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Find out how:
On August 3rd, city councilmember, Jarvis Johnson, told citizens that this contract would not be up for a vote until September. Apparently, they are trying to slip this contract through under the radar and at tax payer's expense.
We intend to continue OPPOSING this contract as we do not believe Mr. Fusco has the background necessary to be able to turn BARC around. He has no idea what it takes to run a successful shelter (i.e. one where the kill rate and inhumane treatment actually drop). And, we don't believe Mr. Fusco could ever turn around BARC if he won't admit that MANY of BARC's employees need to go. The employees who have abused animals cannot be rehabilitated enough to be good employees and the good employees will continue to be drug down to their level. BARC will never be able to pull itself out of the mire if these employees are not removed. In addition, $208,000 is a huge waste of our tax dollars for someone with absolutely NO experience in the subject.
We encourage everyone to FAX and CALL the mayor and all city council tonight and OPPOSE this contract. If you can only call a few council members, we recommend calling Pam Holm, Anne Clutterbuck, Ed Gonzales, Jolanda Jones, Sue Lovell, Jarvis Johnson--and whoever your own personal city council member is. Let them know that you DO NOT want Fusco but also let them know what you DO want i.e. someone who actually knows how to drop the kill rate. We do NOT need yet another consultant, facilitator or friend of the Mayor with absolutely NO idea how to drop the kill rate.
We have the report from MCV and we have the Mayor�s 2005 Task Force Report. We already know what, and who, many of the problems are. What BARC needs is a Bureau Chief who knows the strategies necessary to drop the kill rate and eliminate the inhumane treatment. Bonnie Ford is that person. The city needs to hire Bonnie Ford as Bureau Chief and save the $208,000 for programs that Bonnie can use to drop the kill rate, such as renting offsite adoption sites all over the city in highly visible locations; free spay/neuter services especially in low income neighborhoods; programs and services that keep pets in their homes instead of dumped at the shelter; a TNR program. All of these things have been PROVEN to drop the kill rate. Houston does not have to re-create the wheel. We can copy what other successful No Kill cities and counties are doing, but, Houston MUST HIRE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO GET THERE.
All contact info for the Mayor and city council is on No Kill Houston's website. There is also a link to find out who your city council person is. A form letter is also on our website if you need help with your letter. Make sure you remind this person that YOU VOTE.
Subject: Mr. Fusco's perception of BARC
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 3:00 AM
I heard Mr. Fusco�s interview on KUHF today. Mr. Fusco stated that the �perception of BARC is worse than the reality�. I�m curious, is the reality of Kennel Attendants punching puppies not bad enough for Mr. Fusco? How about the KAs who slam dogs� heads in cage doors? Or how about the KA who starved dogs until one couldn�t even pick up her head up (and the vet who lied and said the dog had a neurological disorder)? Or, how about Dr. O killing and beheading a cat because it scratched her? Or an animal control officer who kicked a puppy until it was paralyzed and found dead in its kennel the next day? How about all of the puppies that die because of no enforcement of disinfecting protocols? All of these things and much more are realities that are being witnessed. Are none of these things a bad enough reality for Mr. Fusco? What does he think people are �perceiving� that is worse than this? The ignorance of this statement should make it obvious that either 1) Mr. Fusco does not have a clue about what is going on around him at BARC or what has gone on for years; or 2) he is merely the mayor�s spin doctor trying to convince citizens that things aren�t as bad as the volunteers and media have reported, while the mayor continues his senate campaign.
Mr. Fusco�s statement is like a slap in the face to all of the volunteers who witnessed the above abuses and other abuses day after day and year after year. It is a slap in the face to those volunteers and advocates who have been telling you about this abuse for years. It is a slap in the face to the foster parents and rescue groups who have had multitudes of BARC animals die from diseases that could have and SHOULD be prevented at BARC. It is a slap in the face to the citizens who have called, written and spoken to you in person at city council about their pets who have suffered greatly and died from preventable diseases from BARC. It is a slap in the face to the citizens whose pets have died horrible, painful deaths from heatstroke on animal control trucks with no air conditioning---another citizen told you his story on 8/3/09. It is a slap in the face to the volunteers who witness the �walk of death� of animals to the euthanasia room every single day 50, 80 sometimes 150 times per day to the tune of almost 30,000 animals every single year. These deaths COULD be prevented but there has been no real effort by BARC leaders to stop it so far.
To say perception is worse than the above reality of abuse and death is a slap in the face to all of us and we will not stand silently by while you do it.
We will continue speaking out. And we will continue to make all 2.2 million citizens aware of what is going on at BARC, if we have to go door to door to do it.
You need to hire Bonnie Ford as the next Bureau Chief and you need to do it now. Bonnie already knows �who� the problems are at BARC and she knows what the problems are. She also knows the strategies needed to drop the kill rate and prevent the humane treatment and diseases that are rampant at BARC. Just this week, she presented a proposal to BARC management that will greatly reduce the number of cats killed at BARC. If she can do this as a volunteer, just think what she can do if she were Bureau Chief and could make sure the programs and services that will save lives are put into place and enforced. Call her.
Bett Sundermeyer, President
No Kill Houston
www.NoKillHouston.org