover (and actually found things worth exposing)! See me shaking my head. Guess it’s Dale’s fault that she’s not such a great manager? You can’t make this stuff up…
I'm very optimistic that the public is beginning to see that a well managed pet shelter can be a place where people can find lifelong friends. They don't have to be killing fields if people demand that they are run intelligently.
Hi, Jan and I agree – we all have to help make it impossible for disasters like Toronto to happen if we can possibly catch bad management before it gets out of hand. And for that we need insiders to speak out. And when they do speak out and lose their jobs, leaving even less staff behind, I think it's up to all of us, the community, to honor those concerns by continuing to push the doors open wide, not dropping the ball after two stories, follow up with where are the vets, where are the improvements, where's the plan – how far along is any transition, what's the hold-up – it takes knowledgeable, focused management that does not demoralize employees, drive away volunteers and, tempting though it may be, run away from reporters at the first sign of trouble.
Hey Mary,
Totaly agree with your thoughts on Oprah and I'll send in my emails and encourage others to do so as well. What else can be done here? I'm not of the frame of mind to let this thing slide but could use some more direction as to what constites effective action. Thanks.
Thanks Chris – as you can see events tend to overtake intentions, but the question you posed about shelter improvements that requires a post to answer will get done and this will probably be as an example of how things can get out of control without good management.
You can make calls to City Hall, you can call investigative reporters and ask they not drop this. That's always the heartbreaker for whistleblowers and staff. They put their necks out, they get chopped, and the opportunity for significant change and transparency passes…(continued)
…You can send out the call on all your social media…you can blog, tweet, FB, Myspace, follow up with friends, be a nag, we have less than two days to make this WGN report and the mistakes made that cost animals lives *count* for something. Take a break to walk the dog, but that's it ;-D! People are very well meaning, but only 1 in 100 takes action.
Look – it took nearly a decade – 10 years! – and multiple investigative reports by Pam Zekman to close Pet Rescue in IL because Dept of Ag couldn't seem to get it together. So we all know how ineffective Dept of Ag can be. But the public reporting on TV is what we need to keep this process open. And with ACC looking into itself? Sure…Travis has not come up with a cogent argument to explain her management practices that cost the one life that we saw, and how many others due to improper housing? So if you have other ideas, please share! And thanks for your comment, Chris!
Thanks Mary. When the response to mismanagement of Animal Control is to blame the citizens of Chicago, you have to wonder why people actually think that's an argument. I think people just want to justify it in their minds. Not sure why anyone with zero experience in managing hundreds of animals would be given or even take the job. $$$ You would think if you loved animals, you would want better for them, she is clearly in over her head. I guess Mayor Daley doesn't view this Dept. as being very important.
Other avenues to help in the long run, if not for the Oprah Show.
The FOIA process (freedom of information act).
You can ask for any internal information regarding the animals. The cage cards, the health sheets, how many animals die in the shelter weekly, monthly, what are the actual procedures used for herd health? How many animals are in the shelter at any given time, how many are strays, how many are surrendered. After recieving these facts, the press may be more interested and these facts can also be posted, as they are public information.
Also, what about the reporter appearing on Oprah that exposed puppy mills,,,what about asking her to take a look at the conditions. She may not be too happy to be on the show with Cherie,,,,anyone have her contact info. ?
The dept. of ag. is still the governing agency and should not be ignored as such, they have changed the laws that allow them to at least cite and fine.
Welcome and thanks so much, karma, for your knowledgable response here! I had called WBBM's investigative team and left a message, to which I have had no response 24 hours later. The FOIA is an excellent and very useful approach to get inside operations in detail–at least people would have an idea of what's going on going forward. We know what was going on when no one was looking. Now we need to know what's changing and how to bring transparency to the process.
Thanks Mary, I’m sending the word out to try and get the 1000 sigs for the Oprah piece and I’ll try to keep the story going. Thanks for suggesting the FOIA Karma.
Thanks Chris;) Agree with karma that there's a need to plan ahead to keep track of what's happening at CACC.
No, I want the public to see just how arrogant this woman is. So please….air the segment! And tell EVERYONE to watch it.
Ha! Welcome,and thanks for the opposing idea. But editing being what it is…we'll just have to wait and see. There's a need to know what the management plan is going forward, how many vets are on the payroll and if there's coverage every day or not. Thanks for stopping by:)
How convenient. Deflect. Deflect. Deflect. Blame the public, blame Steve Dale, blame WGN. Where is ACC’s culpability in this? You mean they have none? Wow. So good to know they are so perfectly managed. Who knew? Working on my Oprah e-mail now.
