Paw Protectors Rescue

10/06/2024

Animal Advocacy at its finest right here!

10/05/2024

Kristen Hassan and her ridiculous 2.4 million dollar contract for 26 months of consulting services with Riverside County Animal Services has caught the attention of Nathan Winograd and the No Kill Advocacy center.

We don't always agree with Nathan Winograd but Winograd is spot on here.

The Animal Advocates and residents of Riverside County showed up in force yesterday, over 100 people to protest the contract with Kristen Hassen.

In the news: Animal advocates demand an end to Riverside’s $2.45 million boondoggle.

Rescuers and other animal advocates turned out in droves to protest, demanding that Riverside County cancel its $2.45 million “consulting” contract with Kristen Hassen. Hassen is seen by many as an excuser of regressive pounds, a defender of their abusive directors, and a contributing cause of many of the problems experienced by the Riverside County pound she was then hired to “fix.”

At Austin Pets Alive, Hassen was one of the chief architects and promoters of Human Animal Support Services (HASS), urging “shelters” to make pandemic-era closures permanent by turning away stray animals. She also sat on the National Animal Control Association board, which encouraged shelters to re-abandon animals people found on the streets.

These policies manipulate intake and placement rates by abandoning the fundamental purpose – indeed the very definition – of a shelter: to provide a safety net of care for lost, homeless, and unwanted animals. Under HASS, “Intakes of healthy strays and owner surrenders doesn’t exist anymore,” and there is “No kennel space for rehoming, stray hold or intake.” Instead, the community — whose taxes and donations already pay for shelters — is expected to pick up the slack (hence the euphemism “community sheltering”).

Care for homeless and stray animals is left to chance: people who find animals are told to take them into their own homes until their families are located or leave them on the street. According to HASS, the “hope” is that the lost animal “finds its way back home.” Such hope is misplaced. Indeed, for many animals, it proves fatal.
While at APA, Hassen also promoted or defended abusive pound directors, helped form a committee to shield directors from public accountability, defended the killing of healthy and treatable dogs and cats, and promoted authors and their books that disparage rescuers and shelter volunteers, perpetuate harmful stereotypes of women and people of color, defend dogfighters, and promote the killing of marine mammals.

https://news.nathanwinograd.org/p/this-week-in-animal-protection-089?utm_source=substack&publication_id=340487&post_id=149777078&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=1n0u8n&triedRedirect=true

News and headlines for September 21 - October 4, 2024

09/30/2024

NBC Palm Springs' Fred Roggin's Roggin Report has exposed a shocking $2.5 million contract between Riverside County Animal Services and consultant Kristen Hassen (Outcomes for Pets Consulting).

This contract must be quashed.
LA, Dallas and Riverside are all HASS.

Kristen Hassen has also been involved with Los Angeles Animal Services as of recently.

It's imperative that restricted intake is stopped across our state and country we cannot let these fringe groups take over.

District 1: Kevin Jeffries

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1010
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

District 2: Karen Spiegel

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1020
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

District 3: Chuck Washington

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1030
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

District 4: V. Manuel Perez

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1040
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

District 5: Jeff Hewitt

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1050
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

General Contact Information:

•⁠ ⁠Phone: (951) 955-1000
•⁠ ⁠Email: mailto:[email protected]
•⁠ ⁠Address: 4080 Lemon St, 5th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501

Riverside County Animal Services has hired consultant Kristen Hassan for $2.5 million before filling the director role. Hassan, who specializes in animal shelter strategies, signed a 26-month contract to implement a comprehensive plan. Critics question the decision, citing Hassan’s controversial p...

09/11/2024

Today, we remember the brave souls of 9/11, including the incredible rescue dogs who worked alongside first responders.

Over 300 dogs took part in the search, rescue and recovery efforts at ground zero.

These dogs worked alongside their handlers for weeks on end after the attacks.

These brave animals worked tirelessly alongside rescue teams, helping to search for survivors and providing comfort to those in need.

Images of these dogs working tirelessly captured hearts and minds all over the world.

Their contributions deserve to be remembered, not just for what they did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, but for the lasting impact they’ve had on the world of working dogs.

09/03/2024

These dogs deserve respect and honor!

08/22/2024

It’s a good start!

Fourteen cities across Orange County contract with OC Animal Care for patrol services and pet licensing.

