By:Chris Munzing
The city announced last week that members of the organization would no longer be allowed to have keys to the city animal shelter, and it is actively seeking to reduce the amount of influence the non-profit has over its own management.
"It's been out of control," City Manager Glen Spiritis said. "We don't know how many keys are out there because we don't know how many copies were made."
Volunteers from the Humane Society were at the shelter before the 17-month absence of Animal Control Officer James Hodge, according to Councilwoman Mona Goodman, who added that during Hodge's absence, he was not replaced. This reduced the number of city workers at the shelter from three to two. Goodman said that Hodge's absence probably contributed to the volunteers' taking on more responsibility there.
Hodge returned to the shelter six months ago, and is slated to be promoted to Animal Warden in next year's budget.
Spiritis said that people looking to volunteer at the shelter must now sign a waiver acknowledging the city workers at the shelter and the chain of command that is in place. Goodman said that at least one volunteer has refused to sign it.
Spiritis said that there is nothing unusual in requiring volunteers to sign a waiver to work in this type of environment. "This is normal procedure," he said. "Some of these are wild animals. This isn't a petting zoo."
Spiritis explained that the locks on the shelter were being changed to ensure that only city officials had keys due to liability concerns. He said that a dog recently bit a volunteer, and that the city doesn't cover volunteers with insurance.
Kathy Canape-Fatta, the Humane Society's treasurer, said that members have done nothing but help the animals in the past and deserve to have access to the shelter, especially when the kittens in residence need feeding after the shelter closes at 3 p.m. "If we can't be in there at night to give them feedings, that's a long time until the following morning," she said.
Spiritis said that the city is working to extend the shelter's hours, which are currently from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week. Goodman added that animal control officers James Hodge and Louis Palacio consistently volunteer to stay after the shelter has closed.
Humane Commissioner Ethel Bodah said that she is available 24 hours a day to provide access to the shelter for anyone who needs it.
Canape-Fatta said that there are times when people looking to adopt animals can only come after the shelter has closed, and that by allowing volunteers to have keys, they can adopt out more animals. She said that this only benefits the city. "We've had keys for years," Canape-Fatta said. "We're not trying to muscle the city out. We want to work with the city."
She did say, however, that it was a goal of the Humane Society to privatize the shelter and remove the city from its operation. "The city's had the shelter for all these years, and what has it done?" Canape-Fatta asked. "All we want to do is make improvements. We can't do anything with the city there."
"Privatization is not going to happen," Spiritis said. He said that the city has every intention of running the shelter properly and making upgrades where necessary. He added that the Humane Society's funding is dependent on volunteers and donations, while the city is able to provide stable funding for the shelter.
Canape-Fatta said that the shelter is in a state of disrepair, and that privatizing it would allow the Humane Society to come in and do the necessary renovations without having to go to the city for approval. She said that the roof is leaky, storage rooms need to be cleaned out and better records need to be kept, a statement echoed by both Goodman and Bodah.
Spiritis said that the city would be cleaning up the facility and maintaining it properly.
The lack of proper paperwork is a concern for both the city and the society. Canape-Fatta said that there are few, if any, records of adoptions or medical records of the animals in the shelter. She added that this could lead to sick animals mixing with healthy ones, which Goodman said has happened in the past.
Goodman, a former member of the Long Beach Humane Society and a founding member of the South Shore Humane Society of Long Beach, added that she would like to see better financial records kept. The councilwoman, a self-described animal lover, said that in the past, the Humane Society has charged $75 for a $15 adoption.
While Goodman said she is confident that the society has been putting the money back into the shelter, she added that that is not the way a non-profit organization should operate. "Fund-raising needs to be done properly," Goodman said.
An increase in adoption fees, as well as fees for other services provided at the shelter, will be on the agenda at the May 18 City Council meeting. The fees haven't changed since 1981.
Goodman also said that the Humane Society has turned away people looking to volunteer at the shelter because they weren't members of the organization. "That should never happen," she said. "It should be anyone who wants to volunteer. The animals benefit, but the people who volunteer benefit, too."
She added that the Humane Society has been allowed to essentially run the shelter in the past because previous animal wardens at the shelter allowed it to happen. Goodman is confident that will no longer be the case.
Bodah said she understood the position of the volunteers, and called for them to join the city in making the shelter the best it can be. "We want to get animals taken care of and adopted," she said. "All you have to do is put the shelter on the right path."
