- Signatures: 2,440
- Goal: 2,000
- Deadline: 12-31-2007
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More than 6,000 cats, dogs, puppies and kittens enter this facility each year, most of them never leave alive. By signing this petition, you are asking the assistance of First Lady of Ohio, Hope Taft, to address the long-standing conditions at this facility that fail to meet even minimal animal welfare standards under Ohio Revised Code.
You are also voicing your concern that Summit County Ohio Executive James McCarthy has repeatedly continued to ignore information obtained from public records and first hand witnesses to address these cases of animal abuse and cruelty.
For more information on this facility, please visit:
CONTACTS TO VOICE YOUR OPINION:
Summit County Animal Control Facility (SCACF)
460 E. North St.; Akron, OH 44310
main ph: 330-643-2845; fax: 330-643-8034
Craig Stanley, Animal Shelter Supervisor
330-926-2494; cstanley@summitoh.net
James McCarthy, Summit County Executive
County of Summit, Office of the Executive
175 South Main Street, 8th Floor; Akron, Ohio 44308
ph: 330-643-2510; fax: 330-643-2507
email: jmccarthy@summitoh.net
Karen Doty, Summit County Law Director
Ohio Building, 8th Floor
175 S. Main St.; Akron, Ohio 44308-1314
ph: 330-643-8052; fax: 330-643-2507
email: kdoty@summitoh.net
Sherri Bevan Walsh, Prosecuting Attorney
County Safety Building, 6th and 7th; Akron, Ohio 44308-1680
ph: 330-643-2800; fax: 330-643-2137
email: canterbury@prosecutor.summitoh.net
Summit County Council
Ohio Building, 7th Floor
175 S. Main St.; Akron, Ohio 44308-1314
ph: 330-643-2725; fax: 330-643-2531
email: dhannan@summitoh.net
Richard Farkas, Director
Humane Society of Greater Akron (HSGA)
4904 Quick Road; Peninsula, Ohio 44264
ph: 330-657-2817; fax: 330-657-2947; email: hsga@summithumane.org
Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic
Suite 200 Municipal Building
166 South High Street; Akron, Ohio 44308
ph: 330-375-2345; fax: 330-375-2468; email: Mayor@ci.akron.oh.us
Kymberli Hagelberg
330-996-3038
khagelberg@thebeaconjournal.com.
9/12/06 UPDATE: As expected, the proposed residential site was voted down by a large margin (9 to 1). A member of the animal rescue community attended the council meeting and spoke with several knowledgeable people afterwards who reinforced the opinion that James McCarthy never had any real intention of building a new animal shelter.
9/1/06 UPDATE: A proposal to build a new animal control facility on county Metro Parks land in Tallmadge was placed on second reading, but may fizzle when the council holds its next regular meeting Sept. 11. Council member Dan Congrove, D-Akron, said the proposed facility to be located in his district does not appear to have enough votes to pass. The measure also has local opposition. Tallmadge Mayor Chris Grimm told the council his residents oppose clearing five acres of "pristine woods'' on Eastwood Avenue within 60 to 90 feet of homes. Dyer told council members that McCarthy wants the project to go forward as it is. With all due respect to the executive,'' Grimm said, "if he thinks this is a neat thing to do, the city of Tallmadge will buy a lot 90 feet from his house and build a dog pound.''
It should be noted that the present facility was designed as a stable to house horses back when the County was a horse and buggy town at the turn of the last century. It is completely inadequate to humanely house the many thousands of cats and dogs that are unfortunate enough to find themselves impounded there each year.
8/16/06 UPDATE: SCACF Director, Chrissy Congrove, has mailed letters to all rescue groups that have raised concerns about the treatment of impounded animals at SCACF. Included as part of this letter was a demand to immediate access of each rescue group's adoption and veterinary records. It appears that Congrove and Summit County Supervisor Craig Stanley are planning to void each rescue group's contract in retaliation for speaking out against the continued cases of animal cruelty and neglect at this facility. If this happens, it is projected that hundreds of additional deaths of impounded animals will occur each year.
8/1/06 UPDATE: Please visit www.summitcare.org to view a picture of the Summit County Animal Control Facility's latest neglect and abuse case, and http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/15169840.htm to read excerpts of witness statements presented to the Summit County City Council on 7/31/06.
