Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:33:10 -0400 From: Gwen Harvey To: cramer@email.unc.edu Cc: John Link , mwbrown@minbdspring.com, J@mindspring.com Subject: Reply to Your "Hope" E-Mail (May 24) Elliott I have attached a copy of the report from Shelter Director Joe Pulcinella on the "dog named Hope" incident. Again, this was a regrettable affair and precautions have been instituted to prevent a reoccurence. --- MEMORANDUM To: Gwen Harvey From: Joe Pulcinella Date: May 18, 2004 Re: Hope - The Dog Fostered by Peggy O'Neil Here's the information you requested on the puppy named Hope fostered by Peggy O'Neil. In October, a litter of unweaned puppies was turned into the shelter with their mother. Collars and tags were put on the puppies for identification purposes. Peggy, who was doing volunteer work at the shelter, was handling the puppy several weeks later and discovered that, as the puppy grew, the collar had not been adjusted and had abraded the skin. The puppy was treated and released to Peggy for foster care. The problem was caused by improper monitoring of the puppy. This level of care is unacceptable and a new procedure has been established so that closer monitoring of all animals occurs. The Canine Coordinator is"...responsible for evaluating each dog and puppy on a daily basis assuring that their physical needs are being met ...physically checking each animal to ensure...that there are no physical problems. In addition, each animal will be checked to ensure that it has a band and that it fits appropriately." There is also a feline coordinator. This monitoring should ensure that no further problems of this type will occur in the future. I hope this information is helpful, and please call me with any questions. ________________________________________________________________ Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 10:55:29 EDT From: LHBoneil@aol.com To: cramer@email.unc.edu, Subject: Re: Joe on Hope It was not me(Peggy) who discovered the embedded collar. The collar was embedded (had to be cut out) of "Hope's" neck. I'm glad a new procedure has been established. ________________________________________________________________ Comment: This is the first time in over two years that APS has publicly acknowleged that there has been improper and unacceptable care at the shelter; not even the HSUS report was sufficient to elicit such a response from the prior management. Joe Pulcinella's candor is welcome and long overdue. This incident took place before Joe arrived and it appears that no one at APS is being held accountable or has taken personal responsibility -- not the former interim Director, Suzy Cooke, now a Board member again, nor Nicole Carper the shelter operations manager at the time. Joe was not fully informed about this incident. The collar did much more than abraid the skin; Peggy O'Neil stated that "The collar had cut into "Hope's" neck and was embedded. Fur and skin covered the collar. ... I was cautioned when adopting her, that I should not air our (shelter's) dirty linens in front of the public, by the then shelter director." I think that Suzy Cooke should be asked to come forward with an explantion of what she did in response to this disgraceful example of animal cruelty. ________________________________________________________________ Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 19:58:09 EDT From: LHBoneil@aol.com To: dbaker@co.orange.nc.us Subject: "Hope" Shelter Adoption Statement from Orange County Commissioner Meeting Tuesday, May 4, 2004, I'm a volunteer at The Orange County Shelter/APS on Jan. 2, 2004 I was called and asked to foster a puppy from the shelter. I had just left the shelter so I promptly picked up the pup, "Hope." "Hope" had arrived at the shelter on Oct. 31, 2003 at the age of 6 weeks (born Sept 20.2003). So as of Jan. 2, she had been there for 2 months. Oct 31-Jan 2.2004. A member of the public had ask to see the cute little black puppy. When she was picked up from the kennel, it was realized, by another volunteer, that her collar was ingrown. The collar had cut into "Hope's" neck and was embedded. Fur and skin covered the collar. "Hope" had been at the shelter for over two months...been feed twice a day and give fresh water-but, no one had noticed the collar. As requested, I took the pup home. I was not going to return "Hope" to the shelter and I therefore adopted her. I was cautioned when adopting her, that I should not air our (shelter's) dirty linens in front of the public, by the then shelter director. On Feb. 9.2004 she was spayed at the Mebane facility. When I picked her up, she was still in the hospitals kennel...she would not let the hospital staff pick her up. On Feb. 23, 2004 "Hope" was put down by my vet at Colony Park hospital. She had attempted several bites and was generally terrified of people. This incident occurred under the management of the present shelter operations manager. this is no better then warehousing or a puppy mill! Please carefully review and evaluate the APS staff before putting them into County positions! As the county takes over the facility...this is the time to start anew. There is a wealth of expertise and support for the animals in the orange county committee. Please to let "Hope's" death be in vain. Sincerely, Peggy O'Neil 5619 Mt. Sinai Rd., Durham,NC 