It’s the difference between life and death for 1,000’s of pets that go thru this facility every year.   All we are asking is that the TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY ANIMAL SERVICES STAFF DO THEIR JOBS, WHAT WE THE CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS PAY THEM FOR and that they carry out their duties in MORAL, ETHICAL AND LEGAL WAYS.   THERE MUST BE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY ANIMAL SERVICES AND RESCUE/RESCUERS AND ADOPTERS TO SAVE ANIMALS LIVES.

RESCUES WILLING TO SAVE PETS ARE DETERRED AND TREATED RUDELY BY STAFF.  Applications from rescue for pull rights are often ignored and denied for reasons such as "we don't know you".  

The staff refuses to answer the phones, return calls when voice mails are left by rescue or citizens and return emails from citizens and rescue. 

We ask that the staff just do their jobs, answer the phones when people call and answer simple questions.

The people of the State of California demanded it with the passage of SB 1785 the Hayden Law in 1998.

Below is Town of Apple Valley Animal Services "motto" yet they continue to deter legitimate, responsible rescues access to the animals at this facility. 

“Together we can continue to provide "A Better Way of Life" for the animals in our care - Four Paws at a Time. Partnering with rescue organizations is with the intent to provide our shelter animals; (1) Alternate housing while awaiting a permanent loving home; (2) Time to heal from injury or illness before adoption and/or; (3) Receive needed behavior modification to make the animal adoptable.”

Gina Whiteside who oversees the facility brags in the Daily Press that Apple Valley Animal Services has 50 rescue partners they work with, if this is true then why are they killing so many dogs?

Town of Apple Valley Animal Services receive $25,000 a month to pay for expenses related to the County of San Bernardino contract to house animals picked up from the County areas of the high desert.  These funds are supposed to be used to include vaccinations and Veterinary care for impounded animals, yet when asked why there are so many sick and dying animals at the facility we are told there are no funds for medical care.

Stop INTIMIDATING and HARASSING citizens and taxpayers who ask questions and speak out about what’s going on at this facility.

Animals euthanized before their available date or on their available date.

4 animal limit for rescue/rescuers? Illegal, unethical and immoral!

The facility has a policy to list animals as "euthanized" while they are still alive.  When rescue calls they are told the animals have already been pts when in fact they are still alive and available.  This is unethical and immoral.

Rescue from as far away as San Diego to the South and San Francisco to the north have called and asked for status of dogs they wanted to rescue and the staff won't even tell them if the dogs are alive or dead.

Why are you with holding information from rescues and the public regarding the status of pets when your facility is called?

Please stop killing animals when there are empty kennels and on the days your facility is closed.

Provide basic veterinary care for the animals in your custody, it's the law.  (The taxpayers are paying for it)

If owner turns in animal and requests euthanasia, please post to adopt a pet for rescue.

Shelter hours during the week are from Tuesday -Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. not amenable for working people to come and look for lost dogs or for a family to come and adopt a new family member.

 Stop adopting out underage puppies, puppies under 8 weeks of age.  see section 1834.4.(a)

It seems as though TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY ANIMAL SERVICES prefer euthanasia over rescue or adoption?

Excerpts from the Hayden Law:

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.(a)The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(1) Public and private shelters and humane organizations share a common purpose in saving animals' lives, preventing animal suffering, and eliminating animal abandonment.

(2) Public and private shelters and humane groups should work together to end euthanasia of adoptable and treatable animals by 2010.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(1) Redemption of owned pets and adoption of lost or stray adoptable animals is preferable to incurring social and economic costs of euthanasia.

(2) Shelters should be open during hours that permit working pet owners to redeem pets during nonworking hours.

(3) Shelters should aggressively promote spay and neuter programs to reduce pet overpopulation.

(4) Shelters should not adopt out animals that are not spayed or neutered.

(5) Public shelters should work with humane animal adoption organizations to the fullest extent possible to promote the adoption of animals and to reduce the rate of killing.

The Hayden Law SB 1785 passed in 1998 states OVER and OVER that Public Shelters and Humane Animal Adoption organizations should work together.  The rescues are trying to do their part, but you Town of Apple Valley are not doing yours.

The Hayden Law also makes publicly funded shelters accountable to pet owners and the public records and the care of animals in there possession:  please read below:

(c) The intent of this act is to do all of the following:

(1) Increase the focus of shelters to owner redemption and adoption by making recordkeeping mandatory to aid in owner redemption, providing owner relinquished pets the same holding period as stray animals to allow for adoption, and providing for an explicit adoption period.
(2) Consolidate and list clear guidelines for care and treatment for animals held in shelters.

(3) Extend public shelter responsibilities from dogs and cats to other legal pets.

·         (4) Make shelters accountable to pet owners and the public for records and the care of animals in their possession.

·         (5) Make clear that shelter responsibilities are the same as those legally assumed by a person who voluntarily picks up an animal.

·         (d) The Legislature finds and declares that statutory law prescribes the type of treatment that private citizens must extend to stray animals they voluntarily pick up and that public and private animal shelters should be held to the same legal duties as those that exist for private citizens.

 

SEC. 4.Section 1834 of the Civil Code is amended to read:

1834.A depositary of living animals shall provide the animals with necessary and prompt veterinary care, nutrition, and shelter, and treat them kindly.  Any depositary that fails to perform these duties may be liable for civil damages as provided by law.

SEC. 5.Section 1834.4 is added to the Civil Code, to read:

1834.4.  (a) It is the policy of the state that no adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home.  Adoptable animals include only those animals eight weeks of age or older that, at or subsequent to the time the animal is impounded or otherwise taken into possession, have manifested no sign of a behavioral or temperamental defect that could pose a health or safety risk or otherwise make the animal unsuitable for placement as a pet, and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future.

   (b) It is the policy of the state that no treatable animal should be euthanized.  A treatable animal shall include any animal that is not adoptable but that could become adoptable with reasonable efforts.  This subdivision, by itself, shall not be the basis of liability for damages regarding euthanasia.

TOWN OF APPLE VALLEY COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOWN MANAGER, FRANK W. ROBINSON AND BOS ROBERT LOVINGOOD PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND DIRECT THE STAFF AT THIS FACILITY TO DO THE RIGHT, MORAL, LEGAL AND ETHICAL THINGS, give the animals at this facility a chance to live.  This is what the taxpayers of the State of California are demanding and are paying for and deserve.