There is no longer any transparency about management decisions to kill at MCAS, no apparent logic, no evident thoughtful analysis. There has not been for some time. After 2016, outside experts, volunteers, and rescuers once part of and critical to animal disposition decisions were excluded. Since 2016, decisions are made by a closed circle of no more than 3 managers whose reasoning is seldom disclosed and when it is disclosed follows no known assessment process. All animals are almost always uniformly killed as DB UU-2.*

When incidents can be prevented, caused by human error, and/or resolvable with management and training, killing is elected as the final solution.

The standard problem solving template used by professionals is SOAP: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan.

MCAS applies SAP. MCAS goes from, S (subjective), for example, ‘animal can’t get out on leash,’ to A (assessment) ‘Unhealthy and Untreatable,’ then onward to P (plan) ‘Kill.’

Agency managers sum up their decisions vaguely. For example: “Killed for behavior:” Seldom are the behaviors specified. From reading records it is clear that most incidents do not require death as a solution.

*Asilomar Accord definition: Dog Behavior, Unhealthy and Untreatable, defined by aggressive or anxiety conditions, with intensity level 3. Intensity Level 3 is described as “Animal is sustaining self injury. Its welfare is compromised or inflicting serious damage/putting others at risk.”