IF YOU’RE FAINT OF HEART, CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING NOT TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST.
I’m tired. You’re tired. We’re all tired of the mess at Louisville Metro Animal Services. We’re impatiently waiting on Greg Fischer’s new administration to “review” the flustercuck that remains in the post-Gilles Meloche era. We’re all itching to do something more.
So guess what? That’s exactly what we’re going to do.
Thanks to several LMAS employees, we’re undertaking a heartbreaking and upsetting project called LMAS Rainbow Bridge. On a regular basis, we’ll be publishing photographs of animals in the care of LMAS that have been euthanized – along with the staff notes and reason for euthanasia. Our goal, while definitely to shine a light on everything at LMAS, is not to demonize anyone. We hope to drive up pet adoption rates and recruit additional volunteers. Maybe if people see photos of these beautiful creatures and see their often ridiculous reason for death? Maybe that’ll spur some action on every level.
Note to LMAS Administrators: If you attempt to retaliate, you’ll need to retaliate against dozens of people inside and outside of your agency who are partnering with us on this project. Anything negative I hear and can confirm will be immediately made public. Like I told you last night, tons of elected officials are watching you with a close eye, as well.
It all starts today. Here’s the first:
429077 – severe URI, very sick
We chose an easy to stomach pet to get started. Some of the rest will probably infuriate you.
Like this one, who was put down because it bit someone:
429116 – behavior history (bite)
Don’t worry – we won’t be publishing these photos on the main page of The ‘Ville Voice. That’d be worse than those horrendous ASPCA television commercials. But they will be available at LMASRainbowBridge Dot Com, a separate site here at TVV & P1.
I hope you’ll all help to change the status quo at Louisville Metro Animal Services. People can help themselves. Animals can’t.
Be sure to spread the LMASRainbowBridge Dot Com word.
19 responses so far ↓
1 animal lover // Jan 18, 2011 at 11:06 am
Thank you, people need to see what is at stake. Pet owners, please spay and nueter, please only take in an animal if you can truely provide life long care for it, please adopt, foster or volunteer at your local shelter. Thank you shelter workers and volunteers.
2 Deborah // Jan 18, 2011 at 11:16 am
God Bless you Jake.
3 jake // Jan 18, 2011 at 11:19 am
Appreciate the kind words. But this isn’t about me.
It’s about Greg Fischer and the rest of Louisville taking this excrement-filled situation more seriously.
We obviously can’t keep every animal that rolls into LMAS alive. But we sure the heck can start talking about the ridiculous reason(s) hundreds of animals get euthanized and incinerated.
4 Mary Shearer // Jan 18, 2011 at 11:29 am
Thank you so much and as awful as this information is, keep it coming! I hope the committees and the current administration do something on a GRAND scale much sooner than later! We should be ashamed of ourselves. We are better than this and we can do better!
5 Freedom100 // Jan 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Thank you Jake for moving this forward. This is a systemic problem with LMAS. Why are animals getting so sick at LMAS? Perhaps it is because they have NEVER used the American Animal Hospital Association’s protocol on vaccination of shelter animals and treatment thereof. The AHHA protocol’s use would save thousands from illness.When LMAS treats all animals with the same drug and for inappropriate periods, no wonder animals are sick and are euthanized or worse yet die a horrible death in their cages. LMAS has to do what well respected and award winning shelters do and use transports, fosters, and rescues to rehabilitate and re-home these homeless pets. They need to work on keeping animals well which with a little elbow grease and one full time veterinarian and three part time ones, should be an easy task, They also have to follow the state standards set forth in two sections of the KRS(KRS 295.195 and KRS 258.119 (3)(b)). While the Dept. of Ag. doesn’t have the resources to enforce these provisions, according to the Attorney General, any citizen who pays taxes can sue the city to abide by these standards. The HSUS and others have done just that in rural communities as they turned a “blind eye” to the horrific conditions at LMAS. We as a community need to demand better. Save a few and kill the rest for some reason or any reason is just not acceptable any more. Hopefully, a new compassionate and proven Director will be a part of our community soon.
6 animal lover // Jan 18, 2011 at 12:10 pm
your right, we might not be able to save them all but at least try. the city can do better and hopefully that will be the case very soon. seeing the animals with the reasons of ET is what is needed, its easy to turn a blind eye to something you never even look at in the first place. they are real, they did exhist, remember them and work towards making a difference for the ones that are still there.
7 FurloughRichie'sstache // Jan 18, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Additionally, I encourage everyone to call the Mayor’s office and demand immediate action. Also, I would do the same on the mayor’s facebook page.
8 jake // Jan 18, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Flooding Greg Fischer’s office with calls isn’t going to get him to pay attention (he already is) or take action.
