MCAS, Disposition Under Final Review: When animals and the public pay the price for an undemocratic failed shelter mission The only formal document describing what Multnomah county citizens want and prize in an animal shelter is the June 29, 2000 Multnomah County Task Force findings sponsored by the Multnomah Board of Commissioners. The goal was the implementation of these findings. The citizens’ advocacy mission described in that document has gone far off course in the last two years and MCAS (Multnomah County Animal Services) is heading rapidly in the wrong direction. The highest values were placed upon prevention and education programs, maintaining an accessible, healthy and humane environment, and establishing a method for citizen input that is clear, accountable responsive, a method that demonstrates respect for public comment and involvement. Enforcement was to include timely response, support and training including community relations and mediation. Hearings officers, who now just determine facts (i.e. Did it happen) were told to identify behavior problems, and write effective decisions including the information explaining their decisions. All of these goals have been seriously compromised or entirely ignored. The definition of “adoptable” was to be made in consultation with veterinarians and other related community organizations. It is now made “In house” by enforcement and administrative staff; no input, even expert and free of charge, is permitted. What we now have is an authoritarian regime, not a community inclusive shelter without walls. Policies are being made that counter all the goals listed above. ---------False Labeling and the Denial of Medical Care--------- Blaze MCAS 11605, a young dog on Security whose case is on appeal at MCAS has been on Security since May 19, 2017 for a non-owner permitted incident bite incident, one that could have been prevented under different living circumstances. He is living under MCAS imposed circumstances that have directly caused his significant psychological emotional deterioration. MCAS has labeled him “unhealthy/untreatable” after creating the circumstances that caused that deterioration and also rejected an offer for a pro bono consultation with an esteemed diplomate in behavioral veterinary medicine who in past administrations was routinely consulted for his wisdom in planning successful behavior outcomes. A re-homing out - of - state offer with rehabilitation was also rejected. Cain MCAS 116842, has been incarcerated at MCAS on Security since February 09, 2016 for a bite incident and an attempt at owner surrender. His case is also on appeal. His owner is only permitted a 15-minute appointment to see him behind a kennel grate, no contact permitted, in accordance with an inhumane new policy instituted by current Director Jackie Rose. There is no safety risk or other reason for this prohibition. It is simple cruelty. His owner, once homeless, visits him every week. He now has a job and a home where Cain could be kept safely but MCAS has refused re-consideration of his case. Cain also has a left limb injury, a suspect cruciate ligament tear for which Jackie Rose has declined treatment other than pain medication with the statement: “Due to legal circumstances, surgical care of suspected CCL rupture won’t be pursued at this time.” No diagnostic studies have been pursued other than observation and no treatment, just pain medication, has been provided. Chucky MCAS 112559, a tired old Shepherd now in significant failing health exacerbated by his lack of care at MCAS, has been at MCAS since February 28, 2016 following an owner surrender demand. People friendly but dog aggressive with dogs outside the home, Chucky escaped from premises MCAS had inspected and certified as secure and injured a small dog who subsequently died. Chucky and his owner have paid dearly for that debt to society. All three dogs – Blaze, Cain, and Chucky --, do not meet the standard for MCAS’s “Dangerous Dog” classification. However, they have been labeled “Dangerous Animals,” a label wholly inconsistent with the definitions in the MCAS ordinance. They are neither Dangerous Dogs” nor “Dangerous Animals”. Despite repeated requests, Ms. Rose refuses to conform her conduct to the county code. Decisions to falsely label animals as “Unhealthy/Untreatable” and then kill them, to refuse and deny consultations, rescue, or consideration of mitigating circumstances are made behind closed doors by inexpert administrative and enforcement staff. The reasons for these decisions are cursory, biased, thoughtless, and misleading. Leonardo, MCAS 135841, was initially owned by a family where he had no enforcement history, until, after divorce, the family moved out of the home and, with no place for him, gave him to someone they met at a park. That individual was a homeless person with an ongoing criminal history. Leonardo was in and out of MCAS on emergency board eight times between September 2017 and May 12, 2018 when he was killed by MCAS after the homeless man failed to pick him up. During all of that time there was only one level 2 violation, a dog fight when Leonardo raced out of his owner’s tent and attacked a dog belonging to a homeless and handicapped person passing by. There were no serious injuries. During all of his time on the streets, living in chaotic circumstances, there were no other incidents. Leonardo before his death was noted to be highly affiliative and social. His defensive displays of aggression towards dogs at the pound (fence fighting) were secondary to heightened stress levels. With one early exception, he was denied psychotropics for stress relief. Leonardo was victimized by tragic circumstances. Worn and broken, he was summarily killed despite his good nature towards people and the fact that dog reactivity can be controlled. No options were sought. MCAS has few rehab rescues and they denied rescue. He was not “unhealthy/untreatable,” not even close. Camo, MCAS 97866, a Shepherd mix, was surrendered after two minor bite incidents in a two-year span separated by almost 2 years, both due to preventable stressors. One was to a neighbor’s leg while she was putting him back in his yard; the other to a nine child who leaned down into the dog’s face to say “good bye” and was bitten on the leg. Both were startle responses, warning “bites” in the face of known stressors. But Camo was placed “on trial” for 2 bites in 2 years. He was not evaluated. There was no thought about options. He was killed and falsely described as “unhealthy/untreatable”, a dishonest label of