Two years of effort by Jackie Rose have turned Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) into a secret society. The public is kept ignorant. Ms. Rose will not answer questions. The only way to learn information is through expensive public records. That is the wall, built by Ms Rose, between what she says and does. Every requested scrap of information has to be ordered and denied over and over again. Behind closed doors and closed minds, animals die needlessly every day. Questions about the process and reasons for killing are ignored. MCAS under Ms Rose’s orders kills every animal as “Unhealthy/Untreatable” then refuses the information to support claims that it was “necessary.” A request for information about the new system of color codes [see attached] assigned to track animals’ adoptability was evaded and challenged over and over again, week after week most recently on January 30, 2018. On that date County Attorney David Blankfeld responded to my questions in a way that documented MCAS’s commitment to secrecy. “There are no MCAS documents responsive to your requests. The Public Records Law does not require public bodies to create new records nor does it require that they explain their reasoning behind decision making. Public Records Law further does not require public bodies to answer questions about their records or to analyze their records.” Where did the color code assessment system come from? Mr Blankfeld refused to answer, diverting instead behind irrelevant language in the Public Records Act. Public government policies and agency ethical guidelines do require that public officials should have to answer reasonable questions from the public. It is part of their job. Mr Blankfeld’s response violated Employee Responsibilities Rule 3-10 (N) (Employees must not knowingly withhold information of official interest”) and the MCAS Guiding Principles Policy (“Accountability: We provide honest, accurate and timely information and statistics on organizational policies, procedures and programs, including the disposition of animals.” He is too arrogant to care. The government gives and the government taketh away. In response to a request for information about the MCAS new canine and feline color code behavior evaluations, Mr Blankfeld was rigid: -- “I don't see the value in going back and forth over this again and again. So, this will be my last communication on this issue: No system was purchased. There is no system contract. There is no publisher. You cannot "purchase the contract" because there is no contract. The system was devised in-house. I understand you are unhappy with these answers but MCAS cannot produce documents that do not exist. Have a good day.” -- Mr Blankfeld admits that the system was devised “in house” by staff with no formal credentials. The predictability of its color code “test” remains unknown. Its predictability has not been evaluated. Animals lives depend upon this homegrown untested system created by unqualified parties. Their lives don’t matter. All that is tested is a record of shelter stress, not temperament. Intervention, not retesting, is needed. County Attorney Blankfeld and Ms. Jackie Rose have also refused for 2 years to provide any information about the decisions of the in-house Shelter Review Committee, many of which result euthanasia. Euthanasia decisions are made without documentation except for shorthand designations. No notes are kept, no membership is noted, and, with the exception of one in-house trainer, most attendees are administrative or enforcement. There are no outside professionals invited. The only outside party, a veterinarian with a diplomate in behavioral veterinary medicine is no longer invited to twice monthly meetings at MCAS and has not been invited for two years. The goal of this in- house process is conformity. It is Ms Rose’s show: No one may question her judgment. No one can change her mind. The wall cannot be penetrated. Ms Rose and Mr Blankfeld handled the following information requests about the SR Committee made for 2 years now with entitled trickery. -- “We received your request regarding questions pertaining to the membership, process and records kept by the MCAS SR Committee. However, due to the nature of the request being in the form of questions, we are unable to provide that information. If you so desire, please resubmit with a request for specific documents.” -- To the re-submission MCAS admits that “Unfortunately these documents do not exist.” MCAS demonstrates, repeatedly, an absolute disregard for the lives of animals in their care and for the public they serve. All that they do is dodge and attempt to escape accountability, standards of performance, transparency and simple decency. They cannot answer a single straightforward question posed by the public. This is an abuse of power. Emma, MCAS 28439 [see attached] is just one example of the casualties that follow lack of government accountability and transparency. Emma was killed behind closed doors on December 23, 2017. She had been surrendered to MCAS on July 17, 2017 after her owner lost her housing. She was killed in late December, never offered to rescue, labeled “Unhealthy and Untreatable” despite the fact that nothing in her records even suggested that to be true. “UU” means rescue may not be sought or considered. The label permits MCAS to continue the lie that it never kills a healthy animal. MCAS does that all of the time. Obstructing records, creating walls around access, and hammering those who seek information are ways MCAS and Multnomah County rob citizens of their rights and vulnerable animals of their lives. Every day. ------- Emma’s MCAS Records: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Igux55Ggl408k-63ZqzlJXflf3vcmoPO MCAS’s 2017 Color Codes for Behavior Evaluations: https://drive.google.com/open?id=18RqkLcCgp-PYPvWGh0ZKY5HaJnVpLS0p MCAS’s 2017 Employee Responsibilities: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19-8Nfeb0ZgkUGJ88D9_qk2WYKceIxSrq