sadness

Becky wrote: We would not have even known there was a problem if it had not been for some "keyboard advocate" somewhere!

Just curious.....Did IMHS worry about the effect the decision to euthanize 23 animals would have on their reputation? Did they worry that it might hurt their organization?
I am of the belief that we need to keep the accountability where it really belongs.

And to answer your question......

Why does the public have a say?

The answer..... They rely on private donations from the public to function.

My observation about POS is just a side note.
( I am now off to the Nursing home to help my 87 year old Mom through another day of physical therapy) Key Board advocate signing off.

Tell Mom hi!

Yes, it would appear that IMHS needs some assistance in public relations and crisis management. Any keyboard advocates willing to accept this role?

I saw the Channel 7 news story last night. What made me most sad was that the shelter manager had no regrets and would have made the same choice again. Really... even after hearing this outcry from the community and our other vets - you really see no other option? That is very frightening to me. Is no one there listening??

I do not like the “hidden agendas” that I see emerging here


1. Saveintermountainanimals sent out what I felt to be an intentionally inflammatory email . To me, it felt very US (the old) vs. THEM (the new). I don’t like the feeling of a coalition being formed. Now, if the email had stated that they want to working WITH the board for positive (and implementable) changes, that would have been better and I would be on board 100%. Nothing good can come from pitting people against one another.

2. I am saddened to see other local area vets (who are competing for business, by the way) use this opportunity to publicly inflame. If they truly want to help the animals, then I would ask them to please conduct themselves in a more professional and ethical manner.

I am not a vet, but I have been a veterinarian hospital manager for a large practice and large boarding facility. “so what” you say? I only offer that to add some credibility to my observations and to state that I DO KNOW that nothing is black and white and can be neatly put in a box. Shelters and boarding facilities offer a very unique set of challenges. Ones that are best understood by the professionals.

NOW is the time for us to SHINE as a COMMUNITY, not tear each other down. Let’s stop this now.

Can we move on from anger to a more positive phase of this and focus on solutions now?


Until proven otherwise, I will assume innocence, and work within the existing infrastructure that has been established to help in any way that I can. I would offer this as sound advice to anyone else that sincerely wants to help.

Ooooh, I love it when you bring out the charts! Go, Wily!

2. I am saddened to see other local area vets (who are competing for business, by the way) use this opportunity to publicly inflame. If they truly want to help the animals, then I would ask them to please conduct themselves in a more professional and ethical manner.

Who are these vets competing with? I don't understand. Three of them seem united on the subject. I feel they have been more than professional.

Are you insinuating that they are speaking for financial reasons and not looking out for the best interest of these animals? I have seen no evidence of that at all. And I think that is very subjective and insulting.

Edited to add-And I am very impressed that they risked their business to actually post publicly for these animals.

residenttroll wrote: How many of the posters on this board would have adopted a sick cat, spend time medicating it, and purchased the required treatments?

If it didn't mean also finding somewhere else for my son and husband to live while I treated the cat - their allergies are severe - then i would. When we adopted our eldest dog, she was very ill, and very afraid of men. We paid for her treatment, and got her over her fear. Not the first time I've treated animal injuries and illnesses.

Steve-o - if that's what you've done, then good. There are others here that haven't, and just bitch and whine. So perhaps I unfairly singled you out when I should have been talking to them.

I have already stated I would have taken 5 of the cats - I have treated several of the IMHS cats with ringworm previously. And I would do it at my own expense.

Wily, are you going to the board meeting next week?

yes I am. I going to write up proposal for a more formalized review process and offer to facilitate it. You wanna go?

There are many people who would take in sick pets. I fostered a dog with a cough and was assured it wasn't kennel cough. It was. We went through two months of him coughing up blood off and on and he was getting vet care. I adopted the dog.

I also took in a dog that was 25% underweight, not potty trained and got him back to normal. Adopted him too.

I don't say this for kudos. I am saying this because lots of people are willing to step forward and help. They just need to know about it.

Remember a few years ago when IMHS had to clean everything for whatever the problem was? Remember when they almost went under? Did the community not pull together to keep them running?

I think that's one of the main points. We, the community, didn't know, so couldn't help. And that makes us angry. Because if that had been done, those cats could have been saved.

And while I do not serve on the board, I donate anonymously quite frequently.