What you can do to help right now? GO ADOPT AN ANIMAL. Get your friends and family to do the same. And for the love of all that is great, go volunteer.
9 FurloughRichie'sstache // Jan 18, 2011 at 1:21 pm
As long as Wayne Z. is still employed by LMAS then Fischer has done nothing. I adopted an animal from LMAS and thank God for the awesome volunteer that helped us. We were able to rescue 3 animals. We found other people to adopt at the same time we did.
10 jake // Jan 18, 2011 at 1:26 pm
I dunno if he should be fired or not. Honestly, at this point, I don’t care if the guy keeps his job or loses it (if he does? good riddance. Jackie should go, as well, if that’s the case)…
What I care about is seeing LMAS cleaned up.
Greg Fischer took a major first couple steps. I’m waiting for him to make it up the rest of the staircase.
11 blowin' in the wind // Jan 18, 2011 at 2:09 pm
On behalf of all the little furry guys and gals, thank you Jake and everyone who gets involved. For evil to triumph, it only needs good people to do nothing. (Not exact quote, but you get the message. )
12 jake // Jan 18, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Please stop thanking me, folks! (Though, I am appreciative)
I’m just the messenger.
Thank the people trying to do the right thing.
13 No Temperance // Jan 18, 2011 at 3:58 pm
For those of us who’ve already rescued from LMAS, and cannot take anymore (currently 2 dogs and 1 cat residing), give us another way to help. If not inundating Fischer’s office with calls or giving Gulbe and Zilinsky the stink-eye out in public, then what? There MUST be something else to do, campaign-wise.
I’d reconsider the phone-call angle. Public-pressure is a terrible thing to waste for the right reasons. This is definitely the right reason.
14 jake // Jan 18, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Talk to your friends and family about pet adoption.
Consider volunteering at LMAS.
Sadly, no amount of yelling is going to get Greg Fischer to take action. He’s probably going to have about 11,000 committees decide how to make a decision on what move he should make next. Swift action is something he apparently won’t take.
15 Turner // Jan 18, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Volunteering for 4 hours in the stray cat room at Manslick will make you sick and upset (I suspect) but will give some of the animals some relief by refilling turned over water bowls or giving them more food, but even so you have to be careful about disease transmission. It may also make you a proponent of stronger S/N laws or ordinances. I have fostered animals and then taken them to my vet for treatment, not because I am against MAS or their relative abilities but because it is an antiquated building with no real quarantine area for ill animals and absolutely bad air filtration and is badly underfunded in all areas. If anger leads to change then I support the idea of LMAS rainbow bridge. I have grieved over many animals that died there.
16 chico // Jan 19, 2011 at 12:20 am
Jake, my hat is Off! to you for having the Guts to take this on! Since the local political powers have always had the leverage & control to spin things to their favor and cover their asses, you are brave for standing up and shouting the Truth. That hasn’t & dosen’t seem to happen as often as it should in this community. Especially by the elected politicos who just want to mostly minimize stuff and never take an aggressive stand to do whats right! Seems they mostly want to make deals to get whats best for them.
This issue has been such a blaring case of just how our political system works to discredit,demonise,damage,discourage,
sabatoage and retalliate on anyone who would dare attempt to expose any wrongdoing by those in power, hardly anyone hast the guts, stamina, recources time or financial wise to take on a conflict like this.
If you start a LEGAL EXPENSE fund thru the “Small Business Alliance” or some other legit Non-profit , I’ll be the first to send a $100 donation to hold these SMUCKS feet to the Fire!
17 chico // Jan 19, 2011 at 12:27 am
Bottom line is to put this responsibility on someone that can’t just pass the buck. This thing goes way back past Fischer ! It’s been one of the things Jerry was able to side step and he should be held totally responsible, Fischer ,granted has inherited it , and he should just put a capable enpowered investiagtor in Charge with a 10-30 day timeline to do the factfinding and deliver the appropriate solution and criminal charges!
18 marie // Jan 19, 2011 at 1:43 am
Very thankful for the increased exposure
LMAS is about to receive. Grateful to
everyone involved. As painful as it is,
we need to know what’s going on there.
19 Bonnie Lyons // Jan 19, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Keep LMAS under the microscope. Let the city know people are watching. This is just insane the City of Louisville runs this kind of animal shelter. There seem to be very little done to promote spay/ neuter. I know they have the Spot mobile, but no one knows, because of lack of promotion, education, or just plain old initiative by the city. You have to be VERY aggressive promoting spay neuter, and make it affordable for all. I would love to see a tax to support a low cost spay neuter program in this city. I know people are starting to moan about a tax, but I look at it this way, get the finances to get animal overpopulation under control. This way we save lives and money. I have paid school taxes for 40 years and yet have no children, I sure as hell would not mind paying a tax to deal with animal over population and public health issues.
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