ObservationsofveterinariansworkinqinFranklinCountyAnimalShelterFor

ConfidentialInternal

Review

April1oth2007FranklinCountyDogShelterofferstheconventionalservicesofadogshelter,andinadditionhousesveterinarysurgicalandmedicalservicesthatarestaffedbyseniorveterinarystudents,underthesupervisionofveterinariansassociatedwithTheOhioStateUniversity.Theseclinicalrotationsareavitalcomponentoftheveterinarycurriculumandcontributegreatlytothepreparationofthestudentsforaveterinarycareer.StudentevaluationsoftheFCDSexperienceareuniformlyoutstanding.RecenteventsatFCDS,includingahighrateofturnoverofveterinarians,lossoftheOSUclinicalrotationinsheltermedicine,andlossoftheFCDSanimalbehaviordepartment,haveraisedsignificantconcerns.Inordertoidentifyfactorsthathavecontributedtothedissolutionoftheseveterinaryprograms,weinvitedveterinarianswithrecentexperienceoftheFranklinCountyDogSheltertocommentontheirexperiences.ReplieswerereceivedinMarch2007fromDrsFlores,Herron,Hill,O'Quin,Ott,Peruski,andSharpe.Thefirstpartofthisreviewisacompilationofcommentswiththematicgrouping.ThesecondpartconsistsoftwouneditedletterswrittenbyveterinariansinvolvedintheFCDSbehaviorprogram.JonathanDyceMA,VetMB,MRCVS,DSAO,DACVSAssociateProfessor&SectionHeadSmallAnimalSurgery

Adoptionofdangerousdogs

1)Uncountablepitbullsandpitbullmixesareadoptedoutasvariousothermixes.Regardlessofhowyoufeelaboutpits,nooneshouldadoptonethinkingitissomethingelse.Alitterofpitmixescameinwithapurebredpitmother.Momwaseuthanizedandthepuppieswereadoptedaslabmixes.Somearereturnedwhenvetsorlandlordsinformtheadopterswhattheyhave.Peoplearenowcominginbecausetheyarelookingforpitsandheardtheshelterwasadoptingthem.2)J'vementionedtheproblemwithplacingaggressiveanimalsbefore,butIwalkedaroundtodayandgotsomenamesandstories.Itmayhelpyoutohavemorethangeneralities.Thefollowingdogswereinthesheltertoday,andtherewereprobablymorea.BabyBearwasnotrecommendedforadoptionbystaffandbehaviordept.Hewasontheadoptionfloorforalongtime,wherehisbehaviorworsenedandwasbroughttotheattentionofadministrationseveraltimes.Hewasadopted.Hewasreturnedon3-11-07forbitingachildintheface.Today,hewastakentoLibby's

(Dr.LibbyKinsell)

foraquarantine.(Libby'sisacommonplacetosendknownaggressivedogs,manyareadoptedfromherhome).b.Cocoabitakennelattendantinthefacewhileshewasrestrainingforamicrochip.Thepeopleplanningtoadoptherwiselydecidednottoadopt.(Theythenpickedoutanotherdogwhichhadbeenreturnedthreetimesforsignsofseparationanxiety,oneoftheadoptershadaveterinarydiagnosisofseparationanxiety).Anyway,Lisasaysthebitewasjustifiedsinceitwasscaredandgettingmicrochipped.Thevettechsaidshewasstillgettingthechipoutofthepackagewhenthebitehappened,soitwasjustrestraintthattriggeredthebite.Currentlythedogisa"donoteuthanize"andisonquarantine.I'mnotsurewhattheywilldecidetomorrow.c.Tiffanyjustfinishedquarantineafterbeingreturnedforbitingheradopter.Planningtoreadopther.d.A16weekoldunsocializedpuppy(Cooper)whowasnotrecommendedforadoptionwasadoptedon3-7-07andwasreturnedforaggressivebehavior.Theadopter'svet

