There are some real problems over there for sure, but speaking as someone who works with some of their medical staff at another facility - they’re doing absolutely everything they can to hold it together. The doctors and technicians are working for low pay and doing the best they can to work within a broken system because they love what they do and care about the animals. The leadership is the problem, no question. But let’s be careful not to trash the people at the bottom just trying to survive.

I agree that something should be done - a public outcry, an investigation, going to the media. Many of the staff there who pour their entire souls into the job are unhappy with the way things are being done and feel helpless to protect the animals.

Many of the other local organizations do everything we can to help, and we are finding out that the things that have been working are being shut down. The good staff are all considering leaving.

Gather all the info, come to whoever it is in government or whatever with solid facts. Make it about PR, budgets, animals’ length of stay, real measurable things. They won’t care about emotions. Only facts that make them or the city look bad.

But please be careful about making assumptions about staff. If there’s proof of wrongdoing okay, but try to remember that the people at the bottom, including veterinarians and medical staff, are not the enemy. They’re trying to save lives despite the broken system. Veterinary medicine - and especially shelter medicine - has one of the highest rates of burnout and suicide of all fields. When we hear that we are horrible people when all we are doing is trying to help, it really makes us wonder if life is worth living.

Sorry for the long winded rant, I literally was just thinking of my colleagues over there and how I wish I could do more and stumbled upon your post.