sadness

JMC wrote: Wonderful to hear, PDM will try once again I am sure. We all want the best life for all our animal friends. Forum wars should not matter. We have offered to merge lost and found threads and have been rejected. (you benefit more) was the response. Thanks for finally responding . PC will only act if pressured not for the best interests of the animals. SAD! Lets hope the animals can finally have the most support.

So if forum wars should not matter, why take a shot at PC later in the very same post?

JMC wrote: I for one has not ripped the management of IMHS, I admire their work and dedication. I will continue to support their efforts.

Really? Earlier in the thread you said this.

JMC wrote: I will not ever support IMHS again until there is a new management team in place. I will support other worthy animal groups until then.

Sounds like ripping the management to me.

*

Underground wrote:

JMC wrote: Wonderful to hear, PDM will try once again I am sure. We all want the best life for all our animal friends. Forum wars should not matter. We have offered to merge lost and found threads and have been rejected. (you benefit more) was the response. Thanks for finally responding . PC will only act if pressured not for the best interests of the animals. SAD! Lets hope the animals can finally have the most support.

So if forum wars should not matter, why take a shot at PC later in the very same post?

JMC wrote: I for one has not ripped the management of IMHS, I admire their work and dedication. I will continue to support their efforts.

Really? Earlier in the thread you said this.

JMC wrote: I will not ever support IMHS again until there is a new management team in place. I will support other worthy animal groups until then.

Sounds like ripping the management to me.

Your agenda is known and I will support the animals regardless of my disagreements with management,but I will give more to the organizations that i feel are well run. Please see the post that 285bound will donate for all adaptions regardless of where. You know that I know you and wish you would be honest and disclose your motives and identity.Quit being a coward. Until I was banned from PC , I let people know who I was, do the same.

JMC wrote: You agenda is known and I will support the animals regardless of my disagreements with management,but I will give more to the organizations that i feel are well run.

Huh? I didn't even know I HAD an agenda. I was simply drawing attention to the contradiction in your posts.

You know that I know you

I don't believe you DO know me. I certainly don't know you.

and wish you would be honest

I have made precisely 4 posts on this forum prior to this one. In not one of them I have done anything dishonest. What are you talking about?

and disclose your motives and identity.

My motive was to point out a contradiction in your posts. Nothing more. And I'm sure as hell not going to disclose my identity on this forum.

Maybe you should PM me and tell me who you think I am. Then I'll tell you if you're correct. I have no links to IMHS or Pinecam, if that's what you're thinking.

Edited to add:
Looks like you added this portion while I was typing my reply.

JMC wrote: Quit being a coward. Until I was banned from PC , I let people know who I was, do the same.

I pointed out a contradiction in your posts. That's being a coward? Again, I'm pretty sure you do NOT know me.

Good hearing from you Creaturekeeper.

So, why didn’t my husband and I offer our heated garage, caging, money to buy supplies? Why didn’t any of you? Because we weren’t afforded the opportunity to help. I have no doubt that between staff, board members, volunteers, foster homes, Pinecammers and 285Bounders, we could have helped IMHS accomplish another extraordinary feat.

The above quote sums it up for me. If they had reached out, perhaps this could have been avoided ? Such a sad situation.

rldbailey wrote: Thanks for expanding more on this situation CreatureKeeper. I was wondering when you would chime in and I'm glad you did!

For the record, I'm the other staff member that helped during that outbreak in 2007. As your Assistant Shelter Manager during that time, I didn't always agree with the shelter operations and decisions, but I did my best, as did you, to see it through. I am still supportive of the organization and will continue to do so in the future.

I can only hope that people in this community will step up and help by donating and bringing positive solutions instead of trying to rip the current shelter management apart. Believe it or not, this is one of the hardest jobs you will ever do and still be one of the most rewarding!!!!

BTW - I still have Ruthie the cat and Emily the dog!!!!

I moved here after 2007 so never knew the details of that outbreak until now. I just want to thank you both for your hard work, time and effort during that difficult time. I am certain the end result of seeing almost all of the cats recovered and ready for their adoptive families was very rewarding. Thank you!

I agree with every sentiment shared above and just want to add that "bringing positive solutions" is so important. Supporting a loved one or an organization doesn't mean you agree with every action they take. It takes courage to try to effect positive change when you encounter a belief or policy you don't agree with.

Some put much too much emphasis on monetary contributions as being the best form of support...often thinking of the control that is associated with it. I think the form of support that makes the bigger difference is individual participation. If nothing else, maybe the events of last week coupled with CK's sharing of her experiences and perspective of the past will help motivate more of us to participate and make a difference.

This is my first post to 285Bound. I was the foster parent that Creature Keeper mentioned in her previous email. Last year IMHS euthanized 5 kittens that I had fostered after they learned that they had ringworm. The photo next to my name is of those 5 sweet kittens. I had been working with them, socializing them and loving them for several weeks before they returned to IMHS for a few days to be spayed/neutered. During neutering, it was suspected that they had ringworm. I wasn’t told about this and I had been trying to visit the kittens for a couple of weeks after this while they were being kept at one of IMHS staff member’s homes nearby. But I kept being put off. It wasn’t until I insisted on seeing them that I was finally told that they had already been euthanized because of ringworm. I was shocked and heartbroken. Why hadn’t they told me – or asked if I could help? During the previous outbreak of ringworm at IMHS the year prior I also had a litter of kittens I was fostering for them – all with ringworm. I successfully treated all 4 of those kittens at my home (and had 3 cats of my own) and they all found loving, adoptive homes. How simple it would have been for IMHS to pick up the phone and ask if I would be willing to do it again. I would have gladly used my own money to take care of those kittens, as well as found permanent homes for them should IMHS wish to relinquish their responsibility for them. But I was never given that opportunity.

