Bartow County’s Response to The Petition
&
R.U. Sikuvit’s In Response Letter
Peter Olson’s full letter is located at the end of this page
Peter Olson:
Thank you for accepting our September 26, 2016 request to engage in public dialog regarding our concerns as to the way in which your county manages animals in its care.
Even though it’s four months later, over 3,400 people are now involved in the conversation and one Very Upset and Affected Rescue with a following of almost 15,000 people who are watching and joining the conversation.
We’re glad you’re at the table to publicly discuss the issues and solutions.
To Be Clear:
We’d like to be clear about our intent and our objectives in this conversation so you have no additional misunderstanding about who we are, what we want and what will make us stand down.
In the spirit of having No Misunderstandings, we will respond to the key points of your response so you clearly know where we stand.
If we take your number of the current euthanasia rate to be true, 29%…
It’s Still Too High.
We Want it Lowered.
To clarify what we would consider an acceptable kill rate let’s define it.
No Kill Shelter:
A “no-kill” shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety. A no-kill shelter uses many strategies to promote shelter animals; to expanding its resources using volunteers, excellent housing and medical protocols; and to work actively to lower the number of homeless animals entering the shelter system. Wikipedia
In todays’s day and age, with all the tools available to your county, the amount of money in your budget, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON you have a 29% Kill Rate.
Our Expectation:
Our Expectation:
Bartow County will not, even when full, kill healthy or treatable animals.
Bartow County will implement strategies to promote shelter animals; to expand its resources using volunteers, additional social media platforms, provide excellent housing and medical protocols; work actively to lower the number of homeless animals entering the shelter system – this includes programs EVHS has been contracted to implement (“Effective programs aimed toward encouraging adoption and proper care of domestic animals and that such programs and services…be expanded and improved to meet the growing demand for such services by the citizens of the county.”) but IS NOT providing.
These programs will include proper healthcare for animals while in county care, low cost spay/neuter, pet adoptions, animal reclaims, volunteer opportunities, foster programs, rescue group coordination (as opposed to rescue manipulation – take these animals or we’ll kill them tomorrow), programs to keep pets in their owner’s care and programs assisting owners in finding alternatives to surrendering their pets.
Let’s Talk:
Let’s talk about your statement, “In terms of animals that are reasonably adoptable, the euthanasia rate is under 3%.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
If you would like to debate this point we ask you to provide us with records identifying every animal BCAC interacted with in 2016. Please include what occurred in every step from initial contact to conclusion of contact.
Once we have reviewed “Your Legally Required to Keep Paperwork” we can discuss further.
If you choose not to provide this information we’ll use our documentation in further conversations.
Etowah Valley Humane Society:
Etowah Valley Humane Society, your next subject of comment.
Not to debate, just to inform, contracting EVHS to correct the chaos situation you felt you had did not correct it. It’s still Chaos. Thus this petition and outrage you are experiencing.
Your statement, “EVHS will work with any rescue that complies with Dept of Agriculture regs.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
Your comment, “All available animals are photographed and put up on their website for adoption.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
If you would like to debate these points we ask you to provide us with records identifying every animal BCAC interacted with in 2016. Please include what occurred in every step from initial contact to conclusion of contact.
Once we have reviewed “Your Legally Required to Keep Paperwork” we can discuss further.
If you choose not to provide this information we’ll use our documentation in further conversations.
Bartow County Animal Control:
Let’s talk about the conditions of the animals upon intake and upon release. You state they were not starved. We’d like to talk about the problem rather than justification as we are obviously in agreement the problem exists – healthy animals come in healthy and many leave unhealthy.
This leads us to our next expectation:
All animals in the care of the county will be vetted.
Currently the animals in custody are not treated.
Illness Runs Rampant:
Your next comment, “Illness and disease is not rampant in the facility.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
If you would like to debate these points we ask you to provide us with records identifying every animal BCAC interacted with in 2016. Please include what occurred in every step from initial contact to conclusion of contact.
