it's right up there with Animal Precinct and Animal Cops: Houston, Phoenix is. Interesting cases we don't see on other shows (altho we may be close to having had enuf of dog-in-pipe situations), wonderful crew with the addition of their being EAMT's, a whole new climate to watch investigators deal with, gorgeous scenery, and fine narration and story editing.
I particularly like the narration of Animal Planet Heroes Phoenix. Mallory Kasdan has a great voice that lends just the right amount of enthusiasm or gravity to each segment.
I also enjoy production aspects as well, specifically the snappy Phoenix bird graphic and the little "intro" that each EAMT receives prior to their segment.
I am completely confused about why these people are considered heros. I just watched my first episode of Animal Planet Heroes Phoenix and was appalled by the techs lack of action concerning the puppies that were attacked by bees. First they show her doing nothing once the decision was made to call the police. How about making sure your truck at least has a clean compartment for the puppies prior to having your arms filled with the suffering puppies. Watching her move so slowly getting ready to transport them was painful to see. Then every puppy died?! What? How the hell does that make any of them heros? They did nothing above and beyond the call of duty. Please help me to understand 'cause I was truely saddened by this episode!!!
Maybe you should read Cat Galaxy's series on the EAMTs. You can read it at www.catgalaxymedia.com. I think it will explain exactly what these people go through every single day.
Yeah it's a great show but as an animal activist, they do have a lack of communication with animals they help in terms of their behavior problems. After they get them well, they try helping them with their behavioral problems and socializing. Fist of all, the people that work in that department are lousy at being behaviorists. They don't know bow to hold the dog right, and if they see a problem their solution is to euthanize the animal. Pathetic, man. A real behaviorist would work even with the most aggressive animals. I liked the show up to that point when they decided to euthanize a dog that was submissive to the rescuer, even going as far as to be on it's stomach. That right away told you the dog doesn't have a problem, it's the human who's handling it. It's always the human who doesn't know a dog's world at all. I'm truly disappointed that these are called heroes in something they should definitely not allow: the killing of an animal of "heroes" themselves. Even like that other show on Animal Planet that trains dogs by a trainer is sad. A dog doens't need a trainter, but a pack leader. Trainer is just for dogs that are followers already and a way to owners show them off on how good your dog can sit while you fattened them up with treats and give them diabeties. A circus all right. A real behavioist works with dominance and stops euthanasia. Maybe they should call el perrero, the Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan. Now, that's a guy who's saved dogs from Death Row and from the most extreme cases. Anyway, in yesterday's episode, she took the bone from the dog and the dog charged at her, right there the dog is showing everybody how weak those behaviorist are. Sad, Sad, Sad, ect.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: topdogmrrocky,
It is sad and no one at the humane society likes euthanasia, especially the person in charge of deciding who gets put down. The major problem the Az Humane Society faces is that the two largest organizations in Maricopa County, (Animal control and the Humane Society) receive over 100,000 unwanted pets, as well as sick, injured and neglected strays each year. Neither facitily has the space, the man power nor the financial resources to work exclusively with every pet. It would be nice if people would instead be good pet owners. Some stats claim that over 70% of the animals that come into a shelter are owner reliquishments - teach these people how to work with their pets and the Humane Society would have more time to deal with those strays that depend on them
Topdogmrrocky, I read all you had to say and I agree with some of what you had to say. Just about any animal can be tamed and can become the best friend you have ever had! I think most people that take the time to watch the show and to leave comments must have some sort of animal and have a handful of stories and suggestions on how to handle just about any situation. That was why I wanted you to know that I really took the time to read all you had to say before I put my two cents in. The Arizona Humane Society takes in about 1,000 animals in a week - that would make it a little over 4,000 a month and close to 50,000 in a year! JUST ONE YEAR! Now when you when you are confronted with those types of numbers, just how on earth are they going to work with each animal to the extent of a professional trainer? I know what it costs to hire one! We hired one for our baby Ginger - she was just out of control. She ate our couch, destroyed our poolside patio furniture, and demolished our Arizona room! AKA Sun room! She picked on our older dog and would snap at the kids when she got too excited! For us it was about $500.00, give or take a little, she still has some puppy issues, but no where near the cute Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde issues. My point is, how on earth is the Arizona Humane Society supposed to do this for each animal that shows possible danger to the adopter? I don’t think it is fair to belittle what the EAMT's are doing! How are they to know the temperament of the animal they just rescued? That is why they do the behavior evaluations. No organization has the resources to handle the ongoing training for each animal with a behavior issue when they have 50,000 animals a year come through their shelter! Employees at the AHS have to make the decision every day as to which animals are the best to expend the public’s donations on.
