Local Animal Shelter Not Telling The Public Everything


In May 2005, I elected to volunteer at Animal Friends Humane Society in Trenton, Ohio. This shelter is under the direction of Leland Gordon. I always wanted to pour my heart into helping needy animals. I went there on the philosophy that God did not create animals to live in shelters. Rather, humans put animals in shelters while paid staff members lose focus of why they are really there in the first place. It is here that I learned that if you want to see what our society has become, go visit your local animal shelter. Some really sick shelfish people crowd shelters every day to discarding needy animals. For example, a family moves into a $2500/month mortgaged home and suddenly the family pet is no longer welcome or some guy comes home angry with his live in only to pick up the kitten or puppy he got as a token of his undying love, hurls the creature against the wall, killing it on contact. What I find more outrageous is the fact that unessesary euthanasia abounds at this shelter and our local press is aware of this.



As part of my volunteer work, I was required to go to an orientation. I asked about euthansia practices at the Shelter. Gordon assured me that euthansia is used in extreme cases or if he sees that an animal has been at the Shelter for months and has no chance of adoption. I asked if euthansia, which I am against except in cases of suffering, does take place, can I not know about when it happens. He said that is not a problem as certified staff takes care of this. Thus, I began my volunteer work.


In no time, I was asked by Dr. Diane Siefert if I would like to help in the clinic. I stated that I am very physically limited but she assured me that will pose no burden. She could find me some things to do while I sat. Soon, I not only found out what a great vet she is but I discovered what a great teacher she is to volunteers and as pre-vet students from nearby Miami University. She really opened my heart and mind to animal health care. She was always patient with my questions after I warned her that I am the question lady. Aside from this, we would eventually have a great time in that clinic.


However, around February of this year, I started seeing pregnant cats spayed whereby the soon to be born kittens were killed. I questioned Dr. Siefert about this and was told that Gordon made this a new directive. Dr. Siefert was troubled by this directive as she questioned the health of the pregnant queen. Equally important to Siefert was that she follow orders as part of her work ethic.


Next, Gordon's directive was extended to pregnant dogs. By April, he upped the ante by ordering pregnant laborious animals spayed on the spot. This is where he crossed the medical ethics of Dr. Siefert. She became gravely concerned about the survival of the mother in labor after being spayed. All the while, these unborn animals were tossed in a nearby trash can with Gordon's knowledge. I stood there absolutely heart broken stating that this is not why I volunteered and I will not continue my work knowing these animals are being killed for no valid reason. It is at this time Siefert set her foot down and refused further spays of pregnant cats and dogs. Gordon retaliated by relieving Siefert of her duties. Also, at this time, the Butler County dog warden was fired and no one would tell me why.


The local Middletown Journal was informed about this scenario as were the Butler County Commisioners and Animal Friends Humane Society Board members. Then mysteriously the Middletown Journal backed out of reporting this to the public. Later, intern Charlie Turner of the Oxford Press, agreed to do a story on Animal Friends Humane Society outrageous numerical euthansia practices whereby he interviewed Siefert in May and me in early June. Others such as Liz Lucas, Middletown's own warden has been ignored by the press. So both papers have been aware of this problem since May. A young man who asked for anonimity, is employed by the Shelter. He put his own dog up for adoption with the understanding that if there is no chance for the dog to be adopted then the young dog owner/shelter employee would take the dog back. When the employee's first off day came, Gordon ordered the dog to be put under. Scenarios such as this continue as the press ignores the truth we gave them to stand on. In the meantime, others are willing to subject themselves to interviews only to be ignored. My contacts to Bob Ratterman, editor of the Oxford Press and to Turner have been totally disregarded. Those of us who have been interviewed and those who want to provide information have compelling eyewitness testimony to what has the potential of being the "Watergate" of this Shelter. Furthermore, when a friend who knows the staff at WMUB in Oxford, asked me if I would go on the air to inform the public about AFHS euthansia practices, I was told not to do so in order to give Turner a benefit of a doubt.

