Saturday, January 19, 2013

A beagle's tale and a resolution to kill

Post on No Kill Nation "You can't adopt your way out of killing." It is one of the most enduring myths in our movement. And it is the excuse poorly performing shelters use to justify paltry levels of adoptions. Next time you hear it, email them our 10-step guide to doing so:"


No Kill Nation's fancy rhetoric might help pick money from duped animal lovers’ pockets but it does nothing with building a foundation needed for adoptions to take place. You can’t adopt your way out of killing in shelters who have taken the "no kill resolution" oath but still kill dogs the first day they are due out for adoption.
 
Such was the fate for an eight year old stray beagle named Chiqui (A149898). Chiqui entered MDAS as a stray on January 11, 2013. She was due out on the seventeenth and dead less than twenty four hours later. She wasn’t aggressive – didn’t appear to have any health issues – you she was killed simply because she was eight years old?

No Kill’s twisted partnership with MDAS that they call a "no kill resolution" failed Chiqui and she paid with her life.

 
CHIQUI (A1499898) 8yr old stray Beagle
I am a female tricolor Beagle.
The shelter staff think I am about 8 years old.
I was found as a stray and I may be available for adoption on 01/17/2013.

When are the rescue community going to realize that all the fancy slogans and slick brochures in the world don’t replace networking and working in partnership with the shelter staff to save lives – even the old ones.
Had Chiqui been fortunate to find herself in our "reformed" kill shelter here in Gwinnett Ga she may not have been assured a "no kill resolution" but she would have been given weeks not hours to find that outcome. She would have been met by an army of volunteers who would have worked diligently until they found a warm home for her to go to.

Rescue is not about "not killing" shelter dogs and cats. Rescue is about finding them a safe haven with which to go. It is simply unfathomable that the rescue community in south Florida was only given less than twenty-four hours to save Chiqui. The leadership in south Florida is failing all the dogs and cats that are being killed with it’s No Kill Nation obsession with power, greed and self infatuation. I truly hope that Chiqui didn’t die because her chip in wasn’t large enough to attract some irresponsible rescuer’s attention because that is not rescue either.

True rescuers don’t need financial incentive to save lives. True rescuers find their moral compass deep inside their hearts. They survive on the warm feeling of accomp0lishment that comes with watching beautiful dogs like Chiqui walk out of the shelter alive rather than leaving in a body bag.

So, lets just put aside all the "touching" rhetoric coming out of No Kill Nation’s spin machine. Miami Dade adopted No Kill Nation’s "No Kill Resolution" on July 23rd 2012. Among other things the resolution "designates county animal shelters as no-kill with all stray and unwanted animals being "protected" from euthanasia. Six months later MDAS is still killing strays on the same day they are due out? How is that protecting them from being killed?

If we listen to the No Kill Nation rhetoric there are 23,000,000 homes for dogs like Chiqui – just weren’t any that were able to show up the one day she had to be adopted? No Kill Nation brags about it’s "off site" adoption events, it even runs cute pictures of seniors on its Facebook page trying to pry donations from duped followers. All this talk about "forging ahead saving lives" is nothing but talk.

In reality, its been two years now since No Kill Nation ran off Dr Pizano promising more change while paving the way for its no kill resolution yet MDAS is STILL killing dogs with only twenty four hours to find an adoptive home.

What has No Kill Nation done over the last eighteen months building a partnership in south Florida that saves lives? For one, No Kill Nation has invested tens of thousands of dollars filing civil lawsuits in Broward County court to feed NKN’s president Debi Day’s obsession with punishing anyone who dares call her out for her lack of leadership skills.

That court case alone has lead to a divisive rescue community that has stood around and watched No Kill Nation use their attorney’s to destroy Miami Dade Rescue Railroad. MDRR "was" a volunteer group started in 2003 to help save dogs from MDAS by volunteering to transport them to rescue partners throughout Florida.

