Gabriel Pilotti has faced his punishment on his animal cruelty conviction.
Judge Nagle a short while ago gave Pilotti 2 years probation, 90 days on a monitor, restitution $800 per dog, $1000 fine, no guns , 200 hrs community service.
I have thought about this long and hard, and a component of true justice is mercy. Did he show mercy to those dogs?
The answer of course is a resounding NO.
But given his age, although he may have deserved some jail time, I have to leave this to the experts, namely Judge Nagle and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
The greater punishment in my eyes is he has been branded by the courts and a jury of his peers as a dog murderer. He loses his guns too.
He is in a permanent jail of sorts the rest of his days because he has to live in a community that does not respect what he did.
So he can go to church and his born-again Christian glory all he wants, he is in the eyes of the public something else entirely.
His supporters have already begun to leave comments up here, and they’re calling this a victory. I am not sure exactly what it is they have won, and they should in all honesty consider it in reality more of phyrric victory.
Justice has been served, and Argus and Fiona did not die in vain.
Northumberland County was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties and named for the county of Northumberland in northern England. It’s pretty darn rural.
But they apparently also shoot dogs first there and ask questions later.
I don’t know anyone in Northumberland County, certainly don’t know this family named McNett who just lost their dog to a trigger happy gent named Wayne Van Blargan, but I am going to post about it anyway. The similarities between this and what happened to Argus and Fiona at the hands of Gabe Pilotti are just too creepy.
And this Van Blargan guy doesn’t even have the excuse of livestock, he just mowed this dog down and shot her in the back from 15 feet away. No reports of the dog attacking anything or being a menace. Just shot in the back which means much like the late great Fiona, this dog, named Rayne, was probably running away from this guy.
Rayne, a rescue German Shepherd, and family pet to four little children was only out 15 minutes. You know, pretty much like Argus and Fiona?
I am sick over this. I am tired of dogs just being shot basically for the hell of it in Pennsylvania. Only up there in Northumberland County is truly Pennsyltucky and I am afraid if there is not a public hue and cry that the judge might not care so much.
This poor dog doesn’t sound like she got out much and she deserved better. This poor dog triggered the outside lights at this house where this Van Blargan stays so he can’t say he did not know what he was shooting, can he?
They say charges will be filed against Van Blargan before District Judge Richard Cashman of Milton, PA . Milton PA is 50 miles north of Harrisburg, PA. The name of the town where this German Shepherd named Rayne was shot is called Watsontown and at the time of its formation this tiny borough was named for brothel owner John Watson. I don’t even think they have 3000 residents. It is supposed to be served by this local paper called Standard Journal but apparently this isn’t newsworthy to them.
However, other media outlets are interested and I think Argus & Fiona would like it if people paid it forward to now get Justice for Rayne. Pilotti gets sentenced later this month in Chester County, and you know how long it took the Bock family to get there. So if you are an animal lover, please pass this story along.
This shows the GLARING and ABSOLUTE need for better dog laws in PA. And this is not a gun rights issue, it’s a time to deal with fools who shoot dogs issue.
While Governor Tom Corbett is wasting our taxpayer dollars running around Pennsylvania in a homophobic anti-gay marriage snit, he could actually be doing productive things like protecting our dogs in Pennsylvania.
Lynda Schlegel Culver is the state rep that serves the township (Delaware) where Rayne was shot. John R. Gordner is the State Senator. Follow the hyper links for their contact information and flood their offices with a demand for action. And contact your own elected officials. There are too many parents having to explain to kids why family pets who were in perfect health aren’t coming home.
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP – A family in Northumberland County does not understand why their neighbor went to extremes and shot and killed their dog.
The German Shepherd wandered into the neighbor’s yard near Watsontown when it was shot.
The McNett family took in Rayne a few months ago as a rescue dog.
Not until early Wednesday morning did they have a problem with their neighbor who police said shot and killed Rayne, leaving the family heartbroken.
Kristy McNett remembered the last moments she saw the family pet before Rayne was shot and killed overnight near her home in the Watsontown area.
“About 15 minutes later I heard a couple of gunshots, and I heard the dog bark. I knew it wasn’t good,” said McNett.
Rayne got loose and wandered into a neighbor’s yard…. The dog set off motion lights, and investigators said Wayne van Blargan shot twice from a distance of 15 feet, killing the McNett family pet.
