Thursday, September 6, 2012

How Are Things Under the New Interim Director at RCACP? Not so Good.

As the Roanoke Valley SPCA conducts their “internal investigation” and Kandy Elliot, Interim Director, settles in, we have sat back and waited for the promised change.

Here are the facts:

The volunteer program has deteriorated.
At the July advisory board meeting, SPCA board member, Daphne Turner, made the following statements to the RCACP volunteers:

  • We all love animals
  • We all want as many animals as possible to be adopted into loving homes.
  • The animals all need medical care.
  • We love and need volunteers.
  • She acknowledged that none of them probably felt the love right now.
  • We want all citizens to be responsible pet owners.
  • We see that placing an animal is a success for all of us.
  • She states that we won't agree on everything but if we can agree on these statements we have a start.
  • She thinks we need to develop a strong volunteer program to help with cleaning.
  • We need to work together to educate the community on topics that will make them responsible pet owners. If the citizens are empowered with knowledge it will slow down animals coming to the pound.

Ms. Turner was appointed as volunteer liaison, and said she would do her best to have a quick response to questions and welcome interactions. She gathered all of their emails and promised to contact them.

She never did. At the August RCACP advisory board meeting, a volunteer asked her what had happened. Ms. Turner said she had scheduling conflicts.

When asked if she would be contacting the volunteers, Ms. Turner said she would let them know if she would be contacting them. (And yes, we realize how ridiculous that looks in writing. It was even more so in person).

In actuality, Ms. Turner resigned as volunteer liaison, without any of the volunteers being notified.

Fundraising for RCACP animals needing medical care is still non existent.
Area rescue groups are given hours to pull animals needing medical care out of the pound, or they will be killed. This dog was one of them.


 



After being hit by a car, she was on the channel 7 news, as a local Vet's office searched for her owners. None were found, and she ended up at RCACP. Due to the media exposure, she had multiple adoption requests and offers for help.

The SPCA refused those offers, and refused to allow her to be fostered or adopted under the RCACP. Once she deteriorated to the point of not being able to walk, she was given one afternoon to find a rescue, or she was to be killed. Fortunately, but with no help from the SPCA, she was transferred to another agency, and is in foster care today.

The kill rates have increased:
42% of the animals that entered the RCACP in August were killed.
32% of the animals that entered the RCACP in July were killed.

Under the direction of the SPCA Board and Kandy Elliot, there is still no volunteer support, no mechanism to fundraise for RCACP, and the kill rates are higher. According to Barbara Dalhouse, the SPCA board of directors “moved quickly to ensure that we have strong leadership and trusted experience during this critical time in our organization. Kandy is one of the community's most respected leaders and accomplished fund-raisers”

Based on the deterioration of the RCACP last month, it seems like business as usual, and that Ms. Elliot was brought on to help repair the status of the SPCA only.
Unfortunately, our RCACP animals, and the people they touch, are suffering under the SPCA’s direction, or lack thereof.























34 comments:

  1. I also understand that Bill Watson is still showing up every day like he is still on the payroll. What is that about and why is he even allowed in the building and given access to areas that should only be open to employees?

    Sounds like same old stuff - just a new cast of characters.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where do you get that statistic for August? I just looked at the RCACP site and the most current statistics are as of end of July.

    On the issue of fundraising, there is a donate now button right on the homepage. If you make a donation, it states that the funds will be used for medical care for the animals at the pound. They may not be having yard sales or car washes, but it is possible to make a donation. It's misleading to say no fundraising is being done. In VA, a non profit has to register and pay a fee to the state in order to legally fundraise. The RCACP is not registered that I could find. So, having that button on their site is probably the best that can be done.

    On the cancelled adoption event - I believe it was a day or two following a phone call warning that everyone was going to die. It caused both the pound and SPCA to close. I think I'd cancel going out in public if I got that kind of phone call. I think the pound is still paying for an off duty cop for protection against the wackos.

    As to Bill Watson showing up, Anonymous, your information is incorrect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What part of this is acceptable to you? - "After being hit by a car, she was on the channel 7 news, as a local Vet's office searched for her owners. None were found, and she ended up at RCACP. Due to the media exposure, she had multiple adoption requests and offers for help. The SPCA refused those offers, and refused to allow her to be fostered or adopted under the RCACP. Once she deteriorated to the point of not being able to walk, she was given one afternoon to find a rescue, or she was to be killed. Fortunately, but with no help from the SPCA, she was transferred to another agency, and is in foster care today."

      Delete
    2. OMG...it is the SPCA that is housing all of those stupid leaders, u know the ones that lie and get there kicks and giggles every night they go home and proclaim at the dinner table to family , children and friends..."HEY GUYS....here is an up date...today we killed 32 animals ...up 2 more from yesterday...more dogs than cats...but tomorrow is another day" and we just might catch up on those pesty cats." YUP that is the folks at the spca...Damn sure a good thing we have angels of assisi...to point out to all the rest of us ilitereate, insensitive animal abusers...u know the ones...those folks over at the SPCA...those bunch of killers...yup...thank you Lisa O and all of your flatliners associates..what would we do without u? bubba's mom where did u say you all were EDUCATED...might want to look in the mirror first, and try remedial work on your own before u set your sites on educating most of all of the rest of us to those bad dudes at the SPCA and RCACP...not to mention all those volunteers as well as the thousands of families who have adopted animals from the SPCA. better get to work...use got your work cut out for you. bubba's mom

      Delete
  3. Wow, same old same old for sure. No wonder nothing ever changes with all the fighting going on.

