Font ResizeA group of around 20 volunteers have also objected to the disappearance or reduction this year of several programs that involve volunteers such as training classes, volunteer-run outreach events, bake sales, kennel enrichment and playgroups.
"Rancho Cucamonga is capable of so much more," volunteer Susan Keithly said.
"We should have the goal of no kill and in order to achieve that, we've got to promote these dogs. We've got to take these dogs out of the shelter and get them promoted in more events."
Veronica Fincher, who took over as shelter director last year, said because Rancho Cucamonga is an open-admission shelter - it takes in all stray, abandoned or surrendered animals within the city - keeping animals from being euthanized is a challenge.
"Some shelters are what they call limited admission shelters, which have the ability, when they don't have space in the kennels or if they don't feel an animal is adoptable, to say, `I'm sorry, we can't take that animal.' Open admission shelters like Rancho don't have that ability. No matter what comes through our doors, if it's from our city, we have to take it in, no matter what the circumstances are," Fincher said.
She said her goal in taking over leadership of the animal shelter
"Our fundraising efforts are increasing and that's been great because we've been able to put those funds right back into the community. We had a low-cost microchip program where 250 dogs and cars were micro-chipped and if they come into the center, we're able to get them back home instead of having to take care of them."
Much of the contention has been centered on what volunteers believe is a direction away from a no-kill goal for the center.
"When the center was built several years ago that was the intention," volunteer Lynn Wiese said.
"It is just another `animal control' facility. Nothing innovative or educational is being done to help the animals at the center and make sure that they find homes. The vast pool of people that would like to volunteer to help animals at the center is not being cultivated, and, in fact, the current director has made the atmosphere there very volunteer hostile."
However, Fincher says most programs have not been eliminated, videos still exist and fundraising and outreach efforts are ongoing.
"We're still doing playgroups and we're still doing videos. We have different forms of kennel enrichment. The bake sales were a program that the volunteers put together, and we just haven't had the opportunity to do it," Fincher said. "We are in conversation with a local training group to partner with us and develop training classes that should kick off some time in September."
Councilman Bill Alexander acknowledged a difference of opinion between some of the volunteers and leadership.
"I know we have some people that may have left because of the differences of opinion, but at least from what I have seen, at this point, the director is making every effort to bring people together to adhere to the no-kill commitment as much as humanly possible," Alexander said.
Volunteers have especially cited several shelter programs vital in 2011 that are disbanded including training classes, volunteer organized and manned off-site adoption/out-reach events, volunteer workshops and pit bull promotions with large dog play groups being greatly reduced.
"What happened to all of the regular promotions and trainings the volunteers organized and/or participated in?" said volunteer Jennifer Corso.
"A lot of the programs that have been very successful in the past have now been eliminated and if they are to ever return they are to be organized and ran by staff whom have never been involved in the past and who are already on a very tight schedule to begin with.
"Our product (homeless animals) are at the mercy of a facility who relies heavily on walk-ins with very minimal advertising, we need to make a change for the better and continue to save lives the best we can."
Dana Keithly is concerned with the stricter time limits in place at the shelter for animals, whether they are adoptable or not.
"The number of rescues we were working with has also been cut," she said. "Several volunteers have been trying to work with the director and the city manager for the past eight months to ask and understand why these changes are being made, and we are unable to get a straight answer."
Volunteers agree that the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Adoption Services is better than many other shelters, but are saddened because they are an under-utilized, no-cost resource being overlooked.
"There is not enough being done to educate the public about the animals' plight and the problems with the shelter being so full," Wiese said. "If the public knew that perfectly healthy animals, who are not suffering, were dying because of space perhaps they would step up and do something to help."
Fincher said the facility was designed in the 1990s, when the city population was much smaller than it is today. The shelter, she said, wasn't designed to accommodate the numbers of animals being taken in.
"Reaching out to the community and getting community programs together and reducing the amount of animals that come into the center, it helps tremendously to have more resources for the animals here, to get them adopted and that's where we're going," she said.
"We can follow our mission of building the community where every pet finds a home, but it's really hard to be a truly no-kill facility if you're an open door facility."
Before an animal is euthanized, Fincher said, all options are exhausted, which means outreach to rescue organizations, support shelters, and networking with the public. Often times, decisions to euthanize an animal are based on the dog or cat's ability to adjust to kennel life, adoptability, and safety for prospective adopters, Fincher said.
"We don't have any set time frame (for euthenasia), so we treat every animal as an individual," Fincher said. "Really that depends on their behavior and their medical condition when they come in and how they're kenneling in the center."
The center will host a Furry Friends Festival and Pet Walk-a-Thon outreach event on Oct. 6, where visitors can find pet food vendors, contests, demonstrations, educational material, family activities and prizes.
For more information about the center, or to help, call 909-466-7387 or visit the facility at 11780 Arrow Route.
Reach Neil via email, call him at 909-483-9356, or find him on Twitter @InlandGov.
Reach Diana via email, or call her at 909-483-9381.