“I don’t know why. I don’t know what went on in his head to make him do that,” said McNett
Kristy McNett’s affectionate German shepherd accidentally slipped out of the family home on Wednesday near the Watsontown area of Pennsylvania and was allegedly shot by the next door neighbor according to a report by wnep.com.
McNett’s family, which includes four children, are absolutely heartbroken after Rayne, a dog they rescued just a few months prior, was shot at close range from a distance in the back, from not more than 15 feet.
Last September 11th I was up in a hot air balloon shaped like a flag floating over Chester County. This September 11th I spent all day in a court house.
Almost two hours ago the jury came back. Sorry for not posting sooner, but I wanted to sit and think a while. It has been a long time since February.
It was a long afternoon as we waited in the District Attorney’s Offices – which were a real kick to see! I have to say the Chester County District Attorney’s Office personnel were pretty darn amazing. They did not have to go out of their way to make us comfortable and they did. They allowed us to wait in a small conference room instead of just hanging in the hall all afternoon. On a brutally hot day with my friend Amy in a full boot cast, this was particularly nice. I met some really amazing people and even one of the working dogs handled by the Chester County Sheriff’s Department.
Anyway…..the verdict?
Guilty. Gabriel Pilotti wanted to be judged by a jury of his peers, and he was. And he was found guilty. Truthfully I think his defense team looked a bit surprised.
Case CP15 -CR-00010992013
Count 1 Cruelty to Animals (Argus) – Guilty
Count 2 Cruelty to Animals (Fiona) – Guilty
Sentencing is October 28th at 9 a.m. in front of Judge Ronald C. Nagle.
Assistant District Attorney Kevin Pierce really brought his A game to the closing. I could go into the back and forth nitty-gritty of the closing, but why? The verdict is what it is. I also understand that Mr. Pilotti will probably lose his weapon now? That is what I was told on my way out this evening.
Today justice was done for Argus and Fiona. To me this was also a big win in general for Pennsylvania’s dogs. A win for the dogs is much overdue.
I also want to thank Bud Haly who is on the board of the Chester County SPCA for stepping up and coming to court today. That gives me hope for that organization. Some people who are affiliated with the CCSPCA were mighty pissy that I even articulated someone should be there. Guess what? I wasn’t wrong and he said simply that he couldn’t NOTbe there. So I am glad one board member did the right thing.
I also want to thank West Vincent Chief of Police Michael Swininger and Officer Austin Russell. They were there with us, and as critical as I can be about West Vincent Township, these two gentlemen are stand up guys. And many thanks to the media who devoted time for this, especially print media. We all know they are stretched thin.
We were all very emotional when the verdict was read. Bill Bock just stood there for a moment not moving with tears in his eyes. That right there made all the crap we took for believing in Justice for Argus and Fiona worth it. This family can have peace and closure.
Run free over the Rainbow Bridge Argus and Fiona. You have your justice, sweet pups.
And some have asked if Pilotti can appeal. Well he can but whether or not he would get much traction? I simply don’t know. My guess would be not really.
We heard closing arguments this morning and the jury has been charged with the task at hand. The photo is a street scene in front of the courthouse. I realized when I was cropping it that the people standing outside there are Pilotti and his familial supporters. But there is no expectation of privacy in a public space, is there?
I mean what can I say? I am incredulous. While we sat in court, another damning article came out on the Chester County SPCA. Now every time an article comes out, the CCPCA and supporters cry foul. Only thing is this reporter always does her homework.
And when I was talking about the Chester County SPCA not sending anyone to the Argus and Fiona case in court the past two days (my personal opinion is they are afraid they will be questioned by reporters), this woman named Kris Keffer from York of all places rolled up on this blog in a comment and says how I am unprofessional and have a vendetta against the Chester County SPCA. Apparently she has lots to do with the Chester County SPCA.
I don’t know how she would judge from professional, her opinions on my blogging talents are par for the course when people disagree with my perspective, but I am not going to have someone tell me I have a vendetta against the Chester County SPCA. One of my best dogs ever came from the Chester County SPCA.
I am appalled and disturbed and quite frankly upset at all the bad things that keep getting unearthed about an organization I never, ever thought would have these issues. But they do.