If you choose not to provide this information we’ll use our documentation in further conversations.
The much higher rate of sickness in your facility, causing the rescues that do support your county incur large and unnecessary vetting bills, has been addressed with BCAC, EVHS and Steve Taylor on numerous occasions. A Free $800 Animal Shelter Care Manual was offered to your county to help you lower the sickness numbers. It was refused upon every offer.
Vetting the animals upon intake will also greatly reduce the number of sick animals coming out of BCAC.
Your statement, “The Department of Agriculture regularly inspects the facility and we comply with all relevant regulations.”
This statement is not necessarily true. We have documentation supporting complaints and citations of violations.
All Animals Photographed:
Your statement, “All adoptable animals are photographed and posted weekly on the EVHS website, and are available for five to ten days.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
Not all “adoptable” animals are photographed. Not all “adoptable” animals are posted anywhere. Not all “adoptable” animals are available for five to ten days. Not all animals are listed on a Lost or Found Page.
This leads us to our next expectation:
All adoptable animals are to be photographed and posted weekly on all the appropriate forums.
This leads us to our next expectation:
Oversight on what constitutes an Adoptable Animal.
Not all animals are available for five to ten days.
We have documentation to support our claim including the policy announced on EVHS’s own Facebook page:
August 2016 EVHS implemented a new policy:
Owner surrendered cats will be given 48 hours from the time of intake to be picked up by a local rescue.
No offer for adoption. No Public Notice.
Local Rescue or Euthanization. 48 Hours.
Shorty thereafter they implemented a 24-hour policy on this same group of animals as a result of large intakes of owner surrender cats.
Numbers Don’t Add Up:
Your statement, “ EVHS adopts about directly about 500 to 600 per year.”
Brian Canty, Director of EVHS, publicly stated EVHS adopts out 128 animals a month or 1,536 animals a year.
The difference in the numbers is Beyond Disturbing, raising many questions and concerns.
If EVHS is contracted to, as you state, “The county contracts with Etowah Valley Humane Society to handle adoptions,” and EVHS is the Only way to adopt an animal from BCAC, which is fact, the difference in number reporting suggests neither of you, BCAC, or Bryan, EVHS, are keeping accurate records and are unable to identify the correct number of adoptions.
If the above is an incorrect assumption it would lead us to conclude your contract with EVHS is not exclusive – EVHS is able to adopt out animals they receive from sources outside of BCAC.
This is a Huge Issue regardless of which scenario listed above is accurate.
If EVHS is not exclusive to BCAC it is leaving animals to die at BCAC – Based on your numbers listed above at the low end around 936 animals and the high end 1,036 – because it is using it’s resources to do business on it’s own and, thereby, is not meeting the demands of the county or the contract.
Either way we call Bullshit on Bartow. Not acceptable.
Reasonably Adoptable:
Your statement, “The number of reasonably adoptable dogs euthanized last year was probably about 75.”
This is a false statement. We have documentation to prove it.
If you would like to debate these points we ask you to provide us with records identifying every animal BCAC interacted with in 2016. Please include what occurred in every step from initial contact to conclusion of contact.
If you choose not to provide this information we’ll use our documentation in further conversations.
More disturbing than the incorrect information you have been provided, is the fact that you do not even discuss the number of non-feral cats euthanized in your county. This indicates to us the number is extraordinarily high or would have been included in your response.
Rather than responding by getting the numbers from BCAC or EVHS and trying to pass them to us – like the incorrect number dogs euthanized – we want to assure you we have documentation to support the number is very large.
Dog Fighting:
Let’s look your comment on Dog Fighting. We’re glad you mentioned it. We weren’t going to as we don’t have the documentation to prove it.
What we do have is The Director of the EVHS publicly implying, everywhere he goes, with his personal logo and his words, there IS Dog Fighting going on at EVHS/BCAC.
