Complaint Review: Cny Humane Association - Liverpool New York

I just have the need to give some information to people out there.  If you have ever worked for an animal rescue or shelter, you would understand their plight.  These people work hard, and the vast majority of them work as volunteers.  Money is always an issue because that is what it takes to feed, doctor and house the lost souls that have been dumped by well-meaning, but ignorant people.  A pet is a lifetime commitment, just as a child would be.  One does not get rid of a child because he/she is moving to a place that will not accept children.  One does not give away or put to sleep a child that is experiencing physical limitations or needs medical care.  One does not get rid of a child that has emotional or behavioral problems.  Any responsible person knows that a pet is for life.

Regarding the living conditions noted by the author of this report:  The environment in which you found your dog is standard, mostly for health and sanitation reasons.  Especially one with behavioral or aggression problems.  They cannot be kept with other animals that might be harmed.  The alternative to the kennel run is a steel cage.  As far as having a chair donated for their comfort, what do you think this is?  A spa?  But more importantly, things of that sort would last about three days.  Many of these animals have fleas, parasites and/or worms.  Can you imagine trying to keep these comfy chairs sanitary so fleas and diseases are not spread?  Usually a towel or blanket is put in a kennel run or a cage for something to lie down upon.  Often, even these towels have to be thrown away because of contamination issues.  Most humane associations or shelters either have volunteers who agree to walk the dogs at least once a day or outdoor runs for them to get some fresh air or, for the well behaved and socially adept animals, there may be a fenced in yard. 

You've already heard about the need for spaying and neutering and getting shots, wormed and maybe chipped.  Most shelters, if they are very lucky, have a relationship with a local vet who will do these things at discounted rates, but they have to at least cover the cost of supplies, vaccines, anesthesia, medications, etc., and this is assuming that the vets do everything for free.  That means animals on a daily basis that need to be cared for immediately.  Most vets now charge a lower rate, but few are for free.  The costs are staggering and this doesn't even include food, monthly heartworm and flea medications, etc.  Do you now see why they need money?  This is also why people that have animals need to know the cost of being a responsible owner.  If you can't afford an animal, don't get one.  It cost about $15,000 per pet over a lifetime if taken care of properly.)  As a side, most all behavioral problems (aggression, fear, pulling on lead, jumping, etc. can be easily dealt with by someone who knows what they are doing and then teaching the owner.  If the pet has problem, it is the owner who is at fault in almost all situations.  And this is not rocket science training needed here.  These problems can usually be solved in as few as a few hours (like pulling on lead) to a couple weeks (aggression and fear), if you know how to do it.  Get some help.  Don't blame the dog.  Would you blame the child?

Finally, I have worked most of my long life for animals' welfare and as a wildlife rehabilitator, some of that as a fund-raiser and always for free (even when I was a board member or officer of the corporation).  It is hard to believe,  but wildlife rehabbers have it even worse than domestic shelters.  They by law and virtue of their licenses that are required by the state and the federal governments (for which they take tests and go through lengthy procedures, paperwork, reporting requirements and facility check ups) may not charge for their services.  Also, rehabbers, despite what people think because we are licensed by the state and federal governments, receive absolutely no funding from either.  However, rehabbers may accept donations.  Can you imagine how much it costs to have a bear's leg set, or a duck's lower jaw rebuilt or a hawk's wing repaired?  That is if you can find a vet who can do the work.  Then they need specialized care and proper facilities where they can recover their ability to fly or dig or whatever.  And it is not cheap to have these places built, even with some donated supplies, for each species' needs.  This is not even counting the formulas and foods needed to feed everything from bears to hummingbirds and everything in between. 

So, if you really care about animals try some of these things:  become a foster home, offer towels and blankets, offer food supplies, do some fundraising (whether a one-time event or something ongoing), write grants, help with an adoption fair or volunteer to work at one of these places And by work I mean everything from picking maggots from a wound, cleaning up vomit and excrement, and cleaning cages to walking the dogs.  Not just the "fun stuff".  Most places will let you work as little as once a week for two or three hours as long as it can be on a regular basis.  Don't expect to walk in, unknown and off the street, at anytime you like to walk a dog or stroke the kittens, or you'll be angry about that because they won't let you.  True animal lovers do this all the time, thank goodness.

Oh, and by the way, you can always make a much needed monetary donation.  You got off cheap.  Not only are the fees more than reasonable, you would never have had your dog returned to you if I had been at that shelter.  You are certainly not (or at least were not at the time you wrote the report) a responsible "parent".  Shame on you.  And shame on "the girl" who worked there for making the suggestion and letting you have "your" dog back.

Think about it!  Hopefully you have grown up and learned about responsibility and morality.  If so, you should write a retraction to clear the facility's name.  They did nothing wrong, as far as I can see, except let you have your dog back.