My opinion (if you care) is there is a top down rottenness going on that would be solved by booting the president of the board and the board members he controls, getting the staff hired that they need, and getting back the good volunteers who felt they had to leave.
I also feel if the supporters of the SPCA don’t get a grip and deal with these issues a beloved institution may eventually cease to exist and how will that serve homeless pets and the community? Deal with the issues, quit saying they don’t exist. If they didn’t exist there would be nothing for the media to report on!
I am not out there personally destroying the Chester County SPCA but even I have heard things the past year that were most distressing. And that freaks me out because you can’t help but worry what would they do if they picked up your pet given what is going on?
And the part-time veterinarian stuff leaves me distinctly uncomfortable. Chester County is literally blessed with some of the best veterinarians in the country. Maybe if the SPCA was run a little differently they could attract some of these vets?
Mari Schaeffer is a very fine reporter and an outstanding human being. She is doing her job reporting the news. It’s a damn shame no one at the Chester County SPCA can apparently do theirs right now. This article is profoundly disturbing. And it is just not possible that all of this is just “made up”.
Any board member that won’t step up, should step off the board. And that includes Conrad Muhly.
Here is Mari’s article (please go to Philly.com and read whole thing – there are also photos):
Current and former staff and volunteers and a board member at the Chester County SPCA said recently that they had reported mistreatment and neglect of animals to shelter officials, but that their accounts were ignored or not addressed seriously.
Conrad Muhly, the board president, and other board members declined requests for comment on the allegations.
Another long and emotional day in West Chester. A bunch of us sat in support with Mary Bock and later Mary and Bill Bock (they both had to be released by the court as they had both testified the previous day).
Of course while we were sitting in court, lovely people were leaving messages like this on the Justice For Argus & Fiona Facebook page:
We have been receiving messages like this since the whole Justice for Argus & Fiona thing began. Some of them have been quite vile. We have chosen not to make a big deal out of it. But this message was just one too many today. Mr. Pilotti testified in court today to angry phone calls he received, and we did not condone that behavior any more than this behavior exhibited above.
Today Mr. Pilotti testified. He wore a very 1970’s looking light tan colored suit and a mauve-tinged shirt and a very loud tie.
Also today we heard from West Vincent Police Chief Swininger. The Chief and the ADA presented into evidence the entirety of Gabe Pilotti’s interview at the West Vincent Police Department in February (February 21, 2013 at 12:46 pm I believe was when this took place.) The jury and all in the courtroom listened to this 55 minute interview.
Interesting things today occurred with reference to the shooting including wasn’t Mr. Pilotti afraid he might hit his sheep with buckshot spray? And later in the afternoon the Judge asked Mr. Pilotti why he chose buck shot over bird shot?
There was much discussion about a prior incident when Mr. Pilotti shot a pit bull (maybe two, I am not certain.) In that 2012 incident (May, I believe) the dogs had taken down his neighbor’s animals. Mr. Pilotti did not lose any animals in that incident although I think it was said one of his animals had puncture wounds. I believe they said his neighbor suffered a loss of a few animals and a few injured in that 2012 incident. Mr. Pilotti also seemed to admit under oath that Argus & Fiona had not harmed any of his animals. There was much discussion about the dogs, how they were shot, where he was standing, so on and so forth.
Mr. Pilotti held up o.k. under questioning by his own attorney, but a good lawyer always preps their client. They went through his personal history after a fashion and discussed that he had kept sheep since the 1970s and he considered himself a shepherd to his flock.
The shepherd thing came up a lot. Like a theme or something. I like sheep and goats. Cows and chickens too. But I know it takes a lot to be a farmer. Some people aren’t farmers, they are more hobbyists. It is obvious he loves his animals. But the Bock family loved theirs too, right?
Mr. Pilotti did not seem to hold up as well under cross by the Assistant District Attorney. At times, he almost seemed argumentative or maybe just defensive, I couldn’t tell.
A couple of times during his time on the stand there were admonishments from the judge to Mr. Pilotti and to his attorney. But fair is fair and those of us in the peanut gallery were told to pipe down at the end of the day too.
One witness that was called by the defense was that guy who had walked Bill Bock over to Mr. Pilotti’s the day of the shooting – Dallas Definbaugh. He is Mr. Pilotti’s across the street neighbor I guess.
