I am fortunate enough to have among my friends an excellent attorney who specializes in civil rights lawsuits. He is a member of the board of Pets Alive, and he’s a stand up guy. I wanted to put a picture here of him with his dog (a big ol’ Pit Bull of course), but if he doesn’t call me back before I push the publish button then you’re getting the gorky lawyer picture instead.  Buster ->

This is a very interesting lawsuit. Basically the poor, beleaguered, altruistic, sweet, wonderful, morally centered board of the Liberty Humane Society is being harassed by the unwashed, cretinous, violent, threatening extremist mob. You can’t read this tripe from the largely brain-dead Melissa Hayes, “reporter” for the Star-Ledger without laughing out loud:

In a statement the board said members and shelter staff have been subjected “to a constant barrage of threats, slanderous insults and blatantly false information designed to intimidate us into relinquishing control of the Liberty Humane Society.”

“We support and defend everyone’s right to freedom of speech, but issuing death threats and smearing our reputations with vulgar lies and distortions is not speech — it is harassment,” the statement said. “We filed this suit to protect ourselves and restore the good reputation of the Liberty Humane Society.”

Ok…let’s stop right here for a moment.

A constant barrage. Remember…we don’t have megaphones that we are screaming into 24/7 in front of the building. THEY ARE SUING OVER A FACEBOOK PAGE. So I sat there and refreshed the Facebook page for about 30 minutes today. There is, on average, a post every 3.2 minutes.

So that means that in a course of a day there are approximately 200 – 300 posts, including people responding to every post (I discounted a little figuring the posts drop off after midnight). I get between 250 and 400 emails a day. Does that mean I get a barrage of emails?

Furthermore, if we were printing these posts, crumpling them up and throwing them at the board members I could see where 400 of them could be annoying. I have an easy fix for this barrage. There’s a little x up in the right-hand corner of the web page. Click it. Problem solved.

Anyway…they are getting a constant barrage of threats, slanderous insults, and blatantly false information…

Ok….so there has to be at least 100 to 200 threats out there somewhere, right? I know Melissa “Would you like fries with that?” Hayes and the geniuses at the Star-Ledger would print them on the front page all day every day, so I looked around for all of these threats. There aren’t ANY that I could see in the complaint, and I only found one anywhere, ironically in another publication, the Hudson Reporter. Ready? Here it is:

Wherever you go we will find you!! You are the hunted now. We played nice and you wanted to play hard.  Now We Will Hunt You!,” the post said.

Um…where’s the beef?  Are the poor, overworked, underpaid, articulate and forthcoming members of the board saying that this person meant it literally?  Seriously?  This is it?  I don’t know what to say.  In order to even email these people you have to hunt down the email address.  They are hiding from us.  I absolutely believe that is what this person meant.  So I figured I’d run to the Facebook page and check out the context.

Oh.  It’s not there.   According to the Hudson Reporter
The item has since been removed and replaced with a comment in which the author says he does not condone violence.

Ah, so the “author” realized that he (or she) may have said something that could have been misconstrued by people trying anything they possibly can to get the focus off their alleged misdeeds and on to something less substantive, so he or she decided to pull the comment anyway and state that he or she doesn’t condone violence.

Sounds good to me.  No harm done.

Well, actually apparently John Hanuusack is waiting by his door for someone with a hockey mask on and a chain saw in one hand and an ice pick in the other to bust through his door.  That wouldn’t end well if it happened in my house, because I have dogs.    There’s the first irony of today — hey John, maybe you should have taken one home instead of killing him.  He could protect you from us violent thugs who may actually WRITE SOMETHING about you.  Careful…we type pretty fast.  A key may fly off and hit you.

So that covers the “threats.”  Not sure we could find a judge who wouldn’t laugh at that one.

They provided a copy of the lawsuit to their propaganda organization, the Jersey Journal (Star-Ledger), and you can look at it for yourself here.

To help things along I’m going to put down the insults in one place and we can talk about them.  These are taken from ACTUAL POSTS ON THE ACTUAL FACEBOOK SITE.  WARNING: CONTENT MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR IDIOTS.

Hmmmm…let’s take a quick look through these and see the common threads.  Murder, killer, etc. appear 15 times.

Wow!  a barrage.

Now let’s talk about slanderous and blatantly false. I am certainly no attorney (but I’ll bet my knowledge of the law against either Mr. or Mrs. Diana Jeffrey), but to be slander it has to be:

1.  Oral (whoops!)

2.  A claim that shows someone in a negative light. (think we have that covered)

3.  False.

And now we come to the problem with murder.  What exactly does it mean to murder?  To a layperson (a non-lawyer), murder means basically kill intentionally and with premeditation (planning and intent).

So murder IS killing.  Again, for us laypeople the words are synonymous.

I have a list.  On that list are 30 dogs that were killed by Liberty Humane.  That makes them killers.  Period.  So that means calling them killers isn’t slanderous.  Did they PLAN or INTEND to kill any of the animals?  I could make a pretty good argument that many of these dogs were murdered.  Particularly egregious would be Fuller, who was given 5 temperament tests, had adopters who had seen the tests and wanted the dog.  He was killed anyway.

By the above definition I believe that was murder.

So I see nothing there that’s slanderous.  And as far as blatantly false is concerned, the word blatant means completely obvious, and there’s just no way that’s true.

But we did something far more heinous.  We referenced a Guns N Roses song.  GASP.  Someone posted “Welcome to the Jungle.”  Get it?  Animals?  Jungle?  Duh?  No actually it was a death threat.

“WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE”  VIDEO. SHOWS RIOTING, POLICE IN RIOT GEAR, A PERSON IN RESTRAINTS (LIKE A MENTAL PATIENT ABOUT TO UNDERGO ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY), WHILE LYRIC SAY “YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE/YOUR’E IN THE JUNGLE BABY/YOU’RE GOING TO DIE” AND THEN SHOWS A BODY COVERED WITH A SHEET BEING WHEELED OUT ON A STRETCHER

It does?  Jeez…I never noticed that.  I liked the video from The Dead Pool when Jim Carrey was lip synching this song.  Axyl Rose says it’s about…Seattle.  It’s about how small Seattle is but you can still get what you want.  I still remember what David Lee Roth said when the millionth person asked him why he wrote a song.  He said “Why the f–k do you think?  To make money.”  C’mon.  This is ridiculous.

This isn’t enough for the genius Board of LHS.  They want to reach for more.  I could go on and on but I’m getting bored with this.

This lawsuit is obviously a SLAPP lawsuit, which is A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP), intended to censor, intimidate and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.

Know what I think of that?

Most of the postings were simply expressions of opinion from ordinary citizens and taxpayers, although in hyperbolic and sometimes scatological language, of LHS’ board  and the organization they lead.

Jersey City has delegated statutory duties with regard to animal control to the Humane Society.  When the Humane Society signed a contract with the city, it was appointed to act as an agent of the Board of Health concerning certain public health regulations.

If the Humane Society were not subject to the same types of criticism that governmental entities would be subject to it would frustrate the ability of the general public to complain and otherwise effectuate necessary and desirable change when those services fall below standards which the public demands.

Oh…I’m sorry…that wasn’t me.  That was a Georgia court spanking the Atlanta Humane Society for suing someone who did just about exactly what we did.  I just changed Atlanta Humane Society to Liberty Humane Society and shuffled some stuff around.

BTW…I think Liberty Humane wins the hyperbole contest, though their lap dogs (with apologies to dogs everywhere) in the media will give them a pass on it.

Wonder how this will turn out?

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I was wrong.

The reaction to the people trying to change things at Liberty Humane has been the same as it is pretty much everywhere. There were some Tea Party guys there last night. Really nice people. They took the time to come out and support us.

It dawned on me that we were characterized in the same way as those people. We are “activists.” The Jersey City Police sent 13 officers (yes 13) out to the protest because they are afraid it was going to turn violent. To their credit, most of the cops were great. I am filing a complaint against one of them, but that’s another story.

We are violent. We are crazy. We do not represent the mainstream. Same thing they say about the Tea Party, or anyone who dares to question the status quo.

The Jersey Journal calls us “No kill animal activists.” Yeah, that’s what we are. We are just people. Ordinary people who go to work, raise our families, pay our taxes. The difference is that we believe an injustice is being done at Liberty Humane, and dogs and cats are being slaughtered when they shouldn’t be. We have proof. The Jersey Journal isn’t interested.

Friends that were there last night…are YOU surprised to find that you are a No-Kill activist this morning? Welcome.

And I am A New York no-kill activist. You know, an out of state meddler.

And you, the no-kill advocates are crazy and violent and unable to think for yourselves. You are threatening to do violence to people on my order. Hanussak said his phone has been ringing in the middle of the night since a New York-based animal sanctuary, Pets Alive, posted his home number on its website.

Get it? Cause and effect. And remember, we are an out-of-state organization meddling in Jersey City affairs.

Before I get to the point of this blog, let me repeat the same thing I repeated to two “journalists” at the Jersey Journal and for some reason it didn’t get published:

We, of course, don’t condone violence against animals or people. These are people who are on the board of a public charity. They have taken a stand that is morally reprehensible, and then hid from the public, not affording them an opportunity to voice their opinion. Calling them is really one of the few ways people have of expressing their anger and frustration.

The other thing I find amazing is that all of the phone numbers we allegedly “published” can be easily found in Internet search engines. Does the Jersey Journal think I have a master database of animal killers with contact information? Sadly, my hard drive isn’t big enough to hold all of them.

So then I go to the comments section of this journalistic masterpiece and find two comments:

1. It looks like this guy (me) has eaten plenty of animals.

2. Why don’t we just give all the animals to a Chinese restaurant?

So there’s the readership of the Jersey Journal checking in.

But back to the “journalists.” Rather than reporting the facts, telling the public what we’re asking for (both of which were provided in spades), the Jersey Journal, led by Melissa Hayes, seek to label us.

Labeling is done for one reason…to divide. And that’s what Melissa and the Jersey Journal seek to do.

Next week when we call for everyone to meet together to try to iron this out and put together a plan to save the shelter and the animals, let’s see how we get labeled.

Someone last night told me that “none of us expect much from the Jersey Journal.” They have had years to report what’s going on here and they have failed miserably. I felt a glimmer of hope that the message would get across. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Someone posted a Gandi quote on Facebook that I wanted to share here:

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Speaking of Gandi, thank you all for being the change you want to see in the world.

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They are paranoid enough to probably require medication. They are firing people left and right, throwing volunteers out of the shelter, and posting on Facebook pages these utterly childish, transparent diatribes about how great the new board is, and how they are a model shelter.

That’s actually true…they are a model shelter if the goal is to kill animals. The proof is piling up while they circle the wagons, get rid of people who dare to tell the truth and not release one scrap of paper that the New Jersey OPRA law (their Freedom of Information act) REQUIRES them to turn over.

We still have no hint of the disposition of the 40-60 dogs and 100 or so cats that are missing. We KNOW some of them have been murdered, simply because the people that plunged the blue liquid into their healthy veins told us.

But now we finally have the answer.

I won’t print the latest statement from the Einstein Humane Society Board of Directors, but I want to share one paragraph with you:

Despite these efforts, there have been great misunderstandings. As a Board we apologize if we have not always been able to reach out and respond to the questions being asked of us every day. You have been left to wonder about things that haven’t been explained. That is not okay. We were given a very, very short deadline to ease the overcrowding which led to inhumane conditions and that has been our main focus. Our time has been spent and will continue to be focused foremost on the well-being of the animals in our care, working extensively with all the reputable animal advocates and rescue organizations that have come to our aid during this crisis.

This statement is an example of the pure evil that the Board of Liberty Humane represents. They didn’t even return calls from rescue organizations until they were forced to. We have a statement and a video from people who wanted a dog that was tested 5 times in the same day until he growled and was executed despite their pleading.

We are just now uncovering animal abuse at the shelter and we will work until the person(s) we have identified are in jail where they belong with the proof we are gathering. This is one huge, ugly onion that will eventually have the layers peeled away and the people responsible for any wrongdoing will PERSONALLY face both criminal and civil charges. They won’t hide behind the Board and they won’t escape. You have my word.

But again, we have the answer. This is just a misunderstanding.

So what is the misunderstanding? Did they take 60 dogs out for ice cream? Are the cats being used to help with a rat infestation problem somewhere?

Did they take all the animals out to the circus?

No…we know what happened to these animals. They were murdered. And the last thing some of the dogs allegedly saw was Niki Dawson spraying water in their faces and taunting them. Allegedly because “it was fun.”

I want this woman out of animal rescue. Period. And if what we’re hearing is true I want her in jail. And that’s not all. There’s much more.

So what can we do?

We need to make sure the animals that are left are safe.

We need to keep the pressure up. Keep calling. Express your outrage. Call the media.

Come to the candlelight vigil tomorrow at 5PM at the shelter. We need you.

Sign the petition on the End The Killing website and spread the word.

Call the board. Keep the pressure up:

Laura Moss, Board Member (917) 701-5160

Bonnie Yost Suozzo, Board Member (201) 330-7732

Diana Jeffrey, Board Member (973) 259-1398

Michele Perotta, Member (201) 906-9156

John Hanussak, Member (201) 985-8533

Althea Bernheim, Board Member (201) 656-0809

Niki Dawson, Executive Director 908-966-3098

Contacts:

Liberty Humane Society
board@libertyhumane.org
(201) 547-4147
lhs@libertyhumane.org

Mayor’s Office Jersey City:
Jerramiah Healy
MayorHealy@jcnj.org
Tel: (201) 547-5200
Fax: (201) 547-4288/5442

Mayor’s Office Hoboken:
Dawn Zimmer
dzimmer@hobokennj.org
Tel: (201) 420-2013 / 2018
Fax: (201) 420-2096

Office of The Attorney General
Paula T. Dow
609-292-4925
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/lps/formmail.htm

NJ Governor Chris Christie
609-292-6000
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/governor/contact/

NJ Assembly Members:
District 31
Charles Mainor
Phone: (201) 536-7851
Page for email: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=322

District 32
Joan Quigley
Phone: (201) 217-4614
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=97

District 33
Reuben J. Ramos
(201) 714-4960
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=293

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.

Doctor

Doctor was that dog you are describing. There is an intake room in the trailer with more dogs. That is where she was. Her reason was food aggression. She was a sweet dog. I never had any problem with her. I hugged her and kissed her and she never reacted in a negative way. Her tail was always wagging.

Please also see the intake card. it seems minds have been made up about this dog’s doom before the 7 day state mandated stay expired. they waited for the 8th or 9th day to kill her off.

.

Daisy

I’m not here to hate on LHS. I just want to say that what happened to Daisy is a shame. She was a great dog and She will be missed. I spent a lot of time with Daisy and I disagree with her evaluation. I witnessed a few of these evaluations first hand and the techniques that were used ie: provoking a dog untill you get your desired results, is not what I consider to be a fair evaluation.

R.I.P Daisy

Laura Shapiro Waddell I evaluated Daisy, I cannot believe she was put down, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her except for a little dog reactivity : (.

Melissa Geisler St. Hubert’s evaluations were completely unfair to the dogs. BEsides provoking them to get the reaction they were looking for they appeared to be afraid and judgmental of the dogs before even interacting with them.

.

Foxy

A sweet girl who was definitely stressed out in the kennel. She lost a lot of weight and was losing her facial hair. Passed her 1st eval failed the second.

As the ASPCA says about the SAFER test, which is the one they used to determine whether to kill these dogs, often administering the same test two or three times to get the desired result: It is important to remember that you should not use the SAFER Assessment as your only criterion in determining which dogs can be adopted into the community. Nor should it be the sole criterion in making a decision in regards to euthanasia of a particular dog. Use additional information, such as the relinquishment profile and behavior reported from shelter staff, in the decision-making process. Because no assessment is 100% reliable, it is vital to use all available information when determining which dogs can be adopted.

These are unqualified people who should not be determining which dogs live or die. We want this stopped.

As John Sibley says:

The SAFER test is designed to take about 6 minutes. 6 minutes to decide life or death. I do not know of ANY reputable trainer/behaviorist, ANYWHERE, that will go on record as saying that a single SAFER test is adequate sole screening for euthanasia, including the woman who designed it. I do not know of any one behavioral test where the designer will support its use as the sole pass/fail for death. It’s intended to find out what issues are – treating those issues is a separate discussion.

Beaumont

The person that sent me info on Beaumont described him as “my deaf furry baby.” Always sweet and barked for attention. Very mellow. They wondered why anyone would harm this special needs dog. This is just absolutely disgusting. These people have no conscience.

I am speechless.

We are morally responsible for the lives of each innocent animal soul. Even more so those animals with special needs, like Beaumont, who is deaf. He was gentle, and sweet and didn’t deserve to die. He was helpless and at their mercy. And he got none. It’s really unconscionable. And only you can stop it.

Tyson
A gentle soul that was surrendered. He was a sweetheart for sure. Passed his evaluation.

I find this truly despicable. Someone turned Tyson into the shelter. He was a senior dog, probably lost an owner and was grieving to start with (as is evidenced by the sadness on his face). The people probably chose Liberty because of the no-kill promise, and look what happened. For what?

There are plenty of senior rescues out there that could have been contacted. Susan Marino might have taken him. It really makes me angry.

.

Fuller
So you want the smoking gun? Just in case this isn’t enough for you…we have plenty more, but this is enough for today. Here is the one that made me so angry I wanted to take immediate action.

This is Fuller. He was a loveable lug. Swore he was a puppy. Passed an evaluation so thay gave him a second. He failed. Then the ASPCA gave him a third. He passed. He was then re-evaluated 2 more times the same day for food test and failed. Let’s be clear. He was given 5 evaluations, had people there that watched the evaluation and wanted the dog, and then they killed him anyway.

Here…in the couple’s own words:

When we heard that dogs were being euthanized at LHS, we went immediately to the shelter to see if we could adopt a dog and give it a loving home. I fell in love with Fuller right away. The tag on his cage said that he was Easy Going, but he liked to pull on the leash. We took him out for a walk and were hoping to take him home the same day, if not the same day than the day after, due to the necessity of him being neutered. It was then that we were told to come back in tomorrow because the dog needed to be re-evaluated (3rd evaluation).

Okay. That’s all the evidence I need. Let’s hear it Liberty Humane. One more freaking time:

Is it morally right to kill an animal when there is another alternative?

Well? Is it? What you did to Fuller and the rest of the dogs on this page is wrong.

Do you have any doubts? This should take care of them. Here’s the video of the actual evaluation of Fuller, the dog that was killed for failing his FIFTH evaluation. Listen to the evaluator that is making the video. “He’s so good. Oh my God. What a calm, wonderful dog.” How could you listen to that and not cry? Not feel a furious anger for these sociopaths that are killing animals.

Another email sums it up perfectly:

I’ve seen this and I’m speaking to people at the shelter. Yes, Nikki is a killing machine with ice in her veins. But, unfortunately, there is nothing illegal about killing a dog or cat. Call the news stations, call your city council person if you’re a Jersey City or Hoboken resident, call your Mayor if you live in either of those towns, spread the word and come to the upcoming protest. You could also foster or adopt a dog or cat. In all of the anger I think people are forgetting there are animals there that need homes.

As we’ve been saying forever, YOU are all they have. 

THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH.

Pick up the phone. Call each member of the board. Their numbers are listed below. Tell them that we want:

1. The immediate resignations of Niki Dawson and Diana Jeffrey.
2. An immediate suspension of killing at LHS.
3. A meeting between board members, Pets Alive management, representatives from both Mayor’s offices and representatives of the LHS volunteer community to
4. Devise a plan to make the shelter a true no-kill shelter. This plan will include the resignation of the entire board at a later date.

There will be no compromise and we will win. And these animals will finally be safe.

Call them all and tell them:

Laura Moss,  Board Member (917) 701-5160

Bonnie Yost Suozzo,  Board Member  (201) 330-7732

Diana Jeffrey,  Board Member (973) 259-1398

Michele Perotta, Member (201) 906-9156

John Hanussak, Member   (201) 985-8533

Althea Bernheim,  Board Member (201) 656-0809

Niki Dawson, Executive Director 908-966-3098

Here are the other numbers again:

Liberty Humane Society
board@libertyhumane.org
(201) 547-4147
lhs@libertyhumane.org

Mayor’s Office Jersey City:
Jerramiah Healy
MayorHealy@jcnj.org
Tel: (201) 547-5200
Fax: (201) 547-4288/5442

Mayor’s Office Hoboken:
Dawn Zimmer
dzimmer@hobokennj.org
Tel: (201) 420-2013 / 2018
Fax: (201) 420-2096

Office of The Attorney General
Paula T. Dow
609-292-4925
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/lps/formmail.htm

NJ Governor Chris Christie
609-292-6000
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/governor/contact/

NJ Assembly Members:
District 31
Charles Mainor
Phone: (201) 536-7851
Page for email: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=322

District 32
Joan Quigley
Phone: (201) 217-4614
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=97

District 33
Reuben J. Ramos
(201) 714-4960
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=293

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I have to say that I was disappointed to read your coverage of Liberty Humane Society.

I’m not sure where to start. First off, I am the President of Pets Alive Animal SANCTUARY in Middletown, NY and Elmsford, NY. While we are by definition a shelter, we act as a sanctuary for animals. We have been no-kill for 35 years and will continue to be.

The article characterizes the “board” of Liberty Humane Society as victims that no one will help. And Pets Alive as an out-of-state organization that is going to sue them into being no-kill.

Neither of those are in any way true.

We contacted Liberty Humane very early on in this debacle and asked how we could help. We took two dogs immediately, and I arranged with the SPCA of Connecticut for them to borrow some outdoor runs to get the dogs out of the kennels, making it unnecessary to kill them, at least for the time being.

We then offered to sit down with them and help them map out the right way to be no-kill. We can’t SUE them into being no-kill any more than they can write a 5 year plan for becoming no-kill. Either you are going to kill the animals in your care or you are not. No-kill has not failed Liberty Humane. Liberty Humane has failed no-kill, and has abdicated their moral responsibility in the stewardship of these animals.

We are talking about a comprehensive plan that includes best practices for adoptions, training, fostering, working with rescues and anything else we can think of to help them get animals out the door instead of in the ground.

The boards, past and present, are textbook examples of the mindset chronicled in Nathan Winograd’s book Redemption, where he proves a theory that the egos of boards and shelter managers are the reason dogs and cats are being killed in places like Jersey City. Why is it that no-kill has worked or is working in San Francisco, Reno, Las Vegas, St. Paul, Tomkins County, NY, Austin and individually in thousands of shelters around the world? Is Jersey City that unique? No…it just has leadership that would rather kill animals and stroke their own egos than accept being wrong and make things right.

LHS is hiding behind temperament testing as an excuse to kill dogs that could be in rescues or in homes. We’ve seen it a million times and certainly we’ve seen it before from Liberty Humane. Take a look at Moet….http://petsalive.com/moet.jpg

Moet is a senior dog (11 years old) that was deemed “aggressive” by the testers at Liberty Humane. Volunteers were outraged, and pleaded for the life of this dog. Liberty Humane refused. At the time the idiotic policy of the shelter was that “pit bulls” like Moet could only be adopted to rescues anyway. So that ensured the deaths of many of them BEFORE the temperament tests get them. A group of Pets Alive volunteers pleaded with us to take Moet, so we did. Moet was adopted a few weeks later and is still in a forever home. That picture was used for our Holiday card last year because it so perfectly depicts the love between animal and caretaker.

Where would Moet be at the hands of these people at Liberty if not for the volunteers that cared so much about the dog? DEAD…a fate that is befalling more and more animals at Liberty Humane. And that doesn’t have to be.

No-kill is what the volunteers at LHS want. It’s what the community wants. It’s the reason they got the contract from the Mayor of Hoboken. Yet they would rather kill dogs and cats.

We offered to work with them for free to come up with a plan to save the animals of Jersey City and Hoboken. We will bring in other experts where we need to, including Best Friends Animal Society, Nathan Winograd, the Tomkins County SPCA and anyone else whose advice would help make this a success. As the old adage says…if you want to be successful hang out with people who are. We are, and we can bring people to the table and work this out.

The board refused.

Someone told me that one of the board members felt like we we’re giving them an ultimatum. Actually, I guess we are. Either stop putting your own egos before your moral responsibility to those animals or get the hell off the board.

We are not going away. I have twenty or so emails from volunteers, ex- and current employees and concerned members of the community and in looking at them a pattern emerges rather quickly…Liberty Humane is disorganized, unresponsive, incompetent and hostile to those who simply ask for information or question what they do. I would be happy to share some of these with you if you wish.

In fact, until the light was shined on them, LHS was refusing to return phone calls from organizations and shelters (including ours) who wanted to take animals from the crowded cages they were stuffed into and waiting to be killed. This is not the behavior of an organization dedicated to the lives of these animals.

Pets Alive has put LHS on notice that we’re watching. We, unlike them, are listening to their volunteers and employees and even the Mayor(s) who trust them with their constituents’ animals. They want transparency. They want to know about the disposition of specific animals. They want cogently articulated policy on which animals are being killed, and they want to know when an animal is about to be killed so they can work with rescues to commute that death sentence, even if LHS won’t. All of this information is arguably required to be provided by New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). We are collecting the requests that they have not responded to, and we may consider a class action lawsuit to get the information on behalf of the citizens of New Jersey who want to know. Those are the kinds of lawsuits we are contemplating.

It’s about right and wrong. Killing these animals when there is another alternative is wrong.

——————
Tomorrow we are going to step up the pressure and work harder to get the word out. Please help.

Matt

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We have all heard the story of Liberty Humane.  Those who don’t believe in No-Kill are saying that their attempt to be No-Kill was what caused the horrible conditions the animals are enduring.  Uh.  No.  The idiots that RAN the shelter, regardless of their intentions are the ones who caused the suffering.  Philosophies don’t kill — people do.

So now Liberty Humane has an “interim board,” the members of this board they refuse to identify.  I am curious about who appointed or elected these board members, as if everyone on the old board resigned who can elect them?  Hmmm.  That could make their actions at best unauthorized and at worst illegal.  But more about that later.

So I spoke to one member of this anonymous board.  She said there was overcrowding.  I offered some temporary housing from the Connecticut SPCA to alleviate that issue.  She said they would talk about it.  I also offered to send a team down there to help get the animals identified and out to rescues.  They made it clear that they weren’t interested in our help.  They were friendly but firm.

I got wind that they were calling in the ASPCA and St. Huberts to start doing behavior testing on the dogs.  This is code for finding excuses to tag dogs for killing.  It’s clear that the “interim board” wants to alleviate the overcrowding by killing the animals in their care.

So the basic tenets of Oreo’s Law keep echoing in my head:

Is it right to kill an animal when there is another alternative?

So Nikki Dawson, who may or may not be on the board, is probably illegally making decisions on which dogs get killed.  And her answer is all of them.  Here is an email I got from one of the volunteers there:

Important shit is getting deleted from the lhs facebook page. it’s imperative people know what’s going on, but all the “moderators” drank the koolaid.

They tried to euthanize chase. they brought him to the room, he dropped to the floor, and wouldn’t budge. they couldn’t physically pull him into the room to do it. so he spared himself, maybe for only a day or two, but he needs help NOW.

There is another dog fuller. i evaluated him with andy the first time. i can vouch for this dog myself, this is not hearsay. he has a couple that wants to adopt him since thursday. they have been coming in every day since then. he passed our eval with flying colors. niki “re-evaluated” him and made him fail. we made a big stink about it and he was re-evaluated again, twice. st huberts failed him, but barely, and then ASPCA came in and did the proper evaluation and he passed. the people were told to come back today. niki did the evaluation again…IN THE SHELTER LOBBY…and failed him. it’s supposed to be done outside to be fair to the dog, she doesn’t care.

There were 5 or 6 other people/couples that wanted to adopt dogs on thursday before friday’s inspection. THEY WERE TURNED DOWN! because niki has her own agenda and wanted to “re-evaluate” all the dogs. andy and other people have been doing evaluations there for how long? and they have had how many successful adoptions? this woman’s magic number is 40…and she won’t stop until it’s reached.

Niki told an employee she doesn’t care what they (ASPCA) say, because she’s going to put dogs down anyway.

There is much more going on that you know, or than anyone will admit to you. they have been euthanizing a lot of dogs, most of which are adoptable.

THIS IS NOT RIGHT! please, we need your help.

there is no transparency with the board, they just threw that word out to give people a sense of false hope, and get them off their backs.

these are not rumors. this is the shit that’s happening at our shelter.

I have had it folks.  Loyal supporters and animal activists.  I am done.  I want an example made of Nikki, the rest of the so-called Board, and everyone else responsible for killing these animals when they could have gone to rescue.

We are looking into lawsuits against the organization, the people on the board, the towns who contract with the shelter and allow this to happen, and anyone else we can come up with.  We have a great legal team that specializes in animal law and we are going to set things right.

Nikki and her team have anonymously decided to kill these animals while putting up a public front of trying to get them adopted in hopes that that will be a defense in court.  It’s not going to be.  I want Nikki Dawson out of the animal welfare business and I want the people hiding behind the anonimity of this board crap to pay with their own money for the illegal and immoral things they have done.

Think I’m overreacting?  Here’s an email received by an organization with which we work closely:

I’m a volunteer at Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City and I’m trying to save dogs life who suppose to be euthanized this week. They are the victims of our new board members who decide who goes and who stay. It is not fare because we know this dogs better then them and we dint have anything to say about it. In past 2 weeks they put to sleep over 20 dogs from which most of them were adoptable…Why you might ask because they did not pass the evaluation which was not handle properly. When they were evaluating them they wanted them to fall so they did everything they could to push these dogs buttons. Right now we have 17 dogs who are on the list to be put to sleep which includes few who will be allowed to go to the rescues:

Krugman is an older gentleman. He has had a very rough life and does not get along well with other dogs. He was probably taught this behavior. He has no aggression towards people. He is a shelter favorite and has been walked by many people over the last few months. THE SHELTER WANTS TO PUT HIM DOWN. The are no long…er allowing him to be taken out of his cage which will make him go “CAGE CRAZY”. This dog does not need more abuse in his life.

Or Fendi a 6 moths old puppy who failed the evaluation because  she was not social ( meaning she was more interested in everything around her then in peopel)  noone ever though her manners and this can be fixed
Also another puppy Mouse why she failed we volounteers dont really know. But just like Fendi she just need to be discipline and it will help to solve their issues.

fuller is a sweet energetic mush that wants to have constant body contact with you. he has had adopters fighting for him since thursday, august 19th (the day before what was supposed to be a state inspection). his adopters have been given the run around because of his resource guarding, even though proper training can alleviate the problem. His evaluation stated social with people and enjoys handling, easily aroused during play (concerning given his size), social with dogs, bit Assess-a-Hand over food and chew.

I know that we dont suppose to have our favourites in the shelter so we will not get attach to them but you just can not help yourself. His name is Chase and he is a boxer mix…when he came to the shelter he was urinating poore blood so right now he is ona special diet. He passed the evaluaion when the old board did it right after he came in the shelter. two weeks ago when i was in the sheter with another volounteer who wanted to foster him  they evaliuated him and he failed  with food aggresion. we were both there watching and he did not failed normal food, when they gave him a tasty pig ear that is when he growled. he did not snap!!!

and of course he will be protected of ear pig because he never gets this thinkgs because of his diet. That same day when they were taking him to Put him to sleep he colapsed on the floor, he did not want to go there so their spared his life. He is still in the shelter marked as red( staff only) so we can not take him out anymore he is just looking at us with his eyes and you can see the sadnes in his face, he knows whats awaiting him. They did not put him to sleep becasue we are fighting for him but his days are numbered. We need to find a rescue quick who can take him out and give him a chance. he is a great dog who will lay on the floor all day long for you to pet him.

Please help us…..take one of them if you can..if not repost it everywhere you can… if you know someone who can take one of them please help save our babies from being murdered.

MURDER.  That’s exactly what it is.  The blood of these animals is on Nikki Dawson’s hands and the hands of the cowards on the “board” that will let this happen.  The mayors of Jersey City and Hoboken have blood on their hands too.

Go ahead supporters of the killing — I dare you.  Say “what has Pets Alive done to help?”  We are willing to help. We are willing to rope Best Friends into helping us go down there and show them how to make No-Kill work.  It works.  We can prove it all over the country.  But that’s for later.

Help us stop the murdering of these animals.

Contacts:

Liberty Humane Society
board@libertyhumane.org
(201) 547-4147
lhs@libertyhumane.org

Mayor’s Office Jersey City:
Jerramiah Healy
MayorHealy@jcnj.org
Tel: (201) 547-5200
Fax: (201) 547-4288/5442

Mayor’s Office Hoboken:
Dawn Zimmer
dzimmer@hobokennj.org
Tel: (201) 420-2013 / 2018
Fax: (201) 420-2096

Office of The Attorney General
Paula T. Dow
609-292-4925
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/lps/formmail.htm

NJ Governor Chris Christie
609-292-6000
Email form: http://www.nj.gov/governor/contact/

NJ Assembly Members:
District 31
Charles Mainor
Phone: (201) 536-7851
Page for email: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=322

District 32
Joan Quigley
Phone: (201) 217-4614
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=97

District 33
Reuben J. Ramos
(201) 714-4960
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=293

Let’s do something about this! Call and email.

Liberty has been sanitizing their Facebook pages of the truth. Here is a special page set up for people who want to tell the REAL story.

Jersey people especially. These animals don’t have to die.

——————
Update:

Just got this from the Mayor of Hoboken:

Mr. DeAngelis,

Mayor Zimmer

If you talk to the Mayor’s office, thank her. This is the mayor of HOBOKEN remember. And tell her where she can find the truth.

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GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY: http://www.petsalive.com/furball

WE NEED THIS SUPPORT!

It’s also that time of the year again!
The Annual Pets Alive Spring Yard Sale is just around the corner.

The sale this year will be June 5th and 6th – so make sure to save that date.

Help the animals of Pets Alive by donating items for us to sell.

Suggested items are:

• Household Items
• Children’s Items
• Clothing
• Sporting Equipment
• Knick Knacks
• Pet Related Items
• Holiday Items
• New and Used Items
• Craft Items
• Books
• Movies
• Music

Please note the following:

1. Drop off donations any day between the hours of 10-3pm in the kennel lobby.
2. Mark your donation(s) as Yard Sale Item(s) labels will be available in the lounge if you need some.
3. Please observe the cut-off date for donations: Saturday, May 8th.
4. ***For large item donations*** – Please schedule a drop off time with Becky. Email her at becky@petsalive.com. (Guideline for definition of “large item”: if you are not sure, assume it’s large.)

Thank you in advance for what we are sure will be a huge success!

The Yard Sale Divas – Debbie, Debby, Kim, Yvonne and Becky

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Well…a little conversation with Carl, and then going to see for myself (with Matt) put a lot of misconceptions to light.  I’d like to address them one by one because at first I felt so badly for this family but now I’m kind of outraged about the untruths going around, and the resultant smearing of the name of an organization that, from my eyes, is pretty incredible.  Head and shoulders above what you might think.  First, let’s address the mistruths, and then let me tell you a little about the Orange County K-9 Unit.

It was stated that Hunter, the dog, was now being held at the Training Unit, huddled in the back of his run, deeply depressed and refusing to eat.

Well.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Hunter has a new handler, and I met him today.  His name is Jordan.   Deputy Jordan Forbes. Jordan is such a likable guy, I know I should refer to him as Deputy Forbes, but honestly this guy is someone you could hang out with, and watch a football game with. He is genuine and sincere.  His smile is ear to ear the entire time he works with Hunter.  It is evident in every action and every movement he LOVES working with Hunter and Hunter adores him back.  The training is based on positive rewards – the dog does what is asked of him (like sniffing out some bomb material) then he gets play time. Tug of war, or jumping and playing around with his handler.

Let me tell you about Jordan.  Jordan so wanted to be a part of this program, he bought a HOUSE. Seriously.  He lived in an apartment, and he wanted to work with the K-9’s and Carl felt that an apartment wasn’t the ideal situation for a K-9 dog.  So Jordan bought a HOUSE to better his chances of getting to work with a dog.   How’s that for someone that REALLY REALLY loves dogs?  And he got it too.  He got Hunter, when Hunter’s previous handler reneged on his commitment to the department. I’ll tell you more about that later but let me explain that Hunter lives with Jordan now and he goes home with him every single night.  Jordan’s mom made Hunter a HUGE bed.  It could fit THREE Hunter’s and it is at the foot of Jordan’s bed.  They are always together.   That is true of EVERY dog in the unit.  There is not a single dog that lives at the kennel.  Every single one goes home with their handlers, and live with them and their families.  The handlers can (and do) stay in the unit for the entire length of the dog’s involvement and then the dog can retire with them.

We also met Sergeant Dave Campbell.  He has been with his dog for ten years.  His dog is nearing retirement age, so he is now working with Scout, his next generation dog.  His older dog, Max, will retire and continue to live with him and his family. Then he will continue in the unit, with the new dog he has that is currently being trained now.  So the facts are that you CAN stay the only handler your dog ever has.  You CAN have them retire with you and then you can CONTINUE to work in this department with a new dog and have BOTH dogs live at home with you.  But this is a commitment YOU need to make if you join this unit.

Sergeant Dave is actually the one that does the interviews to get into the unit. He discusses the seriousness of entering into the unit and he – yes – he even discusses the bond you develop with your dog and how important it is that you  commit to a minimum of four years, preferably for the whole time the dog is in the unit, because of this bond.  Every person going in knows this and is made aware of the situation.  These guys want and expect you to stay with your dog for his duration in the K-9 unit. Sometimes things happen where you have to move on and they understand that – but they STILL expect, and require, a minimum of a four year commitment.

Deputy Josefovitz wasn’t retiring.  He wasn’t moving away.  He was quitting the department and going somewhere else and wanted to take the dog with him.

Hunter is tremendously valuable to the Orange County sheriff’’s department.  He ranked number 2 out of 38 teams, this past January,   in the United States Police Canine Region 7 Explosive Detector Certification Trial held in Danbury, CT.  The USPC Region 7 Trial is a rigorous test of a dog’s physical and investigative abilities. The dog that took number one is actually the number one dog in the entire nation.  The ONLY dog to beat Hunter. He is an amazing resource for them and they simply could not give him up because Josefovitz decided he didn’t want the job anymore.

And as for Hunter wallowing in misery and fear at the back of his run? Well, first there is no run that he lives in and second do these pictures look like a dog that is miserable?   No.  He appeared to be very happy.  Believe me – I can tell happy dog, from miserable dog.  I do this all day. This is one happy dog.

That’s another thing.  All the dogs here have come from a long line of dogs that were bred specifically for police work.  They aren’t your average family pet.  That is not to say that they are vicious – actually the ones we met today were also used in community relations.  These are great dogs, but they are trained and they are bred to have very high prey instinct.  They are bred to work and they are happiest working.  I understand that both Josefovitz and his wife work all day.  Hunter would have sat home, alone, for eight plus hours a day.  A dog that worked or trained every day of his life and is just six years old.  Maybe less than half his life expectancy.  He has many  good years left and seeing him work, play and train and how motivated and happy and excited he was, I can’t imagine him laying around in front of a fire waiting for someone to come home…and take him for a walk. This guy was so focused…I stood right next to him and all he was interested in was the next fun thing he and Jordan were about to do. Barely noticed me, even though I had rubbed myself entirely in baloney before I went there. OK, that’s a joke, but he really didn’t much care about me, or being pet.  He was focused, intent, and ready to go.

Additionally…ALL the dogs there were REALLY humanely treated.  They have kennels right there – heated and immaculate – because the dogs need frequent breaks. They don’t overwork them or stress them.  It was routine today to hear someone say “That was great!  He did great!  Put him up for a while, let him rest”.   And off they’d go. When the dogs MISSED their cues I held my breath. Expecting a rough snap, a harsh NO or something else.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The dog might get a light “no” if they got even that, instead they didn’t get the toy or the play reward. They just did it again. When they did it right, they got tug of war or rough housing or jumping and playing with their handler, and lots of happy verbal praise.  I couldn’t stop grinning the whole time I was there.  The dogs were HAPPY. The handlers were HAPPY. It was a happy, pleasant place.  Not because I was there either.  No one really paid us any mind, if they even noticed we were there at all.

As I said, every handler takes his dog home every night.  There are no dogs that live there or stay there. They love these dogs.  When Sergeant Campbell was talking about his dogs, he got a half smile on his face and a faraway look in his eye the entire time he was talking about them.  I see a LOT of fake “I love my dog” people as they come here to try to dump them on us “Oh but I LOVE him SO much” and lots of crocodile tears and you know as soon as they drive away they go shopping and never look back.  I KNOW phony. This was real. You can’t fake this.  This guy…LOVES his dogs.  That’s the thing. They all do. The dogs aren’t just possessions.  Objects of the county or state.  They are FRIENDS to these handlers, pals and brethren.

Remember  Zeus, the New Paltz police dog killed in a crash involving two patrol cars?  Many of these guys got tattoos to memoralize him and all went to his “funeral”.  Did you know that Zeus was treated just as an officer would have been?  He was AIR lifted to an emergency hospital to try to save him. These guys care. They honor and respect their dogs.  These photos hang under a sign that says RETIRED / DECEASED.

They care about Hunter. Deeply. No dog in the Orange County Sheriff’s department has ever died in the Line of Duty.  When I asked them that question every single one knocked on wood.  They said “No, NEVER” and knocked on wood. That’s twenty years.  They never lost a single one.  They did all turn out though for the memorial service of Zeus.  That’s how important these dogs are to them – on a PERSONAL level.  I know many of our volunteers also attended those services.

In regards to Hunter being sick and elderly with a heart condition and hind end trouble?  Well, their vet is Flannery Animal Hospital.  We use Flannery for anything our local vet, Dr. Furman (Monhagen Veterinary) can’t handle at his office.  We have always found them to be professional, extremely experienced and a pleasure to work with. They have given Hunter a 100% clean bill of health.  His heart condition is a minor murmur.  My dog has a stage five murmur…VERY serious.  We still let him run and play and he can handle just about anything. A stage one would be relatively minor and Hunter has probably had it for years. It would be no reason to retire him.  Also a dog with back hind end issues couldn’t do the things I saw Hunter doing with zest and glee today.  He’d be sore and achy.  I have had MANY dogs with hind end issues and we have had many here at Pets Alive. This dog didn’t have any of that.

So I’m not sure what we’re left with.  The fact that they offered the county $7000 for the dog?  I find that very noble, and a wonderful, gracious gesture.   The problem, unfortunately is that it isn’t about money.  It costs much more than that to train a dog to the level Hunter is and the facts are that they need this dog. He is an integral part of the unit.  Hunter was never a price tag to this department.

The easiest solution it appears to me would be for Josefovitz to just have followed through with the commitment and promise he made when he took the job.  Then he would still be with Hunter, he would still be a part of the unit and his dog would have retired with him, and poor Deputy Jordan would be living in a new house, with a huge dog bed and still waiting for his chance (smile).  But yes, I DO feel and recognize the emotional side of it and I DO sympathize with that.  Anyone who has ever had a dog would recognize that.  But the dog could still be with him.  In my opinion, he made these choices himself that resulted in him being without the dog.   Should the Sheriff’s Department be smeared as a result? I think that’s unfair.

I find the coverage grossly exaggerated and uneven.  That’s why I’m writing this blog.   There is a huge other side to this that just isn’t being presented.

I’ll always be on the side of the animal.

In this case – after what I’ve seen today?  Hunter is deleriously happy.  He’s doing what he absolutely loves to do and he is spending every day with a group of people that really love him.

So that’s my take on it.

Trust me, this dog is not abused, mistreated or anywhere near ready to retire.

He’s loving life, loving work, and at the end of the day laying in a big bed with the guy who I’d guess is gonna be retiring him one day and where he’ll spend his golden years…and be copiously wept over when he does finally pass ……. by a bunch of burly guys in blue.

Go Hunter.

Thank you for your service to our community.

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It’s the holiday season at Pets Alive. There’s a foot of snow on the ground here in Middletown, New York and more is falling right now. Pets
Alive is 80 acres of magic, and this is the most magical time of the year. Boxes of cookies and treats appear out of nowhere, and this is
the time when we receive cards and letters from all of the wonderful people who saved the lives of the animals in our care.

The wall in the Brick House outside our office becomes speckled with photos of the animals who found their forever homes this year, a sea of
smiling faces — human, canine, feline and even equine. We all have memories of the people and animals that we’ve met so briefly here this
year, and we all have those special memories of the animals and people we will never forget. It’s amazing to read the cards, look at the
pictures and get that feeling again, remembering and sharing a special moment that warmed us months ago, a respite from the weariness that
sometimes casts its shadow around here.

It’s those moments that leave their imprints on our hearts, amidst the time away from our families and loved ones — the missed birthdays and
other occasions, the inquiries from our friends and families asking us where we’ve been, the understanding spouses, the getting up in the
middle of the night to meet a transport of scared dogs that were headed for the gas chamber or a deadly needle. The endless stream of animals
needing our help that never seems to slow down.

The gnawing in the pit of our stomachs every time we worry about where the next month’s funds are going to come from.

This is Matt, sitting here in my family room, typing this on my computer. Roscoe, the dog with the 2 luxating patellas that needed
expensive surgery is curled up next to me on the couch, and Tyson, the little black dog that I picked up from a transport and fell in love with
immediately is snoring peacefully on the other side of me.

Kerry is at home anxiously awaiting the arrival of a transport of 14 dogs that were headed for the gas chamber in North Carolina. She was
outside earlier in the snow with her 4 dogs, including Jake, the puppy saved from a needle in Georgia, and Scrumpy, the one-of-a-kind Corgi mix
who is “awkwardly designed,” with his front legs shorter than his back ones and other interesting features. He’s only alive because of a
clerical error. It’s quite a story and he’s quite a dog.

There are a year’s worth of stories here thanks to the generous support of people like you. We often speak of how fortunate we are to be here
at Pets Alive, and we truly feel like we have the best jobs in the world.

As the Pets Alive employees and volunteers pass the door of our office they stop to read the cards and letters on the wall, contemplating their
own personal favorites. We will often hear people sharing those stories, remembering an animal that touched their heart. It makes us
smile.

We appreciate your support and ask that you continue to support us in the coming year. We have some funding challenges and it’s one of our
biggest worries for 2009. Share some cheer this holiday and donate to Pets Alive. Your help is what keeps us going.

You can donate here:

As we take a day or two off with our families we will take a few moments to reflect on our success this year and all of you who have made it
possible. Thank you to everyone who adopted an animal this year, to Rob and Marisol Thomas for their help, both financial and spiritual. Thanks
to all of our generous volunteers and supporters. We truly can’t do this without you. We love you all.

Thank you for the cards, emails, notes, telephone calls, pictures and other expressions of your support and affection. We read them all and they have made
a tremendous impact on us. One of the donation checks that came in this week had a blue post-it note attached to it that said “I’m SO GLAD you didn’t go under.”

Yes ma’am. So are we.

From our families to yours, and from our Pets Alive family to yours, we wish you a joyful holiday season and look forward to a 2009 where we can save more animals
and make more of an impact on the community and the country.

Kerry Clair & Matt DeAngelis
Pets Alive Executive Co-Directors
And the entire Pets Alive staff

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Pets Alive currently needs to fill two positions — a cat caretaker and a horse caretaker. If you are interested in working with animals and can start almost immediately, please email us your resume and a note on why you want this job to: info@petsalive.com.

Cat Caretaker
This position is 36 hours a week and the hours are somewhat flexible to help fit your schedule. The main job is really cleaning, and not playing with cats, so please recognize that. You MUST have no allergies to cats or cleaning products, and be able to work outside as we do have a feral cat area that also needs cleaning and care, even in the winter and the rain. The pay is $10 an hour and we offer corporate benefits only (you can pay for a discounted health plan if you choose to).

Position Summary:
Working within a team setting to oversee the health, well being, and general care of cats.

Essential Duties:

• Preparing food (including special diets; feeding, watering, and medicating cats.
• Socializing with cats, light grooming, watching behavioral issues, feeding patterns, and creating a positive living environment.
• Cleaning work areas and preserving physical appearance of cat buildings and grounds: litter box cleaning, sweeping, dusting, mopping, trash removal, scrubbing, etc.
• Working and interacting with visitors and volunteers: assigning work, answering questions, promoting Pets Alive’s mission, and assisting with their needs.
• Monitoring overall health and behavior of animals and reporting changes/concerns to manager.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience / Requirements:

• Must work with a positive outlook, be upbeat, energetic, and take initiative.
• Strong desire to work with cats. Previous experience a plus.
• Experience in interacting with the general public.
• Ability to professionally advocate Pets Alive’s positions on issues.
• Basic computer skills helpful.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to routinely lift 40 to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to work in all weather conditions.

Horse Caretaker

Description of Duties:

• Attend meetings and provide staff with updates.
• Support company and department standards, procedures and strategic directives.
• Oversee the ordering of supplies, food and medication for the department.
• Perform caregiving duties, feeding, grooming, and maintain a clean working environment.
• Monitor, evaluate and document farrier work.
• Monitor overall health and behavior of animals and report changes/concerns to manager and appropriate individuals/systems.
• Create a healthy and positive living environment for the animals.
• Assist in transporting of animals as requested.
• Interact with volunteers, interns and visitors; answer questions and assist with their needs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/Experience:

• A working knowledge of horses with proven ability to promote a positive, cooperative work environment.
• High level of interpersonal skills. The ideal person for this job is a team player, personable, professional, positive, energetic, proactive, tactful and diplomatic.
• Able to perform strenuous work in adverse and hot weather conditions.
• Able to lift 60 pounds.

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