Some people are soooo mean
Sorry someone did that. I gave it a low rating and reported it. I personally couldn't see anything wrong with how ya'll operate.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Apparently, I abuse animals.
- Thread starter leto86
- Start Date
Yeah I thought those rooms were huge! I've been to most of the cageless shelters in my area and most of their rooms are way smaller than those...Originally Posted by Moz
Also: the cats are kept in "cramped" areas? Yeah right. Those rooms look HUGE. The guy himself says the building is 9000 square feet. Yeah, sounds cramped and tiny to me.
I haven't read all the comments on four pages, however I work for the County Animal shelter and deal with abuse cases EVERY SINGLE DAY. I saw nothing in this video that would warrant such an accusation on this shelter. I saw a food bowl that was filled to the brim with cat food. If the cat's were starving, there wouldn't be any food in it. As far as his comment on the "smell" guess what? Most animal shelters stink. Especially if you are taking care of hundreds of cats. I saw no feces on the floor, nor did I see feces on the walls.
If we got a call on this an Animal Control Office would rip me a new one for even sending them out on a call like that.
I also noticed that the litter boxes are "lined" which to me would signify that they are changed every day. Pull the bag out, and start fresh. As we all know as cat lovers what happens when you change the litter? They go poop or pee in it. So I don't get it. I have been in Animal Welfare for almost 4 years and this rescue organization would be the least of my worries.
If we got a call on this an Animal Control Office would rip me a new one for even sending them out on a call like that.
I also noticed that the litter boxes are "lined" which to me would signify that they are changed every day. Pull the bag out, and start fresh. As we all know as cat lovers what happens when you change the litter? They go poop or pee in it. So I don't get it. I have been in Animal Welfare for almost 4 years and this rescue organization would be the least of my worries.
I totally agree. "Cramped"....I couldn't beleive he said that!!!! When we got Thai from the Humane Society he was in a small room lined with cages, there about 6-8 people in there with us and we couldn't turn around without bumping into someone. The free roaming cats were in a glass enclosed room the size of a SMALL bedroom. Personally, I thought it looked like a great place for cats, from what I could tell from the cruddyvideo. The cats looked laid back and happy. Poo on that guy!Originally Posted by Moz
I haven't read the rest of the thread, but here are my thoughts on the video:
LOL - they say the "food boxes have little to no food." Stop the video at 2:41. I can see plenty of food. I fail to see feces on the floor. The cat that was "not breathing" appeared to be sleeping. My smell-o-vision doesn't work, so I can't tell whether or not the place has a "disgusting" smell. Whoever made this video is a moron with a personal vendetta.
Also: the cats are kept in "cramped" areas? Yeah right. Those rooms look HUGE. The guy himself says the building is 9000 square feet. Yeah, sounds cramped and tiny to me.
And what's so weird/bizarre/revolting about sick cats being kept from healthy cats? The shelters in my city does that, as well as the vets. That seems like common sense to me: keep the sick cats from the healthy cats so the healthy cats don't get sick. Duh.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2006
- Messages
- 5,216
- Purraise
- 2,589
What the heck do they expect? A Martha Stewart-decorated shelter??? This person is a nut. From what I can see, the floors and surfaces all look very clean, the cats seem content, and not nervous, and seem well-fed and healthy. The food bowls may be empty because the cats acutally ate the food, and not all folks leave food out all day for various reasons. Maybe the litter boxes don't have 24/7 maids to scoop immediately after the cats go (who actually does this, anyway?). The "disgusting odor" may be due to the boxes and lost of those, and that nasty cat food smell that I alwsy smell even in the cleanest homes and shelters. That doesn't mean the shelter is sub-standard!
Acutally, I think you have a very good shelter. Cats don't care about the wall color in my experience!
