HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023.04.03 Council Meeting Public Comments from B. MorenoDear Pasco City Council Members,
The animal rescue community of the Tri-Cities, supported by a broad base of animal lovers throughout
our community, are deeply concerned by changes taking place at the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter. There is a
widespread (and well-founded) perception that the Shelter has been mismanaged for several years. And
the publicity surrounding the recent euthanasia of five healthy dogs -who were being routinely handled
by volunteers and were available for adoption until a few days before their deaths -has reinforced the
perception that this mismanagement is ongoing.
When questioned by the media, TCAS management claimed that the dogs were "aggressive". Volunteers
and staff who knew the dogs well have confirmed that, although they were showing signs of stress, they
had not shown any concerning aggressive tendencies up to a day or two prior to their euthanasia.
Shelter management also claimed that they had reached out to local rescues to request help, without
success. leaders of the established rescues serving our community have confirmed that they were not
contacted and were unaware that these dogs were at risk. When challenged with this information, the
Shelter director has refused to engage with concerned members of our community.
The concerns experienced by our community are varied. For example:
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There is a perception that TCAS is a Pasco operation with little engagement or accountability to
the other cities;
It is unclear where the responsibilities lie. The lnterlocal Agreement states that the Animal
Control Authority defines policy and has the final authority, but a subsequent amendment states
that the City of Pasco has full administrative oversight. Opinions differ as to how management
of the Shelter is supposed to work;
There is a perceived lack of transparency;
There is a perception that healthy, potentially adoptable animals are euthanized without
sufficient effort being made to rehabilitate or train them to make them adoptable;
There is a lack of clarity regarding TCAS's decision-making processes, e.g., turning away dogs in
need of shelter, lost animal support, health care, and euthanasia;
The community wants volunteer activity to be encouraged;
There is a perception that volunteers and staff may be constrained by NOA-type agreements,
which would limit transparency and accountability, and reduce trust in TCAS;
Communication by both the TCAS director and council members is lacking. They are not
responding to questions by rescues, and are failing to engage.
These dogs' deaths and the director's failure to respond openly to questions have cast a spotlight on the
pressing need for an independent Advisory Board tasked with ensuring that the values and processes
governing the operation of TCAS reflect the values and priorities of animal lovers within the Tri-Cities
community. Such a Board would: •Support the Shelter as it transitions from a contracted operation to a City-managed facility;
■ Facilitate communication between the Shelter, the local animal rescue community, and the Tri
Cities community at large;•Provide an interface with private resources and stakeholders within the community, including
but not limited to rescues, trainers, behavior experts, veterinarians, law enforcement, donors
and volunteers, to achieve the best possible outcome for Shelter animals at risk of euthanasia;
■ Understand the challenges facing the Shelter -such as balancing the overwhelming number of
dogs and cats in need, and limited kennel space;