The Odessa pound in Texas is a mess. The pound’s outrageous recent history includes needlessly killing a beloved pet while blaming the owner, banning rescuers without reasonable cause and violating their First Amendment rights. Although the police department in charge of the pound does not make its statistics available to the public on its website, one area rescuer cites a kill rate of nearly 85% and claims “6 or 7″ dogs are housed in each kennel. A petition seeking improvements at the pound has collected more than 5800 signatures to date. The Odessa American reports the pound killed 5,442 animals in the first 10 months of 2013, deeming all but 353 of them unadoptable.
How does the city of Odessa deal with this level of incompetence and corruption in its employees? By giving them raises, of course. In October 2013, a vote to give city employees a 5% pay raise was approved and last week, city council approved another raise of at least 2% at its public meeting. In attendance was one Lori Baker, who told city council the Odessa pound employees needed to start cleaning cages and providing actual shelter to animals in need:
“I have a problem with you giving raises to people who are not doing their job,” Baker said.
There, she said it.
Thank you Ms. Baker for speaking out and advocating for animals at the pound. I hope more people will be inspired to speak up at the next city council meeting on February 11. Otherwise I fear at the rate things are going, the city council might just start handing out envelopes of cash to the pet killers at the Odessa pound.
(Thank you Clarice for the link.)
Thank goodness Ms. Baker had the spine to stand up and say “this isn’t right” to them! Otherwise, they happily trundle on, rewarding incompetence and cruelty.
I do hope that other voices join hers and demand better for their community.
I must say one thing as a Texan I am embarrassed of living in this state I must admit -that the dispatcher at the police department lied to me– I my mistake was not asking for the name — of course when I found out the true I called back and no one knew who was answering the phones on that day and time… just 3 days before — that is a police department that bring just shame – without any integrity they are not there to enforce the law but they break it themselves — this are more criminals that those they lock
up ! shame on you!
Congratulations! I have nominated you for an award. If you do not wish to accept it – no problem. Simply interpret this as my admiration and for sharing your wonderful posts with us all. ~ Amelia :) http://mungaiandthegoaconstrictor.me/2014/02/03/thanks-for-the-nominations-part-two/
Holly Dool is one of the true OAC heros–she is there day in and day out pulling them and getting them to rescues. Cara, Tara, Robyn and many others are there taking pictures and posting them on FB: https://www.facebook.com/speakingupforthosewhocant
many are spending their PERSONAL money to save as many as possible.
My City Councilman actually told me that morning when he called me at 6:45 AM that our groups of people should get a proposal together and take over OAC-WITH OUR OWN MONEY!
I told him I was offended-many of us are ALREADY spending our own money, groups have raised money for beds to get the dogs off the cold wet hard concrete floors, 3 chip scanners have been bought (don’t think they are used) a TV was bought so pictures of dogs in the “I”I (isolation) building could be seen–NO ONE is allowed in “I”-they say it is to stop the spread of disease–I call BS on that excuse!!
we need change-and we need it NOW!
we needed it 2 yeas ago!
They seem to think if they pay the “little ladies” on the head and give them double speak we will go away-I have a newsflash for them:
WE WILL NOT GO AWAY!!
thank you thank you thank you for putting this info out there-we need all the help we can get!
Are we sure this is not really Memphis, TN??