Violet being held by Piper Wegman photo credit, Tiffany Wegman/facebook, Reading Eagle
This past Monday, October 11th, a pet cat was euthanized by a Pennsylvania shelter within fours of having possession of her. The outrage has been brutal but who is at fault?
Why did this shelter kill this beloved cat so quickly and swiftly without waiting to see if she had an owner looking for her?
The Wegman family was searching for their lost, collared cat, Violet, after she went missing last Saturday. Tiffany, the owner, learned Monday evening she was taken to this shelter. Tiffany’s husband, Jordan, waited for their doors to open to get Violet the next morning. What was to be a happy reunion turned out to be the worst nightmare any loving pet “parent” can experience.
Violet was euthanized within four hours of this shelter taking possession of her. The worker deemed the cat aggressive and made the decision to euthanize her. This worker has been fired but the firestorm of hatred and venom is ongoing on social media. As tragic as this news is, no laws were broken.
How could this happen?
First, there is no holding period time limit for cats in Pennsylvania animal shelters giving them the authority to euthanize any feline in their care. There is a 48 hours holding period for unlicensed dogs and a 5 day holding period for licensed dogs in the Keystone state. Euthanizing cats is left up to the discretion of each shelter with each having their own policies.
Only 34 states have “holding period” laws. The shelter was legally allowed to “put down” Violet but it doesn’t make this fateful decision right. The cherished pet cat was wearing a collar, a sign she belonged to someone. This should’ve clearly sent a message to anyone working for the shelter that she had an owner! Violet was never given a chance for a reunion. How often does this occur at other Pennsylvania shelters?
The interim Executive Director said the worker didn’t follow their policies which haven’t been divulged. He also announced euthanization of any animal must be approved by him or their veterinarian.
Let’s get something straight about animal shelter euthanasia something to which I’ve been privy to witness hundreds of times. Most “kill” shelters don’t make the staff seek out the permission of the director or a veterinarian prior to ending their lives. There may be a kennel manager or someone in charge and the one with the horrid challenge of choosing which pets will die. The decision can also be made collectively by a group of employees. For those in this field to help animals, don’t ever think this position is easy. Many shelter workers experience depression, anxiety, and compassion fatigue. I know of workers who started drinking to cope. I’ve also experienced others who weren’t fazed by euthanasia.
Feral cats rarely stand a chance of survival in a shelter unless they are part of a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) colony. Many now work with groups to reunite these felines back into their colonies managed by a cat loving community.
Sadly, 70% of cats don’t make it out alive in open admission shelters and let’s face it, euthanasia is part of how these shelters operate. These shelters also don’t turn away any animals. When you have limited or no space for more animals, lives will be lost. Millions of cats and dogs in shelters die every year. The reasons for their demise is varied as much as the reasons they are left there. From the sick, injured or old pets to young, healthy pets, too many lose their lives.
The shelter where Violet was taken was not a No-Kill shelter which some people have mistakenly believed. That doesn’t really matter as the Wegman family grieves for their treasured family cat. The death of Violet never should’ve happened. Tiffany is not forgiving them for their grievous actions. Nor are many others. People are coming forward saying how this happened to them at the same shelter. It appears this wasn’t an isolated incident as the interim director stated in his on their facebook page. I can’t vouch for those who’ve made these claims on their facebook page as nothing was reported publicly. However, there is a troubled history with this shelter which shows they exercised poor judgment in similar matters.
Sophie, Tina Swartzendruber’s cat who went missing
In 2014, a cat named Sophie went missing. I was contacted by her owner, Tina Swartzendruber, after the shelter denied the owner the chance to view a deceased cat that eerily had the same colors and markings as hers. Sophie was a female while the deceased was a male. I wrote about about Sophie and the Tina Swartzendruber’s story wanting answers as to why a simple request to see a cat’s body was slammed shut in her face. The shelter was going through a transformation as the Executive Director was being ousted and an Interim Executive Director took the reigns much like what is occurring now. Very little information was forthcoming because of the ongoing changes at the time. The former director was leaving and the interim director wasn’t in charge when Sophie went missing.
Skittles nursing her kittens/euthanized at same shelter within minutes while caretaker was removing kittens from her car
photo/Nancy Nies
And there was the case of a stray cat taken care of by a woman who later found out the feline was pregnant. Nancy Nies took care of Skittles and her five kittens for a total of six months. When she was unsuccessful at finding homes for two kittens and Skittles, she took them to this shelter. During the time Nies handed over Skittles and went outside to retrieve her two kittens, Skittles was euthanized. The shelter said the cat became aggressive and wiry in a matter of minutes. There was zero understanding an animal being left at a shelter is scary causing them to act out. The contract to sign over the cats wasn’t finished when the mother cat lost her life; therefore, the shelter did not have legal authority to euthanize her.