27705 ________________________________________________________________ Elizabeth Heilman, May 4, 2004 I put together most of these notes on Hope on January 26, 2004. Hope was born on September 20, 2003 and surrendered to the APS on October 31, 2003 when she was 6 weeks old. APS listed her as a black retriever mix. She was banded at the neck when at APS. (Jane Marshall thinks she was banded at the neck probably not long after arrival at APS.) I saw Hope and her kennel mate, Bruno aka Buddy, (not litter mate) in ISO at one point. (Maybe late November or early/mid December). Friday, January 2, 2004: According to Jane Marshall: Suzie Cook asks Jane to temperament test Hope. The public says she's aggressive, hanging onto pants legs. Jane gets into Hope's kennel to take her out. Jane thinks that the collar is too tight, then sees puss and blood and cries out to Suzie "this is disgusting". Suzie tells Jane to take Hope to the Health Room and that is when they discover that the collar is embedded. According to Jane Marshall: Jane holds Hope while Kathy (the health tech) removes the collar. Jane told me subsequently that during this Kathy appeared distraught. Jane also told me that Adrienne (APS staff) was crying and visibly upset. According to Jane, immediately after this Kathy goes through the Shelter and checks neckbands on all other puppies. Right after this, Peggy O'Neil took Hope into foster care. I was there when Peggy came to the Shelter to pick up Hope. I also noted that Suzie Cook did not look at all upset. She was focussed on another dog in the front entrance area when I arrived at the Shelter (shortly before Peggy came to get Hope and before Jane told me everything that had transpired.) January 13 or 14, 2004 Hope goes to Mary Dow's for emotional rehabilitation. I know because I go over to Mary's to spend time with Hope, on January 14 and 15, 2004. January 19 or 20, 2004, Peggy O'Neil adopts Hope. As Jane Marshall filled me in on the details of this unfortunate event, she observed that "you cannot interact with a dog like that for more than 2 months and not discover it" (the embedded collar). Jane's point is that the staff do not interact with the dogs. Hope was kenneled at APS for over two months. That is way too long a time to keep a puppy (or any dog for that matter) without interaction. Peggy had mentioned to me that Suzie Cook had told her not to hang out the dirty laundry in public. When I met with Ann Peterson in February to tell her my concerns about three APS staff members (Suzie Cook, Nicole Carper and Amy Eller) and how I believed that they were not the right people for the slots they were filling, I started to talk about Hope. Ann Peterson said she did not want to hear any more about Hope, because Barbara Long had already talked to her about Hope. I started volunteering at APS in January of 1998. Sometimes I put in as much as 10 to 12 hours a week out of caring and concern for the animals. Out of frustration with the continuation of Nicole Carper as Shelter Operations Manager, I have stopped volunteering at APS. There is no question in my mind that Nicole Carper is responsible for what happened to Hope. Well, some people who do not understand what an embedded collar is; or some people who do not really want to bother themselves about quality care for animals with tax payers dollars might say what's the big deal here. Hope is only one dog. My response to that point of view is: what happened to Hope is the tip of the iceberg with APS and Nicole Carper as Shelter Operations Manager. If Nicole is kept on, what happened to Hope and many other animals there will continue. Is the County prepared and willing to allow these kinds of things to continue to happen or will the County act responsibly and take the steps necessary to bring in a qualified Shelters Operation Manager. I personally believe that Hope did not suffer in vain may her story be heard to move the County officials to do what is right. ________________________________________________________________ Notes on Hope (formerly Samantha) Peggy O'Neil Foster Puppy Female, lab/chow mix puppy. History: Born 9/20/2003. Surrendered to shelter at 10/30/2003. Kept in kennel with puppy of a similar age until January 2nd. (2 months) At some point after her arrival a rigid plastic identification collar was fastened around neck. 2 January 2004. Jane Marshall was asked to assess the puppy as it had been reported to show aggression. She found that the plastic collar was embedded into the neck of the puppy. Health staff removed the collar and administered first aid. Peggy O'Neil fostered the puppy for the weekend. Jane wrote her findings as follows: "I took her out and within minutes of playing with her noticed her plastic identification collar, which was put on in the shelter, was tight. On closer examination I noticed pus and blood on her neck. We cut the collar off and her neck is slit from ear to ear." 5 January. Puppy was sent out to Nick's Road for vet to carry out further repair on neck after which she was returned to Peggy O'Neil for fostering. 8 January. Note received from Peggy saying the puppy was very disinterested in people and that she showed terror at and then bit a male visitor and she had concerns about her. Peggy finds it is a problem to get her back into the house and often takes up to two hours to do so. She is clearly bonded with dogs more than people. 