.recommendedeuthanasiabuttheadoptersreturnedhimtotheshelterwhere-heisa"donoteuth".3)NoProtocols.Onmanyoccasions,veryobviouspitbullmixeswerebeingadoptedout.Thisisagainstcountypolicy,andwashappeningrepeatedly.Again,nobleintentions,butwithpotentiallyverydangerousandlegalramificationsforthecounty.4)Recommendationsofveterinarianswithspecialinterestsinanimalbehaviorwereoftenignored.Thisresultedindangerousanimalsbeingplacedforadoption.Asyouknow,onedogwithahistoryofaggressionbitaveterinarystudentintheface.Therearemanyotherexamplesofaggressivedogsbeingplacedontheadoptionfloor.5)Aggressive,bitinganimalswerehousedinunlockedwards.Manytimes,youngchildrenwanderedthroughtheshelter,improperlysupervisedbyparents.Itwasagraveconcernofminethatoneofthesechildrenmightsomedayinadvertentlyopenacagedoorofanaggressiveanimal.IvoicedthisconcerndirectlytoLisaWahoff.

Behaviorassessment

1)TemperamentTesting/BehavioralScreening.Areallegalconcern.Veterinarianswithaspecialinterestinanimalbehaviorwoulddoabehaviorscreenoneachdogthatwasavailableforadoption.Theresultsandrecommendationsoftheirtestingwererepeatedlyalteredandignored.Again,alteringmedicalrecordsisillegal!Disregardinganexperts'(theveterinarian)recommendation,inthissituation,isfoolhardyatbest.Manydangerousdogswereandareonthefloorforadoption.Caseinpointfollows:Ayoung,castrated,Rottweilerwastemperamenttestedbyaveterinariananddeemeddangerous-aggressive.Itwasrecommendedthisanimalbehumanelyeuthanized.Administrationignoredtherecommendationandadoptedthedogout.Onthewayhome,inthecar,thedogbitthenewownerintheface!Thescenarioseemsunbelievable,however,Ihaveheardmanyastorywiththesameoutcome.

2)Behaviorscreeningshavestopped

adogscheduledforspaywhileIwastherejustlastweekwas

soaggressive,thatwecouldnotevengetaholdofittosedateit!

Containmentofinfectiousdiseases.

1)Parvooutbreakseemstobewindingdown.Mostofthoseaffecteddevelopedsignsafter10daysindicatingthatexposureoccurredwithintheshelter.Atthepeakoftheoutbreak7newcaseswerediagnosedinoneday,andanimals(previouslyundiagnosed)werefounddeadintheircagesonseveraloccasions.Toaddtotheproblemapuppy(namedElliotSadler)hadtypicalsignsofvomiting,diarrhea,andinappetancebutwasnotassickasmanycases.Theparvotestwasstronglypositive,butLisa

(FCASDirectorLisaWahoff)

saidshedidn'tthinkithadparvo.Theykeptitinacrateintheeuthanasiaroom(movingthecrateintoacornerduringeuthanasias)forseveraldaysbeforeadoptingitout.Itislikelythatthispuppywasstillsheddingatthetimeofadoption.2)Longwaittimesinovercrowdedconditionsbreeddisease.Kennelcoughrunsrampantinthefacility.Dogsarenolongerbeingplacedinisolationthathavethisdisease.Itispermittedtotreatforkennelcoughwhilethedogisintheregularadoptionward.Thisisahighlycontagiousdiseaseandshouldnotbepermittedinthewards!Again,theadministrationdidnotfollowexpert(theveterinarians')recommendationsplacedinacomprehensiveoutlineofhowtohandlediseaseandsanitation.3)NoProtocols.Adogintheisolationwardbrokewithparvovirusatwhichtimetheanimalhadprofuse,bloodydiarrhea.Itwasrecommendedbytheveterinarianthatnodogsmoveinoroutofthewardforaminimumof10days.Theadministrationandstaffliterallylaughedintheveterinarian'sfaceandwentaheadandmovedanimalsaroundastheypleased.