There has been a firestorm of hate and venom being spewed at this shelter. Some are calling for the boycott and closure while others plan to stop donations and telling people to do the same. Some feel the only answer is for this shelter to be No-Kill and others are demanding to know their policies.
What we must learn from the mistakes made by this shelter?
1. In Pennsylvania there is no holding time period for cats! Any cat can be euthanized immediately after a shelter has possession of a cat. This does not apply to dogs. You need to know your state’s law regarding holding period times since they vary from state to state. Most shelters (across the nation) follow the 72 hour rule to hold cats but it is not law. The length of time determined by your shelter is part of their policy which should be made public.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund says most states have not adopted specific “cat codes” as they have “dog codes” with the exception of California, Maine, and Rhode Island. Historically, there are few laws pertaining to cats in the United States. Anti-cruelty laws have been helpful but they don’t cover other aspects of cat ownership.
2. Open Admission shelters accept all dogs and cats in their area. Many are filled to capacity especially during “kitten season.” These shelters have thousands of cats dumped into their laps daily not knowing where to go with all of them. Any stray cat deemed aggressive stands little chance of being “adoptable.”
Blaming kill shelters for euthanizing animals is the wrong entity to project one’s anger. It isn’t the fault of the shelter that they are forced to euthanize animals. It is the irresponsible owners who’ve caused this. Shelters wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for those who don’t make the lifetime commitment. A few legitimate reasons exist for someone giving up their pet- health reasons, death, and finances.
Having said that, we have to remember all shelters aren’t created equally. Poorly run shelters/rescues do exist and can be harmful or deadly to animals. For this reason, all shelters need to be held accountable. Lives are at stake and we, the public, should demand the right to know their policies and how they operate. We have a right to know the length of time they hold animals before euthanizing. Keeping vital information a secret can have detrimental consequences. To build trust, transparency is essential.
3. The shelter workers who perform most euthanasias are typically hired to work in the kennels and have on-the-job training to perform euthanasia. They aren’t trained behaviorists or specialists. Most shelters don’t have the luxury of paying veterinarians to do this.
4. If people stop donating to shelters or demand the closure of a shelter that is saturated with handling all animals in a county, you’re asking for complete chaos. Where will the thousands of animals go? Rescues are full. People will abandon pets in rural areas where domesticated pets will struggle immensely or left to roam cities where too many are already seen wondering. Who will help the animals involved in animal cruelty investigations? The animals won’t have anyone to save them. There will be no chance of being adopted if the shelter doesn’t exist.
5. What you must ask of your shelter is accountability and transparency for it to change its practices. Shelters need to provide and share their record-keeping and data so effective policies can be put in place. If you’re interested in finding out about your public shelter’s statistics, you have a right to know through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) aka “sunshine” or “public records” depending on your state. Public shelters must respond to information requests filed under the state public records law according to Alley Cat Allies. Transparency will help to build trust with the community again. Having trust with the public will help to increase adoptions, donations, money, and volunteers.
The anger is justified with the death of Violet. It is sad and tragic. Despite the firing of the former employee, one has to realize this isn’t an isolated case in the U.S. Laws need to change to be inclusive of cats. This can’t be swept under the carpet any longer. Shelters have to want to do better and implement policies that are enforced so this never happens again. They need to include the public in board meetings where input can be heard and create a better understanding of the workings of the shelter. Effective leadership is a necessity. This will lead to the transparency that is greatly needed for the animals in shelters and those who have a vested interest in their welfare. This shelter is important to this community for the animals and the people. I feel they can build trust but policies need to change and they must be open about what they do.
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and is an unabashed animal advocate. Her love for animals and quest for the hard truth is what drives her passion for all things animals. She hosts the show, ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.” She adores her once-abused tripawd, Brody. If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com. Like https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows, articles, and podcasts you may have missed!
Finally! Someone gets it! I Your article should be shared with every cat owner who leaves their cat out overnight. They are in danger of ending up like these cats if the find their way to a shelter. There are no laws to protect them!!!!!! Wake up before this is your story. Great job Tina. Finally the truth is out!
Thank you for the kind words, Sandy.
It’s pathetic that there are few laws to protect cats across the nation. In PA, there are no laws to stop shelters from euthanizing a cat immediately when they are in possession of one. Laws need to be passed to protect the massively killed feline in shelters. This shelter will need to step up to regain trust of the community. They’re no longer taking what they’re saying at their word. They can do it but it will require transparency which every shelter/rescue must do.
The ARL was stupid to allow an aggressive cat be euthanized without waiting to see her true personality. The actions show how outdated and dumb their policies are. The death happened because of the employee but the policies were set in place before this tragic death occurred. That is clearly the fault of the shelter and those in charge!!