12 January. On Jane and Barbara's recommendation and at Peggy's request the puppy was relocated at my house for further evaluation and socialization. My Observations: Hope stayed in her crate at first but soon warmed up to my own dogs. Within a few hours she allowed me to pet her rump and to pick her up out of the crate. She was wary of my hand around her neck and head area but while wrestling with my dog, Benny, she showed no signs of pain. She was very nervous outside the crate area and shook with fear at noises such as the television being turned on. The washer, dryer and dishwasher in the kitchen all reduce her to jelly. She improves after time but then backslides every time something new is introduced. She has no ability to deal with novelty She demonstrated no sign of aggression towards me and I had the rest of the family, including three men, meet her over the next few days. As long as they are soft in their movements and she is not forced she is comfortable having them around. When the other dogs are with her she is brave enough to approach my family and sit with them for periods but when my dogs are outside away from her she retires to her crate and is unresponsive. She will not go outside if it is windy. She guards chews and valued toys - especially against the other dogs. Hope didn't learn appropriate skills about mouthing and biting people after weaning as she had no human contact. Now she is finding it difficult to accept that she cannot mouth us like she did her littermate. This is more difficult for her to accept at 18 weeks of age than it would have been at 8 weeks and certainly more difficult for us to tolerate in view of her size. She grabs at my feet like a little puppy and it is difficult to show her alternative behaviour as she is so nervous and does not readily engage with us. It is encouraging that she is becoming interested in food and has learned to look me in the eye, sit for a treat and is now pleased to see me when I first come into the room after a period away from her. Conclusion: Hope spent her time since weaning in a kennel with her kennelmate and has not been handled by people except for shots and the collar removal and is now a long way behind in her socialization and in her acceptance of new things. She is having to learn that people want to touch her to give her pleasure more often than they want to hurt her. After her poor start in life, it is not clear that she will ever be a normal dog. She will need to be placed very carefully with no children, in a skilled home. We are not sure how her resource guarding will develop. Adoption: I believe it would be inadvisable to offer her out to the general public for adoption without giving her full history. She may be able to get over some of her apprehension but she because she is so fearful it could be unsafe for other than an experienced and informed dog handler take her. Harsh action, such as a leash check, especially around the neck at the site of the injury could conceivable cause her to snap so children should not be given access to her for some time if ever. She is going to need more than the usual amount of tolerance and training to help her overcome her poor start. Mary Dow. January 19th, 2004 ________________________________________________________________ To: Shelter committee. From: Mary Dow 1. PLEASE PUT A FAULT PROOF SYSTEM IN PLACE TO ENFORCE THE REGULAR CHECKING OF ANIMALS. When the collar was found to be embedded, the shelter staff who helped remove it were extremely upset that such an injury could have been inflicted on the puppy while in their care. If there was an enforced routine for checking over the dogs this could not have happened, the dog would not be damaged and the staff would not be bearing the guilt of it. If the shelter is being run as efficiently as possible and the is still no time to check the animals we should not be keeping so many animals since we are just continuing the abuse which we are supposed to be preventing. 2 PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW PUPPIES TO LIVE AT THE SHELTER FOR MORE THAN A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. We have a good web site and we get lots of requests for the puppies on the foster pages. We need to get puppies out to foster for as much of their young lives as possible so they can go on to be well adjusted dogs. If we don't have enough foster homes or if we want some puppies to be available at the shelter we must be able to put an appropriate handling system in place with volunteers and staff - otherwise we should not keep the puppies going. With the puppies properly immunized and after the age of (say) 10 weeks we may be able to have some puppies available during the day at the shelter and taken home at night. That way they would learn family life, house training etc. in the evening and part of the weekend and could be dropped off at the shelter for the day. Only a very small number of puppies would be doing "day visits" and we could create a draft/disease protected area for them as I have done at times with my foster puppies. It would alert the public to the fact that we do have puppies needing home and it could lead them on to other puppies out in foster care. ________________________________________________________________