.4)Currentlytheisolationandobservationwardsarenotbeingusedfortheirintendedpurposesofcontrollingdisease.Theobservationwardhasbecomearegularward.Again,whileitisnobletowanttosaveasmanydogsaspossible,creatingthisdisease-infestedfacilityisinhumanetothedogs.5)Treatingkennelcoughoutintheregularwardsinsteadofisolation,etc.

Populationdensityandbasichygiene

1)OfficeFosterDogs.Dogsthatweredeemedshyorsociallyawkwardweretakentotheadministrationofficetoallowforalldaysocializationwithotherdogsandhumans.Whilethisseemslikeagreatidea,havingurine,vomitandfecalmaterialonacarpetedsurfaceisunsanitary.Evenoutbreaksofparvoviruswithbloodydiarrheaoccurredintheoffice.Thisisahighlycontagiousdiseaseandthecarpetdoesnotallowforpropercleaninganddisinfection.Thisdoesnotevenbegintodescribetheodoryouaremetwithwhenyouentertheadministrationofficeareafromcontinualurinesaturationofthecarpet!2)Routinelydogswerekeptintheemployeelounge

and

restrooms!Itwasnotuncommontowalkintothebreakroomandfindurineandfecesalloverthefloor-needlesstosay,nostudentsorveterinarianscouldbringthemselvestoeatlunchinthere.Thehumanhealthramificationsofthis,letalonepotentialOSHAviolationsisincredibletothinkabout.3)VeryrecentlyIwalkedintothewomen'srestroomandtherewasaChihuahuawrappedinatowelsittingonachairinthere.Therewasnoemployeearoundtoquestion.Itwasliterallysittingthere,staringatme.4)Recommendationsfordisinfectionandmaintainingsanitaryconditionsweredisregardedbytheadministration.Dr.Hill,Dr.O'Quin,andIspentmanyhoursoutliningchangesthatshouldhavetakenplaceinordertodecreasetheincidenceofinfectiousdisease.Theserecommendationswereignored.5)LastMondayreceivingwasfullsothatdogswereplacedincratesthatwerestackedontopofeachother.Theyhadbeentheremostoftheday,andI'mnotsureiftheywerethereovernightornot.Atleasttwoofthemwereunabletostandandmosthadvoidedinthecrateandwereunabletoavoidlyinginit.Togetridofthecratesituationwithouteuthanizinganimalsoneofthequarantineroomsisnowbeingusedasaholdingward.Animalsarebeingtreatedintheholdingandadoptionwards,furtherspreadingdisease.Theyarealsoaskingustodosurgeryonthemwhiletheyareill.R66wasonmyscheduletodaywithURIandseveregreennasaldischarge.Ididnotperformsurgeryonthisdog,thoughtheysaidhewasonmedsandIshouldjustdohimlast.6)Overcrowdingalsoresultedinaverydirtyenvironment.7)Overcrowdingintheshelterandlongstaysontheadoptionfloorresultedinhighlevelsofrespiratorydiseaseaswellasmanybehaviorproblems.

Longtermconfinement

1)Anotherhugeissueformeislongtermcageconfinement.Theseanimalsarehousedinsmallcageswithlittlehumancontactorexerciseformonthsonend.Inmanycases,behaviorproblemsdeveloporworsen.Icommonlysawmusclewastinginsomeofthelongertermresidentsandthedevelopmentofdemodexinthosewhowerenotaffectedonarrival.Ifanimalswereconfinedthiswayinhomesorpuppymills,theycouldbechargedforanimalcruelty.2)Overcrowding/Longstaysonthefloor.Whileitisnobletowanttokeepeverydogaslongaspossible,manynegativethingsoccurtodogsthatarebeingkeptinacageformonthsonendwithlittlehumancontactorabilitytobeoutdoors.Behavioralissuesaboundandanybehavioralconcernsthatthedogmayhavehadinthebeginning,intensifies.