WV needs help!!

I am posting this for crow_noir:

From: Pat (PAT67) 9:15 pm
To: ALL (1 of 1)
3088.1

Need some help from you all regarding our local WV Shelter. Judy our director, one who many of us have worked within the past and is very rescue friendly went to the county commission and asked for another part-time worker ( she currently has two).As a result of her asking for more help the commissioner- John Gerlack- made some harsh changes. Instead of giving her the needed help he replied she had two many dogs and cats and rather than give her the needed help he made a new rule that all animals after 7 days at the shelter be destroyed. No holding on to more adoptable or purebred animals. All after 7 days. In WV the state law is that the shelters have to hold all dogs and cats for 5 days before they can be adopted or released to rescue. This gives Judy only TWO DAYS to move the animals

She needs our support by writing letters to the county commission and informing them this is not enough time for anyone to respond. They need to be made aware of what it takes to put transport together and that we all work real jobs along with doing rescue.
So please any of you that rescue, transport or have adopted a shelter animal please take a moment and send this guy a letter. Judy and the animals really need our support. They need to realize that it takes time to get these little critters to their forever homes and if not stopped he will deny them that chance.

The letter needs to go to:
John Gerlack
Mason County Commission
200 6th Street
Point Pleasant, WV 25550

[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: SpencerTheLion ]

:eek: :eek: Do you have to live in WV to be accounted for??? I'd be happy to write a letter right away!

I will also write a letter if being a non WV resident works. Let us know. We could possibly set up some kind of online petition too if you think that would work. Just a suggestion.

I would be more than glad if someone would make up a letter we could sign or a petition that we could sign on line. That man has no business being in charge of poor animals in a shelter if that is his attitude.
Jackie

Is the shelter a Humane Society shelter? I will write a letter but would like to know what kind of shelter this is.

I am going to call the Mason County Animal Shelter first to verify the story and get more details. If the comissioner has changed it to 7 days (I do not care why he changed it). I will contact their local news paper, the Humane Society, ASPCA, and other forms of he media. What do you guys think? If we make a big fuss about it quick, we can have this changed.

I will update you when I get more info.

[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: Souraya ]

We are originally from WV!

We moved out here when I was two, so I really don't know anyone back there. But Point Pleasant isn't far from where we used to live. I will check with Mom and see if she knows anyone who can help w/ writing letters, etc.

I will gladly write a letter--if allowed too. (I doubt that I'm considered a WV resident anymore.)

Souraya,
Please keep us posted on what you find out.
I would gladly offer my support sending e-mails & contacting media to bring attention
to this jerk's reaction to a honest request..

I contacted the shelter and spoke with Judy, the director. She said that the commissioner told her she had too many animals and putting them down would eliminate her need for extra help.

I have already written the Daily Register (Mason County's local newspaper), conacted ASPCA, Humane Society Shelters in WV, and Fox News.

I still haven't been able to find an e-mail address or phone for CNN.

Can you think of any one else? There has to be. Conact your local newspaper and see if they can do anything. Any other animal lover agencies?

Souraya,
Could you find out who the Comissioner is
responsible too?? (Maybe a Mayor,or city
council)? Two days is not much time..

http://www.idausa.org/index.shtml

In Defense of Animals site or,

http://www.peta-online.org

These are the two I can think of right now.

But the local Newspaper might give more leads
on who we should contact to question this man's harsh actions, and if his 'boss'
really supports this decision...

to all. i forget if this is a Humane Society. (if you want to talk to Pat about anydetails, you can try to get ahold of her over on Dog Bytes ... www.delphi.com/dogbyts/start (i wish i had the address of the post for all of you. but she does post often ehough.)

cross posting this for another view. (not that i'm any less mad at the evil evil commissioner.)

mugsy
Member
Posts: 108
From: Ft. Wayne
October 17, 2001 02:37 PM
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Ok, now I'm mad. I called and talked to the guy...I'm not good at writing letters. He told me that they "compromised" and got her 1 part-time position for 3 hours a day, 3 days a week...woo-hoo that's going to help. He thinks he's doing the animals a favor by giving her 2 extra days to get homes for these animals...what a moron. He did tell me that in the state of WV they have no laws stating that shelters even have to take cats. Wow am I glad I don't live there. You'll like the reasoning for the decision. There are bookkeeping issues that need to be addressed and he wants next year's audit to be more favorable. My statement to him was," So the animals have to suffer because the audit wasn't in your favor." He got a little defensive, but he was very cool on the phone. He was NOT going to sway from his decision, he really feels he was being magnanimus by giving her 2 extra days than state law requires and a 3 hr/3days part time position. He did say that he thought that Judy did a good job with the shelter and that she shares my views more than his. They have 40 runs that have to be cleaned and he made it sound like that was the issue. Judy wasn't able to get her job done because she was cleaning runs. He did say that they have a real problem because it's a rural area and they don't have the money for any kind of education course to teach people responsible pet ownership. OH MY GOD I can't believe the stupidity.
Ok, I'm done venting now. In case anyone wants to contact him by phone I got the number: 1-304-675-1110.

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Save a live...Adopt!!!

Thanks crow, you must have had a psychic vision. I was just going to tell you guys that I had posted on the rescue category. Thank you for saving me the time, I appreciate it. I can tell you this guy was not the brightest bulb in the pack.

Let me tell you how disappointed I am. No one has returned my calls or responded to my e-mails. I am going to have to stay on their tail for something to happen.

Makes me mad. I will try and call the commissioner as well.

That's all for now.

Gee Souraya I got through to him right away. In fact he answered the phone. Keep trying. Either that or he has been inundated with calls and is avoiding us. I just hope Judy doesn't get in trouble for this.