Have you ever adopted a pet, volunteered with the animals, or made a donation to the Orange County Humane Society
on Newland Ave. in Huntington Beach? Have you ever seen a sick animal, abuse, or inhumane conditions at this facility? Do you feel frustrated no one will listen to your concerns? POST YOUR THOUGHTS HERE! 
Several times a year we receive complaints about the Newland Shelter. Word gets around, something gets printed in the paper, a formal complaint is made, but nothing happens. Sometimes it's rancid food, poor medical care or a lack of empathy by staff. But for some reason, this shelter is in a constant state of turmoil. Year after year of hearing the same things over and over can simply no longer be ignored.
It's time we all pull together and be a
VOICE FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT SPEAK! PLEASE! Let YOUR voice be heard.
The animals desperately need your help. Go to our Voice Your Opinion page! Be the change you wish to see in the world - Ghandi |
Regarding the Orange County Humane Society in Huntington Beach: Received by C&C May 22, 2008 May 17th, 2008 What started our as a happy day quickly turned into a dreadful one for my friends and family. My daughter has been volunteering at the Orange County Humane Society for quite a few months and recently she started fostering kittens in our home. They are so small they need to be bottled fed every few hours. The first time we got two kittens and found great homes for both of them. When we brought them in to get adopted they asked us if we could foster some more kittens. We said OK we'd take two or three more - they gave us six! Needless to say it was quite a bit of work, and some expense as their formula alone costs $22 per can, but our family enjoyed loving them and watching them grow. We found homes for five out of the six and we went to the shelter today, Saturday, with the "adoptive parents" to do all the necessary paperwork. We were told by the teenage girl who works there, Bree, that they could not do the adoption today because they did not have the correct papers for the kittens? I asked why not, she told me the person who had "their numbers" wasn't there. Also, while we were waiting there one of my friends asked if she could hold a cat that was in a cage. Bree asked her if she had her mortgage statement with her?! I said she is with us - my daughter who volunteers there and myself, a teacher who recently had a fundraiser at my school which donated tons of food, treats, blankets, beds, tarps etc.. I then asked if there was someone in charge that I could speak to, to which she replied "If you are going to argue with me, then we will take the kittens back from you." Shocked I said "No, we'll come back on Monday to do the paperwork." She then said if we left with the kittens she would call the police and say we stole them! Thinking this is ridiculous, we continued to walk away with the other teenage girl following my daughter and physically trying to take them away from her. An hour later I received a phone call from the H.B. Police telling me that the O.C. Humane Society was going to file a theft report on us. I explained to the officer what happened, and asked him to try to contact an adult in charge at the facility because I was sure that if I spoke to them we would be able to rationally clear things up. Shortly after, the officer called me back and said he spoke with the owner of the OC Humane Society, who is the Vet at the AAA Animal Hospital, Samir Botros, and that if we brought the kittens back by 5pm tonight he wouldn't file charges! I drove down there to try to speak with him in person and was told he was in surgery and wouldn't be out for 2 hours. I told them what it was in reference to and left my phone number. When I got home the girl at the vet hospital desk called me to again tell me to return the kittens, and I again asked to speak with the owner. I got another call this time from someone who said they worked there but was not the owner. I told him what had happened and asked that in the best interest of these kittens could we not just keep them till Monday instead of them being put into cages in this heat and with the shelter being closed until Monday? He told me "No, they are our property and they will be fine in cages even if you don't think so." Nice to know that they think of their animals as "property"! Again, I tried to reason with this person, to explain how much my daughter and I have helped at this shelter, and that the kittens would be better at home with us, to which he said to have them here by 5pm or we file charges! My daughter, broken hearted and in tears, brought them back to the shelter to sit in cages until Monday when the shelter reopens. How sad and ridiculous is that? I'd like people in Orange County to know a few things about this place, besides how horribly we were treated. Contrary to what the sign on the front says it is NOT affiliated with the Humane Society of the U.S.! The vet next door owns it - which is not information they or the vet office are freely giving out even when asked. Perhaps this is because he doesn't want the public to know it's not the place they think it is - I have since found out from the many volunteers who help there that if an animal comes to the shelter needing any kind of vet care or surgery, the volunteers have to donate their own money or try to raise the money in order for the animal to get the care he or she needs! Next, if you donate money you should be aware that it is probably not going to the animals and if you donate new items they may not go to the animals but instead may be sold for a profit. I saw dog beds in the office that I thought were donated and asked if they were to which I was told "We can do what we want with donated items!" I responded by saying "Don't you think the community would like to be aware of this?" Lastly, the cats are in small cages facing the sun with temperatures, such as today, over 80 degrees. I know my school donated tarps - where are they? This place is not at all what it is seems to be! For my family to be treated as criminals is outrageous. We are sad, disgusted and extremely disheartened. Sincerely, Jan Mulholland
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