Cross Bones with a Red Eyed Dangerous Looking Dog?
Seriously, Peter Olson?
You think it is acceptable for a person representing EVHS, BCAC and Bartow County to have a personal logo of cross bones and what looks like a vicious red eyed fighting dog that’s posted publicly, frequently and with the local papers feeding into this by doing fluff pieces called Tales from the Dogfather?
A symbol that most people around the world would immediately relate to dog fighting?
The reference to The Dog Father…relating to the vicious mob boss known as The God Father?
This organization is The Humane Society, right? The Etowah Valley Humane Society.
What kind of message do you think this sends for a Director of a “Humane” organization?
What kind of concerns do think it raises relating the animals supposedly in it’s “care”?
Threats:
What about the words of The Director of EVHS expresses publicly?
How about the most recent ones he pontificated just days ago.
Specifically relating to our voicing our dissatisfaction with EVHS, BCAC and Bartow County?
“My bark is NOT worse than my bite!”
Threatening again. Threatening Us and the Very Upset and Affected Rescue.
Does Canty think that vicious red eyed attack dog he associates with his persona can take on the over 15,000 and counting seriously concerned animal lovers now involved in the same manner he’s handled past concerns and comments? By threatening?
In response to Gina Leigh Greenway’s questions on Canty’s Facebook page, “Is someone stirring the pot again?…The same bunch?”
Bryan Canty responds, “Yes… And then some.”
He goes on to say, “Perhaps it’s time they learned that they shouldn’t hunt that which they cannot kill.”
Canty marking his territory?
Or is he seriously threatening us publicly?
Does he believe he’s above the law? There will be no consequences for his actions?
Any way you look at it, Peter…
We Call Bullshit or Bartow. Not acceptable.
We’re at a Loss:
We’re at a loss as to why you would allow your Director of the EVHS to threaten us publicly and tell us we shouldn’t “Hunt that which they cannot kill?”
Do you not see what’s playing in the back ground of these statements?
We’re not talking about the banjo music or the screen credits to the movie Deliverance we see. We’re talking about what looks like internal gratification of The Hunt and Kill.
Dog Fighting.
Your statement, “Dog fighting is not occurring.” has not been substantiated.
Your comment suggests you’re trying to “Trump” us, asking us to not believe what our eyes are seeing, our ears are hearing and what we understand with what he’s saying with his logo and his words.
Don’t do that. We’d like to be in open discussion about the issues on the table.
This one included.
Don’t deny Bryan Canty’s behavior is unacceptable and that this is not happening.
We have documentation to prove this.
Dog fighting is a viable concern at EVHS/BCAC.
A complete and thorough investigation of this situation that Canty’s own actions and words, without the assistance of any event occurring or anyone else’s involvement, warrants an investigation.
More Bartow Bullshit:
While we’re on Canty let’s discuss another issue we have concerns with.
A woman serving her probation sentence at EVHS has her pants pulled down by none other than The Director himself.
Brian Canty’s arrested and faces a simple battery charge.
Or does he?
EVHS fires him. But, the charges disappear and he is reinstated.
Really, Peter? This is how you do business in Bartow?
Our question is, “In what alternative universe would this be allowed to happen?”
One answer brought us back to that Dog Fighting Thing you brought up.
If there was Dog Fighting occurring in Bartow County with the animals in BCAC/EVHS and Canty was the Head Dog – You know the Cross Bones Vicious Red Eyed Fighting Dog Thing he’s made to represent himself…they’d want him back in control at EVHS.
That’s the only alternate universe we can see this happening in.
You’re Off on Being Highly Regarded:
Your statement, “Our shelter is highly regarded by other professionals in the field…Gordon, Polk and Floyd County.”
How do you think the following counties regard your reported 29% Kill Rate?
How do you think they regard this GA SPOT report noting your Kill Rate at 40.31%?
