Conditions at Jacksonville Animal Care and Control
In July of 2007, Mayor Peyton decided to replace the management team at Jacksonville Animal Care and Control with a management team from the Solid Waste Division. The previous management had made great strides in developing relationships with animal welfare groups, the Mayor wanted a change in management.
With the new management, the conditions at the animal shelter began to degrade and the animals were seriously neglected. Concerned citizens approached the Mayor and requested an Advisory Committee be formed. The Advisory Committee began to investigate the cause of the problems. The Advisory Committee created two reports: a report on overcrowding and an emergency inventory memo. The Mayor's Office prompted an investigation by the newly formed Inspector General's Office, who provided a report that gave a vague overview of the problem. With the continued approach of writing reports about the problem and not correcting the problem, veterinarians from the University of Florida Shelter Medicine Program were asked to conduct a separate report.
The investigations revealed two problems:
Management
The new management team had no animal sheltering experience and could not properly direct the operations of the animal shelter. Demands were made to advertise for a new Division Chief with experience in animal sheltering. The position was announced on the one year anniversary of Peyton's changing of the management team.
Shelter Overcrowding
Overcrowding at the animal shelter has been a problem since the previous administration. Mayor Delaney created a taskforce to determine the problems associated with Animal Care and Control and appropriated the necessary funds for a new animal shelter under the Better Jacksonville Plan. During the past five years, Mayor Peyton has been stalling the construction of the shelter. The Mayor's solution was to approach the City Council with the plan to reduce the holding time, so as to cycle animals through the animal shelter faster. Reducing the holding period from seven days to five days is insufficient given the overwhelming number of animals entering the shelter. Eventually the Mayor will need to come to the realization that building the animal shelter is long past due. The administration should read this article in Shelter Medicine title "sick to death."
Where are we now?
To date, little has been done to resolve the conditions at the animal shelter. The operation continues to degrade with the loss of the more experienced employees. Unqualified employees have been moved up to supervisory roles that have resulted in the killing of animals in the field as a result of the excessive use of tranquilizer drugs to speed the capture of loose dogs. The Mayor continues to stand by his new management team as the FBI investigates him for public corruption.
As the various reports fall into the hands of the local media (Folio Weekly article and Channel 4 News), a call to action has been sounded by local animal welfare groups. The Mayor is going to need constant prodding from the community for him to do the right thing.
Smoke Screen
Conditions have not improved, but their Interim Director is fabricating stores (that is inconsistent with the truth) that made the front page of the State Animal Control Association Newsletter:
Unless you've work with Jacksonville Animal Care and Control, you would think that Mr. Forbes has solved all of Animal Care and Control's problems. In spite of the additional recourses that have been thrown at the organization as a result of his poor management, the organization continues to go down hill. Jacksonville Animal Care and Control is proof that without good management, all of the resources in the world will be insufficient. This article is so full of "waste", it is no wonder that Mr. Forbes' background is in Solid Waste.
Let's look at the article in detail:
1. The Inspector General's Report was not a validation of improvement. It is a validation of all of the complaints that were received from citizens, animal welfare groups and the Advisory Committee. The Mayor's Office felt the need to conduct an internal audit as a result of the numerous complaints that his office was receiving about shelter conditions and animal neglect that was occurring at the Animal Care and Control facility.
2. The shelter always experienced understaffing, but was able to do their jobs and care for the animals. The "low staff morale and harsh working conditions were mainly due to the new inexperienced management team.
3. Jacksonville Animal Care and Control hired the second veterinarian because the management team allowed the old veterinarian to take advantage of the changing of management to reorganized her job description to take a hands-off role in the day-to-day care of the shelter animals. The failure of the veterinary team to monitor the animals resulted in several animals suffering from ingrown collars: a serious act of neglect and cruelty.
4. The Community Relations Specialist was hired to repair the damage to the organization that occurred after the new management team came onboard.
5. New staff are hesitant to be hired under the current management. Once the City recognizes that an experience leader is necessary, new staff can safely come onboard.
6. Anyone with animal sheltering experience understands that the data that Mr. Forbes presented shows no trend. Mr. Forbes failed to say that the large increase in shelter intakes were the result of the Jacksonville Humane Society going no-kill. Shorty after the Humane Society stopped taking stray animals, they experienced a major fire that prevented them from rescuing animals from the shelter. As they get back on their feet, the Humane Society will be able to take more animals from the animal shelter and thus reduce euthanasia. It is the effort of local animal rescue organizations who are rescuing animals and not the result of Forbes' management.
7. Mr. Forbes says "With regular consultation between JAC&C team and the Animal Advisory Committee, ... our Division was able to move through the difficult times." One of the greatest frustrations faced by the Animal Advisory Committee was the lack of action by Forbes to act on any of their suggestions. Forbes is deluding himself, if he believes that they have moved through the difficult times.
It is tragic that FACA gave front page to Forbes' propaganda.
Good News: New Animal Care and Control chief starts Monday
If Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi will keep his nose out of the running of animal care and control, Scott will have a chance of bringing the organization back to normal. Gujjarlapudi's involvement over the past year and a half is the cause of the downturn in the shelter's operation.