To point the finger at ACC as a whole is wrong…look from the top down. Things were not this bad until Cherie came on board. No respect for her employees either..she wants to blame them for the WGN story. This is a matter of poor management, no communication to employees other then "Do it or be held accountable!" (which is said A LOT…there is no positive feedback given to staff! It is a culture of working under fear of suspension/termination), and supervisors being given so much work out of the scope of their actual jobs, they do not have time to properly supervise their employees. Add on top of that, their budget being cut so they cannot order proper supplies or hire more staff to actually run the place, as well as the Mayor and City Council not giving ACC its proper respect in governmental operations, and you have a recipe for disaster. So some of this is not Cherie's fault….a good deal of it yes..it is….but not all of it. Take a step back, and look at the bigger picture here folks. Instead of Paula Fasseas trying so hard to keep Cherie in her job which she is obviously not cut out for, take that energy and get the damn Mayor and City Council to take animal control seriously! There are smaller cities with 60% higher budget and more then ONE shelter for animal control as opposed to what Chicago has. We should be the best and the standard for others to follow, not a joke and a sad laughing stock in the animal welfare world.
Co-founder of no-kill shelter hounds DuPage animal control officials, doesn't back down until manager is fired and reforms are made
In April, PACT revealed–through photos and Freedom of Information Act requests–that the county had been selling hundreds of cat and dog carcasses every year to a Wisconsin biological-supply company that sells the cadavers for use in science classes.
"I will say this, that as we sit here today, I think we are recognizing the fact that we need to make some changes in animal control, and if Cherie Travis said things that caused us to recognize that, then she should be given some credit for doing that," he said.
Okay..so what is the problem with selling deceased animals that will be used to educate vet students? Only thing I can think of is that people will be outraged that they are using someones pet for this. I can understand that point of view, but again…if the cadavers are being used to educate future vets so they can help save the living, what is the issue? I also find it highly hypocritical that Travis would target the Director at DuPage county over ONE SICK DOG, when animals were dying daily in their cages under her watch.
I had not heard of animals dying *daily* in their cages…can you explain what you are referring to?
I apologize Mary…should of been more specific. Animals are found dead in cages at ACC daily. Okay..they get sick and injured animals all the time, but when the dead are animals that have been there for months waiting for one of the 115 (lol..suuuuuuuure Cherie..riiiiiiiiiight!) rescues to come save them. So..outrage over a sick dog at DuPage Cty, but no outrage over dead animals every day at CACC? Either the Pro Cherie Bunny Huggers are so blind in their support and have very short memories, or they just do not care.
Oh, no apologies needed, the news just shocked me! And sorry it's taken me a couple days to respond, a sudden rush of work. I know animals can come in dying, but if animals are just dying (and here's the other shocker) after months? Is this a new policy to keep dogs for months? I'd not heard of that. Steve Dale was on a WGN radio program with Marcella Raymond offering more details and Dale also has this information of animals dying every day. Apparently there are photos of that. There's lots of pieces to this puzzle that seem to be coming together. Thanks Animal Defender for your information and your comments!
When making a shift in philosophy there must be forethought. To begin lessening euthanasia by housing more animals there needs to be preperation including knowing what temporary housing wjll be used before cages are available, fosters in the wings, rescues scheduled, volunteer support for the extra work involved and increased veterinary oversight to determine illness and stress levels. Reducing manpower and putting too much too fast into the shelter is a recipe for the animals to become overcrowded, ill and poorly cared for due to all of the factors above. These are some of the reasons and in no way an excuse for what has occured. A community collaboration does not happen simply by announcing "we are full now Community and Rescues DO YOUR JOB" this will not work, relationships need to be built. I was optomistic that Cherie had enough ties in the rescue community from PACT to build a well managed transfer program, but that seems to have backfired due to alienating and belittling behavior coming from Cherie. Also announcing 300 cats that need rescue followed by a great weekend of 6 adoptions leads me to ask "what about the other 294? "
continued…
Cherie has the ability to implement programs with drive, but sadly has extremely unbalanced and unpredictable behavior towards people. She will work with you one minute and stab you swift and hard in the next breath without provocation. Even with that said, with oversight she could do more good than evil, but that is the undying optomist in me.
Cherie is politically protected and comingles among influencial animal advocates. While this can be her greatest assest she must not alienate the smaller rescues willing to help, PACT is small but deserving of respect and she should show the rescues working with CACC the respect she hoped to have while founding PACT.
It has been to the dismay of Cherie to find deceased animals often, (in fact she raised kane), but to yell and discipline while continuing to stack , double up and demand more from a limited ever dwindling staff and rely on mechanisms and programs that are only fledgling to solve the issues immediatly has proven disasterous and at the cost of the well being of the animals.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Karma, especially referencing the shift in philosophy. Sorry so late in responding! A lot of what you say I have also heard from inside sources. There are many elements that need to be in place to take on a no kill mission by a City animal control agency, all of which I am sure she is well aware. Keeping cats in carriers with no litter pans and no room to move is not a good plan. Even though this job is really all about working with others, you have to manage the change, explain it to the public, explain it to staff, show everyone the plan and what's realistically within reach. She is a "my way or highway" kind of gal IMO, and someone who can't work with others is most likely to fail in this effort.
You said she (Cherie) raised kane? Was the ourage due to the deceased animal or that she found it? I would slant to the fact that she found it in clear sight so others could see! If the deceased animal was disposed of or hidden from view there would be no ourage. Daley Machine – You yell and scream shrug your shoulders and say "I had no idea!" works for the city of chicago officials for centuries so why should Cherie be any different? Cut from the same mold!