A Tremendous Loss For Washoe County, Cindy Sabatoni..

I spent the morning with my direct report and animal care mentor as she cleared her desk, ending over a quarter century of service to the animals & citizens of our community. I have volunteered forever it seems, and with all the agencies touched over the years, this past 3 have been the most difficult.
Katie Stevens was a doll, and all the others at NHS and SPCA have been great to serve with, but Cindy under fire was determined to uphold the standards of care we entrusted her with. The runs are clean, the staff to dog ratio maintains a level of care that all of us should want, if ever Rover skips the fence. She made sure that decent food was provided, understanding the behavioral issues that come with poor diet. Refusing under pressure from NHS to overcrowd the animals in her trust. Every animal that came through her door had the same chance to be chosen for transfer. They were kept clean and the kennel staff and ACO's from the field shared the goal of having a quality of life. Nobody hates Euthanasia more than those who must perform it.
I come at the dog from the emotional / trainer side. I understand kennel care, but have never seen anyone display the understanding of running a shelter to the level that Sabatoni delivered.
She also let me know in no uncertain terms that the letter from the "ACO" posted on this blog , though funny wasn't representative of most hard working officers. She loved her troops and they will miss her. her loss to this county will be felt over time as conditions deteriorate on Longley, and and the failure to support this agency will be far reaching.....I hope the WCC will not cave to the demands of the NO KILL fringe, and add even more burden to the animals who are losing homes.
There used to be Humane Officers at the Nevada Humane Society, and they were eliminated, so AC ended up with more work there. Next the" good folks" over there began foisting the killing off on the County to keep the numbers up.... One can only wonder, should NHS snag the contract......who would do the dirty work? or would dangerous or sick animals be returned to the community. Bet they are, says Oreo......
With the loss of Sabatoni and Arobio, who will speak with sanity for the animals, and who in the county will listen ?
Pictured is Cindy on the final day finishing a project for fosters.....

Oreo's Opinions On Shelter Life

After spending the morning batting the ball around the school yard, Oreo came home with things to say. The pictures show her aging, but gracious, if not agile. We received an email at the "send to" on the blog. We have a skeptic who feels Oreo doesn't exist. Poor soul, hasn't a clue what they're missing. Not to believe in Oreo, is like not believing in Santa Claus. Both bring gifts of joy to those who can see and feel them..........Some of the comments on the Valentine's Day post really deserve a better showcase. Thus we started a thread here to move it up and off the holiday.
The number of Pitbulls at the local shelters is very high, this is because people don't adopt them very often if they have a choice or understand the liability issues. I would urge all readers to make a trip to the Indianapolis Star and follow Doug Rae's change of policy. Oreo has concerns because anytime a Winograd protoge takes over, any shelter, things go south quickly. I do know Indianapolis had a high euth rate, and that was driven by the policy of not releasing pits & pit mixes to the public. After seeing the picture of the idiotic young couple shoving their 6 month old child into the face of a pitbull at the shelter, I can see a need for guidance.If one more person trots out the Helen Keller story, Oreo is going to soil the floor.

The breed has been so modified that it bears little resemblence to it's origins. All breeds have been changed to some degree and not always for the betterment of the dog, but pits have become distorted above the pale. Line breeding for any purpose is "iffy" but to intensify aggression, or out breed with another to expand the focus of aggression is criminal in most states. Harboring a vicious dog is not a socially acceptable thing, and most people don't want the risk. Our local humane society tries to cover their fanny with euphenisms like " protective of food" or " doesn't like to be handled", or my personal favorite....Doesn't like small children.. How many ways can you say bite dog ? That is like if I put a sign on the porch saying if you come any closer you will be entering the firing range. One cannot announce a danger and then break the law having announced their intentions. It is the dog folks, the truth is, the breed has a higher ratio of bite to animal; it doesn't deserve to be killed, but it should not be promoted as being " sweet" If these dogs are to have a chance at happiness, it will be if they are adopted on the truth. Putting them in a home with small children when nothing is known of the animals history is irresponsible and puts everyone at risk. Oreo has family in Indiana and she knows firsthand the troubles they are having with dog fighting and pitbulls in general. Having a no kill nut in charge is not a viable solution.
Pictured is Oreo on Valentine's Day at the local school yard, blowing coat and having a ball...

Happy Valentines Day

May this day remind you of the good in the world, and the sunshine behind the clouds........ Here at Oreo's we are going to kick back and have a big pot of soup and some good company. If it doesn't snow we are off to the parks for a bit of air and convivialty. No more dog parks for us though, way to many dogs that don't have lovin' on their mind.
I will have more news of interest coming soon, the WCC has been busy on the budget and I know change is in the air. I hope the animals have a chance to grab a nap between all the frenetic attempts to shove them out the door. we had the publicity frenzy, and that usually subjects the poor babies to being trotted out for show and and then , back to the dungeon. Loving an animal is not always adopting an animal. Mostly it's about the highest use of resources and quality of life. Hugs from the Oreo gang

Landseer op Trampoline