convenience that permits easy discarding, and killed. ------Enforcement Restrictions Misapplied to Adoptions-------- MCAS has implemented punishing, thoughtless, and harsh enforcement practices, restrictions and fees upon new adopters that significantly and needlessly interfere with re-homing. The restrictions and fees for former owner irresponsibility are imposed instead upon the new innocent owners. The effect is that adoptions are delayed on dogs with apparent good prospects, often for a year or longer. These dogs become long term MCAS detainees. To quote Dr Hetts, an established recognized animal behaviorist, “Aggression, for instance can be very specific instead of generalized…To better understand and, when necessary, modify aggressive behavior, it may be more useful simply to focus on describing the behavior, and what triggers it. (DogWatch February 2005). MCAS does the opposite. Out come the PDD signs with the picture of a lunging dog, the classification level and accompanying fines. A discussion about the incident and prevention is not an option. Tron, MCAS 11201 is an engaging 5-year-old American pit bull, uniformly friendly to people including young children and his partner dog Kiwi. He has no incidents of aggression towards people other than a minor bite incident during a dog fight in 2014. He was in one other minor dog fight when he escaped the yard in October 2017. The multiple adoption requirements impose level 3 restrictions despite the fact that he has never been charged with level 3 behavior (aggressively bit someone while confined or restrained). The additional level 3 restriction requires a Potentially Dangerous dog sign and a $100 registration fee. A secure enclosure is also required. Rules forbidding Tron from being at large, requiring a muzzle on walks, and exclusions from dog parks would have sufficed. The rest of the restrictions are over-kill. Mya, MCAS 147633, is a level 3 (bit while confined), a shepherd mix (as was Camo), with a very similar two bite history, reactive to intrusions into her personal space especially around her face. Both bites had a known stressor occurring when the child kissed the dog on the face. The excessive general adoption restrictions effectively prevent her adoption. It would be far better to focus on well-known stressors, no kissing or fast intrusive approaches to her face or space are the better specific restrictions. The other over -generalizations and level 3 restrictions will make her an MCAS inmate for life. Few will accept all the restrictions carried by a level 3 designation along with “cannot be around children; no other animals; ...dog should not be around children even in public.” Children are everywhere; the stressor specific and managing Mya with a muzzle and rehabilitation work with a trainer would be far more effective. -----------MCAS Failure of Animals in its Care.------------- MCAS causes failure either through inadequate stress management or failure to transfer an animal into a rescue where his/her individual needs can be better met. The dog, not MCAS, is almost always held accountable for anything that “goes wrong” when the real cause is human error. Many dogs live at MCAS for months in perpetual limbo, not allowed to move ahead, not sent onto rescue. Many share Snoopy’s fate. He has been in limbo at MCAS since December 30, 2017. Snoopy, MCAS 135201, has been placed “Disposition Under Final Review” for a second bite to a volunteer in the shelter. It is the volunteer who should be “under review.” She saw Snoopy’s distress and still stuck her hand into his kennel despite knowing that trespass is a stressor for Snoopy. She did it anyway. Snoopy’s behavior has deteriorated significantly at MCAS because of the shelter’s toxic environment. Only lately was he put on psychotropic medication. His behavior modification plan is wholly inadequate. There have only been a few sessions, the last on record April 30. The “plan” follows: • “Social behaviors at front of kennel (provide different enrichment toy daily; hang treat bucket/clicker); • Decreasing arousal: read at front or back of kennels with dogs closed in or out 10-15 minutes daily.” The constant noise, fence fighting, and nearby neighbors who also are often fence fighters create arousal that reading cannot overcome. Snoopy is a shy and fearful dog by nature who needs a peaceful place. MCAS should have reached out to rescue and also sought an expert consult. -------------Greed------------- The corporate pursuit of High Live Release rates at the expense of animal’s lives and welfare This is a pursuit that harms animals. They become the unspoken collateral damage. MCAS profits from adoption returns: a dog adopted out six times registers as six adoptions. But animals pay the price. Rosco/Jedi MCAS 119059, a young cattle/shelter dog mix, entered MCAS as a puppy on August 20, 2017 and has just experienced his 8th adoption return, once a carefree puppy he now shows the stress of multiple careless re-homing. He was adopted out twice during the Christmas Holiday Special: once for $8 on December 08, again on December 21 for $21. Finding holiday homes for companion animals is clearly intended to improve end of year numbers under the disguise of the holidays. He was adopted out the 6th time on May 13, returned May 21, after 8 days: “lost job, not enough time.” MCAS should put in the time now to help him with secondary anxieties, submissive urination, separation anxieties, mouthy/jumpy behavior, the effects of frequent rapid re-cycling. MCAS ought to create a rehabilitation plan for the damage done and place him in foster or rescue, not throw him back up onto the adoption floor again. He has been good for the numbers at the expense of his life. In the recent past, MCAS has taken a sharp turn away from what this community values: from community inclusion to exclusion; from conciliation to confrontation; from community engagement to empire building; from democracy to authoritarianism. The animals in our care and our community have paid the price. Policy by policy, practice by practice, inclusion and community participation have been replaced by Director Rose’s “I have spoken” claim to individual authority. Democracy has disappeared. Gail O'Connell-Babcock, Ph.D. Citizens for Humane Animal Legislation/Watchdog ----- MCAS ordinance: Dangerous Animal Classification https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fbdhnBWLNDD82Mba6rvddikRpryaE8lj MCAS policies which deprive veterinary care: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tf3d0mx8sVHICsp_QHEEHClKwwvXtZSS