Most animals who find themselves inside shelters are afraid and can become apprehensive. Their true personalities aren’t seen. They are protecting themselves. You can’t blame the cat for being in a place where there are dogs barking and other noises they aren’t accustomed to happening all around her.
Dogs’ true nature isn’t seen many times when they’re inside a kennel vs being able to be outside or alone in a room with someone.
The staff should’ve known this. Euthanizing so quickly leads me to believe the staff doesn’t have these policies in place.
I sincerely hope they will make the appropriate changes because this shelter is needed in this community.
This is a nationwide problem with animals in shelters Employees need to learn as well as the management and director about animal behavior in shelters.
Let’s hope this never happens again.
Thanks, Sandy.
Even without a law shelter staff should know better. What qualifications does one need to work at one? Doesn’t sound like much. No excuses anymore. I won’t give them money anymore.
You do seem to have a firm grasp on the realties of open admission shelters. Transparency needs to be the number one thing they do immediately. People aren’t going to take this form of behavior any longer. When I read this, I was speechless. I feel for the Wegman family. I’ve heard people bitch about them letting their cat out and so it deserved to die. No animal deserves to die! Shame on them! The illogical and tragic moves weren’t only coming from one employee. She had to have been taught it was ok to do this. That’s the way it was done several years ago. Someone in the cat room was allowed to take any cats and kill them. So the ARL’s policies were just as bad years ago. I doubt if those policies changed. I think they’re trying to save their own butt.
I admit I’ve read similar comments on blaming the family. No animal deserves to die because they were either left outside or snuck outside.
I also believe the former employee wouldn’t have acted on what she did without knowing beforehand what their policies are. If this ex-employee did euthanize this cat without following any protocols, one would have to look further into why she did what she did. If it was unprecedented, then it was only this one employee but if no proper protocols were put in place, the Animal Rescue Leagues shares part of the blame for the euthanization of Violet. But, we (public) doesn’t know all of the facts. So, it’s only a guessing game.
Thank you.
Qualifications for staff positions in shelters depends on upon the job and its requirements. For kennel technician, I don’t believe there are any real qualifications needed. Some do require that you’ll be able to euthanize after being trained. I know some people who quit when they weren’t able to fulfill that part of the job.
Working in a shelter kennel is not for the faint of heart. It’s a difficult job in an open admission shelter. You will see death. Not everyone is able to deal with this aspect. And those who do suffer from compassion fatigue.
There are no requirements to work as a kennel technician except to hopefully love animals. The public doesn’t realize that shelter workers get some or little training on how to euthanize in a humane way. When it’s done right, it’s painless and humane. When it’s not the animal suffers before dying or while dying. There should be someone who’s specifically trained for this. At least some type of schooling on it. This is common in most kill shelters. The public doesn’t know what’s done behind closed doors.
Obviously there are ZERO requirements if they allow just anyone to KILL PETS! Where’s the ongoing training within this organization? Workers need to be told how to handle animals. Some don’t have a clue. I don’t even know if you need a high school diploma. I know they also use people who need to fulfill community service after breaking the law. Would you want them around the animals?
Why did this worker kill a cat who had a collar on her? What are they taught at this shelter? It sounds as if a cat becomes aggressive, put him down!
Why doesn’t Pa have a law to protect cats? They passed a new law to help with animal cruelty with dog, Libre’s Law. Why don’t they add cats?
I saw what the interim director said. He started two wks ago but he’s a business consultant in the real world. His letter to the public was well written but he’s not the right person for the job. The past directors weren’t right either. They created huge messes out of the place. The ARL needs to get it right this time. You need someone who has great business sense plus compassion and passion for animals. They don’t ever get a combination of the two. Sounds like the other place. 🙂
The animals suffer and possibly die because of their mistakes. There is no room for mistakes when animals are involved.
You ask good questions to which I have no answer. Why any shelter would choose to euthanize a collared cat is very disturbing and troubling. It makes no sense.
I don’t know why PA doesn’t have laws to protect cats in shelters. Again, it makes no sense. We do have laws to protect dogs but they’re not enough either. Then again, I feel no laws are harsh enough to deter animal abusers. But there are laws to protect them in shelters for a short period of time.
I feel the interim director handled himself extremely well in light of this tragedy. A shelter needs someone who has more than a business background to run an animal shelter. There has to be much compassion for animals. Otherwise, you could get someone who is fine euthanizing many animals. Overall, I feel Tom Hubric has handled this tragic situation the best he could. Thank you!
That’s a good question. There are other states who don’t include cats in their laws. Why aren’t cats licensed like dogs? It’s the law to license your dog for the purpose of reuniting them with their owner. Why not cats? More id on them, the better.
Cat proponents don’t want cats licensed. I guess they’re afraid they’re going to have the lyses the feral cats they take care of you now cost a lot of money. I’d rather my cats had identification on them like a lyses so in the event that they get out they have a license on them and they can get them back from the shelter or rescue or whoever has them. I don’t understand cat advocates at times. I’m talking about the ones you know who have a lot of cats. I’m sure that will get me in trouble with cat lovers.
