'Underqualified, Overpaid Incompetents' and the need for local animal control reform

Dr. Helen Kamp, a veterinarian that formerly worked for the animal control department with the St. Louis County Department of Health, is looking to reform how animal control is run in the county.

In her plea to the council, she has detailed how many underqualified individuals have been hired for high-paying jobs. She also pointed to a fatal dog attack that occurred in January 2007 that could have been avoided if proper animal control protocol had been followed - -however, when a woman was severely attacked by her son's dog that required her to be hospitalized, animal control did not act on the incident, and the woman was then killed by the same dog 3 weeks later.

Among her other complaints include the overall lack of exercise, enrichment and socialization for animals at the shelter - causing greater stress for the animals and making them harder to adopt.  While the county is working on opening a new shelter, Kamp doesn't think it will have the impact that people hope.  "A new shelter with mismanagement on the inside isn't any better than the facility now, it's a new facility with inept employees."

St. Louis County's issues are not unique.

Last month, YesBiscuit! provided a ton of information about similar issues plaguing the shelter in Charlotte, NC.  One of the shelter's key volunteers is seeking reforms there,  There are some rampant examples of poor management, leadership and decision-making at the shelter -- including a series of inappropriate photos taken "for fun" of animals that were in a clearly sedated state that were posted on Facebook, and "accidentally" killing a family's two 'pit bulls'' when they knew the owner was coming to get the dogs.  The public has been up-in-arms about the problem, and have made several recommendations for improvements.

These issues are far too common -- and include horrible situations where a 'pit bull' with pink toenail polish was killed in Toledo without the opportunity find a clearly caring owner, a puppy that was starved to death in the Memphis shelter, and a cat that somehow got trapped in the walls at Dallas animal control being allowed to starve to death there by the animal control employees.

This is not to say that every person that works in animal control in every city is abusive and incompetent. Certainly there are a lot of animal control and city employees who really do care about animals and do their best to make a positive difference for animals in their communities.

Unfortunately, there are a large number who exist in taxpayer-funded shelters who are incompetent, and who do not care.

Replacing these animal control and shelter directors is imperative in the communities that are doing it wrong.  It is past time to insist that animal control positions be legitimate city services -- vs afterthoughts. This includes not only providing appropriate public safety for people from aggressive and otherwise dangerous animals, but also provide a true safety net for the animals that have been failed by their owners. 

The animals need us to insist that city governments replace incompetent leaders with those who are both competetent and compassionate. 

 

Comments

[Nokillhouston]

"Unfortunately, there are a large number who exist in taxpayer-funded shelters who are incompetent, and who do not care."

There are a lot of people who do not care in the "non-profit" kill shelters as well and they kill just as many animals, or more, as the taxpayer funded shelters. (We have 3 non-profit kill shelters in Houston doing just that).

I want to know what gives these people the right to kill thousands of animals .... because they have a 501(c)(3) designation? That shouldn't give them the right to kill? I didn't see the right to kill animals listed anywhere in our 501 documents.

If individuals killed thousands of healthy and treatable pets, they would be charged with a crime. Having a "non-profit" designation or putting the word "shelter" behind their name, should NOT give these orgs the right to kill carte blanche.

[Randy]

Great article (once again). We have the same problem here in Gwinnett Ga. Police Department appointed a new shelter director with no more experience in running a shelter then your average pet owner.

Loving pets isn't a qualification when management skills are lacking. I only wish all no kill advocates would understand the significance of "regime change" in implementing the No Kill Equation.

[Brent]

Thanks Randy.

I'd suggest that most of them do understand the need for regime change....

[incest@lhs]

We have similar situations Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City, NJ. They have banned volunteers for speaking out, and then sued them. Several pages were started on Facebook to inform the public...all were taken down for exposing too much truth. You can follow this story here:

http://animaladvocatesuncensored.blogspot.com/

[As the World Turns in KCKS]

Boy, Brent you hit the nail on the head this time!

What's really sad, some of these cities i.e. Kansas City, Kansas have even invested hours and hours with appointed task forces to make improvements.

Until city and county governments are held accountable for the people they place in AC jobs, progress will not be made. This is when the tax paying public really needs to stand up and make their voices heard.

[Deb Sullivan]

Same thing in Arizona. I am an animal control officer and I am saying enough is enough, our government is so corrupt. (The good old boys) they cover up and protect each other. As you may have already suspected, I am no longer there. But this is not stopping me. I am going undercover to expose the negligence and abuse in other shelters in our state and then to the states attorney and then to the media. We will see what happens. I recommend contacting Guardians of rescue in New York. They have been doing the shelter reform thing for quite awhile and are now spreading out to other states.

[kmk]

If a dog attacks me and injures me badly enough to put me in the hospital, I think I can figure out what needs to happen without calling Animal Control. And this was the victim's son's dog? Yikes. I might have to kill the dog and beat my kid with the body.

I think we all know most cities look at Animal Control and shelters as a nuisance. Animals are always dead last when it comes to funding. How many times do we hear or read about a serious dog attack, only to find out there have been repeated calls to animal control about the dog running loose, biting people, etc., and nothing was done?

Back in 1987 Independence, Missouri talked about BSL (the first time). Several residents pointed out that the shelter was in a deplorable state (it's still there, by the way), people walking around town carried Louisville sluggers and it wasn't just because of "pit bulls", and half the town turned their dogs loose at 5:30 p.m. because that's when Animal Control went off-duty (there was a Chow in our old neighborhood and you could literally set your watch by that dog's appearance at our back fence). When residents asked how the city would pay to enforce BSL when they weren't currently providing sufficient basic services, one councilmember replied, "We'll find the money". You can't make this up! How about finding the money to build a new shelter and enforce the leash law instead?

The whole BSL thing started because two "pit bulls" were running loose in a councilmember's daughter's neighborhood.

*groan*

[Joni]

The people of the community have to stand up and demand better of their shelters and their government leaders. Action speaks louder than words, so don't go by what the shelter and gov leaders are sending out to the media just to sound good, check the records and see what is really going on.

[kmk]

Joni - I couldn't agree more. You know how cities have those programs where you can ride along with the police? They should institute "ride-a-longs" with Animal Control and all councilmembers should have to go on rides AND work at the shelter. If they voted for BSL or MSN or some other stupid law they need to be in the front office when a family comes in with crying kids and a dog they can't keep. Then they need to be there when the dog is killed.

That would stop a lot of this crap.

[gale]

Brent, you should have checked out Helen Kamp before quoting her in your blog. She is not who she proposing herself to be.

As a rescue who used deal with her as a high end vet and then had to deal with her as animal control in St. Louis county, I have no respect for the woman. She was not rescue friendly, did not like pit bulls, and rude to her employees. Please do another article on the other side of Dr. Kamp and the set backs she caused

[Brent]

Gale,

You are right, I don't know Ms Kamp. I do know her complaints about animal control are legitimately common throughout animal welfare. I also know there are a lot of people who think they are 'right' who end up being a big part of the problem -- by being not rescue friendly, having breed biases and being overall rude to employees (and potential adopters).

It is unfortunate that Ms. Kamp may be one of these people...