The project also calls for more opportunities to receive feedback from the general public and mentions creating an annual internal review process for the shelter to continue evolving.

“Through this review, OCAC not only celebrates its successes but also acknowledge areas where the organization can improve,” reads the project description. “Learning from experiences, both accomplishments, and challenges, allows OCAC to refine strategies, optimize resources, and continuously enhance its ability to serve the community effectively.”

The project is still open and contractors can submit proposals until Sept. 5.

The county-run animal shelter in Tustin is looking to update its strategic plan and see how it can improve.

08/21/2024

Riverside County Department of Animal Services Is Being Sued!

The local residents are asking for the permanent removal of Erin Getttis as director.

RCDAS director Gettis who at one time was a Best Friends and HASS minion, this is just more proof that the Best Friends and HASS shelter modeling does not work.

Local residents, represented by the Walter Clark Legal Group, have filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court against Riverside County, accusing the county of failing to meet humane standards of care in its animal shelters.

The lawsuit demands adherence to the Hayden Act, which protects shelter animals, and calls for the removal of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis.

The suit highlights disturbing conditions in the shelters and the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable animals.

Riverside County has 30 days to respond.

There are new developments in the on-going controversy with the Riverside county animal shelters. A formal lawsuit has been filed by local residents who say the county has been negligent in incorporating "No-kill" policies and has failed to meet humane standards of care.

08/19/2024

Breaking News:

We can confirm that LA Animal Services General Manager Staycee Dains is Out!

Dains is Gone!

We can not say anything else at this time and we will update when we can.

Dains lasted almost 14 months and her tenure as LA Animal Services General Manager was disastrous!

Thank you to all the LA animal advocates and rescuers that continually spoke up and shone a spotlight on the crisis that was happening in their city shelters.

Yet some “animal advocates” and “independent cat trappers” in name only,
praised Dains and pointed to LA Animal Services as a model shelter. LMAO!!

Real Animal Advocacy Works!! 💪💪👊🏼👊🏼

Here are some recent articles regarding Dains.

Top leadership in flux at troubled L.A. Animal Services department as general manager takes unexplained leave.

The general manager of the troubled Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is taking a two-month leave of absence and the department’s board president is out following a tumultuous board meeting last month.

At the same time, a new internal report on conditions at two shelters has found some “failures of appropriate care” that are “deplorable and inexcusable by any reasonable standard.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-16/l-a-animal-services-manager-on-leave

LA Animal Services in crisis as general manager goes on unexplained leave

LAAS officials have not replied to questions about Dains' leave of absence, and it was not clear when or even if she would return.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/la-animal-services-in-crisis-as-general-manager-goes-on-unexplained-leave/3490333/?amp=1

LA Animal Services Updating Shelter Policies After Dog Attacks Longtime Worker

https://laist.com/news/la-animal-services-updating-shelter-policies-after-dog-attacks-longtime-worker

08/18/2024

Meanwhile over at LA City Animal Services:

Thank you for running this story NBC LA, we need to keep these bad animal Shelter Directors in the spotlight.

A Huge thank you to all the LA Animal Rescuers and Animal Advocates that never stopped being the voices for the LA City Animal Shelter animals.

The previous animal shelter director before Dains was pretty bad and Dains is even worse than that.

Dains has failed the communities and animals time and time again.

Dains has falsely claimed that LA City Animal Services is No Kill.

Dains has done nothing for the dogs being abused and bred on skid row.

Real Animal Advocacy Works. 💪💪👊🏼👊🏼

General Manager Staycee Dains is on an unexplained two-month leave of absence and the recently named president of the department’s board has left his position after chairing just one meeting.

08/16/2024

Breaking News!

Senator Janet Nguyen’s is dead.

Just found out!! It died in appropriations!

It did not move out of suspense today!!

The tide is turning!!

Previously the CA Senate Appropriations Committee removed the section of that would have amended our abandonment law (597s) to exempt cats from protection.

To remind all, quite a few animal advocates and rescues opposed because it did not require Shelters to collect data on animals turned away at shelter doors!

It would have allowed the shelters to continue their false narrative of their live release rates.

Better luck next time CalAnimals and their minions.

A million thanks to the real animal advocates and all who made calls, wrote emails, shared info with friends, spoke at the Capitol, sent us stories, this is huge, and WE WON.

Real Animal Advocacy Works! 👊🏼👊🏼💪💪