Forgive them ... for they know not what they say. Where have we heard that before? How does this apply and to whom?
Lately, so many negative things have been written about the Green County Humane Society that I finally had to speak up. Gunhild Marcher, you and your other friends have decided to step down. Thank you for all the good things you did while there, but enough now. When you continue to attack the new board, it causes me to react like any retired school teacher would, and I want to say Gunhild, shame on you. Please go to the timeout corner.
First, let me say Mr. Bauman is not uninformed nor is he naïve. His tireless work in dachshund rescue makes us fortunate that he has joined us at GCHS. Your accusation that he could ever tie any dog out in sub-zero temperature is an example of how your thinking is way out in left field.
As far as the Outdoor Committee, I was invited to be on that committee. Your treatment of me was deplorable. I never would have let any of my preschoolers treat a guest, let alone an adult, like you did. I can say that after your resignation, the committee that I met with to develop outdoor adoption policies were some of the most caring, compassionate and competent people I know. They did not take this responsibility lightly. We worked long and hard and did our research to come up with good guidelines to ensure that all shelter dogs and cats would be taken care of.
I find your suggestion - that it is better for a cat or dog to remain for his lifetime in a crate or cage at the shelter than to go to a country home - more cruel than anything I can imagine. There was a coon hound at the shelter that a nice farmer wanted to adopt to keep by his barn to bark at and chase raccoons away. Your group and your friends said no. But I can't help but believe that if I had I lifted that coon hound's ear and whispered what his choices were, that I would have witnessed him racing out the door to live at that country home - a life coon hounds dream of.
Having 150 cats and kittens living at the shelter, some of them being there for two years, is to me much more abusive and cruel than anything you accused us of in the development of adoption guidelines to find good outside country homes and to do adoption follow-up home checks. Will there be some outside homes that will not be a good match? Of course, just as there are matches that don't work out for indoor adoptions. But give the Humane Society a chance to do their job to meet their mission to humanely care for the animals of Green and Lafayette counties.
I have a golden retriever, Murphy, who is three years old and has been an outside dog all of his life. You claim this is cruel and uncaring. You say that all outside pets are left abandoned and no one pays attention to them. I encourage you to come out and visit Murphy. That is if you can find him not busy. At times his social calendar has been busier than yours ever was. He helped me teach my dog classes, went to give school programs, was a hospice dog and visited nursing homes and patients and went with me to give talks to many of the area churches and community groups.
His huge pen is full of shade trees. He has a pool in the summer and a deck, grass and a large pen inside with a doggy door in the garage. His big bed is a comfortable box full of wood chips. Whenever my little inside dog goes outside, she climbs inside the big dogs' pen to be with them. When we are outside for a long time and find that the dogs are not near us, it is because they have put themselves back in their pen. Abused? Unloved? Not cared for? I don't think so.
The staff, volunteers and board are trying to do their jobs. It's a tough one. I know, I managed three shelters. Both the board president, Yvonne Schutte, and the shelter manager Tonya Kelly, are doing a fantastic job of stepping up and running things very professionally. Yes, they are new at this, but they are caring, sensitive people who surround themselves with others who they can ask for advice and get assistance and support from when needed.
The new board members are working together as a team, and that is what is needed, Gunhild, team players. They will be successful because they get along and treat each other with respect. They are trying to give Green County animals a safe, warm, happy s0helter and place animals wisely in loving homes, both in town and in the country.
Gunhild, you have left now. Good luck on your next project. We give you our blessing and hope that, loving all the animals as you do, you wish the same for us. You don't have to like every one of our changes, but be assured that those changes are being carefully thought through and just might be good for GCHS. Everybody loses when we fight - mostly the dogs and cats.
Gunhild, you may get out of the timeout chair now.
Lately, so many negative things have been written about the Green County Humane Society that I finally had to speak up. Gunhild Marcher, you and your other friends have decided to step down. Thank you for all the good things you did while there, but enough now. When you continue to attack the new board, it causes me to react like any retired school teacher would, and I want to say Gunhild, shame on you. Please go to the timeout corner.
First, let me say Mr. Bauman is not uninformed nor is he naïve. His tireless work in dachshund rescue makes us fortunate that he has joined us at GCHS. Your accusation that he could ever tie any dog out in sub-zero temperature is an example of how your thinking is way out in left field.
As far as the Outdoor Committee, I was invited to be on that committee. Your treatment of me was deplorable. I never would have let any of my preschoolers treat a guest, let alone an adult, like you did. I can say that after your resignation, the committee that I met with to develop outdoor adoption policies were some of the most caring, compassionate and competent people I know. They did not take this responsibility lightly. We worked long and hard and did our research to come up with good guidelines to ensure that all shelter dogs and cats would be taken care of.
I find your suggestion - that it is better for a cat or dog to remain for his lifetime in a crate or cage at the shelter than to go to a country home - more cruel than anything I can imagine. There was a coon hound at the shelter that a nice farmer wanted to adopt to keep by his barn to bark at and chase raccoons away. Your group and your friends said no. But I can't help but believe that if I had I lifted that coon hound's ear and whispered what his choices were, that I would have witnessed him racing out the door to live at that country home - a life coon hounds dream of.
Having 150 cats and kittens living at the shelter, some of them being there for two years, is to me much more abusive and cruel than anything you accused us of in the development of adoption guidelines to find good outside country homes and to do adoption follow-up home checks. Will there be some outside homes that will not be a good match? Of course, just as there are matches that don't work out for indoor adoptions. But give the Humane Society a chance to do their job to meet their mission to humanely care for the animals of Green and Lafayette counties.
I have a golden retriever, Murphy, who is three years old and has been an outside dog all of his life. You claim this is cruel and uncaring. You say that all outside pets are left abandoned and no one pays attention to them. I encourage you to come out and visit Murphy. That is if you can find him not busy. At times his social calendar has been busier than yours ever was. He helped me teach my dog classes, went to give school programs, was a hospice dog and visited nursing homes and patients and went with me to give talks to many of the area churches and community groups.
His huge pen is full of shade trees. He has a pool in the summer and a deck, grass and a large pen inside with a doggy door in the garage. His big bed is a comfortable box full of wood chips. Whenever my little inside dog goes outside, she climbs inside the big dogs' pen to be with them. When we are outside for a long time and find that the dogs are not near us, it is because they have put themselves back in their pen. Abused? Unloved? Not cared for? I don't think so.
The staff, volunteers and board are trying to do their jobs. It's a tough one. I know, I managed three shelters. Both the board president, Yvonne Schutte, and the shelter manager Tonya Kelly, are doing a fantastic job of stepping up and running things very professionally. Yes, they are new at this, but they are caring, sensitive people who surround themselves with others who they can ask for advice and get assistance and support from when needed.
The new board members are working together as a team, and that is what is needed, Gunhild, team players. They will be successful because they get along and treat each other with respect. They are trying to give Green County animals a safe, warm, happy s0helter and place animals wisely in loving homes, both in town and in the country.
Gunhild, you have left now. Good luck on your next project. We give you our blessing and hope that, loving all the animals as you do, you wish the same for us. You don't have to like every one of our changes, but be assured that those changes are being carefully thought through and just might be good for GCHS. Everybody loses when we fight - mostly the dogs and cats.
Gunhild, you may get out of the timeout chair now.
