PREAMBLE

Recent events have brought to light many issues and abuses within the Kanawha Charleston Humane Association's Animal Shelter. For instance, Lacey, a healthy German Shepard, was killed by KCHA, under the directions of Chelsea Staley, even though adopters and rescues were trying to take her. Lacey was a sweet dog, even described as such by KCHA until they were trying to kill her, that suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder. The obsessive compulsive disorder merely had her obsessed with her tail, such as chasing it, which is greatly exacerbated under the stress of living within the shelter environment. No animal should be killed if other rescues and adopters are willing to save the animal.

In addition, in violation of WV Code §61-8-19(a)(1)(A)(iii), Lacey was abused by the management and veterinarian technicians when her prescribed medicine was withheld from her, on two separate occasions, for 1-2 weeks per occasion. This criminal conduct should have resulted in the immediate dismissal of those responsible. The failure of the management to adhere to KCHA policies and enforce KCHA policies, causes abuse and neglect of animals within KCHA's custody.

Furthermore, in more recent news, a kennel worker opened fire, after leaving and returning to the kennels from getting a firearm from his vehicle, and killed a dog during a dogfight instead of using the methods described in the Employee Handbook, such as using a water hose and the "wheelbarrow" technique to break up the fight. The amount of time it takes to leave the kennels and return has left many wondering if the dogfight was even still taking place. Under KCHA policy, the kennel worker should have been immediately fired for possessing a weapon under subsection III of the "Progressive Discipline" section of the KCHA Employee Conduct and Discipline Guidelines. However, the failure of KCHA's Animal Shelter's management to discipline and train makes this event likely to reoccur. Dogfights are common in shelters and kennel workers should be trained to properly handle and break up dogfights. When KCHA hires a new kennel worker, they do not teach the new kennel worker how to handle the animals. New kennel workers are simply given two Mendota leashes and taught to clean. This lack of training on part of the management contributes to the inhumane treatment and death of animals at the shelter.

PETITION

We, the undersigned, in order to protect the rights and lives of the animals and the public, bring forth this petition calling for the following: 1) Chelsea Staley, Executive Director, and Julie Hypes, Animal Behavior Counselor, to be dismissed from their jobs at KCHA, 2) Video of the shooting of the dog be publicly released and the kennel worker dismissed from his job, and 3) more transparency of the KCHA Animal Shelter including making the education, qualifications, and salaries of the Executive Director, Director of Operations, Volunteer Coordinator, Animal Health Manager, Animal Behavior Counselor, Rescue Coordinator, Animal Control Manager, and Animal Care Manager public record.