| The August 24, 2010 Meeting of AC&C Volunteers Assemblyman Micah Kellner, wrote to Mayor Bloomberg and the DOH Commissioner, criticizing as unlawful the AC&C's restrictions of volunteers' "rights to free speech and to petition their government for redress of grievances." To read the letter Click Here To understand the dynamics of the meeting, it’s necessary to discuss the goals set by the AC&C’s new Executive Director, Julie Bank. She must create a large, well-trained, and committed corps of volunteers to take over many of the duties that employees normally would perform. Why? Because the AC&C can’t afford to hire enough employees to maintain the AC&C shelters, and Ms. Bank must find a free source of labor -- volunteers. The volunteers are naturally skeptical of this new regime. (Ms. Bank is the 8th Executive Director in as many years, with the Department of Health claiming that each new ED will be a great leader.) Can Bank earn the volunteers’ allegiance and respect? How can she earn their confidence while also pleasing her master: the DOH, which controls and funds the AC&C? The DOH will not tolerate it if volunteers publicly criticize the AC&C. Ms. Bank believes that widely publicized criticism (whether valid or bogus) can destroy her efforts to enable the AC&C to attract major public funding. The AC&C cannot rely on the DOH for monies, as the DOH is dramatically whittling away at the AC&C’s already disgraceful budget. The AC&C’s solution: it must strictly control volunteers’ communications about the AC&C and its animals. Can Ms. Bank find a middle ground to please all these three competing parties: volunteers, employees, and the DOH? With that as background, here is a composite of notes provided by different volunteers who attended the meeting (all of whom face possible expulsion if their identities are made known). SRAC’s comments and additional observations are provided in brackets. Volunteers’ Recap of Meeting: The August 24th meeting of AC&C volunteers was led by the AC&C Volunteer Coordinator Elisabeth Manwiller. Click here to read Ms. Manwiller’s self described work experience. [Julie Bank did not hire Manwiller. In fact, she has not hired any new management staff. There is no money in the budget.] Even though Manwiller had warned, for several weeks, about the “mandatory” nature of the meeting (attend or be expelled), she said during the meeting: "I didn't mean to make it seem like you were forced to come to this meeting. I didn't mean for it to be like a stick on the hand if you didn't come." Among other AC&C management present were Julie Bank; Richard Gentles (Director of Development and Communications) and Dr. Stephanie Janeczko (Medical Director and “Interim” Operations Manager). Perhaps to pump up the volunteers, Manwiller exclaimed: • "This is a ROCKSTAR turnout!" [repeated 5 times, plus three instances of "rockin'" used as an adjective] • "Let's rock and roll" [repeated 4 times] Manwiller proceeded to rock the volunteers with a spruced up version of a Power Point presentation she’s used on previous occasions. As would be expected, she showed the same graphs one can find on the AC&C’s website, claiming the lowest euthanasia rates, the lowest “intake” rates, and highest “adoption” rates in the AC&C’s history. [NOTE: The AC&C uses the word “adoptions” to include both animals adopted at the shelter, as well as animals pulled by rescuers. Rescuers account for 2/3rds of the “adoptions.” One-third of AC&C animals are euthanized.] Manwiller distributed the AC&C’s new Policies and Procedure Manuals and Volunteer Waiver and Confidentiality Agreements. [Manwiller had halted training any new volunteers for the entire Summer, so that she could spend her time creating these materials. They were clearly a cut ‘n paste job. Volunteers were angered at halting the flow of new volunteers during the Summer. That’s when the AC&C is filled with mother cats and their kittens. The animals need as much help as possible, because volunteer numbers have plummeted. Even Manwiller acknowledged: “there has been a noticeable drop-off in the number of volunteers helping at the shelter in the past few months.” An understatement. ] The new AC&C documents describe the different types of volunteers, and the required training that applies to each type (up to 10 training sessions for some positions). Current volunteers have until some time in November to complete the requisite training. When asked when these classes would begin, Manwiller responded: "We haven't figured out all the classes yet, and I don't have places to hold them yet…working on it!!" Manwiller explained that, prior to taking any classes, the first step for every volunteer is a one-on-one meeting with her. [That should create an interesting logjam. ] Once fully trained, volunteers will be supervised by select shelter employees. Manwiller added: "im happy to tell you that the staff is overwhelmingly excited