"A few years back, I too adopted a dog from the HSWC. (I had adopted one previously and had a wonderful experience so I went back again)
The second pup that I adopted became sick a few days after he was at home with us.
Took him to the vet and as the story goes like many others I have read here...he had kennel cough but it had turned into pneumonia.
After tearful nights and worrying if our new family member was going to make it or not and $1200.00 later our dog was back home with us.
Fortunately we were able to care for him back to health and he has been a wonderful addition to our family. I am glad we adopted him, didnt like the bill but a sick pup as he was we all know he would have met his fate at the shelter. He truely is a rescued dog.
However the lack of care and treatment and concern that was expressed to me by Lugo and her staff when I called totally turned me off. I was treated like I had no clue about dog care...of which was the exact opposite. Not only did I adopt animals from there...I was a generous annual donor and member of the shelter. (Not anymore)
I do know that there are some great people on the HSWC board that truely do care about the shelter and the welfare of the animals unfortunately they have Linda to contend with. They arent all bad...give the new President a chance I think youll see changes for the good!"
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
19 comments:
Please people stop beating a dead horse!! Dogs that are not cared for properly have a larger chance of not living to a ripe old age the saying applies, "only the strongest survive". Some of the pups that are born into or dropped off at the Humane Society are the products of neglect. Their parents, and grandparents, and even their great grandparents, were very likely not even current on their vaccinations. These stories can go on forever, good and bad....lets give it a rest!!! Lets concentrate on responsible Pet ownership.
AMEN!!!
Plus you are an idiot for spending that much for kennel cough or even pneumonia. $30 worth of drugs and it's good in a week.
Ya know, you get what you get> now don't pitch a fit!!! Get over it and move on. Like 4:12 said it best.
i have adopted animals under linda and have had great success
How about calling this section, "We're Only Interested in Bad Stuff about the Humane Society"? There were several positive experiences written about under the last objective headline, "The Humane Society Sucks." How many of those positive ones were singled out for "Another Humane Society Experience" focus such as this? That would be zero. Matthew's was a separate article, this one, the replacement of Gary, another one about Gary . . . anything positive was never given a separate headline. Why would anyone want to make such a deliberate effort to highlight only the negative? Why indeed? Do you think this deliberately slanted coverage could be costing the Humane Society fundraising revenues? Maybe if they can prove that, plus more damage from widespread publicity about a non-existent VERY BIG investigation . . .
Let me explain a little something to ALL of you at the Humane Society.
Your hot air threats do NOT scare me one bit. As a matter of fact, let's talk deeper about that last comment. You imply a lawsuit against me.
With what, money from the County? I pay County Taxes. With money from the City? I pay City taxes. With money from donations given to the Humane Society by a hundred thousand of my viewers? BRING IT ON!
Be careful where you tread here because I can assure you of one thing, I WILL WIN AND I WILL COUNTER SUE. I will also make it so expensive you will never know what hit you when your attorney bill comes along.
All that being said, the Humane Society wants to crush the Freedom of Speech? Nope, I don't think so.
I did receive a call telling me I upset Linda Lugo for using the words, "Life Partner." Well, Linda, let me explain a FEW things to you. I can come up with probably 50 other terms other than Life Partner, let me assure you of that. Should "I" sue all of you for calling Jennifer my WIFE? You people are just stupid. Life Partner was as CLASSY a term as I could come up with.
Quit the Gay Rights bullshit and quit being so defensive. It shows your guilt!
Joe my concern is for the animals at the shelter. If the people stop adopting and donating money the animals will suffer the price for it. I dont know what is going on at the shelter but i will say this if they are not doing their jobs there to take care of those animals then get someone in there that will. Dont let those little critters pay for Linda's or anyone at the shelters stupidity. Boot their butts out. People please think of those animals.
I don't disagree. However, IF they try to sue me the gloves are off. In other lawsuits I chose not to counter sue. I'll not allow that ever again. I have every right to my freedom of speech and I will protect those who also use their freedom of speech within comments on this Blog. The idea that they want to try to strong arm me, well, the picked the wrong guy to threaten. When will they ever learn?
Just singling out negative stories for separate articles is your right as a "journalist" with an agenda. Making and allowing comments about someone's sexuality is a right you assert vehemently. Proclaiming there is an investigation going on and encouraging people to guess about it is a form of free, however low, speech. But, if you are not being truthful about an investigation that is MUCH BIGGER THAN THE COUNTY, one that YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO HEAR ABOUT, there will be some learning about the not-an-absolute-right aspect of freedom of speech.