Boy, I hope this nutcase doesn't visit my house with a camera phone, or I'm in big trouble...I haven't done the litterboxes yet today (but will in the next few minutes--I'm taking a break from cleaning, as I still feel sick). Heck, your floors are cleaner than mine right now, and I only have 9 cats! Oh, and the cats told me they dislike the paint color in the foyer. Drat. What a terrible mommy I am! LOL
I laughed at the part regarding the sick cats that supposedly were housed separately--if true, this makes sense--it's a GOOD thing, not a bad thing. They should be kept away from the healhty population. And Ms. Smith's apartment, no offense meant hear, doesn't seem very luxurious to me--just very neat and clean and functional, with cool bookcases. I wouldn't sat it was outlandishly decorated. Doesn't she have a right to have a decent place to live? This jerk should be happy that someone is at the shelter most of the time, and I'm sure Bonnie devotes her life to the kitties, and cares deeply for them.
I know this is tearing you apart, but I do agree with the others--stop looking at the video comments. If the person(s) who made this video keep harrassing you, pewrhaps you could take legal action, though, of course, that costs money. But, if they go far enough, you may need to do this if you get investigated (I don't know the procedures about this, but I would imagine this could happen). I'm not saying it will, so please don't get upset any further! :-) I think they will just back down, especially after some of us post rebuttals on Youtube (which I will do right now).
Keep your chin up, and keep up the good work you do with the cats!
I think the cats loved those nice, deep, sunny window sills, too. What's so bad about being able to "see the cats from the street"??? It's not like they are living in an enclosed display window.
Acutally, I think you have a very good shelter. Cats don't care about the wall color in my experience!
Boy, I hope this nutcase doesn't visit my house with a camera phone, or I'm in big trouble...I haven't done the litterboxes yet today (but will in the next few minutes--I'm taking a break from cleaning, as I still feel sick). Heck, your floors are cleaner than mine right now, and I only have 9 cats! Oh, and the cats told me they dislike the paint color in the foyer. Drat. What a terrible mommy I am! LOL
I laughed at the part regarding the sick cats that supposedly were housed separately--if true, this makes sense--it's a GOOD thing, not a bad thing. They should be kept away from the healhty population. And Ms. Smith's apartment, no offense meant hear, doesn't seem very luxurious to me--just very neat and clean and functional, with cool bookcases. I wouldn't sat it was outlandishly decorated. Doesn't she have a right to have a decent place to live? This jerk should be happy that someone is at the shelter most of the time, and I'm sure Bonnie devotes her life to the kitties, and cares deeply for them.
I know this is tearing you apart, but I do agree with the others--stop looking at the video comments. If the person(s) who made this video keep harrassing you, pewrhaps you could take legal action, though, of course, that costs money. But, if they go far enough, you may need to do this if you get investigated (I don't know the procedures about this, but I would imagine this could happen). I'm not saying it will, so please don't get upset any further! :-) I think they will just back down, especially after some of us post rebuttals on Youtube (which I will do right now).
Keep your chin up, and keep up the good work you do with the cats!
I think the cats loved those nice, deep, sunny window sills, too. What's so bad about being able to "see the cats from the street"??? It's not like they are living in an enclosed display window.
This makes me
1) Get that video off of the site if you can
2) that looks better than the very good rescue I got my cats from--they are not fighting, everyone has a good amount of space.
3) as mentioned all rescue places smell to some extent (I mean cat food stinks, not to mention that many little poopers around)
I can only think that this person has some mental issues and/or little exposure to animal rescue...what a jerk.
lastly that it will be OK.
1) Get that video off of the site if you can
2) that looks better than the very good rescue I got my cats from--they are not fighting, everyone has a good amount of space.
3) as mentioned all rescue places smell to some extent (I mean cat food stinks, not to mention that many little poopers around)
I can only think that this person has some mental issues and/or little exposure to animal rescue...what a jerk.
lastly that it will be OK.