You are also voicing your concern that Summit County Ohio Executive James McCarthy has repeatedly continued to ignore information obtained from public records and first hand witnesses to address these cases of animal abuse and cruelty.
For more information on this facility, please visit:
CONTACTS TO VOICE YOUR OPINION:
Summit County Animal Control Facility (SCACF)
460 E. North St.; Akron, OH 44310
main ph: 330-643-2845; fax: 330-643-8034
Craig Stanley, Animal Shelter Supervisor
330-926-2494; cstanley@summitoh.net
James McCarthy, Summit County Executive
County of Summit, Office of the Executive
175 South Main Street, 8th Floor; Akron, Ohio 44308
ph: 330-643-2510; fax: 330-643-2507
email: jmccarthy@summitoh.net
Karen Doty, Summit County Law Director
Ohio Building, 8th Floor
175 S. Main St.; Akron, Ohio 44308-1314
ph: 330-643-8052; fax: 330-643-2507
email: kdoty@summitoh.net
Sherri Bevan Walsh, Prosecuting Attorney
County Safety Building, 6th and 7th; Akron, Ohio 44308-1680
ph: 330-643-2800; fax: 330-643-2137
email: canterbury@prosecutor.summitoh.net
Summit County Council
Ohio Building, 7th Floor
175 S. Main St.; Akron, Ohio 44308-1314
ph: 330-643-2725; fax: 330-643-2531
email: dhannan@summitoh.net
Richard Farkas, Director
Humane Society of Greater Akron (HSGA)
4904 Quick Road; Peninsula, Ohio 44264
ph: 330-657-2817; fax: 330-657-2947; email: hsga@summithumane.org
Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic
Suite 200 Municipal Building
166 South High Street; Akron, Ohio 44308
ph: 330-375-2345; fax: 330-375-2468; email: Mayor@ci.akron.oh.us
Kymberli Hagelberg
330-996-3038
khagelberg@thebeaconjournal.com.
9/12/06 UPDATE: As expected, the proposed residential site was voted down by a large margin (9 to 1). A member of the animal rescue community attended the council meeting and spoke with several knowledgeable people afterwards who reinforced the opinion that James McCarthy never had any real intention of building a new animal shelter.
9/1/06 UPDATE: A proposal to build a new animal control facility on county Metro Parks land in Tallmadge was placed on second reading, but may fizzle when the council holds its next regular meeting Sept. 11. Council member Dan Congrove, D-Akron, said the proposed facility to be located in his district does not appear to have enough votes to pass. The measure also has local opposition. Tallmadge Mayor Chris Grimm told the council his residents oppose clearing five acres of "pristine woods'' on Eastwood Avenue within 60 to 90 feet of homes. Dyer told council members that McCarthy wants the project to go forward as it is. With all due respect to the executive,'' Grimm said, "if he thinks this is a neat thing to do, the city of Tallmadge will buy a lot 90 feet from his house and build a dog pound.''
It should be noted that the present facility was designed as a stable to house horses back when the County was a horse and buggy town at the turn of the last century. It is completely inadequate to humanely house the many thousands of cats and dogs that are unfortunate enough to find themselves impounded there each year.
8/16/06 UPDATE: SCACF Director, Chrissy Congrove, has mailed letters to all rescue groups that have raised concerns about the treatment of impounded animals at SCACF. Included as part of this letter was a demand to immediate access of each rescue group's adoption and veterinary records. It appears that Congrove and Summit County Supervisor Craig Stanley are planning to void each rescue group's contract in retaliation for speaking out against the continued cases of animal cruelty and neglect at this facility. If this happens, it is projected that hundreds of additional deaths of impounded animals will occur each year.
8/1/06 UPDATE: Please visit www.summitcare.org to view a picture of the Summit County Animal Control Facility's latest neglect and abuse case, and http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/15169840.htm to read excerpts of witness statements presented to the Summit County City Council on 7/31/06.