During its years of partnering with the shelter and rescue community MDRR saved over 6,500 dogs just like Chiqui not with fancy no kill rhetoric and promises but instead by simply finding volunteers to show up at the shelter to help out. MDRR volunteers posted the animals needing rescue and found rescue groups who had foster homes to take them. It wasn’t pretty nor financially rewarding. Like many rescue advocacy groups MDRR’s mission was quite simple – to save lives. All of that commitment saving lives is gone now as MDRR was forced to dissolve rather than raise the tens of thousands of dollars to pay legal fees defending a frivolous lawsuit seeking to protect No Kill Nation’s honor and not save lives.

One would think that destroying one volunteer group would be enough for NKN’s self appointed President Debi Day but no, she wasn’t finished with one. No Kill Nation also filed a civil lawsuit against highly respected No Paw Left Behind in Fort Lauderdale as well. That case is still pending. Should NKN succeed in winning that lawsuit how does that "victory" save lives and more south Florida forward in implementing its no kill resolutions?

At what point is the rescue community going to step up and tell No Kill Nation "enough with the political grandstanding" we need a unified rescue advocacy effort that isn’t focused in redeeming a certain no kill thugs egotistical vision of herself.

Fact is Debi Day has never reformed anything but perhaps her liquor cabinet. She is NOT a rescuer, she does not foster, she does not share urgents through social networking and she does not volunteer. In her mind she is much too good for all of that grunt work. After all, she is President of a No Kill Nation. Grunt work is for all of YOU who are expected to save everything including those dogs being bred by Debi’s and Karolyn Rico’s irresponsible breeders who NKN counts on for support.

What No Kill Nation deems "poorly performing" shelters are typically "poorly funded" public shelters. There is nothing wrong with having a 10-step program for increasing adoptions provided budgeting is available for implementing those programs. Too many other variables make adoption programs difficult in poorly funded shelters including poor shelter location, lack of staffing and overall condition of the shelter itself all effect the public’s perception on adopting from the public shelter.

Community’s looking to change those parameters face years of planning, budget reviews and voter approval before even thinking about shelters adoption rates. In community struggling with budgetary issues a much more prudent approach towards killing less is by investing in programs that reduce shelter intake through targeted spay neuter programs, breeder licensing and educational programs. You need leadership to succeed with that struggle, leadership that is so obviously lacking with the no kill nuts.

Building a no kill community that kills shelter dogs same day is not a no kill resolution that works. No matter how NKN spins it, you can’t adopt out dogs who are dead. 

Rest in Peace dear Chiqui – you deserved better.

 


Friday, January 18, 2013

Funding No KIll Nation's War on Free Speech?

 "Was anyone else aware that NKN is involved in a lawsuit with an animal rescuer?!?! If you read about this lawsuit, some of the allegations about NKN are very troubling! Did you know that they take donations that are supposed to be used for animal rescue and then they (allegedly) spend them on lawsuits, paying employees and other various things? When you donate to NKN or any other animal welfare organization, is that how you expect your funds to be used? Thoughts?" 
Posted on Facebook Nation Animal Rescue - Miami Dade Animal Shelter
Kimberly  I believe NKN won the lawsuit, therefore the allegations should be put to rest. Also, their form 990 from the IRS is available on their website.

Many non-profits pay employees, so I fail to see anything wrong with that. And the lawsuit was said to be privately funded, and does not show up on their tax returns.

While none of the merits in this case where ever heard it is important to understand timeline facts that are in dispute. This case was filed in Broward County court in November of 2011. At that point No Kill Nation was still running it’s Everglades Project with Kathy Santomero and Amy Restucci administering the "100+ Abandon Dogs in the Everglades" page. As of November 2011 No Kill Nation had not released any financial information on money already collected.

In May of 2012 No Kill Nation filed in 2011 990EZ tax return. This tax return dated May 24, 2012 and signed by NKN president Debi Day. The return included over $22,411 in professional fees, it is assumed that these professional fees were retainer fee paid No Kill Nation’s law firm Tripp Scott.