Could YOU justify expending the resources on that dog from the show, knowing that 20 others would have to be euthanized because of it? What about the other dogs that come in every week that may need just as much work as that one? How many dogs with behavior issues do you think come through the AHS’s shelter when they handle 25,000 dogs a year? A lot, I can tell you. Even at 10% that is 2500 dogs a year that need extra behavior training. That’s almost seven a day, every day, 365 days a year! Maybe instead of criticizing the one behavior decision that you have seen, you should try and look at it from the point of their reality:
The AHS does not have limitless resources, staff, or SPACE. They have to make very difficult decisions EVERY DAY that you obviously could not. They are doing the very best they can to make not only the lives of animals better, but also adopt out SAFE pets to our community.
Not many people could do the job they do, and I am thankful that they do it. They are all my heroes.
I'd like to add my two cents worth to the discussion here. I saw the same episode and I can see where topdog is coming from. I kind of got the feeling that the behavioral specialists seen in the episode were handling things pretty quickly and do appear to make very fast judgments. But it's important to note that according to the AHS they do contact smaller rescue groups which do sometimes have the resources and time to deal with the difficult cases.
I know as a cat lover I was pretty disappointed to discover that bottle baby kittens born to feral cats are euthanized at the AHS. This is a fact that isn't disputed by them.
Also, scared cats that might be deemed as feral by the AHS also face euthanasia which is why they might want to extend their network with smaller groups on this issue. I've seen groups like Sun Cities Animal Rescue take a cat that didn't have such a great attitude and totally rehabilitate them.
I should know about that one first hand, because I rescued a cat which I named Ali, because just like the famed boxer he moved like a butterfly and stung like a bee. His was a case of suspected abuse. When I found him he was wondering the complex where I live and his humans apparently abandoned him after moving away.
He was also declawed as well. He had a very sweet disposition but the slightest movement would set him off and he'd hiss, spit and take some swipes. If you stood still and sat down he'd come up to you and put his paws on your shoulders as if to give you a hug, but as soon as you stood up or slightly moved he'd go ballistic.
It was obvious he'd been mistreated by his former humans. The next day I got him to Sun Valley Animal Shelter and they evaluated him and saw he was a bit of a tough cookie. Over time they worked with him and were able to get him rehabilitated. As a result, he was adopted into a good and loving home.
The AHS isn't perfect, no organization is but they are starting to learn. They created an Alternative Placement department which supposedly calls the other rescues to see if they can take certain cases, but I'm not sure how skilled they are. I think the success of a department like that is to make sure they have a good knowledge of the other groups as well as a solid relationship with them. This certainly will get more of the AHS's more difficult cases placed into a group that can work with the animal thus ending the need for euthanasia.
In my opinion, the AHS should consider becoming no-kill. That structure has worked very well for organizations like AAWL which is the largest no-kill facility in Arizona. They have a very strong relationship with the smaller rescues and is pretty well respected by them. It's too bad that they don't get half the recognition the AHS does. The AAWL is a wonderful organization.
Becoming a no-kill facility does not end euthanasia. It does not miraculously make animals with potentially dangerous behavior suddenly adoptable. The reason no-kill shelters can be no-kill is for one of two reasons. 1. They don't take in animals that have issues that may cause the need for euthanasia. 2. They just keep animals in kennels or running loose on a property until they die. (I guess there is a third reason: when there does come a time that an animal needs euthanasia, they take it to another facility that is not no-kill. That way they can keep their no-kill status.)
Cat, you are obviously a cat person, and that is fine. With all of your work with cat rescue, have you ever come across a cat that was too badly injured or too sick to be fixed? You must have. What should happen to those animals? I know that is not what is being discussed at the moment, but I think it is a point that needs to be made.
The AHS is not a no-kill shelter, and do not pretend to be. They are an open door shelter that takes the best and the worst. They take in the cutest little foo foo puppies as well as the most badly tempered, horribly injured dogs. Their goal is to fix the sick and injured ones that they can, no matter whether they are strays or are surrendered by owners, and get the appropriate animals into new homes.
When someone has 15 dogs who have lived their entire lives in someone's backyard, with almost no human contact, the AHS takes them in with open arms. They give each and every one of them the best chance they can, but the reality is, in the Valley, there are far more homeless animals than homes for them.
I challenge anyone who has the answer to this problem, by all means share it with them. Or post it here. I know they'll hear about it. The people at the AHS are doing an admirable job in tackling an almost impossible task.
