COMMENTARY TRANSPARENCY FOR HAS

Since the challenge the Healdsburg Animal Shelter faced over the
fate of Cash, the mastiff-mix dog, subtle changes are taking place
at the shelter. Apparently HAS is concerned about the feelings of
investment that volunteers and the public have toward the animals
housed there, which might interfere with HAS management decisions
about the treatment of those animals.
What the public, the volunteers, the staff, and the shelter
board all need to remember is that HAS exists only because the
public wants it to, and that the public funds that interest with
donations, volunteerism, and (until recently in my case) legacy
gifts. Every one of us has a right to have a voice in how the
shelter is managed and what its philosophy toward animal care
should be. We need to decide whether the shelter is simply a place
to house unwanted animals, or a place that nurtures those unwanted
animals and helps them become great companions for new
families.
If we choose the latter option, the HAS structure needs to
reflect it. The doting staff can’t serve the animals’ needs on
their own – they simply don’t have enough time. Policies enacted to
keep the public or volunteers at arm’s length are not likely in the
best interest of the animals. Actually, if bonding with animals is
a weakness to be discouraged, and since volunteers and donors tend
to have the greatest affection for animals, the shelter risks
losing both of those resources and could be forced to shut
down.
Many of us have been hearing about the significant recent exodus
of long-term board members, and that still-remaining board members
who challenge or disagree with the newest management direction are
being pressured to leave. As top management works harder to move
forward without scrutiny, it becomes more important than ever for
the rest of us to take a good look at what’s going on, to push for
transparency, to require that the public’s voices be not only heard
but valued and encouraged. A staff that believes in what it is
doing will welcome it; a staff that cannot justify its actions will
not. We can start by attending board meetings, listening to what
happens, and asking tough questions. The next meeting is currently
scheduled at the Senior Center for Wednesday, January 11, at 5:30
p.m.
Carol Noack is a Healdsburg resident.