The return also includes a "Schedule O" liability of $247,000 "loan payable" to Lincoln Day and a "loan receivable" amount of $227,736. It appears that while Lincoln Day did issue loan of $247,000 to No Kill Nation the terms of that loan were not disclosed. It would also appear that approximately $22,411 of the loan was issued to No Kill Nation and used to pay the retainer fees.

What isn’t included in the May 2012 tax filing is any reference to costs, liabilities or pay outs for the Everglades Project. This despite several months having transpired in a "rescue" project that No Kill Nation formally cut ties in in early February of 2012.

On November 9th 2012 No Kill Nation was awarded a "default judgement" in the civil suit in Broward County court. What a default judgment means is that since Miami Dade Rescue Railroad failed to hire an attorney to defend itself on the merits of the case MDRR

On No9vember 14, 2012 No Kill Nation released an "amended" 2011 "990" tax reform signed by No Kill Nation’s president Debi Day. The changes in this return include (but not limited too) removing the $22,411 paid out as professional fees and listing no expenditures for professional fees. The return does list line item accounting of "program accomplishments" including the Everglades Project $87,317 in revenue and $70,172 expenses. It also listed program expenses of $25,066 for NKN employees to attend the No Kill Conference in Washington DC (yes YOU paid for that), $10,075 for No Kill conferences in Austin Tx, Maui, Hi and Albuquerque NM. Yes, donors paid for those NKN excursions as well.

In order to get a detailed breakdown on the funds collected under the Everglades Project No Kill Nation provides a link to another No Kill Nation project called the "No Kill Fund". The No Kill Fund appears to be a deliberate effort on the part of No Kill Nation to solicit funding that can be used in filing court cases against anyone so bold as to dare oppose No Kill Nation’s political agenda. Those cases would include the current cases already filed against advocates like myself, filed against the non profit (now dissolved) group Miami Dade Rescue Railroad and against Fort Lauderdale rescue group No Paw Left Behind.

No Kill Nation through it’s attorney has also sent out numerous "cease and desist" warnings to a number of other rescue advocates warning them of pending civil cases if they continued to make any negative comments about No Kill Nation or it’s president Debi Day. One advocate received a cease and desist for posting a single comment that questioned Day’s leadership skills and her previous lack of experience in shelter reform.

Advocates are free to support any political organizations that provide advocacy that supports their needs. But advocates also have a right and responsibility in knowing whether the funds donated to No Kill Nation is indeed used to "save" animals or whether those funds are being used to stifle free speech while supporting a political agenda that is not rescue friendly. 

To be clear, No Kill Nation through it’s own admission DOES NOT DO RESCUE.

If your intent is to donate to groups that "save" animals No Kill Nation is not that group. By it’s own admission No Kill Nation is not a rescue group. No Kill Nation is a rather small organization of less than six people who do not foster shelter animals but instead focus as Nathan Winograd puppets perpetrating myths about no kill that include a relentless attack on anyone who dares disagree with Winograd’s twisted, demented thinking. That thinking includes unsupported concepts that pet overpopulation is a myth and a divisive attack on the animal protection community and the rescue community who both do have programs that help rescue animals not only from shelters but from puppy mills and hoarding sanctuaries as well.

The current leadership of No Kill Nation including show breeder Karolyn Rico, bored socialite Debi Day and Kathy Santomero have absolutely no prior success in reforming shelters including those extremely high kill shelters located in Broward or Miami Dade.

While it is certainly admirable that communities consider passing "no kill resolutions" as we have seen in Carrabus County NC that these resolutions are entirely useless without the local funding needed or a clear implementation plan being included. It is simply a shell game used to solicit more support and more funds without ever being held accountable for success.