Maybe you should invite your SPCA in to do an abuse investigation and go to the paper once you have the all-clear to clear up any misconceptions. Definitely something to talk over with your lawyer
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #48
Alrighty. SPCA has been called and they are going to pop in sometime next week.
I guess the guy who cma ein was a PI. Hired by an animal activists group. I knew I hated PETA for a reason. They are over the top.
I don't know if it WAS PETA. BUt I'm sure I'm not too far off.
I guess the guy who cma ein was a PI. Hired by an animal activists group. I knew I hated PETA for a reason. They are over the top.
I don't know if it WAS PETA. BUt I'm sure I'm not too far off.
I couldn't help myself, I flagged it and posted my comment.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2006
- Messages
- 5,216
- Purraise
- 2,589
Hi Leto,
Like I said in my PM, try to keep the video as evidence. Ironically, I think the video is YOUR best defense--it shows, on a random day/time, just how clean and neat the shelter is--it's amazing that it is this good when someone randomly walks in off the street--I think that speaks volumes about how good the shelter is. If you think there are any minor problems (I can't see any but for the wires, but I don't think those are a major thing--but the building code may think otherwise,since it's a public place--try to clear those minor things up ASAP. (Frankly, given what our local SPCA looks like, your shelter is far better looking!)
I'm sorry you have to go through this, but actually, showing them the shelter once and for all, probably is a good thing for you. Hopefully, this will be the end of the situation!
Like I said in my PM, try to keep the video as evidence. Ironically, I think the video is YOUR best defense--it shows, on a random day/time, just how clean and neat the shelter is--it's amazing that it is this good when someone randomly walks in off the street--I think that speaks volumes about how good the shelter is. If you think there are any minor problems (I can't see any but for the wires, but I don't think those are a major thing--but the building code may think otherwise,since it's a public place--try to clear those minor things up ASAP. (Frankly, given what our local SPCA looks like, your shelter is far better looking!)
I'm sorry you have to go through this, but actually, showing them the shelter once and for all, probably is a good thing for you. Hopefully, this will be the end of the situation!
I flagged it as hateful and my comment was that they were bias against the owner and that it was making untrue statements
It's terrible that they are going after the people who give a darn and not after the real crooks and scum that hurt animals
It's terrible that they are going after the people who give a darn and not after the real crooks and scum that hurt animals
Holy shnikes, I don't know what he was smoking, but that looks like kitty paradise compared to what I've seen these past few months in the search for a cat.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2008
- Messages
- 4
- Purraise
- 2
I haven't read every post in this thread so I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but the date in the top left corner of this video is from 1980. Not sure if that's accurate, but you'd think if someone is going to document something and turn the date feature on it would be correct. Not that it makes anything "better" but calling the police might not help if this was around 30 years ago.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #54
We didn't exist 30 years ago.
We figure they changed the date on the camera because they didn't want us to know who they were/when they came in. But that's too late because we do know.
Except I'm sure everything was just fake since we know know that he was a PI and that he was hired by an animal rights group. SUPPOSEDLY.
We figure they changed the date on the camera because they didn't want us to know who they were/when they came in. But that's too late because we do know.
Except I'm sure everything was just fake since we know know that he was a PI and that he was hired by an animal rights group. SUPPOSEDLY.
I have first hand experience with PFFL (That's where Zoey came from
).
While I don't know that I'd adopt another pet from the shelter (due to the circumstances surrounding Zoey's illness), nothing there struck me as abusive.
Yes, it smells like cat. But, from what I've heard, the publicly funded shelters here smell even worse. It's not the nicest place in the world, but I really don't think the even a professionally decorated shelter would last too long with all those cats and claws!
From everything I could see, there were plenty of volunteers there strictly for the purpose of giving those kitties the attention they deserve. There were lots of toys and make shift climbers for the cats. All the cats seemed content and relaxed. I didn't see one cat hiding while I was there (and I did walk all the way to the back at one point).