And another thing Cat, there is a reason that bottle baby kittens born to feral cats are euthanized. Studies have shown, I don't have the references to cite, so don't even ask, that kittens born to feral mothers are predisposed to socializtion issues. Yes, we can all tell stories about kittens that have gone against that, so don't go there either. But that being said, there was a time last summer when the AHS took in 875 cats in 4 days. FOUR DAYS! Some adults, some kittens, some newborns, some friendly, some not. Do you know of enough potential fosters to care for those cats that needed them? What about the 500 or so cats that came in the next week, and every week after that? It's not a matter of wanting to help, or relationships with smaller rescues. It's simply numbers. There are too many unwanted animals, and not enough potential owners, let alone fosters.
The reason those smaller rescues have the "resources and time" to take on that one special case and work with the animal to find it a new home is that that is their project. They choose to take that one or two or three or litter of puppies or kittens, because tomorrow when the AHS has another 100 animals to deal with, that rescue can say no. I hate to burst your bubble, Cat, but they do. They pick and choose their animals - the AHS takes them all. I can also tell you that the employees at the AHS are very thankful for those smaller rescues. They know the value of having those organizations that can take some special cases off the hands of the AHS, and offer more time than is possible for the AHS with their 50,000 animal intake.
All of this comes down to numbers.
Topdog, do you understand now? There is an unfortunate necessity in the Valley for euthanasia of a dog like the one on the show. The AHS does its best to find a place for every animal that they take in. Unfortunately for many, the only place that will accept them is Heaven.
Maybe you don't like it or understand it, but it's reality for my husband and his coworkers every day. And as far as I'm concerned, as tough as those decisions are for them, I'm proud to say that at least they have the balls to make them.
Starr where are you getting your facts here? Becoming a no facility would end the need for euthanasia for both healthy and adoptable animals as well as the ones that might have behavior issues. The AAWL, Sun Cities Animal Rescue, Paw Placement, and other no-kills have actually only had to euthanize animals that were in such condition (like a fatal illness for example) that they had no other option in order to end the animal's suffering.
The no-kills believe in saving as many lives as they can and many of them do it without a large budget like the AHS has. Many of the no-kills work with private vets who either donate their time and services or do so at a lower cost. Many animals would not be alive today if the no-kill groups hadn't stepped into save them. One recent example was a cat named Phoenix who I managed to rescue after being displaced by an apartment fire. I managed to get him placed with a local no-kill rescue group, as I know the person who handles their cat adoptions.
This cat was pretty scared when I found him but he also had a sweet disposition because of the situation he was in. I was told that after he got placed in foster care it took a couple of weeks before he started to come out of his shell. Now, he is getting along with the other cats he shares a home with right now because the no-kill group took the time to work with him.
We all know that the AHS is not a no-kill facility but they could very well become one if they wanted to. No-kill shelters have proven that despite their limits they still make it work. The AAWL has proven it because they've been around for 36 years now.
It's interesting the picture you paint about no-kills. It's obvious you don't have a lot of knowledge about them. You stated that "they just keep animals in kennels or running loose on a property until they die." That is pretty untrue.
No-kills like the AAWL actually have community cat rooms where humans intending to adopt can actually interact with them. Sun Valley has the same setup as well. No-kill groups like Paw Placement, and even Benji's Buddies don't have a shelter but instead rely on fosters to care for the animals at their homes. The only time they are usually crated is when go to the adoption events like at Petsmart and possibly when they first bring them into the rescue.
I might remind you that many of the groups (even the AHS) have kitty condos for the cats. I've been to the AHS's South Mountain Facility and taken the tour. It's pretty impressive and they in a small way have taken notes from the playbook from no-kill groups as they have small community cat rooms there where a few cats can interact with each other there.
In answer to the badly injured cat question, luckily I haven't had to deal with cats that were so badly injured there was no other alternative but to euthanize but I do know that the no-kills do all they can to make sure each cat they rescue has a fighting chance.
Many of the no-kills have been successful in rehabilitating for example cats or dogs that have behavior issues.
As to the feral kittens being predisposed to socialization issues, it is a known fact that if you get these kittens before they get past 8 weeks of age then they have a chance to becoming socialized. AzCATs at one time was able to get feral kittens placed with AAWL and from what I know they ended up in good and loving homes. Bottle babies don't need to be euthanized. If Alternative Placement does indeed work with smaller groups they'd figure that one out pretty quickly.
There are groups in the Phoenix area that could possibly take the bottle babies. All it takes is a little time and effort to find a group who have volunteers that can.