about these changes to the volunteer program,” [That’s understandable, as volunteers will be doing much of the shelter work. Will volunteers be equally excited? Remember, the AC&C must take its skeletal staff (said to be 1/2 to 1/3 of the number needed), and transform them into talented and motivated employees, capable of earning the respect of volunteers whom they’ll be supervising.] Manwiller stressed the AC&C’s policy that volunteers may NOT speak to the press without prior approval. [Gag orders and so-called confidentiality directives permeate the new AC&C volunteer materials. The breadth and vagueness of some of these restrictions is alarming, even purporting to prevent volunteers from contacting their elected political representatives.] Manwiller warned that volunteers may not cross-post materials or photos about A&C animals on the web without prior approval. Volunteers are required to give to the AC&C their copyright ownership of photos and videos of AC&C animals. On a surprising note, Manwiller explained that AC&C welcomes media coverage and that if a volunteer is approached by a reporter or media outlet that wants to do a story or "an exposé," the volunteer should let the AC&C’s Director of Development and Communications know, because the AC&C would “love” that. [Someone should really take them up on this, demanding full and unfettered access to do an exposé.] At one point, volunteers were asked if they knew the difference “between a regular shelter and a full service shelter." A volunteer whispered "death.” [ Well, yes, that is essentially the difference]. Volunteers were instructed that a full service shelter (such as the AC&C) is one that is required to take in every animal that comes through its doors and to provide sheltering, adoptions and medical services. [NOTE: presumably among the “medical services” provided is euthanasia.] Having finished her presentation, Manwiller opened the meeting up to Q&A. Someone asked why the New York Cares Volunteers Program was terminated. Julie Bank answered that question, explaining that the program was "too dangerous", that "too many people were bitten," and that NY Cares volunteers would be participating going forward in an "episodic" (one-time) capacity, e.g. NY Cares Volunteers are now painting the Brooklyn Shelter. Someone asked why small dogs are not made available to the public, and whether it’s true that they are given directly to rescue groups. Thunderclouds came over Manwiller face, and she said “I’m not answering that.” But Dr. Janeczko did, answering that a small dog adoptions room was in the works and that not all small dogs are suitable for direct adoptions, and must go to rescue. A volunteer asked about the ongoing problem of event and media animals being placed in the adoptions ward, frustrating potential adopters who, when interested in such animals, are told they are off limits (even though in the adoptions ward). Dr. Janeczko said that they will create holding rooms for event and media animals. A new volunteer asked about the dog-walking sheets. She said, "Sometimes it looks like a dog hasn't been walked in 24 hours! People must be forgetting to write on the cards, right? There's no way this could be, right?" Manwiller assured her that, no way could dogs not have been walked. [There was much gnashing and grinding of teeth among volunteers who know, full well, that dogs are not walked].. Manwiller continued that the AC&C will "make sure employees are more careful about writing the times they walk the dogs on the cards." [More grinding and gnashing.] The last (and bravest) question of the night was: What is going to be done about the flawed SAFER system. [The so called “S.A.F.E.R test, created and heavily promoted by the ASPCA has always been performed poorly, sloppily, and inappropriately by AC&C staff. The Mayor’s Alliance fully supports and sponsors the AC&C’s use of the SAFER test despite its obvious flaws and gross unfairness. Nor does it help that Dr. Janeczko recently changed the scoring system, making it easier to give an AC&C dog a failing grade.] Dr. Janezcko said: "The SAFER system is not perfect. So, it is not the be-all and end-all for the animals. It is taken into the overall consideration about an animal's behavior." Even as she was talking, numerous people were raising their hands for follow-up questions. But believe it or not, as Dr. Janeczko was still speaking, the microphone cut off. Manwiller said: "Well I guess that's it then! Ha ha ha!" And just like that, the meeting was over. Had there been more time, volunteers would have liked to hear more details on what the AC&C employees and supervisors are doing to improve conditions for the animals, and the effect of the volunteer freeze on the animals throughout the Summer. SRAC Home Page |
| Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) ShelterReform.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask. |