No one needs to defend the comments from the bloggers. They do have a perfect right to be telling their stories, good and bad. They were not the ones who said there is a BIG investigation going on. They were not the ones who said it has gone beyond the county level.
Also, the question remains why you can't say "second in command at the Humane Society" instead of "life partner." You insist on making it about the term instead of the motive behind its use. Use the job title if researching her name is too taxing. Angie Travers has a job as animal care manager; she is the second in command at the shelter; life partner she is not.
There are several more stories put up I didn't turn into a post. Maybe I will consider doing so now?
If YOU or LINDA only knew the volume of comments I deleted you'd then shut your mouth. However, I did save them for future reference. Like I said, "Life Partner" was as kind as it gets.
One thing you obviously don't know about me is, I don't bluff. Is there an investigation going on with the Humane Society, your damn right there is. OTHER Agencies are also considering investigations as well. I'll close with this. I personally have evidence of ILLEGAL activity and if Linda thinks it's the minor stuff, she'd be sadly mistaken!
My advise for Linda would be, get out while the getting is good. No matter what, her time is over, like her or not. Remember as well, the Humane Society does not answer to the City or County. That's why other sources were chosen to investigate them. Also remember that the City and County could cut them off financially. Yes, this would mean they would have to come up with an alternative for the City & County's animal issues but you know what, this is exactly the pressure/situation the City and County shouldn't be left in.
When you have leaders breaking the law and directing others to do things they shouldn't, that not only punishes the City and County, it punishes the Staff and more importantly, the animals. Linda Lugo has proven she is a very poor manager.
As far as using the bleeding heart crap, who else would be able to do that job. That crap doesn't work with me. I'm a realist and I can assure you, there are plenty of others who would gladly take that job and do it right, while treating the PEOPLE coming through those doors with respect.
Ask the County Council about her Sailor's Mouth, cursing up a storm and using the F-Bomb in their PROFESSIONAL meeting several months ago. I would have pulled any money right then and there and I would have been making arrangements to rid of any involvement with the Humane Society.
I don't give a shit what you think when it comes to how I stated Linda's Partner. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to realize this is ALL about Gay Rights. You know what, bring it on because "I" didn't choose your lifestyle, YOU DID!
I have no problem with who you partner up with but let me assure you, one you've made your choice, don't come crying to ME because someone picks on you, or you THINK they do anyway.
If you don't like the "Life Partner" statement I made, tough shit.
Just because you said "life partner" instead of "animal care manager" who cares? You certainly weren't trying to make a point about lifestyle or anything. If they don't like the lifestyle they've chosen, they should just choose a different one. All enlightened people know sexuality is not something you're born with, it's something you select.
Joe, I have a serious question--is Linda Lugo's sexual preference affecting the quality of her (and others) work at the Humane Society? If not, then it should not be mentioned at all.
Also, I strongly disagree with 8:28PM's statement that "All enlightened people know sexuality is not something you're born with, it's something you select." There is a difference between "sexuality" and "sexual preference." But that's a topic for another time when you are having a slow news day!
Maybe the board at the shelter should get off the damn blog and focus on making things right at the shelter! Do the job you were elected to do.
Things are wrong there..you know it...now is your opportunity to fix it!
I'm wondering...what did this Angie, (I.E. life partner, second in command)...WHATEVER, or whoever she is.....what did she do for a living before coming to the Humane Society? Did her association with Ms. Lugo bring her this position?
Free speech only won Howard Stern a $500,000,000 contract on satellite.
Wow I thought I was the only one Linda Lugo showed her true colors to. I can see I was not. I was employed there once or twice, anyways I got fired due to a disagreement she and I had. YEAH ..dont disagree with that woman! More importantly dont serve her with an injunction. That is exactly why I got fired. My morning went as usual there at the W.C.H.S. I would first visit the older dogs, as well those that were to be euthanized. I then went straight to the puppies.
This is when it all happend ...I noticed we had got a few new ones in since my last day off. In the first kennel sat a cute pup that sorta looked like the dog from that show "Wishbone" on MPT. There was a sign posted on that kennel that read "This animal is NOT up for adoption". I assumed someone there at work had first dibs on this cute little guy. I played with him for about 10 minutes and took him into the kennel next to him where there were (2) two chow puppies. He played with them and seemed so happy to be near other pupps, for he was left all alone in his kennel.