Clayton County’s Kill Rate: 11.70%
DeKalb County’s Kill Rate: 13.28%
Fulton County’s Kill Rate: 11.62%
Gwinnett County’s Kill Rate: 10.91%
Paulding County’s Kill Rate: 17.74%
Bartow County’s Kill Rate: 40.31%
Rescue Complaints:
This brings us to your next statement, “Frankly, it is my understanding some of the rescues don’t like having to go through EVHS, they all just want to come in and take their pick.”
Open your eyes, Peter.
Bartow County…look around.
This has nothing to do with the rescues wanting to Cherry Pick animals – take the cutest, healthiest, etc. Rescues from around this country (and yes…you read that right…rescues from other not only other counties, but other states are aware of what goes on in Bartow County) transport animals from your facility to save them from your almost certain death or worse.
Your statement, “EVHS works quite well with responsible and reasonable rescue organizations who meet Dept of Agriculture standards.” brings us to a question we’d like to ask:
Who makes the determination that a rescue is responsible and reasonable enough to work with EVHS?
The Answer: The Director of Etowah Valley Humane Society. Bryan Canty.
Bartow County, EVHS, BCAC…none of you have earned the right to determine reasonable and responsible as none of you behave in these manners. Thus this petition and outrage you are experiencing.
Your Almost Million Dollar Budget:
Now, let’s talk about that budget you refer to as our next subject:
Almost One Million Dollars. $1,000,000
What are you people doing with it?
Dekalb County brought in a No Kill Shelter Management Company for a little more than what your budget is and they’ve been “wildly successful – saving nearly 40,000 animals in the last three years of managing DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services.”
You’re Proud?
That brings us to the first part of your final statement, “We are very proud of our department and very satisfied with their efforts.”
We have to go with that Very Upset and Affected Rescue’s comments on your efforts, “SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on BARTOW COUNTY and ETOWAH HUMANE.”
And, the second part of that final statement, “ It is unfortunate we have to have an animal control department at all, because all the problems come from irresponsible pet owners; but we do our best to make a bad situation less bad.”
Blaming others for the mismanagement of your Animal Welfare Program is what got you into this mess to begin with.
How Bout?
How about being Responsible and Reasonable and put an Effective Shelter Management Program in Place.
Something to really be Proud of.
Let us know how we can help you accomplish this.
Peter Olson’s Full Response
JAN 27, 2017 — As County Administrator for Bartow County, I wanted to respond to this petition. First, there is a lot of misinformation and indeed hysteria on the internet about Bartow County Animal Control and folks simply do not have the facts. Our Animal Control facility has been visited by officials from several neighboring counties and praised for how well it works and how well we work with our local humane society. Over the last several years, the overall euthanasia rate has declined from 82% to 29%, but that includes all animals such as those that are aggressive dogs or bite dogs that have been owner-released because the owner was unwilling to comply with the requirements to keep an aggressive dog. We do not allow those dogs to be adopted as they are a public safety risk. It also includes dogs that are very sick, and much of that number is feral cats.
In terms of animals that are reasonably adoptable, the euthanasia rate is under 3%. Additionally, the total number of animals taken in has been dropping steadily, from 6,200 in 2011 to 3,900 in 2016, so education efforts have been succeeding. It is sad to have to euthanize any animal of course and we make every effort to reduce that number.
The county contracts with Etowah Valley Humane Society to handle adoptions because it was chaos before, with various animal rescue organizations bickering and fighting about animals. The Deputy Director told me of one particular incident where two rescues were fighting over who would get a Labrador puppy, with one pulling on the front legs and one pulling on the back legs! Other rescues in the past have put up photos of dogs in custody on their website to solicit donations to rescue the dog, but then they never come and get the dog. EVHS will work with any rescue that complies with Dept of Agriculture regs. All available animals are photographed and put up on their website for adoption.
There have been a variety of incorrect assertions about our animal control program.
