Reader Cindy Russell attended the MAS Advisory Board meeting tonight and took notes. The following are excerpts from her notes:
Apparently the MAS AB thought we’d be really rowdy so, Memphis, with your taxpayer dollars you got 3 police officers (nice gentlemen) and 3 police cars at the main library. You’ll be happy to know that we rowdy animal lovers who just want to see some COMPASSION (more about that in a moment) shown to the animals who, for no fault of their own, find themselves at MAS actually behaved ourselves.
Interim shelter administrator Rogers – told us that he had a lot of employees who were “shocked” and “touched” by the charges brought against people they had worked with. He has nicely arranged for Employee Assistance Program counseling to help them.
Mr. Rogers – when asked if he had animals responded that he had a pet when young and “you know how city life goes; it got hit by a car.”
Mr. Rogers – regarding that training … train them, test them, if they score 50, train them some more, test them, maybe they score 70, train them some more, test them again … etc…
Mr. Rogers – when he lectured the audience on using the word COMPASSION. How everyone has a different definition. How he needs to train his people to be compassionate.
Census as of 5pm today: 53 cats, 197 canines.
Jan/Feb 2011 euthanized 1756 animals (76.2%) and for same period this year they euthanized 981 (52.1%).
Nice that bosses defend their employees and Mr. Rogers definitely defended the MAS employees. They need to be RETRAINED because you don’t know any better “if what you’ve been taught is wrong.”
Don Siemer put forth a motion to do away with choke poles / rabies poles / control poles (seems there’s some nicer ways to “spin” these devices). No one on the board would second his motion. Such brave advisory board members. They could have seconded his motion and then held a discussion. But it was obvious that the rest of the board was uncomfortable with having that discussion.
It was noted that there are NO security cameras in the euthanasia room. Given that’s supposedly where the heinous acts were committed that the undercover officer reported, the audience asked to have cameras placed there or have a vet there at all times of euthanasia. The board discussed the fact that they have certified/trained employees doing the euthanasia. It was pointed out that the employees who were charged were certified/trained. So, the board ultimately voted to put closed circuit cameras (“not the ones on the Internet”) in the euthanasia room and to have a vet always “available” in case there were issues with any euthanasia procedure. While some wanted to have a vet there the entire time euthanasia was being conducted, Dr. Clay (the other vet on the board) said she’d rather see the vets doing the procedures on the animals (spay, neuter, shots) to move them to getting adopted.
Thank you Cindy for sharing these notes. It’s late so I just wanted to post this tonight. Will be back to debunk all this crud in the morning.