I noticed I had about 10 minutes left before I needed to clock in, and so I placed him back in his kennel and went out back where the employees take their smoke breaks. There sat one un-named person in command at the time. I said good morning and she replied back. I asked this un-named person "so ..who is the lucky person adopting the pupp in kennel one?" She told me "Im not sure you will have to ask Linda about that one". I asked her if she knew which one I meant, and she replied "yes, but Im not saying anything and again you should ask Linda, NOT me."
Yeah Im confused, but I knew this person well enough to know something was not right. Angie Travers comes out with Mike Hinkle and this un-named person turns to Angie and says "she is asking about the puppy in kennel one...". To get more to the point it was told to me that noone was adopting that dog, and that it was to be killed because it was a mean a## little s#@$. I couldnt believe what I was hearing and who I was hearing it from. I should have added earlier that this pupp was around the age of 6-9 weeks old. The pupp had not been there long enough to gather all acurate imformation, and yet it had swiftly been decided that the animal was to be put down.
I asked once more to all three employees out there, "ARE YOU SURE YOU GUYS KNOW WHICH ANIMAL I AM TALKIJNG ABOUT?" The answer was yes, and again Angie Travers started in with curseing this pupp and stateing it was a vicious animal lol.
It was soon time to clock in and I just had to find out if this was true or not. I never would have worked for a place that sunk so low that they would ever think of euthanizing a baby animal. It was bad enough that they in general euthanized, and thats another story..I was not just an employee with little to no expeariance, but I was an employee who has worked with Peta for years as well I have connections with rescues all over, and for all breeds. Linda knew this about me and I had offered many times to work off the clock and relocate animals as another option opposed to euthanizing. Her answer was always "Thats not your job!"
So, im focused on finding Linda and asking her about this horror story that I just find hard to believe. About 1 hour after being on the clock, I see Linda and ask her about the pupp. She quickly tells me "Yes , you heard correctly and NO this is not your concern, nor is up for discussion." and she walked away from me and started to carry on a conversation with some volunteers that were helping out that day.
I was disturbingly shocked! But I didnt give up that easy, I caught her once more and thought to myself ...just be nice and calm. So I said to her " Linda , Im sorry ..I didnt mean to just come at you with something that Im sure you aren't happy with doing." and added "Could I please just have a moment of your time later?" She said to me " Sure, but if it's about the dog.. again ITS NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION!"
My moment with her did not come until the end of my work day and even then she tried to dodge me. I explained to her how the pupp had interacted with the pupies in the next kennel, and she told me that can't be true because it is Pit Bull/Jack Russell mix and he had displayed aggresive behavior when they first brought him in. I reminded her of my connections, connections that were certified rescue groups all in which could be confirmed, and viewed by the click of ones computer mouse.
She shared no interest and told me if I didnt like her decission I could find another place to work. I again asked for her to reconsider for none of this seemed HUMANE, I mean ..come on .. How aggresive can a pupp be at 6-9 weeks, and what does she or the county have to loose by signing reliablity waivers to a rescue group?!
Well I knew what I had to do .. It was Saturday and I had to go in to return something. There was only one person working to let me in that day and that un-named person allowed me to go back and video tape the pupp, so I could show proof that Linda was WRONG in doing this INHUMANE act of murder that she was so adament about carrying out.
When I got done recording, I noticed someone who was not there when I had first arrived. They saw the camera in my hand , and I saw them go into an office and make a call. One of her minions I presume, the person that let me in [I thank you for trying] told me she just got a call from Linda saying she was on her way there. So I left with my evidence, and went home and called a lawyer who specificly deals with animal rights case. After hearing and seeing all the evidence he issued an injunstion.
The next day [Sunday], the day after I had done my recording I received a call informing me that I had to be let go. No reason, just dont bother coming in on Monday. I did come in on Monday, and went straight back to the pupps kennel. All his little toys and his little blanket were there, but he was not. I went to the front desk and asked an un-named friend working there, that is now no longer there, where the pupp was? Linda over heard what I had asked and quickly came over to me at the counter and said "The pupp? .. That dogg is dead .. remember, it was to be euthanized and it was." She walked awy from me and the counter and looked back and said to me "Oh, Yeah.. you dont need to come in here anymore, your check will be mailed to you."
No it is not a pleasant story but it is a true story, and I did not.. nor do not.. have to use your [Linda] sexual preference to make you look bad. As if anyone actually cared about that anyway. The truth is what I used, and it makes me sick to think all of us give you a pay check!
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