It has been close to two years since passing a no kill resolution in Carrabus County. The shelter has yet to hire or fund a shelter manager two years later and still kills over half of the cats and dogs entering its shelter. Carrabus County does not do off site adoptions, does not have an endorsed TNR program, has not promoted any new spay neuter programs nor is there any type of volunteer program focused on promoting life saving initiatives including the infamous No Kill Equation.

Yet, in its almost daily pleas for donations No Kill Nation wants followers to support "forging ahead" with its mission?   Mission for what? We are still all ears but we are looking for ANSWERS not mindless rhetoric coming for the leadership of No Kill Nation. Please explain exactly how spending tens of thousands of dollars attacking those who don’t support your mission moves us closer to building a no kill nation.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

No Kill - When the Math Doesn't Add Up



No Kill Advocates will tell you that we have the ability to end shelter of adoptable animals by simply focusing on adoptions programs that will triple the number of shelter pets saved. 

Do those numbers "add up" to a "myth of pet overpopulation" or is this nothing more than "nutty" no kill math?



Posted on No Kill Nation

Myth: You can't adopt your way out of killing

Fact: Using the most successful adoption communities as a benchmark and adjusting for population, U.S. shelters combined should be adopting almost nine million animals a year. That is almost three times the number being killed for lack of a home. In fact, it is more than total impounds. But the news gets even better.

There are over 23 million people who are going to get an animal next year. Some are already committed to adopting from a shelter. Some are already committed to getting one from a breeder or other commercial source. But 17 million have not decided where that animal will come from and research shows they can be influenced to adopt from a shelter. That’s 17 million people vying for roughly 3 million animals. So even if 80% of those people got their animal from somewhere other than a shelter, we could still zero out the killing. And many communities are proving it.

Another tool in the fight for No Kill in your community –

Of course, these number projections come from Nathan Winograd’s book "Redemption" which was first published over five years ago. If it is true that shelters can expand adoptions far past a mathematical point that would completely wipe out shelter killing then why aren’t these numbers becoming a reality?

Groups like No Kill Nation (formed in 2009) would be able to at least prove the point that successful adoptions programs that follow the No Kill Equation can be safely, quickly and cost effectively implemented merely because advocates have the will to end shelter killing as we know it. Yet, south Florida alone continues to struggle under massive shelter intake numbers that leads to nearly 80,000 dogs and cats being killed in south Florida alone.

No Kill Nation likes to project leadership or maybe some purpose in the discussions on reforming Florida’s massive pet overpopulation and shelter killing dilemma. 

Yet even communities like Manatee who have successfully engaged it’s community in saving more lives still killed one out five homeless dogs and cats that entered Manatee’s "No Kill" shelter in 2012. That is not math that adds up to a number that ends the killing of Manatee’s homeless pets despite the community effort and despite the unreleased effects on the county’s animal control budget.

The only proven method of reforming your community’s animal welfare programs that nurture life saving while working at reducing the financial and cultural impact of killing innocent homeless pets is through programs that focus on reducing shelter intake. Those programs include targeted low cost or free spay neuter services, community breeder licensing laws, pet retention programs and educational initiatives that focus on raising awareness on responsible pet ownership in the community.

Jacksonville has proved that large metropolitan communities can succeed in ending the killing by focusing funding investments in programs that work towards simply reducing shelter intake numbers now and in the years to follow. In these difficult economic times communities simply do not have the resources to expand animal control budgets while slashing other programs.

As we move forward in 2013 shouldn’t we learn from the lessons in Manatee and Jacksonville focusing our reform efforts on real change rather than the "pipe dream" thinking from the nuts of no kill?

If you want to make a difference please stop tossing your money away donating to a misguided no kill movement. Your donations will go much further towards ending not only shelter killing but the suffering of animal hoarding as well by simply throwing your support towards local efforts that truly provide the programs that responsible pet owners need most.