| Number | Date | Prefix | Name | City | State | Country | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,441 | 10:27 am PST, Nov 2 | Ms. | Chasity Crowe | Ohio | United States | This makes me absolutely sick. These animals cannot take care of themselves in this society and the people who are supposed to be their protecters are failing them entirely. Not just that, they are going out of their way to hurt such defenseless creatures. | |
| 2,440 | 9:17 pm PDT, Sep 19 | Veronica Thompson | Fitchburg | Massachusetts | United States | What in the world is going on there? How can this be happening in the USA? Get these people out of there!!!! NOW! | |
| 2,439 | 9:34 am PDT, Sep 6 | Ms. | Anonymous | Birmingham | Alabama | United States | |
| 2,438 | 8:57 am PDT, Sep 6 | Mrs. | susie burkett | Ohio | United States | ||
| 2,437 | 6:57 am PDT, Aug 18 | Ms. | Melissa Ritchey | Georgetown | Connecticut | United States | These people have no right to be in a position to care for the animals at this shelter. They are as bad as the people who work at meat slaughtering plants. Low-life HEARTLESS BASTARDS! |
| 2,436 | 8:05 pm PDT, Jul 8 | lisa carpenter | gibbstown | New Jersey | United States | I think they should do to the horrible people what they have done to the poor animals . I love animals its sick to think someone would be that horrible . | |
| 2,435 | 2:09 pm PDT, Jul 3 | Ms. | Christy Geiger | canton | Ohio | United States | I think this is horrible. I don't understand how someone can lay there head down at night and be able to sleep, or even wake up and look at themselfs in the mirror. What is this world coming to?? |
| 2,434 | 10:03 pm PDT, Jun 17 | Anonymous | New York | United States | |||
| 2,433 | 10:13 am PDT, Apr 2 | Jeanine Clark | Hilliard | Ohio | United States | ||
| 2,432 | 4:50 am PST, Feb 19 | Linda Cornwell | Oberlin | Ohio | United States | Communities need to raise their collective voices against all shelters that are as bad as this one. I can only hope things have improved, and that this petition helped. It sounded like a pit. | |
| 2,431 | 6:40 am PST, Feb 15 | james chmielewski | akron | Ohio | United States | One of the few tax dollars i spend willingly is for the proper care of neglected animals. If summit county animal shelters can't do better, I suggest shutting them down and giving the tax money to private shelters such as heaven can wait or arf. Shame on the county and workers at our shelters who are supposed to help these innocent dogs and cats | |
| 2,430 | 8:26 pm PDT, Sep 4 | Ms. | Laurel Watson | Maricopa | Arizona | United States | |
| 2,429 | 7:12 pm PDT, Aug 28 | Kristy Borko | Humevale | Australia | |||
| 2,428 | 4:09 pm PDT, Aug 27 | Anonymous | Stoutsville | Ohio | United States | James McCarthy and accomplices. You are unbelievably cruel and selfish. If you did what you did to children, you would be in prison. Dogs have the mentality of a 3 year old and they have been taught to trust people. You are not worthy of that trust. I hope there is an afterlife and you get what you reap. | |
| 2,427 | 3:08 pm PDT, Aug 24 | Ms. | Judith G Olson | Akron | Ohio | United States | PLEASE stop this inhumane treatment of defenseless animals. They have no voice except through us. They deserve proper treatment and food, water, and medical help and the right to be returned to their proper owners or adopted by a loving, caring family. |
| 2,426 | 12:21 pm PDT, Aug 11 | Mrs. | Regina Hershberger | Canton | Ohio | United States | Please do not ignore this petition! The animals need your help! |
| 2,425 | 10:56 am PDT, Aug 7 | Mrs. | Beth Blagg | NASHPORT | Ohio | United States | WHICH PART OF "THOU SHALT NOT KILL" DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND???? |
| 2,424 | 10:19 am PDT, Aug 1 | Anonymous | Ohio | United States | |||
| 2,423 | 7:44 am PDT, Jul 31 | crystal giardina | Akron | Ohio | United States | ||
| 2,422 | 10:15 am PDT, Jul 28 | Ms. | Leiha Carpenter | barberton | Ohio | United States | It is disgusting to treat animals like they dont have feelings this lady should be ashamed of herself not wanting to do something good in her life |
| 2,421 | 12:50 pm PDT, Jul 11 | Mrs. | Bridget Hopper | Burlington | Kentucky | United States | |
| 2,420 | 1:58 pm PDT, Jul 3 | greta malkotzoglou | Athens | Greece | |||