The biggest mistake to date is failing to inform the public the moment Siefert got fired. Local Cincinnati and Dayton television news should have been made aware of this the moment she was fired. This is something I begged to do immediately but I was told to wait. This wait has had an adverse effect not to mention allowed more innocent animals to be killed. As of July 26, Turner wrote a story for the Shelter advocating instead the adoption of animals while totally disregarding our interviews. An anonymous source told me that Turner went to the Shelter to take pictures and speak with Gordon. What became of this meeting has disappeared like a vapor. So don't expect this boy to report the atrocities he has known since May from actual eyewitnesses. Rather you can expect Turner to attack Southerners thinking they all carry Confederate flags and are racists as he did in the Oxford Press last week. As an intern, this young man, Turner, has a great deal to learn about his own partiality and ignorance. This is what I get for giving this young Turner a benefit of a doubt. In exchange for Turner proving to me that with his college education, his i.q. is smaller than his shoe size. He now knows, along with many others, that more cats and dogs at AFHS are being killed than in a Vietnamese restaurant. I do not apologize for this statement. Apparently, Gordon, Ratterman, Turner, the Middletown Journal's editor and Butler County Commisioners do not have wedding equipment big enough to tell the truth. All of you amaze me as to what lengths you will go in sacrificing your credibility. I will no longer withhold my AFHS experiences from the public. You people were in a position to make a difference however, you failed miserably and continue to do so! How can you sleep at night?

Sensing that Gordon knows that he has thrown a rock at a hornets nest, I noticed a bizarre increase of his use of the local papers. Suddenly, there are numerous philanthropic articles on how wonderful the volunteers are at the Shelter. Even more disturbing is his sudden exoneration of euthanising animals due to overcrowding. Overcrowding was not a concern in that Shelter prior to February. Moreover, more employees are being fired if they challenge Gordon or employees are quitting in protest of the killings. I'll give Gordon credit for using local papers in a timely fashion and to his advantage. It is your reputation that has given rise to blogging and with what you have done you should beware of this new line of free speech.


Don't get me wrong. I do not know Gordon as an individual and I'm not out to get him because of who he is as a man. However, his method of running that Shelter leaves a lot to be said and I, along with others would like to see the lives of the animals back in focus. I'm not interested in personalities. Staff members stated that he was fired from two other shelters. I'm still looking into this claim. Staff members who choose to remain complain about Gordon's practices but they don't seem to have enough testosterone to do what is right on behalf of the animals. Most of all, I think Dr. Siefert should be reinstated as she did nothing wrong and was willing to take a stand at a great cost.


Ohio is ranked as the worst state for animal abuse. Among Ohio's eighty-eight counties, Butler County is the worst for animal abuse and neglect. If charged with animal abuse, a person is only charged with a misdemeanor and Butler County judges do not follow up on decisions they have made in animal abuse cases. In actuality, Butler County's legal system throws more criminals into "treatment" rather than hand down decisions that warrant justice. What is the difference between those who abuse and abandon animals and those who run AFHS along with the local media who now know the Shelter's awful practices? In my opinion, anyone who abuses animals and anyone who is aware of the abuse but chooses to do nothing, are all criminals! That's right! You are in the same category as a thief, rapist, arsonist, extortionist, supremecist, racist, deadbeat, wife-beater and child molester! There are those of us who have stepped up to do something for these animals. I personally have challenged shelters to subject themselves to an independent audit so as to demonstrate accountabiltiy. But, I keep forgetting that shelter personel are becoming as bad as the people who abuse and neglect animals. How many other animal shelters across the country are run like AFHS?



Until then, I encourage donors everywhere make a personal visit to any shelter you are considering a donation to. Be bold and ask to see their books and especially ones that include any statistics that they may keep. Remember, a shelter that is a non-profit shelter only means they do not pay taxes. Salaries are paid to full time staff. Ask specifically where your donation will go and follow up on this at a later date. For example, if a shelter tells you that your donation will go into a general fund then ask what does the general fund pay. Does that fund pay for shelter utility bills, advertising, veterinary care? I have asked two area shelters to release donor information in their newsletters; how much did they receive in donations, how much of the donations went to a new building fund, staff salaries, veterinary care, cat and dog food, light bill, building repairs, etc. Reports like these have yet to be seen in any area animal shelter newsletter. If you have a legitimate reason to put an animal up for adoption ( I'm not stupid. Most people don't have a good reason to give up their pet), ask the shelter what are the chances that your animal drop off will be euthanised. By all means, try to find a "no kill" facility. Contact your local representatives about inhumane shelter practices. You would be suprised how many politicians are animal lovers. If you vote, remember the politicians work for YOU! Remember the Butler County Commisioners I mentioned? I would hope they do not want puppies and kittens dangling over their heads come election time. You can keep an animal out of a shelter like AFHS by realizing that you and your pet are in a life time commitment for each other and that commitment rests on your shoulders. Most of all, have your pet spayed or neutered as it will be in better health and help control the pet population.


NOTE TOP PHOTO: Here are the infamous Teddy Bear (male orange tabby) and The Divine Miss M, aka, Moo (female black and white). Teddy Bear was spared from Animal Friends Humane Society while Moo was adopted from Mrs. Walters in Gratis, Ohio. Both of these kitties are the loves of my life and demanded much of my attention while I put together this article.