I do, however, wish there there were some safeguards against diseases. I hate the ideas of cats in cages, but at least that way they have their own litter box. Fewer cats coming into contact with each other would be nice, I think, but with so many cats, I can't see how it would be feasible (without spending a lot of money to build small rooms for a smaller # of cats to stay in).
From everything I could tell of Bonnie, she truly cared about the animals. She did not charge me a fee for Zoey and let me take her to my own vet to be spayed. When Zoey got sick one night (she was still a foster), she called me back at 10pm after she got home from work to answer my concerns.
While my experience with Zoey has left me a bit squeamish about shelters (I hope someday that wears off, because I would truly love to adopt a shelter cat), I do know that without P/FFL, there would be an awful lot of cats without shelter, food, or love in St. T.
While I don't know that I'd adopt another pet from the shelter (due to the circumstances surrounding Zoey's illness), nothing there struck me as abusive.
Yes, it smells like cat. But, from what I've heard, the publicly funded shelters here smell even worse. It's not the nicest place in the world, but I really don't think the even a professionally decorated shelter would last too long with all those cats and claws!
From everything I could see, there were plenty of volunteers there strictly for the purpose of giving those kitties the attention they deserve. There were lots of toys and make shift climbers for the cats. All the cats seemed content and relaxed. I didn't see one cat hiding while I was there (and I did walk all the way to the back at one point).
I do, however, wish there there were some safeguards against diseases. I hate the ideas of cats in cages, but at least that way they have their own litter box. Fewer cats coming into contact with each other would be nice, I think, but with so many cats, I can't see how it would be feasible (without spending a lot of money to build small rooms for a smaller # of cats to stay in).
From everything I could tell of Bonnie, she truly cared about the animals. She did not charge me a fee for Zoey and let me take her to my own vet to be spayed. When Zoey got sick one night (she was still a foster), she called me back at 10pm after she got home from work to answer my concerns.
While my experience with Zoey has left me a bit squeamish about shelters (I hope someday that wears off, because I would truly love to adopt a shelter cat), I do know that without P/FFL, there would be an awful lot of cats without shelter, food, or love in St. T.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #56
I'm sorry you had to go through that with Zoey(read your profile on her). Did you adopt her in-between November 2007 and September 2008? That time I was away from the shelter. Having had a major falling out with the owner and a few other volunteers.Originally Posted by zoeysmom
I have first hand experience with PFFL (That's where Zoey came from).
While I don't know that I'd adopt another pet from the shelter (due to the circumstances surrounding Zoey's illness), nothing there struck me as abusive.
Yes, it smells like cat. But, from what I've heard, the publicly funded shelters here smell even worse. It's not the nicest place in the world, but I really don't think the even a professionally decorated shelter would last too long with all those cats and claws!
From everything I could see, there were plenty of volunteers there strictly for the purpose of giving those kitties the attention they deserve. There were lots of toys and make shift climbers for the cats. All the cats seemed content and relaxed. I didn't see one cat hiding while I was there (and I did walk all the way to the back at one point).
I do, however, wish there there were some safeguards against diseases. I hate the ideas of cats in cages, but at least that way they have their own litter box. Fewer cats coming into contact with each other would be nice, I think, but with so many cats, I can't see how it would be feasible (without spending a lot of money to build small rooms for a smaller # of cats to stay in).
From everything I could tell of Bonnie, she truly cared about the animals. She did not charge me a fee for Zoey and let me take her to my own vet to be spayed. When Zoey got sick one night (she was still a foster), she called me back at 10pm after she got home from work to answer my concerns.
While my experience with Zoey has left me a bit squeamish about shelters (I hope someday that wears off, because I would truly love to adopt a shelter cat), I do know that without P/FFL, there would be an awful lot of cats without shelter, food, or love in St. T.
I agree with you that there should be a better way to prevent diseases. But the disease that Zoey got was an airborne virus, and sadly, not even caging them would have prevented that illness. The only thing that can is vaccinating and boostering prior to them coming into the shelter.