| 2,419 | 9:54 pm PDT, Jun 3 | Ms. | diane davis | Pennsylvania | United States | This is a disgrace to see animals treated this way by a shelter. Chrissy Congrove should be tarred and feathered and rode out of town on a rail. She's an idiot. | |
| 2,418 | 12:54 pm PDT, May 31 | Annelies Ooms | Westerlo | Belgium | |||
| 2,417 | 2:42 pm PDT, May 15 | ryan p murphy | cleveland | Ohio | United States | What a disgrace? How in the world do we allow these people to keep there jobs? | |
| 2,416 | 10:18 pm PDT, May 11 | Tierschuetzern Katerini | Katerini | Greece | |||
| 2,415 | 7:35 am PDT, May 8 | Dr. | Daniel Bradley | Hudson | Ohio | United States | It is illegal to murder a human so why is it not illegal to murder an animal? |
| 2,414 | 12:20 pm PDT, Apr 26 | Jenny Vegan | United States | United States Minor Outlying Islands | Animals deserve the best protection. | ||
| 2,413 | 3:57 pm PDT, Apr 13 | Suzie Gordon | Claremont | New Hampshire | United States | ||
| 2,412 | 1:23 pm PDT, Apr 4 | Karinne Gott | Bedford | New Hampshire | United States | ||
| 2,411 | 12:21 pm PDT, Mar 27 | Mrs. | Hillary Basarab | akron | Ohio | United States | why punish those whom are born into this world without homes by death. |
| 2,410 | 12:33 pm PDT, Mar 15 | Its Meow or Nev Animal Rescue | Woodinville | Washington | United States | ||
| 2,409 | 11:33 am PDT, Mar 14 | Ms. | Ginger Geronimo | Birmingham | Alabama | United States | |
| 2,408 | 4:53 pm PDT, Mar 9 | Ms. | Niki Hosafros | Akron | Ohio | United States | I have 5 cats and a dog. All of them have been rescued because of neglect or they were dumped to die. It saddens me to know that animals in need that are taken to the shelter have a terrible time. We need to help animals and teach people about spaying and neutering. We don't need to keep them crammed in cages and kill them because they're a nuisance. Animals don't ask for us to be mean to them, but they need us to ensure they can live a happy healthy life. |
| 2,407 | 3:08 pm PST, Feb 27 | Ivana Soldic | Ruma | Serbia And Montenegro | |||
| 2,406 | 1:51 pm PST, Feb 19 | Julia Tawyea | Lake Ariel | Pennsylvania | United States | ||
| 2,405 | 4:01 pm PST, Feb 15 | Tatiana Costa | Sao Paulo | Brazil | |||
| 2,404 | 9:41 pm PST, Feb 12 | Laurel Watson | Maricopa | Arizona | United States | ||
| 2,403 | 3:34 pm PST, Feb 4 | Mr. | Chad Carter | Akron | Ohio | United States | |
| 2,402 | 10:36 am PST, Feb 4 | Anton Oscar Iorga | Regina | Canada |
Justice for Animals at Summit County Ohio Animal Shelter
We the undersigned urge you to do everything in your power to make Summit County Ohio Executive James McCarthy understand that the people of Ohio, the United States, and the world will no longer tolerate the inhumane treatment of animals at Summit County Ohio Animal Shelter. Long-standing conditions that fail to meet even minimal animal welfare standards under Ohio Revised Code have recently grown worse.
The most horrendous abuse occured in early November 2005, when then shelter director Anthony Moore injected 2 cc of sodium pentobarbital into each of 18 dogs, some of whom weighed up to 100 pounds. This dosage is clearly under the 1 cc per 10 pounds of body weight mandatory for humane euthanasia. Undoubtedly, some (if not all) of the dogs regained consciousness while trapped inside a freezer. It is difficult to imagine their pain and fear as they slowly froze to death. The fact a "shelter" is responsible for this act of animal cruelty is particularly appalling.
We call upon you as First Lady of the State of Ohio, to help initiate a full investigation of animal mistreatment allegations at Summit County Animal Shelter. We urge you to advocate prosecution to the maximum extent under the law for all culpable parties.
An animal's unwanted status makes him or her no less vulnerable to abuse, yet Summit County shelter workers seem to view their four-legged charges as inanimate objects. Over an 18-month span, at least 53 dogs and cats wound up dead in cages. Witnesses have described cleaning chemicals splashed on dogs, cat bowls encrusted with mold, and ailing animals left to die. Dogs languish in cubicle cages more than 23 hours a day with no exposure to fresh air or sunlight. They are confined with only one meal per day due to insufficient staff to clean cages if fed twice, according to a pound worker's statement.
