To Elected Officials of Contra Costa County
May 2, 2023
Halo, the dog that was on a kill list on 4/26, is dead. Killed (“humanely euthanized”) by CCAS.
Below is a link to his page.Please, remember his name. And his face.
https://www.facebook.com/wendy.wolf.520/posts/pfbid0249r7N2B7e1MbKF3XidRRrUqmWsD68cDpKLQQ1jUqMueviP96dqGPoECScNA8ehnal
He wasn’t evaluated by CCAS: CCAS DOESN”T have behaviorist or any K 9 specialist.
If he were evaluated properly, maybe he wouldn’t bite a volunteer, as k9 person would’ve instructed volunteers how to handle each dog. If there were videos with k9 professional, with other dogs- he would’ve had a chance instead of being put on a kill list to be on a list for fosters.
Since CCAS, the organization that suppose to help animals, doesn’t n0t have knowledgeable and able to work with dogs professionals (no dog trainers, no behaviorists, no dog walkers), it is easier to compile a kill list then really work with dogs.
So, Halo was killed. No-one came for him. Humans failed him. First his family. Later- employees of CCAS- those, who suppose to shelter dogs.
Halo is not a first, no is he assess the last.
But it doesn’t not have to be this way, even when the building if full of animals, even when some Contra Costa residents are irresponsible pet owners.
There are many people who care, who are responsible, who help animals.
CCAS has to do better work to shelter animals and better work with the community. And be concerned about animal welfare and people’s wellbeing more than about “liability” (what ever it is).
The crisis we are faced with is created by humans, and it has to be resolved by humans. If we are humans.
It is important to change the attitude, to develop a different plan of action and change the strategy.
There are abundance of examples how to do it. There are people in our own county who helped to change the situation in different areas of the country ( for instance, our own Nathan Winograd, https://www.nathanwinograd.org)
Can BOS initiate a change? Shall all the cities that pay into CCAS budget demand a change? Or will it take an organized citizen movement to start a change?
New kill list for 5/3 initially included 11 dogs.
6 have been removed from the list after comments from rescues and public that dogs on the list are not “undersocialised”, that, in fact, they are people and dog friendly.
But some of those dogs were found by members of public and brought to CCAS, thus, people, who found dogs were keeping an eye on them. Those dogs were lucky, that not AC caught them. Now they are available for general adoption.
The remainder 5 are not so lucky. And all of them maybe dead after 5/3 or on 5/3. Members of the community still networking g them trying to find rescues and fosters. Maybe with good luck one more will be saved. But what about the remainder 4 dogs, and dogs on the next kill list?
Cities council members, can you help organize county wise campaign to educate people re. what is really taking place in the county with all abandoned dogs? That it is critical spay and neuter? That young dogs are being killed by the governmental agency due to “lack of space”?
What a philosophy: to kill dogs so that the building can “ shelter” more dogs to be killed!
Here are dogs that arbitrarily CCAS (as I understand the chief veterinarian makes decisions which dogs shall be killed) choose to kill next. As you can see there no notes of behavior of dogs, as CCAS do not know what kind of dogs they are (except Athena who was adopted prior). Just because they are not doing well in “the shelter” environment is good enough reason to free the space for next victims of people’s indifference and irresponsibility.
ATHENA
https://www.facebook.com/100002087322997/posts/6167469386665911/?mibextid=Nif5oz
JOEY
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6164118423667674&id=100002087322997&mibextid=Nif5oz
LADY
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6176106525802197&id=100002087322997&mibextid=Nif5oz
MOCHA
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6163202270425956&id=100002087322997&mibextid=Nif5oz
REGINA
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6176138302465686&id=100002087322997&mibextid=Nif5oz
With love for animals
Irina Dyatlovskaya
510-697- 0072