I’d never trust this shelter. I’d be afraid if my cat went missing. They can kill it and not even tell you if they did. Subpar place. Who checks them out? How are they qualified to check on animal cruelty when they engage in it themselves?
I think we need to give this shelter time to make sure they create good policies and transparency before writing them off completely. They have an enormous challenge handling the entire county. With only two humane officers, their hands are more than full. They need more officers and trained staff. Most people who work in shelters do care and love animals. It’s a difficult position to work in shelters. They are forced to deal with other people’s messes. They are forced to deal with surrendered and abandoned animals on a daily basis. This tragedy should not have happened.
Hopefully there will be more transparency with the public from this point.
For those who don’t like the place as is, perhaps volunteering your time would show you another side to shelters. Trust me, it’s much harder on the inside.
Thank you.
Did they check for a microchip? The cat had a collar. What’s wrong with this place?
I don’t know. Nothing was mentioned. I’m assuming they did because that was always their practice. All shelters should check animals for any and all ID on them.
Thank you.
They’re supposed to but some shelters are simply too lazy to do it. The ARL wouldn’t be the only shelter who didn’t check for a microchip. Any worker who claims it’s too much work doesn’t deserve to work or shouldn’t be allowed to work at a shelter.
Anyone who doesn’t want to check for a microchip doesn’t the long in a shelter. How much work can it be to scan for a microchip?
It’s not difficult to scan for a chip but you must scan over a large area because the chip can migrate under the skin.
The anger is justified with the death of Violet. It is sad and tragic. Despite the firing of the former employee, one has to realize this isn’t an isolated case in the U.S. Laws need to change to be inclusive of cats. This can’t be swept under the carpet any longer. Shelters have to want to do better and implement policies that are enforced so this never happens again. They need to include the public in board meetings where input can be heard and create a better understanding of the workings of the shelter.
A lot of shelters and rescues keep things quiet and don’t allow the public to board meetings. Some don’t even want the staff to talk to the board members. They’re hiding something when they do that.
I agree that transparency with the public is greatly needed after at least three incidents. Allowing people at board meetings would be a great start.
Thank you.
I agree about the board meetings. They never allow the public to attend nor do they want the staff to talk to the members. At least that’s the way it was a couple of years ago. This shelter has issues and it’s time the public take notice and fight back for transparency. They get rid of good people then get their own people in.
The family should sue for wrongful death! Violet was a pet cat with a collar! This place needs some cleaning up. They’re hurting animals not helping them if this is the way they do business.
Yep! I hope they do!
Very good article. Why wouldn’t they allow the other woman, Tina S to see a deceased cat? That sounds fishy to me. It seems they were hiding something. There are good shelters but there are too many bad shelters which need to be held accountable. Who oversees them?
I don’t think we’ll ever know why they didn’t allow Tina Swartzendruber to view the deceased cat. When I began to search, the ARL had fired the previous director and named a new interim director with whom I began corresponding. He had no direct knowledge of the case, only what he learned from the staff. Thanks.
I don’t like this place. It’s not run properly. Hasn’t been in years. They don’t let you hold cats anymore. They haven’t any good directors in there who understands how it needs to be run. Lack of good leadership is the reason this place is run so poorly. The staff needs to be better educated on an ongoing basis. The ones forced to suffer is the animals and now families because they kill people’s pets. I think they should start working on getting their butts out of their heads and be responsible themselves instead of telling everyone else. I’m always with my pets so none will never get away from me. I pray they never get out. Don’t know if I’d ever get them back.
I understand your frustrations considering what was done. This place needs good, effective leadership who is able to guide the staff properly. The ARL is needed in this community like it or not. Without, thousands of animals will suffer. The one thing it must do is better than this!
Thanks!
I am curious about something maybe someone can answer my question. When someone adopts or buys a pet it is assumed this pet is their property or on a nicer term pet. After all you could either have the animal chipped or even some laws require a pet to be licensed. Your pet gets loose for whatever reason or someone steals the pet. Some how the shelter gets the animal and euthanized it. Couldn’t this be a legal problem between the owner and the shelter for destroying the owners property or pet? Can someone sue the shelter for killing your pet if it is licensed or know the owner ? I know I paid for or adopted that pet and took care of it and now a shelter kills it. I believe if someone shoots an animal they will be in trouble with the law. What does anyone think.
Don, Your question is a very good one. Pets are considered property in PA. The shelter destroyed this “property.” I will certainly ask my guest, David Rosengard, attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, on my tv show tomorrow night.
Thanks for the great insight!
Yes but it depends on the individual case. They may only get the market value of the pet. They should try for punitive damages.
I hope they do!