Several other character witnesses were called before the defense rested – A Linda Reichert (neighbor of a neighbor), Steve Hobbs the Pastor of the Vincent Baptist Church, a Bill Malenke (neighbor), the husband of a niece (?), a very pleasant gentleman on a cane, and two church members Shirley and Quenton Craft. It was nice to hear them say nice things, but it doesn’t in my mind negate what happened. What happened was wrong in my opinion, and I am allowed to have that opinion.
Then the defense rested.
The jury was interesting to watch during the day. They paid close attention and even asked for an audio recording to be played back so they did not miss anything.
This is a case that I am not certain what will happen in the end. We can only hope for the right thing, and that no matter how nice a guy is to go to church with or live across the street from, shooting puppies is not right. But no matter what, the case was heard before a judge and jury and to me that is a victory.
One thing I kept hoping for today was that when Mr. Pilotti was on the stand part of me hoped he would have apologized to the Bocks for shooting the dogs, but I guess that is just wishful thinking and only something that would have happened on TV? (this would make an interesting episode of Law & Order, though)
Tomorrow everyone closes and then the jury is charged with their most important task: to decide guilt or innocence.
Closing arguments will resume at 9:30 in courtroom 8 on the 7th floor in West Chester.
And while we were in court more came out about the current state of affairs at the Chester County SPCA. So it is a double dog posting day. Stay tuned.
I now understand why reporters say sometimes what they see in a court room haunts them. I will be haunted a long time by the crime scene photos which were shown of the slain Bernese Mountain Dog puppies Argus & Fiona.
The scene photos (I am not a police officer so I don’t know what to call them), were not intentionally gruesome, they were what they were. (We saw a photo of the shotgun too. It was not one that repeats, either, which means the buck shot had to deliberately reloaded, correct?) There seemed to be some sort of quiet sidebar conversation as in jury and audience could not hear) before the audience, judge, and jury saw the photos. I am thinking it had to do with the photos – but I don’t know for sure.
The photos – Argus lay there on the ground like he was shot in mid-flight. He seemed to be facing away from us. Then there was the photo of the female puppy Fiona. This photo made me cry (several things made me tear up this afternoon- so much was so hard to hear) it was so heart and gut wrenchingly awful. Fiona was curled in a semi fetal position staring at the camera with lifeless eyes. That is the photo I will see in my head for a long time it is so awful.
But back to the beginning. Three papers were there: Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily Local and Brandywine News Media. There were Argus and Fiona friends and family and supporters on one side and Gabe Pilotti had a mish mosh of people on his side. I never saw the man in person before today so I have no way of knowing who was family and who might have been church folk. I will note that whomever they are had minor children with them, who were in the room when the photos of the shot up dogs were displayed. Not to judge, but would you have wanted your children to see that? The smiling Pilotti from the mug shot was not present today.
Ramsey, Pilotti’s attorney referred to a “media campaign” over this issue. He seemed to make a lot of referrals to the Justice for Argus and Fiona Facebook Page and obliquely this blog (or in my opinion that is what it was) like we were all bad people for talking about this. Judge Nagle seemed to shut this commentary down on several occasions as being somewhat irrelevant to the case at hand.
Pilotti’s attorney was somewhat brutal with the Bocks. But that is a defense attorney doing their job I suppose. I do think the defense attorney was unnecessarily hard on Mary Bock in particular – asked her something like did she have remorse over the whole incident. My personal opinion was that asking something like that was gratuitously nasty. She was practically in tears having to relive parts of that awful day as it was.
Pilotti’s attorney seemed to make a big deal out of these neighbors of Pilotti’s that the Bocks used to be friendly with – people named Dallas and Kelley Definbaugh. I wonder, are those the people holding Pilotti’s gun? Anyway, it is not like it is some dirty secret. The couples used to be friendly, more from the wives knowing each other and kids being in same sections of classes at school. But that changed. The kids moved on into different groups and classes at school and the wives don’t hang out any more. So what? Do you keep in close contact with people with whom you no longer share any meaningful commonality? I don’t.