After trying to get over the initial shock, anger and grief, I decided I needed to express my feelings and thoughts to the IMHS Board of Directors. My husband and I went to their meeting and spoke of how much it hurt to know that the kittens we had loved and cared for were now dead because no one would ask for help. More importantly I expressed my desire to help to insure that this never had to happen again. I offered to put together some thoughts for how this could be accomplished, and I was encouraged by the board to do so. They said they would contact me shortly with their reply and tell me how I could be involved in the solution. In the meantime I spent countless hours doing research and writing a proposal offering to organize a program that could call upon volunteers to care for infectious animals in the future. I would provide my time and personal resources to run this program. I received a kind letter from the veterinarian who had euthanized the kittens, also on the Board of Directors, explaining why they had made the decision to put them down. I received no thank you, no apology, and no one ever contacted me again asking for my help or ideas. My proposal still sits on my computer.

What I would like to see is a staff and Board of Directors at IMHS that knows how to utilize the community resources that are there and willing to help them in a crisis. When Creature Keeper was there, she and her staff faced an outbreak of ringworm in Oct 2007. Creature Keeper was very effective in pulling together people to move the entire cattery to a safe location, and help clean and refurbish the place. All of those cats were also susceptible to the ringworm outbreak – but because of her close ties and positive relationships with the community, the community rallied. All of those cats survived and now have loving adoptive homes. Perhaps it would have been a big chore to pull this off again, but we never know how the community would have helped if no one asks. I for one would have been there to take 5 cats home to care for in my basement, at my own personal expense, for as long as it took. Don’t you think there are 5 or 6 other people in our community who would have also offered their assistance?

Through their lack of response to my concerns and offer of help this Board of Directors has communicated to me their lack of interest in my thoughts or suggestions. I know Creature Keeper had also tried to implement a new policy that would have helped save these cats from their demise. But this Board has decided to make their decisions in private without concern for the reaction in their community. It seems euthanasia is too easy an alternative. Perhaps it’s time for a change. I for one would step up if there were other like-minded people, willing to once again make this a very low kill shelter.

I agree that it is time for a change. To prevent any more of these heartbreaking situations. It seems that there were many that would have helped these cats, myself being one of them. But no one could help because no one knew about it until after the fact. Unfortunately the past can't be changed, all we can hope is that if something like this happens again, people will be made aware so that they can help to prevent something this terrible and wrong from happening again

I was hoping you would weigh-in when ready. I value your opinions and eager to schedule that "tea" time. It looks like we have much to catch up on while waitng for the little desserts.

CreatureKeeper wrote: During my experiences working with the community I found that this is an amazing group of individuals who step-up when duty calls. I’m very happy to be a part of this community. So, why didn’t my husband and I offer our heated garage, caging, money to buy supplies? Why didn’t any of you? Because we weren’t afforded the opportunity to help. I have no doubt that between staff, board members, volunteers, foster homes, Pinecammers and 285Bounders, we could have helped IMHS accomplish another extraordinary feat.

I know there are some great and giving people in our community. I don't know that I agree with your above assessment...but sure hope you are right and I am wrong.

CreatureKeeper wrote: As it stands, IMHS is on one end of the “low-kill shelter” spectrum….really one step away from an “open intake” shelter in which animals are euthanized for space. The other end of the spectrum is an animal sanctuary which, I’m sure everyone agrees, is not appropriate for IMHS (at it’s current location, for sure!) either. So, what is it that YOU, the supporting community, the community this shelter is supposed to serve, wants??? If you want IMHS to operate further away from their current location in that spectrum, you’re going to have to get involved and do something about it. The board and staff do not own the organization. The organization is membership driven which means paid members get to decide who they elect to represent their philosophies on shelter management and euthanasia. Being involved does require a commitment so you all need to decide how important this is to you.

In case you’re interested, I believe board meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of each month, 6:30pm at the Elk Creek Fire Department building on Richmond Hill. The general membership meeting is held in May and the current board is required to not only notify current members, but also post a public notice. Each member is allowed to vote; memberships may be purchased online, at the shelter and even at the door of the membership meeting. If you’re considering a donation to help offset any costs the shelter incurred with this ringworm infestation, make an investment by signing up for a membership….then participate!

CK has shared her perspective and an option for consideration for those that are honestly interested in effecting change. Change starts with each of us. If we want to help effect change we need to invest our time. Can IMHS' policies and/or direction be improved upon? Can each of us find ways to improve ourselves as a person? Nothing is perfect. If you want to try to effect a positive change to prevent another outbreak in the shelter, or the subsequent course of action taken, then evaluate for yourself how best to do so. Fighting on the internet over "the other site" or pulling of our ample contributions isn't productive in bringing about change, IMHO.

I continue to support the IMHS staff and the many volunteers I have met and work with each week. They have heart and work hard under the stresses of the economy. I would like to think that all would welcome increased involvement and participation from community members. So, CK is right. Being involved does take a commitment. She has shared one feasible way of trying to effect change if you agree with that approach. I look forward to seeing a significant increase in IMHS memberships over the next few weeks.

Peace to all~

I am very hopeful that the open communications forum provided by 285bound will help to prevent this from ever happening again.

IMO, open communications is the best tool we have for effecting positive change. Without it, we have no idea what needs to be changed, or how to approach it.

IMHS, are you willing to work with (all) the community to improve the situation?

I believe the comments posted here show that the community is ready.

Let's do it!