Multnomah County's (Portland, Or) idiotic counter productive animal control policies

To: Kim Peoples

     The Multnomah County Commission

     Portland City Council

 

Repeatedly it has been brought to your attention ( the correspondence and documentation in the following August e-mail is only one of many) that Multnomah County's regressive,ineffective cruel animal control agency preys upon the public, issuing threats, fines and excessive penalties often accompanied by the seizure, suspension of ownership and the killing of companion animals for correctable often quite minor offenses.The homeless are often charged as in a recent case $1500  in fines and effectively denied legal representation by being denied information that pro bono legal services are available. Minorities are accused of faking their ignorance of English. Multnomah County sponsors government  animal abuse because of the laziness  and indifference of Multnomah County government when it pertains to animals. Multnomah County government  protects the comfort of long term employees not public service

 

Attached above is another set of tickets: " we are forcing surrender of your dog" ( almost always for correctable minor offenses); "one more time and we will force the surrender of your dog." virtually always meaning killing. Never once does MCAS work with the public to solve problems.They have no owner diversion programs; offer no prevention and education; and  exist in a culture  that  quite commonly operates above or outside the law, relying exclusively upon primitive threats, excessive fines, and punishments that solve nothing and only inflict alienation and pain.  That is what bullies do, govenrment sponsored. They are always on vacation and  absent/ impossible to reach: "Telephone hours are not currently ( or ever) available.". Sometimes the entire upper management is out at the same time. .

 

The fact that Multnomah County has not  responded to or addressed these problems (always in meetings; deaf to public service) is the final insult to the citizens of this community.

 

What does it take to for this government to work? 

 

What is wrong with Multnomah County's representatives?

 

And what does it take to get new government officials who care and act upon compassion, decency and common sense and a real commitment to public service?

 

We need those officials now.

 

    

 Gail O'Connell-Babcock, Ph.D.
Citizens for Humane Animal Legislation/Watchdog
16004 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road, # 508

Sherwood OR 97140

Telephone: 503.625.4563

 

 

Sent: Mon, Aug 12, 2013 2:39 pm
Subject: Multnomah County's idiotic counter productive animal control policies: failing the community

    To:  Michael Oswald

           Kim Peoples, Department of Community Services

           Officer Charles Poetz

           Jeff Cogen, County Chair

           Multnomah County Commission

           Portland City Council

   CC: Robert Babcock

 

Multnomah County idiotic counter productive enforcement practices continue to fail animals and the community

 

Attached find examples of the worlds worst enforcement policies practiced daily by Multnomah county animal control officers whose only tools (“corrective” actions) are escalating threats, punishment, fines and extorted consent. It takes no training or education to engage in threats. Tantrum tickets (next time I’ll get you” a favorite of a number of officers and the agency as a whole) don’t solve problems, they create them. Why fund such primitive appalling behavior?

When you threaten citizens over incidents instead of helping find resources to solve problems you are a very high cost pointless item in the county budget.  If recidivism occurs it is because you failed in your “corrective” actions to find a genuine solution. I am going to post the best “blah, blah I am going to get you next time” tickets every week. For an explanation of what is wrong with MCAS enforcement along with “corrective” solutions read the essay posted below.

For today the litany of threats by Officer Cherry (see attachment) is the ticket of the week:

“Any new dog bite incidents will result in a suspension of ownership request. Quarantine will be required to take place at the shelter and Roscoe will be kept at the shelter pending the appeal hearing decision or a default finding.”

Where presumably Roscoe will read about the fates of errant dogs while in solitary confinement “Security” (allowed 15 minute visits and a visit from the priest). Intelligent communities have dog owner diversion programs, education and mediation. We are stuck with regressive bullying and an “unhealthy/untreatable” system that works for no one: man or dog.

Gail O’Connell-Babcock

Telephone: 503.625.4563