I wouldn’t know the Definbaugh people if I fell on them, and am just getting to know the Bocks, so I can only go with my gut. I like the Bocks. They are honorable people who experienced something so horrible. And when you see the photos of those dead puppies from that day and hear about how they were moved in a front end loader or a tractor or something to the township building the day they were shot, well let me tell you, you get a much more clear picture of how these people have suffered.
Remember this news report?
I also did not get why Pilotti’s attorney kept bringing up a letter that Mary Bock wrote to her neighbors after her dogs were shot. I mean get real, there are tons of kids out there and tons of people with dogs. If she wanted to tell her neighbors is that so wrong?
And Pilotti’s attorney wants to make a big deal out of this blog? I did not drive his client to shoot those dogs. And I am not condoning violence against his client, only like hundreds of others out there hoping for justice and a strengthening of Pennsylvania dog laws.
Today we heard from Officer Russell from West Vincent Police Department. He was the first on the scene and apparently present later when Pilotti was interviewed by police. He seems like a totally honorable and stand up guy. He also seems to be some sort of authority on fire arms and he spoke with some intelligence about the gun used – a 20 gauge single shot non repeating shot-gun with 9 pellet buck shot if I have it correctly.
Officer Russell recounted that fateful February day calmly with some degree of detail. He remarked that at the time (as in day of shooting) he found Pilotti’s answers “vague”. (his verbiage) . He reported that on the day of the shooting in front of the Police Chief he asked Pilotti for a written statement to assist in the investigation. He stated that Pilotti in his opinion seemed hesitant to do so, but eventually went back to his garage and sat down and compiled a “list”. Officer Russell also described seeing the dogs. He reported that Argus took a fairly direct hit to the head and the dog’s head was “kind of blown apart.” He described Fiona’s position (that I saw in the photos) and the blood coming out of her mouth and I believe he said on her paws. I will admit the photo of her so disturbed me that I could not get past the quasi fetal position and lifeless eyes staring at the camera.
District Attorney Tom Hogan appeared in court to watch for a while at approximately 3:45 p.m. That made people sit up and take notice – he is a busy guy so you know he can’t audit every court proceeding. I was thankful for his presence.
I stayed until just before the defense was going to cross-examine Officer Russell. People in the court room said that got out of hand. I remember before I left Officer Russell stating that they wanted to talk to Pilotti again because “something did not seem right.”
Pilotti’s attorney at one point referred to when Pilotti had shot dogs before, but West Vincent locals told me that those dogs were shot on a neighbors property because the neighbor’s animals were being mauled and is that not the truth? So that was something different from when Argus and Fiona were shot, huh?
And I have to ask (bearing in mind my limited knowledge of buck shot) but if Argus and Fiona were actually pursuing sheep why is it the audience and jury didn’t hear about injured sheep? Or see photos of bloodied sheep or dead sheep? I ask because as buck shot was explained today to everyone in that courtroom it sort of spreads or sprays out, right?
Watching the face of the jury all afternoon was quite interesting. That is all I will say on that.
Court continues tomorrow at the Criminal Justice Center in Downtown West Chester, PA. I strongly urge dog lovers to attend if possible. The Bock family and the memory of these puppies deserve our support in a peaceful way as an extended community. It is a public proceeding and the courtroom is open, not closed. You can go to all or part of tomorrow. Parking is not expensive in the new garage, either. You just park, go through the court screening and ask to be directed to Judge Nagle’s court (7th floor room 8 off the top of my head)
Today was deeply disturbing and very emotional. But I am glad I went. It makes me even more resolute than ever that dog laws need to change.
In a case that outraged animal-rights activists and generated national attention, a trial began Monday for a Chester County man charged with killing his neighbor’s dogs because he believed they posed a threat to his sheep.
Gabriel Pilotti, 73, of Chester Springs, was charged with cruelty to animals for shooting the two Bernese mountain dogs — 2-year-old Angus and 1-year-old Fiona — after they had escaped the fenced yard of their owners, Mary and William Bock….In his opening statement, Kevin Pierce, assistant district attorney said Pilotti willfully and maliciously killed the two dogs in cold blood and then left a voice message for a neighbor bragging about the incident……Argus was shot in the head as he trotted up toward Pilotti and that Fiona was shot as she ran away. Pilotti did not try to yell at the dogs or chase them away with a broom, he said.
“He choose to go to the most extreme measure first,” said Pierce.
