She's needle happy AGAIN!!!

[moosmom]

Okay, I TRY veeerrrrrry hard to give people the benefit of the doubt. But now this woman has totally pissed me off.

I went to the Dearborn Animal Shelter volunteer Christmas party on Thursday night. Do you remember me posting this picture???



Well, mama is DEAD. Why??? Because Elaine Greene, the Director of the shelter THOUGHT she had ringworm and played God!!!

I am so outraged, I want to file a complaint. I have told her many times that if ANY cat is THOUGHT to have ringworm, that I would foster them and treat them till they were well enough to be put back up for adoption. Evidentally, she didn't think this cat was worth the trouble!!

So, anyone who would like to file a complaint against this woman, please do!! I plan on it. I will try and get an e-mail addy to do so.



I am SO furious I want to cry right now.

[slick]

Oh Donna, that's so sad. Would it do any good for me to complain?? After all I'm in Canada and don't know much about the shelter except what you tell me.

Is the Shelter a charitable organization?? Is it run by a Board of Directors? If so, I think only the B of D can fire her, but any and all complaints should make a difference.

[shais_mom]

Oh Donna I am so sorry!
Please give us an email and I will email a complaint/concern also, if you want to post an address, I would even be glad to send a snail letter.
I think this woman needs ousted and YOU need her job! what a witch

[carole]

Donna I don't know whether I can help at all, but if sending an email of complaint from NZ helps, count me in , let me know ok, I for one would LOVE to see this horrible excuse for a human being FIRED and YOU take her place.

[moosmom]

I've decided to write a letter to the editor of the Detroit Free Press. It's the only way people are gonna know what this $itch is up to. I am also going to register a complaint with the Board of Directors. This woman needs to be stopped. She doesn't hesitate to keep a dog or puppy with a suspicious skin problem. I am making a visit to the shelter on Tuesday when she's due in and I'm going to voice my opinion yet AGAIN to see what she has to say. I am also going to put a note ON FILE that if ANY cat, regardless of age, SHE suspects with a case of ringworm, to call me and I will foster and treat it till it's adoptable again.

BTW, don't you think that if the Mama had ringworm, seeing as I worked in the nursery and handled her quite frequently, that I'd also catch it? Coincidental???

I have never hated anyone in my life. But I LOATHE this woman!! And everytime I think about this precious mama, it makes me cry. Another cat killed needlessly at the hands of a woman with ice water running through her veins.

[catcrazylady]

Post email and snail mail address' and I'm in with you! I don't know if it will do any good for those of us who don't live nearby to do it but I can't imagine that it will hurt. It may have more impact coming from far away places!! Is there any animal rights organization that can be contacted too? The more people that get involved then the more likely they are to stop this WITCH!! Is this supposed to be a no kill shelter?? It is bad enough that she does this but when you continually offer to take in any possible ringworm kitties and foster them until it is cleared up, then there is NO POSSIBLE EXCUSE FOR HER BEHAVIOR!!
Let us know who and where to mail and if anyone knows of a group that would get involved post that info too. Someone could contact them as well. Whatever it takes we will try to help stop her!

[CatDad]

Oh Donna, I am so sorry to hear about the poor kitty.

I am not sure if a letter(email or snail) would help from outside of the area, but if it would post it, and think that it may make a difference, I will write.

RIP mama kitty, have fun at the rainbow bridge.

[trayi52]

What about the kittens? Isn't this the second one she has put down for ringworms? Lord, don't anybody get ringworms around this woman, she will put you down.

Poor mama, she really looked good in the picture. I just don't understand, I never thought ringworm was that bad to start with.

There should be a way to get this person who has elected herself as God, to be put out of there.

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by CatDad
I am not sure if a letter(email or snail) would help from outside of the area, but if it would post it, and think that it may make a difference, I will write.

I think that letters written out of the area will be useful. I'll write give me the address, it will vent my anger about this person's actions, if nothing else.

Oh, if you send your snail letters registered (can't get lost) and state that this is an offical complaint letter and you demand an response asap. That means they'll have to respond to you.

If you were on the board of directors and local people were complaining about one of your employees, you would look into it but if you were getting letters from all over the world explaining how we are ALL unhappy with this ONE employee, you would think harder about how this negative publicity will affect funding and donations.

BTW the press idea is great....I would send photos & brief outline of all the cat lives lost before their time because of this lady and email to all local/national papers. Good Luck.

The more this person's actions are known the more likely something will happen.

[shais_mom]

Is this the correct Shelter Donna?
I remember you talking about Dearborn.

http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/MI02.html

[BastetsMum]

Maybe someone should explain to her that dogs get ringworm too. Suspicious skin conditions in dogs are more suseptable to being attracted to humans and that not only is she risking her skin but the dog's as well. So why isn't she putting dogs down for human safety as well? (No offence to anyone here I am just airng my concerns).

What does the registered Dearborn vet have to say when he doesn't see cats for treatment but dogs?

[moosmom]

Shais_Mom,

Yup! That's the one!

I wrote the letter this morning. I got the name of the President of the Board of Directors and I will be mailing the letter out today. Here's what it says:

Dear Ms. Cote:

My name is Donna Ploss and I am a volunteer at the Dearborn Animal Shelter. I am writing this letter on behalf of the hundreds of cats whose lives hang in limbo at the hand of the shelter’s director, Elaine Greene.

I began volunteering at the shelter back in April. At orientation, I was told that the ONLY time any animals were euthanized was if they were very ill or a danger to themselves and other people.

Since that time, Ms. Greene, who takes it upon herself to decide the fate of the animals, has euthanized many cats. Why??? Because they were critically ill?? No. Because they were a danger to themselves or others??? No. Simply because SHE “suspected” they had ringworm or because the cats were “too old to be adopted”. Yet she decides to keep other animals, such as dogs, which also have skin conditions and are deemed unadoptable because they are either food or dog aggressive. At no time were any cultures done to rule out ringworm. I guess Ms. Greene didn’t think they were worth the bother.

Ringworm is easily treatable and contagious ONLY if contact is made with the area. It is not an airborne disease such as Distemper, which can be fatal.

The dictionary defines “shelter” as a place to provide cover and protection. Nowhere does it say, “kill”.

These animals depend on us for love and care while awaiting new homes, something their humans could not or would not provide. Ms. Greene’s job is to do just that. It is quite obvious that Ms. Greene’s judgment has become impaired. It’s time to find someone who has the animal’s safety and well being at heart, rather than Ms. Greene who is more concerned about cage space and whether a cat’s age will prevent it from finding a permanent home.

I am respectfully requesting that Ms. Greene be held accountable for her reprehensible actions, and that the Board of Directors request Ms. Greene’s resignation.

Respectfully submitted,



Donna E. Ploss

[jenluckenbach]

Sounds like a good letter.

[CatDad]

I like it. I know that you are upset about this, as we all are, but I think that you put it into words very nicely. You got you point across without being rude.

Let us know what happens.

[moosmom]

Trayi52

Yes, she also put 2 of Sydney's kittens down because she "suspected" they had ringworm.

I'm going to the shelter this afternoon and plan on telling her point blank "If you decide to get needle happy again because you SUSPECT a cat has ringworm, here's my number. Call me immediately!!!"

I mailed the letter yesterday. I also talked to my friend Courtney who is the Vet Tech in the nursery. I told her what I was doing. She said I had way more guts than she does and she's glad someone is doing something about it (I guess she doesn't want to lose her job). She also told me that they've had a bout of Parvo at the shelter and I have to stay out of the nursery for a while.

Gee, I wonder if the Angel of Death will get needle happy with the dogs she suspects has parvo???