To all Animal Lovers,
Animal rescue partners of mine from the Moses Lake, WA area have contacted me with very disturbing news regarding the new manager of the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society (MLGCHS), Theresa Parker. I have spared you the grisly details regarding her handling of the shelter animals, and will let the letter below speak for itself.
We collectively have the voice to change this sad news into a happy ending. I am asking you to please copy the letter below, and e-mail it to the addressee, (Moses Lake – Grant County Humane Society), and to all of the other agencies cc:’d on the letter. Feel free to make changes to the letter’s wording, as long as the facts are kept straight.
Here are the logistics for e-mailing the letter:
Copy the letter below to a new blank e-mail. Make wording changes if you would like to personalize it. Then add the e-mail address for the MLGCHS in the “To:” line of the e-mail, then all of the cc addresses on the “cc” line.
Add your own subject title. Be sure to add your name, address, and e-mail address to the bottom of the letter.
I believe that once the MLGCHS Board of Directors receives our e-mails, and realizes that concerned people all over Washington State and beyond are speaking out for the innocent animals at their shelter, they will do the right thing and terminate Ms. Parker’s employment.
As always, I am grateful for all that you do on behalf of the animals. We could not have found homes for all the now happy dogs without the continued support of each and every one of you. Every animal available flyer that you forward gives one more animal one or more possible chances of finding a secure and loving forever home. Please pass this e-mail on and ask your friends to take action. The more contacts that you can send to in eastern Washington, the better!
Thanks, Ginger
gingerluke@comcast.net
www.gingerspetrescue.org
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March 23, 2007
To: Moses Lake - Grant County Humane Society Board of Directors
C/O Barb Jacobs, dnarules@moseslake-wa.com
Cc: The Humane Society of the United States, membership@hsus.org
Moses Lake City Council, C/O mivory@ci.moses-lake.wa.us
Grant County Commissioners, C/O ccarter@co.grant.wa.us
Grant County Journal, grantcountyjournal.com
KXLY News, janeto@kxly.com
KREM 2 News, swalstrom@krem.com
The Venue Magazine, info@thevenuemag.com
I am writing to request that you immediately fire Theresa Parker, the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society (MLGCHS) shelter manager, and that you ask the authorities to prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law for cruelty to animals.
Reliable and trusted sources have informed me of the exceptionally cruel and inhumane methods that Ms. Parker has employed consistently at the shelter. The following are the facts that I have been informed of:
Within two weeks of Ms. Parker's employment, an employee cited concerns to Board members. These concerns included the fact that Ms. Parker euthanized healthy, highly adoptable animals before giving them any opportunity to be adopted. They were euthanized even though in many cases they had been at the shelter only a few days, were healthy, did not have behavior issues, and the shelter was not overcrowded at the time. In one case, a mother dog that had given birth only two days prior and her entire litter of eight healthy puppies were euthanized. Even after being told of the shelter’s historical success rate of puppy adoptions, Ms. Parker stated that one or two puppies would be kept out of incoming litters, and the rest would be immediately euthanized. She told the employee that she didn’t want more than three puppies at the shelter at one time. This employee was initially suspended, then terminated for contacting the Board with her concerns.
A second employee who has quit the shelter because of Ms. Parker told Board members that Ms. Parker's euthanasia methods are unnecessarily cruel and that animals suffer before death due to her incompetent handling of them. Ms. Parker told the employee that her euthanasia technician certification had expired. The employee witnessed her using the "Belly Popping" and “Heart Stick” euthanasia methods on fully conscious and terrified incompetently restrained animals. She witnessed dogs running around the room, hunched up and screaming in pain for 5 to 10 minutes before the brutally injected euthanasia drug took effect.
A third employee has also quit their job at the shelter due to Ms. Parker’s abusive handling, and lack of respect for the animals.
After hearing the above reports of employees, your MLGCHS Board president, Harmony L.A. White, along with three other board members resigned from the Board on March 12, 2007 because the Board refused to take corrective action to end the inhumane management of the shelter at the hands of Ms. Parker. Since then, another Board member has resigned for the same reasons.
The Petfinder.com website MLGCHS home page listing states that it is an “organization committed to the humane treatment of all animals. We are dedicated to the prevention of fear, pain, neglect, and suffering. Through our affiliation with the Washington State Federation of Humane Societies and the Humane Society of the United States we remain active in supporting local, state, and federal legislation pertaining to animal welfare. The Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society is active with rescue foundations and organizations in Washington State to try and place animals that have not been adopted and/or are not eligible for adoption”.
It is obvious that Ms. Parker is not maintaining the standards identified in the above paragraph, and neither are you. You are complicit partners with Ms. Parker because you have failed to terminate her employment and have failed to maintain the standards of your shelter.
Even though Ms. Parker is currently not allowed to euthanize animals, her cold-hearted abuse and lack of respect for the MLGCHS animals should not be tolerated. I request that you not only immediately terminate Ms. Parker’s employment and advocate her prosecution for animal cruelty, but that you also reestablish sensible and logical euthanasia standards that allow for all adoptable MLGCHS animals to have a reasonable chance to find homes before being euthanized.
Additionally, any shelter employee that has been unfairly fired by Ms. Parker, or who has quit their job because of her should be contacted and offered their position back. No one should ever be penalized for speaking out on behalf of those who can not speak for themselves.
Your name
Your full address including zip code, and your e-mail address