Starr, I know you and I will be looking at this much differently. You are a fan of the AHS and a supporter, while I have to work with many different groups. Yes, it's true I'm a fan of the smaller groups and no-kills but that's only because I've worked with them longer. I know how their system works and am well aware of the success they've had in dealing with many different types of cases.
I think if you really look at the big picture here, the AHS really does need the help of the other rescues. Your statement of the no-kills picking and choosing which animals they take is so incorrect.
The no-kills take as many animals as they can to save them. It's true that during cat and kitten season they often times have to turn people away that want to get animals placed but they also try to ask if the person is willing to foster the animal for a few weeks in order to make room for them. During Spring and Summer, every animal rescue from the AHS to Sun Cities 4PAWS is taking in cats.
One of the problems that causes this is because people fail to spay and neuter their animals. If every human had this done, many animal rescue groups including the AHS would gladly be put out of business or in the very least have many slow days.
Another problem is more media related than anything else. I truly believe that if the media actually started covering the smaller groups more often, then more people would know about them and support them. Last time I checked none of the major TV stations in Phoenix have ever hosted a telethon for a no-kill group or dedicated a weekly segment to smaller groups that have cats or other animals for adoption.
The smaller groups also don't get even 1/4th the amount of monetary donations that the AHS gets. In my opinion, it's organizations like the AAWL, 4PAWS, AzCATs and other no-kill organizations that need the most help. In fact if the smaller rescues got a lot of financial support like the AHS does they'd be able to save just as many animals as they do. It's time the media, big business and the general public started supporting the no-kills a lot more often than they have.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: catprotector,
Catprotector, I think it is you that doesn't understand the situation, not Starrs ... If you want the HUmane Society to become no-kill then who is going to take in the other animals that would get rejected. Many no-kill shelters do call kill shelters to take animals off their hands when they are unable to adopt some pets ... So they don't actually inject the animals with the juice to kill them, but they are aware of the end result of that call ... A no-kill world would be perfect but it is not realistic because humans are not educated or responsible enough yet to do so ...
I have to say that I agree with Starrs and lorla. I have been a volunteer at the local spca for almost six years. I also work with a small dog rescue group. In this period of time I have become acquainted with the workings of most of the local rescue groups (big and small).
You could say that the spca is not a no-kill shelter. Their mission statement says that they turn no animal away. Anything that comes to the door, they take in, regardless of age, health, or temperment. The sad fact is that there are animals in this group that can not be placed for adoption.
What is the shelter to do if they tried to save every animal? They don't have the space or resources for that. As it is, there are currently 400 plus dogs at the shelter that was designed for 150 dogs. I haven't even included the cats/kittens. Right now the cat room is filled to overflowing with kittens that people dropped off.
The spca spays/neuters every animal before placing them for adoption. At one time, if an animal wasn't s/n, they recieved a certificate for a free surgery at the clinic. That didn't work very well since the people simply never had the surgery done. To do that, the peole would have to get off their butt and make the appointment then bring the animal in. now, that excuse is no more.
A group called UCAN is opening a spay/neuter clinic where the fee for cats/kittens is $30 and dog/puppies is $55. They have had great success in other areas where they have opened these clinics.
The local no-kill shelters can say they are no-kill but they play a good game. They are not mandated to take in every animal brought to them. Their rejection rate is about 75%. That means that this 75% then goes to the spca that will take 100% of the animals brought to them.
I have seen many animals in this no-kill shelters just stuck in a kennel for the rest of its life if not adopted. Not all of them get the walks and socialization that they should, so there they languish.
The dog rescue group I work with deals strictly with the spca dogs. The shelter manager is always calling us asking for help. They will get a mom ready to give birth or who already has a newborn litter and they don't have the space for them. Or they have a dog that needs more medical attention than they can provide. Or it is an older dog that the owner just decide they didn't want anymore and wants the dog euthanized. Or it is a dog that a no-kill shelter has dropped off. We do our best to find foster placements.
We have had great success in helping these dogs find a home but it isn't easy.
To bad there isn't the perfect shelter that has endless amounts of money and plenty of volunteers. The perfect shelter would be able to expand whenever the population grows too big and just keep expanding with no limits.
Sorry we don't have such a shelter and never will.
You have a right to your opinion Lorla but no-kill works. The AAWL has been in the Phoenix community for 35 years and has proven that it works. I know of no organization that is no-kill that has stepped forward to say "go ahead and euthanize the animal because we don't have the space, room or time to deal with them." Most no-kills are more than willing to take as many animals as they can but it is very difficult. I'm willing to bet that if many of the no-kills had revenue that the AHS has then they wouldn't be forced to create waiting lists.
