Meeting with Dorinda

On Thursday, Dorinda Pulliam, the shelter director, met with the volunteers who work with the dogs. It was quite a heated discussion. Supposedly we are going to have these meetings every month. By the end of the meeting, she had agreed to the following proposals by the volunteers.

• Off site adoption events at the Farmer's Market
• Allowing volunteers to foster dogs more often
• Giving volunteers one week's notice before euthanizing any dog in the adoption program
• Bringing in more outside, professional trainers to help dogs in trouble

Personally, I was thrilled about what we accomplished. I'd imagine that any rational person reading this who cares about ending euthanasia of adoptable animals is probably shocked to be reading this. Shocked that these simple, common-sense measures are a revolutionary idea at TLAC and shocked that a volunteer would be so thankful for such paltry efforts to reduce the killing.

In the four years I've volunteered there, the volunteers have been given almost no responsibility. They expect us to come in and teach the dogs to sit and that's about it. Teaching a dog who is going kennel crazy or is developing dog aggression to sit is rather pointless. We watch dogs deteriorate as the weeks go by while having no tools or recourse to stop it. We offer to bring in trainers, at our own expense, but are always denied. We try to find rescue groups and offer donations to the rescue groups to take a dog that is deteriorating, and are told we cannot do that.

We are asked to give staff honest feedback about the dogs' problems. However, absolutely no good can come of the negative feedback, because there is nothing that is done for the dogs with problems, except for killing them.

We spent a lot of time talking about that issue and the complete lack of trust that we have in the staff. We talked about how staff has alluded, in conversations and email, to euthanizing earlier now, so that we can't form bonds with dogs that have the potential for problems. Dorinda vehemently denied this, but the staff who have been involved in those conversations and emails were not present during this part of the conversation. Actually, when this conversation started, one person who has been involved in those conversations got up and left the room.

So, after four years of doing almost nothing, I felt like we accomplished a lot for the dogs on Thursday. Other, newer volunteers, however, saw things very differently. In fact, one quit in disgust. She, in particular, was vocal at the meeting about how much more management could be doing and drew Dorinda into a bizarre fight in which Dorinda became incredibly defensive (for which she did apologize later).

Hopefully, Dorinda won't change her mind about these meetings and we'll have lots more. I'll definitely be keeping detailed notes for the next ones.

Update: The volunteer who quit emailed me and told me that she did not, in fact, quit in disgust, but actually that she "can do more from without than from within". She and Dorinda have had friendly and respectful exchanges since, and Dorinda has told her that she really wants someone who is so open and caring with so much energy and creativity to remain a volunteer. I agree. I've seen a lot of great people leave over the years. Whatever this volunteer decides to do, I'm certain that she'll be making a big impact for the animals and Austin animals are lucky to have her here.