Hire the Best Animal Shelter Director For Bridgeport
- by: V. SILANO
The City of Bridgeport, Connecticut MUST be committed to hiring the best and brightest for Bridgeport. We want a competitive hiring process implemented for the position of Director of the Animal shelter which includes a board consisting of the State Animal Control Officer, an animal control officer from a surrounding municipality, a veterinarian not currently working for the City, a volunteer familiar with the shelter, a representative from the police department and City Hall. All applicants to be scored and the highest scoring applicant to be offered the position. We must advocate for a process which will virtually eliminate corruption and favoritism in Bridgeport. The City must offer a five year contract which is competitive with other municipalities as far as salary and compensation.
The position of Director of the Bridgeport Animal Shelter, Connecticut has been made vacant. The City has appointed an interim Director with minimal training and experience (on the job for 10 months at the time of appointment). During his employment as an animal control officer, he had multiple complaints against him, but the City and the police department protected him then and continue to do so now. The City passed over a senior animal control officer for the position of Interim Director even though that employee has 11 years experience on the job. The reason is politcal. The current Acting Director (hereinafter referred to as "Tubens") collected votes for the democratic party and was promised a job. He was hired illegally on May 15, 2005, without a competitive hiring process as mandated by civil service. On May 15, 2006 (one year after the initial illegal hire) Acting Chief Armeno appointed him as Interim Director. The Fabrizi democratic wheel pushed Tubens through the initial hire on May 15, 2005 without the position even being posted. No one knew the position was available so no one applied but Tubens. The result is Bridgeport got the bottom of the barrel as far as competency and compassion. Volunteers have been thrown out, the pets are not being advertised for adoption, no evaluations of pets are being performed and the pets that are adopted out are given out without regard to the pet's temperament or the living situation of the families adopting them. To make matters worse, the Interim Director will not take back any of the pets he adopts out leaving the adopters to solve their own problems. The euthanasia rate is up, the pets are not being walked or socialized, sick and injured pets are sent to the "vet" for one week and then destroyed if the owner doesn't claim them. The Imterim Director does not photograph or post any visual evidence of the dogs at the vet's office to assist a potential owner in locating their pet before it is destroyed. An owner is left to find their pet by providing a verbal description to a receptionist who will often ask "for an impound number" which is nearly impossible for the caller to have. Unsterilized Pit bulls are being adopted to anyone that asks. Cats are adopted out unsterilized and without being tested for feline disease despite a rampant ferral cat and feline distemper problem in Bridgeport. Pets are simply just handed out without regard for the home they are being given to. The above represents a list of problems an educated, professional, well trained animal control professional would easily be able to remedy. The City of Bridgeport must appoint a Director who is able to recognize simple maladies affecting shelter pets, conscious of animal welfare, will implement a community outreach program, perform rabies clinics, advocate for responsible pet ownership while upholding animal control laws, working with volunteers to improve shelter conditions and the lives of the pets contained therein, ability to communicate effectively with the public and managing the staff in a non hostile manner.
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