Animal welfare best left to the truly committed

Asheville Humane has had its ups and downs over the years as well. Under Marc Paulhus the finances were a mess, but the board of directors still stood by him.

The Board of Directors also rarely set foot in the shelter and had little knowledge of what was going on day to day

Peggy wrote:

Asheville Humane has had its ups and downs over the years as well. Under Marc Paulhus the finances were a mess, but the board of directors still stood by him.

Your comment fails to mention that Marc Paulus's tenure ended over 8 years ago.

Animal Advocate wrote:

<quoted text>Your comment fails to mention that Marc Paulus's tenure ended over 8 years ago.

No thanks to to the board of Directors, who refused to speak to any shelter workers or any of the other groups complaining about Paulhus. They prolonged the real suffering of animals by refusing to do so. Ann Lewis, as i recall, was one of the one's who seldom set foot in the shelter because it was too disturbing. And wasn't interesting in knowing about the euth tech who spent 65% of the time euthanizing alone without a holder for months. A situation that was not only detrimental to the animals but dangerous as well.

Millie - I respectfully disagree with you. I was in the shelter at least once or twice every week for a long period of time, as was the board president before me, and many of the board members. Of course, many of my visits were after your employment with the organization was over. The board listened to shelter workers, and made changes based on some of those concerns. We also heard what a small group of detractors said, over and over, etc. A BOD cannot magically make wholesale changes overnight. The proof is in what AHS has become today. They are beginning construction on a new adoption and education center, and the county on a new shelter. AHS is respected in animal welfare circles, and the spay neuter ordinance passed by the county is lauded nationwide. None of this would have happened if the BOD and staff had not been working together diligently for many years.

Ann Lewis wrote:

Millie - I respectfully disagree with you. I was in the shelter at least once or twice every week for a long period of time, as was the board president before me, and many of the board members. Of course, many of my visits were after your employment with the organization was over. The board listened to shelter workers, and made changes based on some of those concerns. We also heard what a small group of detractors said, over and over, etc. A BOD cannot magically make wholesale changes overnight. The proof is in what AHS has become today. They are beginning construction on a new adoption and education center, and the county on a new shelter. AHS is respected in animal welfare circles, and the spay neuter ordinance passed by the county is lauded nationwide. None of this would have happened if the BOD and staff had not been working together diligently for many years.

Exactly, it was after the fiasco. Before that no one from the board would speak with any of the workers. We were accused of being liars by some members of the board. If we were given the chance to speak up in the beginning, the animals would not have suffered for another year and a half it took to make the change. It was disrespectful to refuse to hear what those of us who dealt with the job everyday. I spent the last several months doing 65% of the euthanizing by myself with no holder. this was not only more stressful onn animals and euth tech, it was dangerous. Nor were your own bylaws to give me a hearing followed. The shelter workers you talked to afterwards were all new since most had quit in protest of Paulhus.
Change finally came about, including the promised new shelter, after a core group of us refused to shut up and go away. I am proud o0f the fact that I spoke up for the animals, though it cost me my job.