But when they come in as a stray or they need to come in immediately, then it's hard to do that. We can vaccinate them when they come in, but half the time the stress alone causes them to get ill.
We lose more kittens than anything, because they are so fragile. They NEED to be somewhere with no other cats, and that's simply impossible.
Right now our kitten room, (were you in there?) is now transformed into a dog room and we have 7 cages set up in the office, full of kittens that need to be either vaccinated or boostered. Our vet recommends waiting 3 weeks after the BOOSTER before they join the main population, but it's hard when you are running out of room.
We actually had smaller rooms and they opened up all the rooms for some reason. I liked having those separate rooms.. it was easier for me. But they found it harder to clean. Hauling the vacuum through 3 sets of doors. I can understand that, but I think leaving the doors there and not bashing out the walls would have benefited.
But I think we are doing the best with what we currently have. We could do better, but we need money and people willing to do the work for us.
We hope to have new kitten rooms set up for the summer of 2010. We don't have enough time or money or volunteers to do it at this time.. (Like a 6x6 rooms for a mum and litter or a few kittens, ect etc. Bigger than a cage, but still leaving enough room for lots of rooms. One end glass so people can look in and see them.)
This upcoming kitten season we are looking to place all kittens straight into foster so they don't even need to come into the shelter.. just until we can get these rooms put together. So we are scrambling trying to gather enough foster homes for just that.
But anyway.
I again am so sorry you went through that with Zoey. It doesn't often happen. I know sometimes some cats come in with problems internally, and we've lost a whole litter in just a matter of days.. and the vet thinks that sometimes they are sick before they even came in, that the stress released the dormant disease. But I don't know.
Are you from St Thomas or the area?
Like all the others here, I think it is appalling that this video is still active. I wish I had the large sills for my girls to look outside and curl up on. Nothing, except for the ceiling was true!
And he mentioned a dog room, but I could barely make out the dogs and definately didn't see any dog poo on the floor.
This guy is an idiot with a capital I
And he mentioned a dog room, but I could barely make out the dogs and definately didn't see any dog poo on the floor.
This guy is an idiot with a capital I
I am glad you have the SPCA coming in to clear up misconceptions, hopefully you can get your local paper to do a write up once you get the all clear to help with PR
When we built the new shelter we seriously considered going cageless but when talking to other shelters we were worried about the spread of disease, knowing who ate/used the litterbox etc so went with smaller rooms where we can have them out a lot but still put each of them in cages.
This year seems to be bad for illness so I am glad we can confine them, plus we have an isolation room for sick cats with its own air system so we can keep it to one end of the shelter (plus ours go to the vet for vaccines and stay there for a week before coming into the shelter). It is more work to have the smaller rooms, but I prefer it too - plus it makes it easier to show people the cats as we can have people in different rooms at the same time without upsetting the cats without so many new people at once
We moved into our new shelter just in May and every room of our professionally decorated (the people offered to do it as a donation - we didn't pay) shelter has scratch marks etc in the walls. One of the cats in tunnelling herself out through a wall. It just isn't worth it to us to redecorate when they scratch (although we did plaster up some bad scratches and touch up paint over it when a dog dug through the drywall in a kennel just so wires were not exposed)
When we built the new shelter we seriously considered going cageless but when talking to other shelters we were worried about the spread of disease, knowing who ate/used the litterbox etc so went with smaller rooms where we can have them out a lot but still put each of them in cages.
This year seems to be bad for illness so I am glad we can confine them, plus we have an isolation room for sick cats with its own air system so we can keep it to one end of the shelter (plus ours go to the vet for vaccines and stay there for a week before coming into the shelter). It is more work to have the smaller rooms, but I prefer it too - plus it makes it easier to show people the cats as we can have people in different rooms at the same time without upsetting the cats without so many new people at once