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I work for the Humane Association of CNY and the last thing we stand for is how much money we bring in. We were founded as a no-kill shelter with standards and ethics which we stand by (no declawing, no outdoor cats, etc.) AND we take in the animals no one else will. We take in the kittens who we know will die, but we'd rather they die with us in a warm bed instead of out on the streets or in someone's yard. We take in the unwanted and the lost and the abandoned. And, be SURE of this... we DON'T do it for the money and we hardly MAKE money for our beliefs. Before you or anyone decides to judge us or any other animal organization out there trying to make a DIFFERENCE and save animals, please get your facts in order and don't just judge from your emotions at the time. I work my a*s off at the Humane Association for not a whole lot of pay but BIG rewards. And, I wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world. To see a cat in a clean cage, playing with her toy is a joy. To see a dog learn what being loved is all about is a success. To treat a sick animal and see them get well and thrive and then be adopted is all I need to make me keep going each day, even though my legs and knees and feet ache and my back hurts and I'm covered in cat hair and dog poop. We don't do this for the money. But, we certainly do NEED the money - the donations... so please keep that in mind. It costs us money to spay and neuter these animals... to treat the ones who are sick... a regular vet visit, NOT including your animal being fixed, will cost you no MORE than $200 IF you're lucky. We adopt out our animals for LESS than $100. That's a deal, people. I'm very protective of my work. I take pride in what I do and the animals I care for. Please do not judge me or my work or anyone you come into contact with, for that matter... lest you be judged too.

While I commend you wanting your dog back, I also agree with their charges. It would have cost you about $100-150 to board your dog for a week. On top of that he was fixed, and I would take their word on it. They don't want to get more puppies back because if they are only out for the money like you said, that would cost them far more moeny in the long run. If you have ever looked into how much it is to get a dog fixed, you wouldn't be thinking you got ripped off. I used to live where you do and do not think that the people at the humane society are out for money. You really have to love animals to work at a place like that...to see all the animals dropped off because their owners who say they can't handle them think they are being nice by giving them the chance for a better home. Reality is nobody wants older dogs. They want puppies. Especially dogs with behavioral problems. Did you even look into if this was a no-kill shelter before you dropped your dog off there? I could never give up my pets. I have a senior cat (who I adopted as a senior) who pees on the floor sometimes, needs medications for arthritis, etc. but I adopted him for life, not just the good times. I couldn't even entertain the idea of giving him up and putting him back in a cold cage where he wouldn't get the attention he deserves. I think its a shame you accuse this group that HELPS animals of being out for money, when you are the one who initially put your dog away because of lack of funds to help it with its problems. They help people. You were the one who gave up your dog. They are not just objects to toss out and then just take back when you want them. When you adopt an animal you make a committment.

Although I might be understand your guilt at leaving an animal at a shelter, you need to understand where rescue groups are coming from. I do not work from a shelter, I work with groups through my home as foster care and sanctuary care. We hear stories like your every day. Some days we have to turn away animals because there is no room. People ask me how much money I make doing this. I just laugh and tell them how much I spend. You took the animal to a shelter. Who do you think pays for the shelter? There are all the normal bills for utilities and building upkeep. There are vet bills. I'm sure some vets don't charge at all or charge minimal amounts for their services, but they have bills, too, especially for shots and spay/neuter services. You claim there is no way to tell if your dog was "fixed" except to open him up. Most neuters vets to in this area involve removing the testicles. If he still has his, contact the shelter and request proof of neuter. A humane society, by law, will not release a dog or cat without them being "fixed". You should also understand that most humane societies operate under by-laws and they can't just *give your dog back that you dumped 7 days ago*. If you had taken this dog to a regular shelter in my area, he woule have been dead well before the 7 days was up. I would say that you got off cheap. You bought the dog, you dumped the dog, then you wanted the dog back. The humane society cared for your dog for 7 days, neutered your dog (did your dog have current shots or did they have to do that, too?) You didn't expect your dog to be scared and depressed? If you took one of your kids to a strange place and dumped them off without them understanding why, do you think they would be scared and depressed? Do you think maybe your dog has now suffered some psychological damage over this? All humane societies that I know wouldn't have allowed you to take he dog back. Instead of coming down on the humane society when you ARE the one that dumped your dog, look at it like this: Your 75 dollars and your mother's 75 dollars will help feed and care for the next dog that shows up. A humane society depends a lot on donations from the public. With all the posts on this site that consist of loss of jobs and lack of money, these groups suffer, too.

