Am so very sorry, Alex. My tri boy Mr.T will be 12 in December. We lost our last 2 b's at ages 17 (Jenna went in her sleep), but Zak I had to have PTS as he had dementia really bad. Its never easy loosing these furkids. Kiya will live forever in your heart and memories, never to be forgotten. She is running with the wind and sunning herself in the warmth of the sun. Until you all meet again, someday. HUGS
Angel, one of my shelter dogs
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I work for a local shelter/rescue group. Our current manager is a jerk. No one likes him at all. He sees the dogs and kitties as a way of making money, not finding them loving forever homes. When he came to us a couple months ago, the gate in front of the shelter had broken. It's one of those automated gates that slides shut so that our dogs can have the run of our 5 acres but can't get out onto the busy highway we're so close to. He didn't see the gate as a priority, it would just cost money to get it fixed, and he didn't see a point. Now, the dogs have fenced runs, but they do occasionally get loose from us when we're opening a gate or putting them into vans to transport.
Angel was a beautiful orange and white Australian Cattle Dog. She came to us from a local kill shelter right after we opened and had been with us for almost 3 years now. She was a sweetheart. Her previous home had been abusive, the shelter she went to hadn't been much better and then she came to us. She loved with all her heart. She knew that we'd saved her and loved all of us. We'd take turns taking her out with our other dogs when we go to set up adoption areas for the weekend. So many people wanted her, but she was older and bigger, so so many people just walked by her. We figured that she would end up as a Shelter Sweetheart, one of our "mascot" dogs that would stay with us because they couldn't find a home.
A couple days ago she got loose from her run. Took off running faster than any of us could catch her. She ran straight down the road toward the highway. Everyone stopped what they were doing and went after her. 3 of us almost got hit by cars ourselves trying to get her. But we couldn't get her in time. A car hit her, but didn't kill her. She was laying out on the highway screaming while we desperately stopped traffic to get to her. One of her leg bones more or less exploded when she got hit. Pieces of the bone went into some of her organs, we couldn't save her. If the gate hadn't been broken, she wouldn't have gotten out to the street. We all went to the manager and threatened to walk out. "It's just a dog" he said. We picked up our keys, and started to grab our dogs. He stopped us. Within 3 hours the gate was fixed. We couldn't believe that it took that to fix the gate.
Most of us are still devastated by it. We all have pictures of Angel that we keep with us. Loosing animals through illness I can get, but this. This never should have happened.
Fly Angel.
Wherever you are, wherever God takes you, fly high.
We love you. -
How Sad….. Is there someone higher that he could be reported to? I know that a while ago in Oakland Ca the shelter manager was reported and then fired...
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that's terrible. How do these people get into these positions????
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There's an owner/founder of the shelter too. We've gone to him on several occasions, but he goes through managers so fast that he tries to hang onto people once he actually gets someone in that position. We're pretty sure that this guy isn't going to be around much longer, which is a good thing.
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There's an owner/founder of the shelter too. We've gone to him on several occasions, but he goes through managers so fast that he tries to hang onto people once he actually gets someone in that position. We're pretty sure that this guy isn't going to be around much longer, which is a good thing.
I hope so too, so is this a private shelter?
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I hope so too, so is this a private shelter?
Well, we're not connected to the city/county/state in anyway if that's what you're asking. Yes, it's privately owned and operated.
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That is a problem with private shelters…they are free to do, or not do whatever they wish.
I am so sorry about Angel....and so sorry that both she and you had to go thru that. Sounds like your shelter manager either isn't in the right field, or is completely burnt out. Either way, maybe he should find a new career path. If the public finds out about the lack of attention to detail they will stop adopting from that shelter.
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The manager was a Marine, then was part of Blackwater USA. This is the first civilian job he's ever had in his life. He's just not fit for the role. Yeah, it's a business to a point, but it's also a business that deals with LIVES. He sucks at attention to detail for just about everything. All he cares about is the money. We all hate him and hope he goes away here real soon.
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OMG how awful I do hope that you get a new manager for the shelter.
