Ldh New Regime In The News

[Sheridan]

Whistleblower alleges widespread drugging of dogs

http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/lost-dogs-home-whistleblower-alleges-widespread-drugging-of-dogs-20151125-gl8c69.html

So, instead of killing the dogs after eight days, dogs are being kennelled for months and being drugged. After a while it will be 'See, we tried; better off dead' and back to killing.

[persephone]

Looks as if some things need changing ...

[Cody]

Heartbreaking.

[Stressmagnet]

I feel sick. Especially after looking at the photos of the dogs they gave up on.

[Jed]

The more it changes the more it stays the same. IMHO a whole new staff who actually like animals and had some common sense should have been appointed. Doesn't sound good to me.

Oh - edited to say - a friend walks dogs for the RSPCA. They go out together, as it is supposed to be enjoyable for the dogs and a social outing with other dogs - training is done at other times.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Jed

[stellnme]

This has been going on for years. My local pound has a volunteer walking program and it is enjoyable for the dogs and walkers - what a load of rubbish that the walkers can't enjoy themselves at the same time! Until they start working with all rescues, allow the public to see the dogs and put them up for adoption, not just a selected few to make it look good, dump the antidepressants down the sink and start exercising the dogs and providing enrichment activities, many dogs will continue to die.

It makes me sick that this is nothing new and is just inhumane behaviour on the part of the Management of this facility.

[Cosmolo]

A few facts-

There are a whole lot of new staff literally just started working for LDH- I know a few of them and they are awesome people, right for the job and right for the animals. THINGS ARE CHANGING. ETA- the new staff started last week so would not have anything to do with supposed new procedures etc referred to in the article. The article also shows a serious lack of understanding of assessment, stress and the use of medication.

Drug therapy is not new, not necessarily cruel and in some cases extremely helpful. I worked at a shelter 10 years ago with an excellent rehome rate and some of the dogs were put on anti anxiety medication- it stopped the dogs going kennel crazy, new owners were informed and the dogs were able to be homed.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Cosmolo

[Dame Aussie]

The staff aren't the problem. Why would people work in this industry seeing the worst of people, dealing with heartbreaking situations every day, for crap money if they didn't care? Simple. They wouldn't.

Sick of seeing staff blamed for management and societies stuff ups.

I don't agree with over medicating everything, it needs to be done responsibly, but plenty of good dog owners have dogs on anti anxiety drugs and we don't judge them for it. If it helps a dog get rehomed then what's the issue?

Edited December 5, 2015 by Dame Aussie

[Dame Aussie]

Totally agree snook. Removing dog walkers is a bad idea, dogs need exercise and interaction, and the medication needs to be administered and used appropriately.

[Simply Grand]

I know very little about how the LDH operates but definitely agree with Aussie that the line staff are no doubt doing the best they can for the animals with what they are given.

And again, I don't know whether this is part of the issue at LDH, but having been one of the people who assesses and works with shelter dogs and makes decision about whether volunteers can take them out or not, I can tell you it can be really difficult. OF COURSE dogs need interaction and stimulation and to get out of their kennels and volunteers are vital for that to be able to happen, and most are brilliant, but sometimes the risk of letting whomever is volunteering take out a particular dog can be too high.

For example, one of our most emphasized procedures for taking dogs out was that two dogs should never be within reaching distance of each other and should never be left standing face to face while the handler talked to someone or did something, as face to face is so confrontational for dogs. And yet I couldn't tell you the number of times we as trainers would come across people standing and talking while dogs stood face to face looking at each other. Certain people we would have to remind again and again and again (which didn't usually go down well). With certain dogs we knew that if that happened they were highly likely to attack another dog within reach, prior to us doing work with them, and if that happened and there was an injury that dog would have lost its chance at rehab. Additionally there can be crucial points in rehab where one bad, uncontrolled experience can undo weeks of good work. So there were dogs that volunteers were not allowed to take out, and even some that they weren't allowed to interact with in kennels. Often volunteers would be unhappy about that but it was about trying to make the best of a really bad situation for the poor dogs.

Edited December 5, 2015 by Simply Grand

[Two Best Dogs!]

That's really enlightening Grand.

Bordering off topic, do you know how council pounds differ in their assessments from rescues? It's something I've been wondering for awhile as it seems dogs can really hang around for awhile before they're PTS, which feels like a double edged sword (around longer = increased chance of adoption/rescue noticing but also = increase in pound related problems = decrease in adoption??)

[Simply Grand]

Thistle, I'm not sure what the pounds do but I imagine it differs a lot from state to state and council to council. I was doing it at RSPCA ACT a little while back and we were lucky to be funded (by the CEO at the time who saw it as a priority) for several trainers at the time so we could actually work with dogs with behaviour problems for as long as they were improving really whereas I know many pounds and even other RSPCAs (and actually I don't know what RSPCA ACT is doing these days) don't have the resources to get the dogs out to work with trainers, meaning really if they have problems that show up in initial assessments and aren't immediately adoptable then keeping them in the kennels without being able to work with them isn't going to improve anything for them.

It is a really hard balance and of course the dogs can't tell you how they are feeling. Some dogs cope fine for months and months on end and others have no issues at all initially but go downhill really quickly with the stress of the kennels. We occasionally had to put to sleep dogs like that for their own mental welfare and they were the hardest because you would think if only they had had any other option than ending up kennelled they would have been fine

Edited December 6, 2015 by Simply Grand

[Simply Grand]

.

[Two Best Dogs!]

Thanks SG, hard choices

[Scottsmum]

I'll reiterate that they are all different & i have next to zero experience - but wanted to add:

In Sydney there is the Sydney dogs & cats home. It IS the pound for 9 Sydney councils but they're a no kill facility. My understanding is that long termers get put into foster & respite as needed aling with access to other care (vet etc) as needed.

[Sheridan]

I don't believe the line staff have ever really been a problem at LDH. LDH's problem has always been the management team. Are those of you saying that medicating these dogs for months on end is okay actually suggesting that it's better than working with rescue groups to get them out of the pound environment and into foster homes? Other pounds do it. What is so hard about it for the superpound?

[Steve]

Victoria have some pretty well defined laws about what a pound can do

This part of the code for pounds seems to say to me that if any animals are there which get drugged its because they are being held under legislative purposes - hard to believe that it is as has been reported - and any such medication is done under vet advice

Usually only a vet is able to prescribe such medications and they aren't just handed out like lollies without that advice.

Quote" At the conclusion of the statutory periodspecified in the Domestic Animals Act1994 for seized or surrendered animals,animals must be:• made available for rehoming to a newowner; or• euthanased because of disease,injury, behaviour, age, unsuitability forsale; or• placed in appropriate foster care andreturned at an appropriate date forrehoming; or• released under a written agreementto a person or body which operatesin accordance with the Act to carefor and dispose of the animal, at thediscretion of the operations manageror veterinary practitioner

[Cosmolo]

It doesn't have to be one or the other Sheridan

And whilst LDH have much to improve, I would not be too quick to believe everything said in the media either.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Cosmolo

[Steve]

It doesn't have to be one or the other Sheridan

And whilst LDH have much to improve, I would not be too quick to believe everything said in the media either.

Agree, the legislation doesn't allow them to keep dogs indefinitely unless its a dog that is being held waiting court decisions These dogs are not able to be placed in foster homes.

If it is dogs which cant be moved out for foster or passed onto rescue and they are distressed then surely its better for a vet to prescribe drugs to help the dog cope'

Management dont want dogs staying indefinitely - drugged or other wise - its not a profitable situation.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Steve