Ohio Revised Code stipulates animals subsist no longer than 13 hours between feedings. It also specifies a Warden as the only employee who may authorize a dog's euthanasia before the three-day hold period ends. Summit County Supervisor Craig Stanley has ordered euthanasia in violation of this Code.
Almost one-third of the shelter's cats and kittens are destroyed within 24 hours. The space reserved to annually kill 5,000 animals does not even have a euthanasia table, so animals die on a concrete floor. Under the current supervision of county employee Craig Stanley, the Summit County Animal Shelter has become notorious for inhumane euthanasia, erroneous record keeping, poor sanitation, and mass killings.
Animal cruelty is an act of violence which is often an indicator of other violence that is being perpetrated along with animal abuse, or a predictor that such individuals are at high risk of becoming increasingly violent offenders. It is a well documented fact that the victimization and abuse of a companion animal often coincides with the physical abuse of children, women and even the elderly.
For all the reasons above, we hope you will do everything possible to help overhaul this facility and replace current staff with qualified, responsive professionals from animal welfare, shelter, or veterinary backgrounds. Please take immediate action to help stop the abuse and neglect of companion animals inside Summit County Animal Shelter.
The most horrendous abuse occured in early November 2005, when then shelter director Anthony Moore injected 2 cc of sodium pentobarbital into each of 18 dogs, some of whom weighed up to 100 pounds. This dosage is clearly under the 1 cc per 10 pounds of body weight mandatory for humane euthanasia. Undoubtedly, some (if not all) of the dogs regained consciousness while trapped inside a freezer. It is difficult to imagine their pain and fear as they slowly froze to death. The fact a "shelter" is responsible for this act of animal cruelty is particularly appalling.
We call upon you as First Lady of the State of Ohio, to help initiate a full investigation of animal mistreatment allegations at Summit County Animal Shelter. We urge you to advocate prosecution to the maximum extent under the law for all culpable parties.
An animal's unwanted status makes him or her no less vulnerable to abuse, yet Summit County shelter workers seem to view their four-legged charges as inanimate objects. Over an 18-month span, at least 53 dogs and cats wound up dead in cages. Witnesses have described cleaning chemicals splashed on dogs, cat bowls encrusted with mold, and ailing animals left to die. Dogs languish in cubicle cages more than 23 hours a day with no exposure to fresh air or sunlight. They are confined with only one meal per day due to insufficient staff to clean cages if fed twice, according to a pound worker's statement.
Ohio Revised Code stipulates animals subsist no longer than 13 hours between feedings. It also specifies a Warden as the only employee who may authorize a dog's euthanasia before the three-day hold period ends. Summit County Supervisor Craig Stanley has ordered euthanasia in violation of this Code.
Almost one-third of the shelter's cats and kittens are destroyed within 24 hours. The space reserved to annually kill 5,000 animals does not even have a euthanasia table, so animals die on a concrete floor. Under the current supervision of county employee Craig Stanley, the Summit County Animal Shelter has become notorious for inhumane euthanasia, erroneous record keeping, poor sanitation, and mass killings.
Animal cruelty is an act of violence which is often an indicator of other violence that is being perpetrated along with animal abuse, or a predictor that such individuals are at high risk of becoming increasingly violent offenders. It is a well documented fact that the victimization and abuse of a companion animal often coincides with the physical abuse of children, women and even the elderly.
For all the reasons above, we hope you will do everything possible to help overhaul this facility and replace current staff with qualified, responsive professionals from animal welfare, shelter, or veterinary backgrounds. Please take immediate action to help stop the abuse and neglect of companion animals inside Summit County Animal Shelter.
Note: This Justice for Animals at Summit County Ohio Animal Shelter petition was submitted by Mary O'Connor-Shaver. ThePetitionSite.com is a free service provided to help concerned citizens rally support for issues they believe in. The opinions expressed by this petition do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ThePetitionSite.com or Care2.com. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition nor any newsletter offers (except those from Care2.com) by Care2.com, Inc, ThePetitionSite.com, or our sponsors. If you believe this system is being abused, please contact customer support.
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