Also noteworthy? The Chester County SPCA which is currently under fire in Chester County and beyond did NOT bother to show up today. I found that extraordinarily cowardly. They should have put the other stuff aside and shown up for the dogs. Good thing no one was depending on them for anything.
WEST CHESTER – Gabriel Pilotti, the 73-year-old West Vincent resident on trial for shooting two dogs that wandered onto his property, was portrayed in two different lights Monday as his case opened in the Chester County Justice Center.
To the prosecutor, Pilotti was a trigger happy man who shot first and asked no questions – taking the matter of dogs in his pasture to the “most extreme measure” by killing the two dogs without provocation.
“This is a simple case of a cold blooded killing of two family pets,” Assistant District Attorney Kevin Pierce told the nine women and three men on the jury in Senior Judge Ronald Nagle’s courtroom. He said the defendant “mowed down” one of the dogs as he “moseyed” toward him, and then reloaded his shotgun and shot and killed the second, younger dog as it ran from the yard.
It’s to be a very dog-centric week on this blog, apparently. The day of justice is nigh. We received word via the Bock family this morning that jury selection begins Monday, September 9th:
This odyssey began for me on February 19th when I saw a cross-post about these puppies who were shot on a friend’s Facebook page.
Then I heard this:
Since February we have suffered the ups and downs of this case with the Bock family. We have rallied and supported the family as a community. And as a community of Chester County residents and dog lovers it is time to come together PEACEABLY and show our support for the Bock family and in a PEACEABLE manner express our hopes for justice. We need justice so the family has closure.
That does NOT mean going anywhere near Gabe Pilotti, unless you don’t want him to face a judge and jury of his peers and be held accountable? Unless you want him to become the victim in this tragedy in place of the true victims: the Bock family and two deceased Bernese Mountain Dog puppies.
Two years after the Chester County SPCA turned down an offer to sell 20 acres of the nonprofit’s land to West Bradford Township for a public park, the shelter’s board has agreed to sell the land to a real estate partnership in which board president Conrad Muhly is a principal….
Muhly is a principal member in Embreeville Redevelopment, a limited partnership that has an agreement of sale to purchase the CCSPCA’s unused acreage at West Strasburg Road and Shagbark Drive.
The land abuts the 245-acre Embreeville State Hospital parcel that the partnership purchased from the state for $1.05 million in the spring for potential development.
Many thanks to reporters like Mari Schaefer who continue to follow this story. Conrad Muhly should step down immediately. Is it just me or is his involvement in this whole land thing a conflict of interest as a CCSPCA Board Member, let alone President of said board? As a matter of fact he and any board member that are truly interested in the best interests of a non-profit shelter with a venerable history, should step aside and allow fresh faces and fresh perspectives to step in. And where is Jim Jones the Controller of the CCSPCA in all this? Some say he should be spoken to?
Mr. Muhly was undoubtedly chosen for his board role at CCSPCA because I imagine he is a wealthy man. When you look him up on PA’s publicly searchable corporation data base you come up with what I assume are familial construction entities and then an internet search shows something called “Terra”. Don’t know much about it, found it on his LinkedIn profile.
Now this whole issue in West Bradford stems around this Embreeville Redevelopment, and here is their page off the searchable corporations database:
For decades, the hundreds of acres of land that stretch between the villages of Embreeville and Romansville in West Bradford served the needs of Chester County citizens, as the location of a poorhouse, a state hospital for the developmentally disabled, and as the spot of a state police barracks.
Since the late 1980s, it has been less and less of a vibrant place, and now stands as a forlorn reminder of past uses…..the idea that the land would be the perfect place for a housing project with more than 1,000 units would be a call for a disaster.
Apparently we have the Commonwealth of PA (you know, the people who can’t seem to get their collective act together where dog laws are concerned and other things?) to thank for selling this property, and West Bradford has a page dedicated on their website to just this topic. As an aside I wonder if parts of this property might be creepy a la Pilgrim State Hospital in New York on Long Island that I took some photos of this summer.
