I was online today and somehow came across a link to your post about the “Animal Care Community Outreach Commission” meeting that was apparently held on Tuesday, and how no one showed up. This led me to check out your actual blog, and then to an acknowledgement of the frequent tone coming from the many blog posts. I soon became aware that you actually sideways referenced me in a post entitled “So what is in a kennel card?” from back in December of last year. This post aimed to belittle my points that I had made days earlier, and talk about how kennel cards were apparently useless things that provided no legitimate value to anyone. You further detail how you’ve “never found it to be an inconvenience” that Devore doesn’t display kennel cards, and that kennel cards “do more harm than good.”
Well, my video actually details why it is an inconvenience to many folks, like myself, photographers and/or networkers and the like, as well as the general public who may be experiencing the shelter system for the first time. I doubt that you even watched my video, due to your asking of the question of why I made it… The video clearly explains why I made it. Listen to it sometime. And to your point about kennel cards doing “more harm than good.” Right. Knowing a dog’s actual ID# and having that information openly accessible to the public is an awful thing. Just horrendous.
Going down your article you then imply that I’m a “No Kill activist,” as to box me up underneath that label. You then say that this is a “tactic” used by these shadowy activists in order to knit pick over “petty” things. Petty? Wanting to know the animal ID#s of the countless impounded dogs is petty? Right. Back to the labels: My name is Josh Liddy and you can email me at swayloveorg at gmail dot com whenever you’d like to speak to me. I have no problem with telling you who I am and how to contact me. I’d of contacted you, but since your website is run anonymously and you “moderate” the comments in order to memory hole “accusations,” well, I don’t have that option. But just so you know: I’m an individual person and not taking marching orders from anyone. I see with my own eyes and think with my own mind and write with my own hands. I generally support true No Kill measures, and support people genuinely embracing any portion of the actual platform that’s been put for by the No Kill Advocacy Center, but I don’t have anything to do with them, nor do I just blindly agree with everything that they say. There is so many people out erroneously fudging what it means to be truly No Kill, that that talking point is almost always as divisive as they come.
You can call me a “complainer,” you can call me “petty,” you can say that I “rant” with no meaningful substance. You can claim that I’m a “No Kill activist” playing from a playbook that’s meant to “frustrate staff.” You can claim that I’m “removing kennel cards and then complaining about a situation I created” (Not sure how, as Devore has no kennel cards). You can claim that people like myself are “causing animals to die.” You can blame me for being the “real culprit” of the shelter killing at Devore and everywhere else. Do what you’ve got to do. But just know that I think you’re full of shit. I think that your entire blog was setup as a PR-stunt on behalf of the actual shelter. Hell, someone working at the shelter probably runs it. You probably spend more time on your blog, while on the clock, than you do promoting your impounded animals. There’s something else that’s awfully prominent… You love to lean on this “unsubstantiated claims” talking point, while at the same time carrying water for one of the most untransparent shelters in the entire state of California. The Devore shelter disallows volunteers for the love of God. Pretty convenient for your bogus repetition.
As for the meeting and “no one showing up.” How many people even knew about it? I certainly didn’t. I saw nothing about it online, nor was it being talked about by anyone that I know. I’m not saying that it wasn’t publicized, just stating my own observation. But where was it promoted? And most importantly, when is the next one?
After typing that last sentence I picked up the phone and called Greg Beck, Program Manager at Devore, and the next meeting will apparently be on Friday, October 4th at 9am. This meeting will be held at the Department of Behavioral Health Auditorium on 850 E. Foothill Blvd. in Rialto, California.
People with a care and concern for what goes on at the Devore shelter: You folks better engage yourself and become aware of the minimal opportunities that you are being given to voice and document your concerns to this “commission.” Make sure that you note this next meeting and please plan to attend. Worth mention is the 4 month gap between meeting #1 and meeting #2. Why? I have no idea. But this commission has already established a dissolution date of June 30th, 2014. Wow. This date was made from the start, even though it took them “well over a year to even name their commissioners.” Wow. And now they’ve had 1 meeting, and the 2nd isn’t until October 4th, a mere 8 months before the commission is done away with for good. Take notice people!