Although I might be understand your guilt at leaving an animal at a shelter, you need to understand where rescue groups are coming from. I do not work from a shelter, I work with groups through my home as foster care and sanctuary care. We hear stories like your every day. Some days we have to turn away animals because there is no room. People ask me how much money I make doing this. I just laugh and tell them how much I spend. You took the animal to a shelter. Who do you think pays for the shelter? There are all the normal bills for utilities and building upkeep. There are vet bills. I'm sure some vets don't charge at all or charge minimal amounts for their services, but they have bills, too, especially for shots and spay/neuter services. You claim there is no way to tell if your dog was "fixed" except to open him up. Most neuters vets to in this area involve removing the testicles. If he still has his, contact the shelter and request proof of neuter. A humane society, by law, will not release a dog or cat without them being "fixed". You should also understand that most humane societies operate under by-laws and they can't just *give your dog back that you dumped 7 days ago*. If you had taken this dog to a regular shelter in my area, he woule have been dead well before the 7 days was up. I would say that you got off cheap. You bought the dog, you dumped the dog, then you wanted the dog back. The humane society cared for your dog for 7 days, neutered your dog (did your dog have current shots or did they have to do that, too?) You didn't expect your dog to be scared and depressed? If you took one of your kids to a strange place and dumped them off without them understanding why, do you think they would be scared and depressed? Do you think maybe your dog has now suffered some psychological damage over this? All humane societies that I know wouldn't have allowed you to take he dog back. Instead of coming down on the humane society when you ARE the one that dumped your dog, look at it like this: Your 75 dollars and your mother's 75 dollars will help feed and care for the next dog that shows up. A humane society depends a lot on donations from the public. With all the posts on this site that consist of loss of jobs and lack of money, these groups suffer, too.

Although I might be understand your guilt at leaving an animal at a shelter, you need to understand where rescue groups are coming from. I do not work from a shelter, I work with groups through my home as foster care and sanctuary care. We hear stories like your every day. Some days we have to turn away animals because there is no room. People ask me how much money I make doing this. I just laugh and tell them how much I spend. You took the animal to a shelter. Who do you think pays for the shelter? There are all the normal bills for utilities and building upkeep. There are vet bills. I'm sure some vets don't charge at all or charge minimal amounts for their services, but they have bills, too, especially for shots and spay/neuter services. You claim there is no way to tell if your dog was "fixed" except to open him up. Most neuters vets to in this area involve removing the testicles. If he still has his, contact the shelter and request proof of neuter. A humane society, by law, will not release a dog or cat without them being "fixed". You should also understand that most humane societies operate under by-laws and they can't just *give your dog back that you dumped 7 days ago*. If you had taken this dog to a regular shelter in my area, he woule have been dead well before the 7 days was up. I would say that you got off cheap. You bought the dog, you dumped the dog, then you wanted the dog back. The humane society cared for your dog for 7 days, neutered your dog (did your dog have current shots or did they have to do that, too?) You didn't expect your dog to be scared and depressed? If you took one of your kids to a strange place and dumped them off without them understanding why, do you think they would be scared and depressed? Do you think maybe your dog has now suffered some psychological damage over this? All humane societies that I know wouldn't have allowed you to take he dog back. Instead of coming down on the humane society when you ARE the one that dumped your dog, look at it like this: Your 75 dollars and your mother's 75 dollars will help feed and care for the next dog that shows up. A humane society depends a lot on donations from the public. With all the posts on this site that consist of loss of jobs and lack of money, these groups suffer, too.

Although I might be understand your guilt at leaving an animal at a shelter, you need to understand where rescue groups are coming from. I do not work from a shelter, I work with groups through my home as foster care and sanctuary care. We hear stories like your every day. Some days we have to turn away animals because there is no room. People ask me how much money I make doing this. I just laugh and tell them how much I spend. You took the animal to a shelter. Who do you think pays for the shelter? There are all the normal bills for utilities and building upkeep. There are vet bills. I'm sure some vets don't charge at all or charge minimal amounts for their services, but they have bills, too, especially for shots and spay/neuter services. You claim there is no way to tell if your dog was "fixed" except to open him up. Most neuters vets to in this area involve removing the testicles. If he still has his, contact the shelter and request proof of neuter. A humane society, by law, will not release a dog or cat without them being "fixed". You should also understand that most humane societies operate under by-laws and they can't just *give your dog back that you dumped 7 days ago*. If you had taken this dog to a regular shelter in my area, he woule have been dead well before the 7 days was up. I would say that you got off cheap. You bought the dog, you dumped the dog, then you wanted the dog back. The humane society cared for your dog for 7 days, neutered your dog (did your dog have current shots or did they have to do that, too?) You didn't expect your dog to be scared and depressed? If you took one of your kids to a strange place and dumped them off without them understanding why, do you think they would be scared and depressed? Do you think maybe your dog has now suffered some psychological damage over this? All humane societies that I know wouldn't have allowed you to take he dog back. Instead of coming down on the humane society when you ARE the one that dumped your dog, look at it like this: Your 75 dollars and your mother's 75 dollars will help feed and care for the next dog that shows up. A humane society depends a lot on donations from the public. With all the posts on this site that consist of loss of jobs and lack of money, these groups suffer, too.