Anyway, back to the dogs. Seems to me that the shelter dogs and animals are not thought of in this land equation much are they? Ironically the Treasurer of the CCSPCA mentioned in the Inquirer article and who also did not return calls was honored by the CCSPCA in June as Volunteer of the Year (see the pretty picture below?) as per the Unionville Times:
Here is hoping the Chester County SPCA can jettison all this trouble and get back to what they are about: the rescue and re-homing of neglected, abandoned animals. This controversy in my opinion only continues to tarnish their reputation and eventually will make people want their non-profit status evaluated for any number of reasons. And that, ladies and gentlemen, cats and dogs would be a horrible thing to have happen.
And a note to those like “birdiegirl” who like to roam around flapping their keyboards in quasi anonymous glory on websites covering this, sunshine is a bitch when it happens which is why no one can ever hide this stuff forever. Please stop running around crying fowl and actually put your energy to better use by telling the CCPSCA to get it together. They caused this, not anyone else. And if they did their recent inspection truly and honestly, I am glad they passed.
Dog rescue is an emotional business. Want to see people get up in arms quickly? Talk about animal rescue and shelters. So that being said, some are not going to like that I am posting about the Chester County SPCA.
The Chester County SPCA has a fabulous history. One of my most favorite rescue dogs ever, an English Springer Spaniel named Winston came home from there. But like every other animal rescue place time in memoriam, apparently the Chester County SPCA is having some fairly serious issues.
The Chester County SPCA has exploded all over the news in the past few days or so much like the Delaware County SPCA did a few years ago. I am not surprised because very early on in the summer I heard some really upsetting things about the Chester County SPCA. Is it true they are NOT scanning animals for micro chipping and are in a lot of cases just shipping animals down to Philadelphia? I find that personally distressing because why are we micro chipping and licensing pets if no one is really going to try to use these things to identify our animals if god forbid they get lost?
The Inquirer broke news that Chester County SPCA volunteers said the shelter had turned into a “kill factory”. If it had been anyone other than Amy Worden and Mari Schaeffer (whose article first appeared) breaking this news I might be very skeptical. But these women know their stuff. So is it true?
And the stories leaking out are of volunteers and shelter employees being punished and/or shown the door for questioning things? And even board members are talking?
I personally am very concerned because if the Chester County SPCA doesn’t quit trying to muzzle people and deal with its issues they will have real problems which may cause them to have serious, serious issues in the long run. I will say I realize and accept that not every dog and cat can be saved. However, that being said, if they are taking the money to pay for the saving, then the Chester County SPCA needs to open up and be honest. I figure because they take public money they might be subject to right to know requests?
Sign me worried and disappointed and see below for what is in the media and so on.
Like it or not, something is going on because TOO many media sources are writing. And a blog I never saw before has cropped up – Justice For Chester County Animals:
Theresa Duffy, former volunteer, wrote this on July 28, when she was still a core dog walking volunteer and a member of the Dogs on Tour team.
Board of Directors
The Chester County SPCA 1212 Phoenixville Pike West Chester, PA 19380
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am currently a volunteer at CCSPCA. Until recently, I was a regular face at the shelter, spending as much time as possible there walking dogs and having the pleasure of getting to know their individual personalities.
I am writing to you to express my concern for the well being of the animals that reside in this shelter. I feel this is a matter of urgency and requires your attention. My observations are detailed as follows:
The absence of an operations manager is apparent. I hope you are actively and aggressively seeking to fill this position with a qualified individual. There is no evidence of that in the job openings section of the CCSPCA website or a search conducted on the internet.
It is clear the shelter is under-staffed in the kennel specifically. On several occasions, fellow volunteers and I have cleaned up the dog pens and ensured water was replenished. I never minded doing it, but it speaks to the need for more attention to detail. Potential adopters may turn away due to offensive odor. Also, I’m sure you wouldn’t want someone conclude that the animals were not given fresh water at all times.
Regarding the health of certain animals, I have observed that some animals’ conditions do not appear to improve over time and then they are suddenly missing. Veterinary attention is a basic need for the health of these animals. I have heard rumblings that veterinary care was being reduced as a cost cutting measure for shelter. I understand the shelter is not a sanctuary, but euthanizing a dog when an antibiotic could have spared its life, is reprehensible.
