Cream, ID# 322411
The pointless scheduling of Cream’s death
Since Marian Cannell was appointed as operations manager in November 2022, salaried at $100,000, life for animals and staff has dangerously deteriorated; deaths have gone up and adoptions have failed as salaries increase.
Animals are being ordered killed for correctable stress created by MCAS when humane alternatives exist. They are ordered killed by managers with no background in animal behavior science and training. As a result MCAS has become the $15.6 million dollar prison on the hill where increasing numbers of shelter animals do not leave alive.
Cream came into MCAS from the field with the following note on August 11, 2024. “Hyper sweet. Bonded with female at Dove Lewis. Both found on I-84 together.”
On August 29, 2024, he was scheduled to be killed as ordered by the Rounds Committee, a clique of insiders whose regulations for euthanasia decisions have progressively lax from when they were a robust committee that included experts in animal behavior sciences and trainers. The reason he is scheduled to be killed is excitable non aggressively motivated behavior that resulted in a puncture wound and scrapes.
“Rounds Review Rounds discussed and will forward with humane euthanasia after bite quarantine due to uninterruptible behaviors in shelter that have now resulted in a bite incident that was uninterruptible. Follow up 9/7 for sign off.”
The above statement is unintelligible.
It was very clear at the outset that Cream’s excitability was secondary to kennel stress from prolonged confinement in a shelter with uninterruptible noise and dogs across and beside each other about which MCAS has done absolutely nothing.
The effects of a toxic shelter, distressed dogs, and no staff or volunteer training
Staff and volunteers are untrained leaving them without tools to manage distressed dogs. Currently, the primary tools for entering a kennel are crouching, looking sideways, throwing treats, advancing upon scared animals and pushing them back if they attempt to exit the kennel. Physical striking, i.e, “bopping” a dog on the nose is on record. Pet corrector (a noxious over the counter spray) has been used to “correct” jumpy mouthy behavior. There are multiple management and training programs for leash reactivity, including articles provided for free by Instinct Dog Training, in particular their article about using positioning and body language to alleviate leash reactivity.
The shelter’s mismanagement of Cream’s excitability and leash reactivity is not unique. These are 2 descriptions on August 21, 2024 with a different MCAS dog, records available upon request. It is a demonstrable fact that many dogs at MCAS become jumpy and mouthy secondary to the agency’s unacceptable uninterruptible toxic environment:
“ … After he had the treat he was immediately jumpy and mouthy, trying to grab onto the leash and pulling my radio and key chain off my belt. I used my pet corrector, first 3 inches away from his chest, and then directly at his chest, which re-directed him, but he would immediately go back to jumping and snapping…”
“On exit [from the play yard] he started to bite his leash when I took him out, then became more excited, continuously jumping and snapping with a high raised wagging tail, and began mouthing at my sweater sleeves and bottom, latching onto the fabric. Pulled out my pet corrector and tried to re-direct, spraying 3 inches away from and then at directly at his mouth…”
Incredibly, the solution for stress driven excitability was not a plan, but a waiver “A 12 [year] and over restriction to allow better potential matches.”
Cream is suffering from a mismanaged agency where unqualified managers run a store for cheap pets, rarely neutered or spayed, on public funds. The descriptions of Cream’s behavior make clear the incompetence is in management: First, the failure to attend to the stress they create; Secondly for not training staff or caring for dogs.
Cream
August 22, 2024
“Data collection: Dog readily came to greet me with wagging tail as I approached kennel. I opened kennel and was easily able to place slip lead. We went for a walk in agility. He walks pretty well on leash, and happily accepted all pets and in head and body. He would repeatedly come to my side, rubbing against my legs with a wiggly body to solicit attention. Returned to kennel, removed lead and exited without issue. Very sweet boy!”
Six days later, August 28, 2024
“Recap from staff member from incident in yard. Had dog out in play yard, dog became over stimulated and began mouthing at arms, was able to use treats and have him focus and sit, did well with this for awhile and took a break, staff went back with toys, dog had no interest in toys and became even further over-stimulated where he could not be re-direct [sic] with treats. Staff member called for help on the radio and was able to get into adjacent yard. Sustained injuries as follows: Single deep tooth puncture to left forearm causing SQ tissue exposure, scratches to right forearm, tooth scrapes with bruising to right ankle, one superficial (chest) and one deep (abdomen) scrape on side.”
An incident should not define the life of a nice dog. An examination of what led to the incident, and how to prevent recurrence should define the next step. But at MCAS, an unqualified management kills the victims of their mistakes.
“Data collections,” where behaviors are observed with little to no intervention, are pointless when confounded by the increased stress accrued just from being at this shelter. A behavior and training department equivalent to the veterinary department is critically needed to train dogs, staff, and volunteers and counsel owners and adopters facing challenges.
Marian Cannell and Erin Grahek reject that life saving need. They should be removed from office.
Gail O’Connell-Babcock