gross mismanagement of Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter
Posted by badger on August 6, 2008
The Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter overzealously euthanized over 170 animals in their care on Monday, with Gordon Burgess stating that there was a highly infectious airborne virus in the population. The Advocate (story has much greater detail) reports that Burgess states that it was a coronavirus, which clearly shows that most strains are spread through contact with feces of infected animals. The canine variety isn’t even fatal.
Yep. Those animals were killed for no good reason. If there was indeed a viral outbreak, it probably wouldn’t have taken place if hours hadn’t already been cut to clean the facility.
The management needs to be fired, because an objective investigation is bound to reveal that the animals were killed out of sheer convenience in cutting corners with the budget. Burgess shuffling around saying that everything is under control is an embarrassment.
tangiadoptarescue said
Thank you for writing and posting this article on this animal issue. I am with the rescue group that has the nine dogs and puppies that were saved.
We are shocked that the media is not asking the parish the hard questions that need to be addressed. We even had one reporter tell us that they talked with the shelter and don’t need to talk with anyone else. What kind of reporter is that? We need answers and proof that this killing was really needed.
You can see photos of the dogs saved on our wordpress.com blog and more info on this matter.
The Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter in Hammond, Louisiana is in the news…
News Reports and Video posted on the Internet August 5, 2008…
http://tangiadoptarescue.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/tangipahoa-parish-animal-shelter-news/
http://snipurl.com/3bjvv
People need to call the parish president, Gordon Burgess, and demand that he answer these questions:
1. What was the disease diagnosis and who did it?
2. Was a test run for this disease and who did the test?
3. Who was the two experts Burgess consulted before making his design to kill all the animals?
4. What was two attending veterinarians diagnosis of these animals? Who are these veterinarians?
5. If this was such a deadly disease why was 10 animals allow to leave the facility that day?
5. Why did the media report this: ‘According to Parish President Gordon Burgess, there was an outbreak of a dangerous viral airborne infection inside the kennel.’? Was a diagnosis made, when, by whom, and what was the diagnosis?
6. Why did the newspaper report that the killings were because of the Corona virus (which is NOT airborne) when…
Canine Corona Virus is only a disease of puppies. It is rare, self limiting (dogs get well in 3 days without treatment). Cornell & Texas A&M have only diagnosed one case each in the last 7 years. Pet’s Health – http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/fip.html
tangiadoptarescue said
The Tangipahoa Shelter Tragedy is now being covered in National Media.
KNTV-TV San Francisco http://www.nbc11.com/news/17104326/detail.html
KPTV-TV Portland http://www.kptv.com/news/17104326/detail.html
WHIO-TV Dayton http://www.whiotv.com/news/17104326/detail.html
MSNBC (Internet & Cable News) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26044223/
KTAL-TV Shreveport http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=28021
WXIA-TV Atlanta http://www.11alive.com/life/pets/story.aspx?storyid=119509
KITV-TV Honolulu http://www.kitv.com/news/17104326/detail.html?rss=hon&psp=nationalnews
A Love for Horses - Joni said
News Release: For Thursday, August 7, 2008
Contact Persons: Randy Stegall, President, Tangipahoa Chapter of the
Humane Society of Louisiana 985-351-0181
Jeff Dorson, Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana,
901-268-4432
LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO
MASS EUTHANASIA AT TANGIPAHOA SHELTER
Tangipahoa – Members of the Tangipahoa Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana have launched an investigation into the recent mass euthanasia that took place recently at the Tangipahoa parish animal control center, which claimed the lives of more than 160 cats and dogs. ‘We have been working closely with our local government and with this animal control facility for the past year and a half,’ says Randy Stegall, President of the Tangipahoa Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana, ‘and we are disappointed that neither our representatives nor any of the animal caring citizens of this parish were advised, notified, or informed of this action, until after these procedures took place. We have fielded scores of phone calls from concerned citizens and several veterinarians, who feel that a different course of action was available. Several veterinarians
informed us that corona viruses are highly treatable, especially in adult dogs, with very inexpensive anti-diarrhea drugs and antibiotics,’ adds Mr. Stegall. ‘Everyone who has contacted us, and we have had communications from around the state and country, believes that our local government could have taken an alternative, non-lethal approach to this problem. We happen to agree with those sentiments.’