1. Animals are not being starved. All animals are given plenty of food. Large dogs get a 32oz portion of dry food and small dogs get a 16oz portion. We have plenty of food to provide, it is all donated. Even though we budget money for food purchases every year, we don’t have to spend it between bags provided by Wal Mart and other retailers and donations by citizens. The sad fact is dogs in unfamiliar kennels are under stress and often don’t eat. Imagine how unhappy a dog must feel, away from their familiar surroundings. The deputy director reports to me that they don’t let food sit in the bowls when it’s time for the next feeding. They throw out what is in the bowl and give a fresh portion. A lot of food gets through away uneaten, but is is available. So if you have seen pictures of dogs looking skinnier in shelters, the reasons are emotional rather than lack of
food.
2. Illness and disease is not rampant in the facility. The kennels are kept clean and comfortable. Animals are kept separated unless they came in together from the same location, or unless overcrowding gets severe. On my recent visit last week to the facility, many of the runs were empty. All runs except quarantine have an inside and outside portion separated by a gate. There is no particular problem with illness or disease. The Department of Agriculture regularly inspects the facility and we comply with all relevant regulations.
3. All adoptable animals are photographed and posted weekly on the EVHS website, and are available for five to ten days. EVHS adopts about directly about 500 to 600 per year, and rescues pull about 1,800 more. The number of reasonably adoptable dogs euthanized last year was probably about 75. That is still a sad statistic, but we are working to try and reduce it.
4. Dog fighting is not occurring. A lot of interest got stirred up in response to a recent incident that hit Facebook about two pitbulls that got into a fight. Here are the facts. The two dogs were owner-released from the same household. I don’t know the circumstances of the owner release but it wasn’t for aggression or biting as they would not have been put up for adoption, as these were. Dogs that have lived together are put into the same run. A rescue contacted EVHS and put a “hold” on those dogs, meaning they intended to come and pick them up. They were still there, not having been picked up yet, after about two weeks, when they suddenly turned on each other and started fighting. A kennel attendant was right there and tried to separate them with stream of water, and then animal control officers responded and
were able to get them separated into the two sides of the run. The rescue was contacted and told they needed to come get them immediately.
5. Our shelter is highly regarded by other professionals in the field. We have been visited by officials from Gordon, Polk and Floyd County (neighboring counties) all to study how we do it and all have complimented our operation and said it was one of the best they have seen. We have an excellent relationship with our Humane society and also the local League for Animal Welfare. It is just some unhappy rescues that think we are so horrible.
Frankly, it is my understanding some of the rescues don’t like having to go through EVHS, they all just want to come in and take their pick. The department made the decision several years ago, based on the incidents I relate and others, to not allow rescues back into the shelter anymore and have all adoptions and rescues managed through the EVHS. So some unhappy rescues wage a misinformation campaign against us. EVHS works quite well with responsible and reasonable rescue organizations who meet Dept of Agriculture standards.
We have 12 full and part time staffers working animal control (along with community service workers and inmates on work release) and a budget of around $900,000. I came across a statistic in a 2011 Cherokee County report that Fulton County spends about $2.28 per capita on animal control, Cherokee County spent $4.64 per capita and we had the highest spending of nine counties in the metro Atlanta region at $8.28. Putting my County Administrator hat on, it’s not my goal to have the highest per capita spending in any department, but it shows financially we put more into Animal Control on a pro rata basis than anyone around.
We are very proud of our department and very satisfied with their efforts. We certainly appreciate all the animal lovers out there and their concern for the animals. It is unfortunate we have to have an animal control department at all, because all the problems come from irresponsible pet owners; but we do our best to make a bad situation less bad.
Evaluate the Actions of Bartow County
Determine if EVHS and BCAC are Acting
Efficiently. Properly. Ethically. Responsibly.
If You See The Numbers Don’t Add Up…
Demand Bartow County Implement Change in the current set up or Get a Shelter Management Company in that will efficiently, properly, ethically and responsibly manage the unwanted animal population of Bartow County.