The shelter is losing long standing solid contributing volunteers for 2 reasons. First, they are being fired because they care too much. The policy states that a volunteer cannot question euthanasia decisions. Volunteers give of our time because we care, asking us to ignore that is impossible. Enforcing shelter policy related to volunteers specifically should require the use of some compassion. The situation with Leslie Celia could have been handled with much more respect and understanding rather than inflaming an already emotionally charged situation. Second, they are leaving out of disgust specifically due to Deb Murray. As volunteer coordinator I believe she’s actually going out of her way to deter volunteers from participating. She removes Facebook posts that she deems inappropriate when in actuality, that’s the only place we can share information and learn from each other. She is rarely present at the shelter and when she is, doesn’t participate in walking dogs. Therefore, she doesn’t know their personalities, or needs. How can this individual be in charge of volunteers?
I am also wondering why the dogs park days have been eliminated. The importance of these informal outings shouldn’t be diminished. These animals are given so little time in the fresh air, that a good long walk, in normal surroundings benefits their mental well being. Additionally, some critical learning’s about the dogs behaviors help to inform potential adopters of any special needs. Please consider reinstating this as soon as possible.
Michele Amendola’s absence is noticeable. Not one dog, that I am aware of, has gone to rescue since she began medical leave. Have you discontinued trying to move these animals and spare their lives? Also, what happened to the satellite adoption centers for the cats? Didn’t that program move over 40 animals to families?
I am a volunteer specifically for the CCSPCA for a variety of reasons. The Mission and Vision contribute to it. If these values have changed, please let me know.
Animal lovers are speaking out about treatment of pets at the Chester County SPCA, including dogs put down for minor health problems and a majority of cats getting a one-way ticket to the euthanasia room.
Volunteers say the shelter in the state’s richest county has become a “kill factory.”
It is a regional hub for taking in stray dogs and cats, but the Chester County SPCA shelter has become a “kill factory,” say SPCA volunteers, a former board member, and ex-staff members.
They blame ineffective board leadership, unfilled senior management positions, and a clash of ideologies for a significant rise in euthanasia numbers.
When Dave Schlott picked up a stray dog in Chester, Delaware County, last Monday, he was enamored of its personality.
Found on a porch, the dog was frail, but not starved. A homeowner had been feeding it, and it seemed friendly. It also showed signs of physical abuse.
Schlott is filling in as the city’s animal control officer for a few weeks after having retired from that position last year. The reason he gave for retiring was the county’s then-new contract with the Chester County SPCA to take in all of Delaware County’s stray animals.
Schlott had been in the business for many years with contracts for 15 Delaware County towns and he didn’t want to have to make multiple trips a day to the West Chester area facility.
The reason he gave for not taking this particular dog, which has been named Gretchen, is that he is concerned with reports from former volunteers and employees in Chester County that the SPCA’s euthanasia rates have skyrocketed since it started taking in Delaware County’s strays.
“They seem to be overwhelmed by the number of animals they’re getting in,” Schlott said. “I was determined to save at least this dog.”….A group of current and former workers at the Chester County SPCA have banded together to try and change what they deem as unsatisfactory policies and practices regarding the euthanization of animals….The volunteers and staff members say that the influx of animals from Delco has overwhelmed the Chester County SPCA.
“Every staff member said we can’t handle this,” said Kaity Dempsey, who worked at the shelter for seven years. She was fired from her position as rescue coordinator nine months ago.
“They just said we’ll take your money,” said Jen McCreary, a former volunteer who fosters animals. She stopped volunteering in May because of her issues with the organization’s leadership.
Rich Britton, spokesperson for the Chester County SPCA, declined to talk about euthanasia numbers Friday. He instead highlighted the issue of animal overpopulation…One of the chief complaints from the former workers is the lack of qualified people in leadership positions. The shelter is currently searching for an executive director, which is traditionally a person who oversees the day-to-day operations of a facility. That search has been ongoing for several months after a handful of short-lived interim managers.
“They’ve never had any leadership,” said a former employee who asked not to be named because they aren’t permitted to speak about the shelter’s operations. “It’s been nine months since the last operations manager. But the executive director is the big piece that’s missing. That’s your fundraising.”
“They need to hire day-to-day management,” said a current volunteer who asked not to be named because they didn’t want to be barred from the shelter
Posted by Bob Byrne (Editor) , August 11, 2013 at 11:41 AM
The Chester County SPCA has a message for pet owners who may no longer be able to care for their pets: Please try to find a new home for your pet before bringing it to the SPCA.