The Tangiphoa chapter, which operates with a partnership with the Humane Society of Louisiana, based out of New Orleans, plans to file a public records request that will allow them to review the documentation that led up to this action. The group also intends to create a Shelter Oversight Committee, comprised of parish residents, who will help create and implement shelter protocol. Representatives also plan to address their concerns and plans with the parish council on Monday, August 11.
Officials from the New Orleans based Humane Society of Louisiana also plan to attend and speak at the Thursday press conference to address the need for state oversight over private and public animal sheltering facilities. Jeff Dorson, who has toured many of the state’s 120 shelters over the past 20 years as the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, has found ample evidence of problems and abuse at different shelters, many of which are located in rural, out-of-the-way places, far from the glare of the public. ‘We fully intend to use this opportunity to educate our state legislators on the need to create and/or appoint a shelter regulatory agency, which is in place in other states, such as Texas,’ adds Dorson.
Officials from HSL plan to speak of these issues at a press conference on Thursday, August 7th, 10: 30 am.
What: Press Conference on the Mass Euthanasia of Shelter Animals at Hammond Shelter
When: Thursday, August 7th, from 10:30 am to 11:00am
Where: parking lot of Tangipahoa Animal Control Center, 15487 Club Deluxe Road, Hammond
A Love for Horses - Joni said
IMPORTANT READ IT ALL AND PLEASE FORWARD THIS YOUR ANIMAL PEOPLE LISTS
Interview with Racheal about TPAC killings of Aug 4, 2008
on the WWL Radio at 2pm http://www.WWL.com/
Listen in; record it if you can!
Call in if they let you!
Also call Debra Lamoine of the Advocate Newspaper
985-222-5454
She wants to hear from anyone that knows or has
any info or option on this animal killing issue.
====================================================
Tangipahoa Parish Council Meeting with TPAC on the Agenda
5:30 PM Mon Aug 11 2008
at the Parish Annex on Mulberry St in Amite
====================================================
To all animal lovers, rescuers and humane individuals,
The wholesale slaughter of all animals at TPAC has elicited a swift response
from local rescuers to the parish president, Gordon Burgess, who ok’d the
drastic measure and Donald Dotey, director of TPAC, as well as TPAC managerial
personnel, all complicit in the killing of healthy to mildly affected animals.
Channels 4 and 6 have broadcast the story last night; the Advocate and Daily
Star printed articles. None of these media asked the right questions. We
intend to call for a full investigation of this incident by state and HSUS
officials.
Please join me at the parish council mtg at 5:30 on Mon Aug 11 at the Parish
Annex on Mulberry St in Amite. We need to impress council members and Gordon
Burgess with our numbers (votes). Please bring at least 5 people with you to
the meeting. I will be calling for Dotey’s firing as well as all office
personnel and ACO’s.
Thanks for your help. Let’s turn this killing facility around.
Fran Kraus
Amite, LA
985-748-4027
Cheryl Henkel said
Thanks for the notification of the press conference August 7 @ 10:30am. I was able to attend and was pleased to see the number of news agencies there. Hopefully this will bring public pressure on our parish president to do a thorough investigation and correct deficiencies (including personnel) at the animal shelter. I fully intend to attend the parish council
meeting on Monday.
badger said
I still hadn’t gotten around to thanking Joni for leaving that comment. I hope to attend the parish council meeting as well.
TPAC Animal Shelter Killings News « Tangi Adopt A Rescue’s Blog said
[...] gross mismanagement of Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter – Posted by badger on August 6, 2008 http://bloodytangipahoa.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/gross-mismanagement-of-tangipahoa-parish-animal-shelter/ [...]