The city of Hobbs (NM) has a pound which killed 75% of the animals in its care in 2010 and 72% in the first 11 months of 2011. Vanessa Mais worked at the facility for about 3 months this spring. During that time, she worked hard to get as many animals out alive as possible. She networked pets, found rescues, arranged transport, etc. But she says the shelter director, Willie Stone, fought her efforts every step of the way.
Ms. Mais described a pound environment where the director ordered most animals killed shortly after intake and gave the few animals lucky enough to be selected for the adoption floor just 3 months to live. Owner surrendered litters were regularly killed upon intake on order of the director. Ms. Mais says the director explained that her bosses discouraged her from keeping puppies alive because they are not “cost effective”. I spoke with Ms. Stone and she denied this. Ms. Mais says cats fare no better at the pound and there is no TNR program for feral cats. Regardless of the reasoning behind the failure to save pets’ lives, approximately 3 out of every 4 pets who enter the pound in Hobbs leave in garbage bags.
In her final days of employment, Ms. Mais says that two litters who had been born at the pound to mama dogs who were pregnant at time of impound were killed. A litter of 7 healthy pups were 3 weeks old when they were killed and a litter of 12 were just one week old, their eyes and ears still closed. The healthy mama dogs were killed along with their babies. Ms. Stone explained that she does offer puppies for adoption, if they are selected. I asked, “If puppies born in the shelter are not selected for adoption, at what age would they be killed?” Ms. Stone replied, “I don’t feel comfortable answering that.” She added that she resents being referred to as a shelter since her facility is an adoption center. She asked if Ms. Mais had told me that the building was brand new, built in 2009.
On May 11, a healthy group of 7 week old pups was surrendered to the pound. Ms. Mais says the director wanted to kill them but Ms. Mais asked if her parents would be allowed to take them to a rescue in CO. Ms. Stone agreed to sell the group of 7 pups to Ms. Mais’ parents for $10. (Ms. Mais says that no animals are given away for free to anyone, even if the animal is going to be killed, and even if the animal is going to a rescue.) The pups were transported to a CO rescue group and adopted out within one week.
The strife continued between Ms. Mais and her boss. When Ms. Mais wanted to adopt a healthy young dog named Delila, she took her home to see if she would fit into the pack. Unfortunately Delila did not get along with other big dogs and was fighting at home so Ms. Mais brought her back to the shelter and sought another placement for her. She found a rescue in CO willing to take Delila and lined up transport.
Ms. Mais says that Ms. Stone ordered Delila killed due to the fact that she did not get along with dogs her own size. Ms. Mais explained she had a rescue for Delila and transport. Ms. Stone refused. She offered a temporary foster option. Ms. Stone refused. Ms. Mais and a co-worker broke down crying in the director’s office, offering any possible alternatives they could think of to save Delila’s life. Ms. Mais says that the director coldly refused all options and Delila was killed an hour later along with 2 dogs from the adoption floor.
Ms. Mais reports that Delila was killed on June 6th and the rescuer who had wanted to save Delila called the director to express her outrage in the following days. On June 13th, Ms. Mais says she was fired from her job and though she asked for a reason, was not given one. Ms. Stone says she is unable to comment on personnel issues. I anticipated this response before making the call therefore I opened the conversation with, “Could you comment on conditions at the shelter?” Ms. Stone replied, “Conditions at the shelter? I haven’t seen any of that.”
I am grateful to Ms. Mais for speaking out about what she witnessed at the Hobbs city pound. The status quo, catch and kill method of animal sheltering is on its heels and lashing out in defensive mode. We are the real humane society – small h, small s. There are more people who want shelter pets to live than there are dinosaurs fighting to protect their discretion to kill. Join us.