Who’s pulling the strings in Florida?

I was familiar with the SPCA shelter, as I adopted my dog there in June 2012. I had always thought the SPCA mission was to provide a safe haven for unwanted, abandoned and lost animals in need. I was wrong. My introduction to being a volunteer was a disappointment. The first Saturday I was scheduled to report, they did not know I was coming. I was not expected; not very welcoming!

I was interviewed by Haley McManus and she was nice enough, but I was taken aback when asked “how I felt about euthanasia”? I answered that I understood it had its place in caring for dogs that were severely injured or had illnesses that could not be treated, but not for cases where dogs barked when being confined in a crate or kennel.

It came to be seen that dogs were euthanized for being “aggressive” when behavior modification training and proper evaluation and time out of their kennels could have saved them. I also saw in my short time there that 4 dogs had limbs amputated. My feeling is that it was easier and more cost-effective to do this rather than properly treat and rehab these animals.

I saw puppies whose cages where full of feces which they were walking in, as well as urine-soaked bedding and toys.

I then met Santana, the beautiful hound who had been spayed on a Friday. She was pregnant; her puppies were aborted, and she was put into a kennel “ready” for adoption the same day. She was filled with milk, so sad and clearly miserable with no pain medication or antibiotics given. I thought the vision of the SPCA was to provide comfort and care to these animals; she did not even have a few days to rest and recuperate.

Another volunteer had offered to take this poor creature home to foster her and was told “no, it wasn’t necessary”. She was adopted out on Sunday and died three weeks later. Most likely due to an infection that could have been prevented if she had been given but minimal “care”!

My hope in joining the Volunteer team was to make a difference in these dogs’ lives, maybe show them some love and compassion for a few hours, get them out of their prison for a walk to smell the fresh air and have a bit of freedom and be able to relieve themselves, as many were housebroken and forced to “hold it”.

I am aware of several volunteers who were recently fired for trying to get these dogs basic care and humane treatment. I cannot accept those firings. I, therefore, am resigning as a volunteer and will work with those who were forced out to bring the SPCA up to basic code and lawfulness related to the treatment of the animals in your possession. I will not use the word “care” because I do not believe these dogs are cared for…those who truly cared were “fired” by your current CEO Martha Boden.

I am saddened, disappointed and appalled at how the SPCA is being run and will do all I can to give a voice to these poor animals who are forced to suffer in silence.

I do not expect a reply to this e-mail, but I wanted you to know what is taking place at your facility.

The question you were asked about euthanasia is a normal part of the orientation process. We ask our staff members who supervise volunteers to discuss the SPCA Tampa Bay’s policies on euthanasia during orientation to communicate the realities faced by open admission animal shelters. During your volunteer orientation, I hope that you took the opportunity to view the behavior assessment process, which is based on methodologies developed by nationally recognized shelter behaviorists who have worked with thousands of dogs across the country. The behavior assessments give us more information about a dog’s personality, and our adoption counselors say it’s helping them to better match dogs with potential families. It also helps ensure that only safe and healthy animals are adopted into the community.

I’d like to clarify a few points of misunderstanding in your email:

• Our vets and medical staff make decisions based on what is best for the animal, not based on cost. Amputation can be the best option for an animal in certain situations. As you may have seen from the animals in our care, they adjust quickly and often have little loss of mobility as a result of an amputation.

• Every kennel is cleaned thoroughly each day and spot cleaned in between the daily deep cleanings. While there may be feces or urine from time to time, the overall cleanliness of our facility can be measured by the rate of infection among animals in our care. The incidence of upper respiratory infections at our facility, which can be lethal in cats, is lower than it has ever been.

To address your comments about Santana, our policy outlines that we discuss specific animals with current volunteers and staff in person, as it is emotional for everyone involved. Though I can’t go into detail by email, I’d like you to know that the Board reviews certain cases with staff to carefully weigh past decisions to see if the right decisions were made. In this case, the Board found that the staff made the appropriate decisions for Santana’s health while she was in our care. Her adopters also consulted an independent vet who gave her a clean bill of health after her adoption.

SPCA Tampa Bay is committed to finding the best possible outcome for every animal that comes to us. The Board tracks nearly 30 performance indicators each month, and we are seeing a positive impact from the changes made to more efficiently and effectively run the organization.

One of the most important indicators is our success in placing animals back into the community. In 2013, we were able to find a home for 66% of all animals in our care, which was a significant improvement over 59% in 2012. We are excited about this improvement, and look forward to continue this positive momentum to improve the quality of our care and our impact in the community.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your concerns.