Sunday, January 13, 2013

No Kill's Friendly Fire Supports Puppy Mill Suffering

These dogs "got their whole life ahead of them to work for ya"

I started Drats not simply as a blog in opposition of a misguided no kill movement but to be a voice for the silent suffering stuck in puppy mill hell as well. 
 
My hatred of puppy mills is in memory of the dogs rescued from miller auctions including those like my Sally and Sadie. Both were rescued from a breeder auction only to die far too young from the years of neglect and abuse.

As an advocate I have a hard time watching this video of a breeder’s auction. Both of my bassets Sherlock and Abigail lived to survive an auction like that. I cannot help but visualize both Sherlock and Abigail sitting in one of those cages frightened to death of what was going on all around them.

While both Sherlock and Abigail were among the lucky ones who survived only because they were bought for rescue a vast majority of worn out breeder stock is not so lucky. Their fates were either to spend their remaining years in more abusive often times Amish mill or death at the hands of their breeder if they weren’t purchased at all.

Sherlock and Abigail sold for a mere $25. That was the cost of their freedom. That is the value placed on their lives and their future. Only truly horrible people participate in this extremely cruel business of auctioning off such innocent and beautiful creatures.



BUT, What about ME?  Don't I count?
Next time some no kill nut like No Kill Advocacy Center’s Nathan Winograd or No Kill Nation’s Debi Day tries to convince you how evil the HSUS is for not supporting shelters think about the dogs you saw suffering in this video.

Think about their scared faces and remember only a small number are rescued. Your LOUD VOICE in support of animal protection groups and your donations are needed to reform this horribly cruel industry where death would be better than living a lifetime of abuse. Only the truly ignorant use their collective voices to downplay the role HSUS plays in SAVING these lives. Only the truly ignorant donate to these ignorant no kill organizations who are willing to look away while pushing breeder enabling agenda’s of their own.

http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/youtube-channel/


No Kill's silent support of puppy mill misery

Puppy Mills Breed Misery
If you do nothing else today please take a few minutes to view this startling report from Dateline on the horrors of puppy mills and how our government fails to protect the poor innocent victims of this horrible industry. 

This is a story you won't find on any of the no kill Facebook pages.  You won't find the story of puppy mill atrocities on breeder friendly groups like No Kill Nation.  In fact, No Kill Nation's leadership includes show breeder Karolyn Rico who supports groups like the American Kennel Club with their pathetic partnership supporting puppy mills.

Sadly, thanks to the relentless attacks on the animal protection community orchestrated by a cultist lead no kill movement many of these victims suffer from our silence.

No kill cult leaders like Nathan Winograd ignores the horrors of puppy mills while clinging to his misguided position that the market will in time close down the mills when pet owners start adopting shelter dogs in his grand no kill vision.  His voice has been silent in supporting the laws needed to put ban end to this abusive industry now rather then allow these victims of misery to continue to suffer.

It is pathetic that the no kill movement fails to recognize the existence of MILLIONS of dogs who languish in squalor as part of a huge pet overpopulation crisis that leads to the millions of dogs killed in our public shelters.

As animal advocates our loud voice should echo to close down these horrible breeding mills. Not just because no animal advocate should be silent to this horrible abuse but because in doing so the number of dogs that fuel our pet overpopulation crisis would lead to less animals ending up in our public and private kill shelters as well.

Published on Jan 10, 2013

RUSSO'S Pet Experience Convicted Cruelty Criminal Owner -40 Years Fashion Island Pet Torture Fraud talks about Papers sent to H.B. Council - PROVEN BUSINESS FRAUD OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS SENT TO ALL ORANGE COUNTY CITIES. Fraud proven with legal Government USDA Inspection Reports, USDA Inspector Photos, Government Interstate Documents, and Russo's own State law required Paper work from INHUMANE FRAUD SALES OF 40 YEARS CONSUMER FRAUD SALES & FEDERAL LAW VIOLATING PUPPY MILL PUPPIES --documents listed in article below


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjObz4QnzeA