The AHS gets a lot of support monetarily so why can't they become no-kill? They get most of the media attention, they get a lot of donations from big corporations and support from the community so they certainly can join the no-kill community.
You ask who could take in all the animals that might get rejected, it's pretty easy. By networking together there is always a group that is willing. There is an easy solution to the problem which every group stresses and it's called spaying and neutering. If people simply spayed and neutered their animals, it would take a lot of pressure off the animal rescue groups. The problem is you still have idiots out there who refuse to listen to this. There also needs to be a law making spaying and neutering a requirement.
I think a no-kill world is indeed realistic. If it wasn't, there wouldn't be so many groups that are no-kill. If they had the same support financially that the AHS has then indeed a lot more animals could be saved. If the AHS did become no-kill, bottle baby kittens certainly wouldn't have to be euthanized and their network with the smaller groups would become much stronger. Believe it or not, the AHS does need these smaller groups around. If it wasn't for the smaller rescues then I don't think the AHS would be able to handle the load they have. According to the AHS, many no-kills have come to their assistance when called and they in turn have helped them. If the AHS became no-kill it would be unprecedented in this community and cheered by a lot of people.
Nitro, I never said that every group was perfect but I network with quite a few of the smaller rescues and they seem to agree that if more people knew and supported them then they could do a lot more. It's time the media and big business started showing more support for the no-kill rescues (of course Petsmart is an exception to this rule because I do know they give space in their stores every week to at least two no-kill groups).
It's a shame that when people think about animal rescue the first thing that comes to their mind is either AC&C or the AHS. They don't automatically think about the AAWL, Sun Cities 4PAWS, AzCATs, or any of the other no-kill or specialty rescues when it comes to saving animals or adopting.
The smaller groups and the no-kills deserve to be recognized and also supported a lot more than they have been. None of them ever get their own adoption show on a TV news station here in Phoenix nor do they ever get a yearly televised fundraiser, the AHS does. The smaller and no-kill rescues also haven't ever gotten their own series on a popular cable station like Animal Planet. It's time that the no-kills get their moment in the sun. I'd say it's long overdue.
My wish is that all animal welfare group supporters, employees, volunteers, etc. would do more to work together for the common cause. I was cornered at a company Christmas party (of all places) by a co-worker's wife who does volunteer work with a local TNR group. She felt it important to berate me in front of the entire office for being associated with a 'kill shelter' (her words). My response to her was that we were on the same team with a common cause.
I think all members of the animal welfare community can agree on the following:
1) We all wish that there was an end to euthanasia in this country;
2) We all wish that owners were responsible enough to spay and neuter, thus putting shelters out of business;
3) EVERY animal welfare organization needs monetary donations, not just the small ones and not just the large ones;
4) Working TOGETHER is the answer, thus focusing shared resources on what we want to accomplish - the end to euthanasia and animal overpopulation.
AC&C and AHS have the second and third highest intakes in the ENTIRE UNITED STATES. In first place is Los Angeles. Considering our population growth, I wouldn't be surprised if these 2 organizations soon occupy the first and second place slots.
If AHS was to become no-kill, where are all of the animals they are no longer able to take in supposed to go? Are the rescue groups equipped to absorb the 40,000 or so that would no longer be coming in to AHS?
Contrary to what anyone may believe, no-kills are not no-kill. There is a reason why these shelters are now starting to be called "limited admission". Personally, I would rather have people come adopt from AC&C or AHS given the volume of animals both intake.
Bottle babies are extremely difficult to foster. In my own circle (which consists of AHS, AzCATs and AAWL volunteers), I know of few who are able to invest the time needed to see these guys to that 2 pound/8 week mark. That's not even taking into consideration their fragile immune systems. I am a foster parent and speaking from experience, its often challenging enough to get a cat to recover from URI. My current one has been with me for almost 5 weeks.
AHS is not just the Phoenix metro area. They also have the Second Chance Center for Animals in Flagstaff...which by the way, is a limited admission shelter.
Contrary to what people think, money is not going to solve the pet overpopulation problem. Until all pets are spayed/neutered, backyard breeders are shut down and most of all, people stop thinking of their pets as disposable, euthanasia is something the animal welfare community will have to face.
I highly recommend that anyone involved in animal rescue view the documentary "Shelter Dogs". While I found it hard to watch, one of the questions it raises is whether its more humane for an animal to spend its lifetime in a shelter or to euthanize that animal.
