CRASM newsletter 12-08-2008

From the President and founder of Citizens for Responsible Animal Shelter Management;

Since the establishment of CRASM, It has been exciting to receive encouragement and well wishes by people from all walks of life who care about animals, and are supportive of our endeavors. It has also been disconcerting to discover that some people in our animal welfare community see our efforts as counter-productive. Disconcerting, but not surprising. As a twelve year veteran of municipal animal shelters, it is clear why there is disaccord within our community; a community of kind people championing the cause of animal welfare.

There is a belief in animal welfare that if corrupt or unethical practices are happening at an animal shelter, the staff and volunteers may be disturbed or even outraged but the information needs to remain internal; for if the news were to leak to the public, it would harm the animals through less adoptions and less donations. This belief is tied to the not so distant past where all municipal animal shelters were ‘pounds’ or as they are sometimes called; ‘clean-and-kills’. There are unfortunately, still many shelters that operate this way, but there has been substantial improvement nationwide in the last 10-15 years. Despite the improvement, the perception of an aura of secrecy and death hangs over most animal shelters; it is therefore up to the leaders and management at municipal animal shelters to make their shelters welcoming, warm and above all, transparent. Being secretive, hostile, or denying staff, volunteers and clients a voice, reinforces the negative perception. As a shelter manager, I came to understand that I was not to blame for what had happened in the past, but that it was my responsibility to change the perception now.

My point is this; voicing our concerns to help the animals is not only our right, it is our duty. I have come to the conviction that every time we reject the option to speak up on behalf of the animals or against unethical management practices, we do not protect the animals. By keeping silent, we have harmed the animals a great deal more. We are complicit in what happens to the animals through our action or inaction. Concurrently, it is vital that the general public know what the problems are and how shelters are trying to solve them, so that they can be a support. Otherwise the stigma of secrecy and death will continue to haunt our shelters, and this, more than anything else, has resulted in less adoptions and less donations. Euthanasia and the homeless pet crisis is a community problem, and by far more than just its tax dollars, the community should be involved in helping to solve it.

Whether this is food for thought or a call to action for you, I hope that you understand that by reading this, YOU are a part of the animal welfare community, and your voice needs to be heard. Please join us in helping to make positive changes for the animals and those workers who care for them!

Thank you,

Amy Strickland