    In April, I had to put down my best friend of 17 years, a poodle mix. I had always ASSUMED that when the time came I would adopt from my local shelter and that being RCACP. So in May, I started looking. None of the dogs at the SPCA seemed to be a fit but when I looked on Petfinder, low and behold, there were a couple at RCACP that looked really promising. Then the shock......I wouldn't be allowed to adopt. I am a Roanoke City resident why not I asked. Only rescues can pull any of the dogs. ????? So I go to the rescue and ask, can they pull a dog for me. NOPE, because I might change my mind and they would be stuck with her. This still burns me and I just hope the dog I was interested in made it out of that but she probably didn't. I finaaly threw my hands up in disgust and found my own dog. She is happy, healthy, vetted and well on her way to being a wonderful dog. I tell me myself that though I was not allowed to adopt a rescued dog that maybe in the end I kept her from ending up at RCACP since she was a rehome. Who knows? But I know that I can no longer badger friends and family to try to adopt a rescue when they are looking for a dog because the system is broken. How sad is this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I doubt that seriously. but cry in your beer if IT helps u feel better...doubt the animals feel better. the system needs changing...modification...more flexibility...MORE MONEY from whereever money can be found...but it is not broken. sorry.
      U are 100% correct on one very important point: NO WONDER nothing ever changes with all the fighting go on.
      actually it is sort of a one sided fight...the hard working dedicated staff and volunteers at the pound and the SPCA are constrained by something called "public policy"...they would be FIRED IF THEY stood on a street corner ranting and raving and otherwise engaging in such a "poop slinging" contest.PERIOD. it seems that Lisa O and her flatlined associates do NOT have a day/or night job...and have unlimited time to emote on street corners , and blogs and tv and the newspapers. There just may be something we can alllll learn from this strategy.

      Delete
  4. The statitistic for August is from Trish the Director of Operations.

    At the last 2 advisory board meetings, Barbara Dalhouse has said they are trying to get the paperwork in order to fundraise for RCACP. She was told by the municipalities last fall that she was to start fundraising for the RCACP, and flat out told them she would not because it would hinder SPCAP fundraising.

    The SPCA was still allowed to go to the off site adoption event. As for the RCACP event, Angels of Assisi offered to take the RCACP animals to the event, and the request was ignored.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  5. According to the list of advisory members posted on rcrap website,
    barbara dalhouse holds a seat on the advisory council but is not the head of it. What prevents the municipalities from starting the fundraising for medical care? What prevents them from allocating money for that? Speaking of fundraising, I donated $10 to the group raising money to send a dog to California back in the spring. they were set up on the corner by Little ceasers. I read that he was adopted instead. so what happened to the money raised for that purpose? What happened to the money raised at the yard sales? I saw on facebook that at one of them, more than $1000 was raised.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What part of this is acceptable to you? - "After being hit by a car, she was on the channel 7 news, as a local Vet's office searched for her owners. None were found, and she ended up at RCACP. Due to the media exposure, she had multiple adoption requests and offers for help. The SPCA refused those offers, and refused to allow her to be fostered or adopted under the RCACP. Once she deteriorated to the point of not being able to walk, she was given one afternoon to find a rescue, or she was to be killed. Fortunately, but with no help from the SPCA, she was transferred to another agency, and is in foster care today."

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    4. I am a former Angels of Assisi volunteer. I couldn't stand what I saw and had to quit. I didn't fit in there anyway bercause I disagreed with one of the staff on something. You either drink their particular brand of Kool Aid or you are scum in their minds. They should not be throwing dirt at the spca or any other group until they clean up their own house. Can anyone deny the evidence of hoarding in the basement of that hole they call a shelter? I have researched and can find all kinds of financial information on the spca website as well as list of board members and staff. This info is not available on Angels or LAP site.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    6. YES...certainly for sure let's talk about the big picture.
      Let's talk about the $ it would take to sustain a pound the size of RCACP for every animal that comes in there. could MORE be save....probably...so. but who wants to be associated with almost hysterical rantings of Lisa O. better yet...let's all get a bus load of kids take them over the pound, show them all the dogs and cats and THEN POINT out that bldg...u know the one where they don't come out alive...and try to explain THAT. maybe a picnic lunch...and invite the public. WHY not get Lisa O and her many numerous followers to expand their own foster and adoption services and STOP charging members of the inner city neighborhoods exorbitant adoption fees? THAT MIGHT HELP move more animals through their doors faster. Both the SPCA and Angels of Assisi want to and have regularly charged folks who are interested in adopting a pet...outrageous fees.. $100-150 for a small dog or cat...get out of here!...alas those pesty vet fees...Okay so why not become even more aggressive soliciting FREE Vet assistance for all of those animals and THEN lower your fees. Instead of looking for and finding every fault u can Oneill and her many "flatlined"followers(reference to above from anonymous)...ought do some door to door canvassing/soliciting. in city neighborhoods...work off some pounds...and use up some of that frustrated energy....take a long a pet or two...and let people see just how loveable some of these animals are...how appealing and well behaved some are. stop sitting on your buns in front of pet smart...and get out and get to work.

      Delete
    7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  6. I worked at the RCACP about 8 years ago. I know most of what is being said is true.I personally remember a white pit bull who was an owner release who was sweet as can be but she was put down because she didnt meet the guidelines for adoption. There was also a red bone that was an owner release, the owner turned him over to the pound because he kept getting out of their yard and the owner was told if he got out again they would be fined. So, they turned him over to the pound and lo and behold , he was put down. Many sweet and lovable animals are put down because of space requirements and just the fact that they are deemed unadoptable. It saddens me to read everything about the RCACP. The employees there do all they can, but in the end its up to the management on what happens to which animals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete