Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC), and its sister non-profit, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control (FoDACC), have participated in unethical practices for too long.

We, former and current volunteers, fosters, staff, and supporters, call for immediate change to DACC and FoDACC. 

Intersectional issues across FoDACC and DACC:

Mismanagement of DACC and FoDACC

• There is a severe conflict of interest between these two organizations; FoDACC's Board of Directors only has paid DACC staff at this time, and has not made active, diplomatic efforts to replace board members who have left FoDACC. Current and former volunteers have consistently requested the board be expanded or electing board members, but no action has been taken. Due to this, it is difficult to divide these two organizations, as their intertwining is unethical and exacerbates all the issues within both organizations without separation and accountability.

Lack of transparency

• FoDACC has not actively released Annual Reports re: how money being donated is being utilized. FoDACC will occasionally publish a Facebook post touting one thing they've recently paid for without full accountability.
• As mentioned above, FoDACC's Board of Directors is led solely by paid DACC staff at this time. There are "junior board members" who are extremely qualified, but never "promoted" to this inner circle of staff members leading the non-profit. Due to the ethical violations at play, Revolution for the Animals of Detroit demands that the current Board of Directors, doubling as DACC staff, step down immediately and support a restructured board and nonprofit operating strategy, as their mismanagement has damaged FoDACC's past and potential.

Non-standardized adoption counseling.

• While there is an "adoption application," there is a lack of counseling, support, and follow-up for adoptions.
• When volunteers and staff have expressed concerns over specific adoptions, upper management does not advocate on behalf of the animals or listen to volunteers and staff, and do not follow-up to ensure placement is successful.
• Adoption staff and volunteers are not kept up-to-date on known histories regarding different animals. This valuable behavior and medical information is not appropriately recorded for easy access, and is thus not conveyed to fosters and adopters.

Unclear vision for the long-term support of DACC and sustainability of the volunteer organization and programs.

• The City of Detroit and DACC heavily depend on FoDACC to supply necessary supplies for animals. This includes collars, leashes, harnesses, food, heartworm treatment, and healthcare beyond the shelter's capacities.
• A lack of solid leadership in either organization leads to the potential for a significant gap in the care of the animals; were FoDACC to cease existing, the City of Detroit has no safeties in place to pick up the sizable financial contributions of FoDACC and sustain continuity of care.
• Were FoDACC to cease to exist, volunteers and foster would go with them as these are managed through FoDACC. DACC does not have its own volunteer program in place, and this volunteer labor would be lost.

Lack of emergency and non-emergency medical support for fosters.

• Fosters who have had medical emergencies are unable to reach anyone in non-traditional hours for emergent health needs. At times these fosters are expected to take on the financial burden of the animals in their care due to the extent of the emergency when no one is available to answer pleas for assistance.
• The DACC veterinary team is tasked with the enormous job of caring for the overcrowded animals within the shelter. This team does not have adequate resources to see all animals in foster care as well as all animals in shelter in a timely manner, and cannot provide emergency assistance in the way a foster (or in-shelter animal!) may require.

Lack of consistent training and oversight of volunteers.

• Volunteers do not receive consistent mentorship or monitoring; they are (at times) given one training and then released to work with animals, without proper oversight. This has led to severe injuries, volunteers who don't follow the rules laid out for their safety
• DACC nor FoDACC does not have a Volunteer Coordinator or Liaison. 
• Volunteers are heavily relied on to fill in for a lack of adequate staffing; when volunteers are unavailable, this leads to extreme staff burnout and the care of the animals is negatively effected.

Lack of support for volunteers following traumatic events.

• Volunteers and fosters have been subjected to witnessing traumatic events, in their own homes, at off-site veterinarians, and in-shelter. Volunteers are not supported when they have expressed their difficulty to DACC staff or FoDACC Board (who are, again, the same people) and essentially told to "suck it up".

Absence of animal behavior evaluations.

• DACC lacks a qualified trainer or trained staff eligible to assess animal behavior. Because of this, animals who pose a threat to the greater community are being released back into the public, leading to preventable dog bites and contributing to DACC's "successful" euthanasia rates. DACC and FoDACC do not utilize any appropriate assessments for determining if an animal should be considered for adoption, and use their fosters and adopters as guinea pigs for determining safety.
• Absence of meaningful record-keeping in documenting the demonstrated and observable behaviors of dogs in interactions with volunteers, fosters, and staff.

Lack of transparency and protocols around humane euthanasia.

• Animals with severe behavioral issues are housed in the shelter for months, without consideration or attempts at in-shelter rehabilitation or rehoming. These animals are forced to exist without substantial opportunity for change in their situation and gradually deteriorate in-kennel.

Revolution for the Animals of Detroit (RAD) does not want to be a source of negativity; we demand to see actionable change, and will be releasing an open letter with suggestions for recommendations and goals in the immediate future. In the meantime, please like and follow RAD on Facebook to stay up-to-date.