Wenatchee Valley Humane Society Addresses Community Cat Programs

Discussion started back in February, when regional investigative reporter Dominick Bonney released an article that went over the shelter’s Return-to-Home (RTH) policy and their Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) policy.

These policies become part of the shelter’s Neighborhood Cat Project, which traps and neuters both social and feral roaming cats and sends them to reside in different regional cat nests in order to minimize the homeless cat population, reduction shelter tenancy, and manage the cat population.

Cats who were already processed through the TNR program would have their ears tipped while under sedation.

The shelter got reaction over a social networks post made in a Facebook group called “Notify Wenatchee,” a now erased post that declared the shelter was euthanizing cats to include kitten season.

Since that post, there were numerous neighborhood members who declared that the shelter was launching cats into the wild throughout the winter season time, increasing the danger of hypothermia.

Bonney’s post likewise offered statement from 3 workers who stop in mid-February, all declaring that just recently selected Executive Director James Pumphrey developed a hazardous workplace and was condescending towards workers.

Pumphrey entered his function last December, taking control of for his predecessor Dawn Davies. Before relocating to Wenatchee, Pumphrey formerly functioned as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the Animal Foundation in Las Vegas, which got backlash from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for allegations of deserting social cats eligible for adoption.

Back in 2007, Pumphrey was working as the Shelter Operations Manager at the Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, New Hampshire. While there, workers criticized Pumphrey’s management design and his capability to look after animals. However, claims of mismanagement or overlook were unverified.

Pumphrey resolved previous media protection on him and compared individuals’s reaction to RTH as to when shelters started their spay and neuter programs.

“There were times where our industry moved to an open adoption policy, moving away from home visits and hefty restrictions and that also required change, and it also involved criticism,” Pumphrey explained. “But this is a science-based practice, it is the best practice, it’s an industry-based practice.”

Pumphrey describes that a cat is most likely to be embraced in the wild instead of at a shelter which these RTH programs considerably minimize overcrowding in shelters.

In 2022 alone, WVHS processed 1,803 dogs and 2,833 felines throughout the year.

In one research study, scientists discovered that in a New-Mexico-based animal shelter, feline euthanasia decreased by 84.1%, with consumption falling to 37.6% over a three-year timespan.

Along with that, the shelter saw more cats went back to owners, a boost in feline adoptions, and less get in touch with departed cats.

In another case research study, a Chicago community saw an 82% reduction in the cat population due to targeted TNR efforts.

During the pandemic, WVHS experienced a mass increase of both feline and canine consumptions, whether it be due to the fact that of owners rehoming family pets for monetary factors, absence of spaying/neutering for animals resulting in overpopulation, or due to the fact that they took in animals from other shelters throughout the state, consisting of a number of from Texas.

Employees shared a number of circumstances where they inadvertently embraced out someone else’s animal in the middle of the confusion.

Staff members were experiencing fast burnout, animals were overcrowding at the shelter which resulted in reduced care, and eventually all these elements increased staff member turnover.

Animal Control Cpl. Nomi Stutzman has actually been operating at WVHS for over 8 years and remembered the time she almost stopped throughout the pandemic due to how worried the shelter was.

“I would walk into the back and [my coworkers] would be crying because we were so overwhelmed with the amount of cats that we had at the shelter at that time,” Stutzman said.

After initially hearing that the shelter would be returning cats to cat nests instead of process them for adoption, some employee were reluctant about the concept in the beginning look.

Staff member Christine Fantozzi began as a volunteer and participated in a volunteer workshop to get more information about the shelter’s RTH  program.

After learning more about the science, Fantozzi said it still required time for her heart to match with her brain and procedure the truth that the shelter wasn’t going to process every social cat for adoption.

“That’s not possible for every cat, [there’s] just too many,” Fantozzi said. “If we do this [and] make these hard decisions now, we’ll be able to see positive effects in the future.”

Cpl. Stutzman said her department makes sure that every kitten returned is required to a cat nest under safe scenarios.

“We’ve already taken in several kittens, one mother and some kittens, that were actually found out on the road,” Stutzman said. “Obviously, in that circumstance, those animals would not be a candidate for RTH. We’re not going to raise these kittens and throw them back out into the universe, that’s not something that we’re doing.”

Former Animal Care Technician and customer support agent Rhiannon Gavin started operating at WVHS in May, 2021. 

According to Gavin, RTH policy states that kittens require to be a minimum of 3 months old and clinically well prior to they might be returned out to a cat nest and that throughout the winter season, the shelter normally pauses their TNR program and just opened their RTH program for feral cats.

Over the last winter season, Gavin declares that the RTH policy started to alter, with more duty going towards the shelter’s internal vet, Dr. Hayley Barkoviak.

“We were RTHing cats that were 3 months old all the method as much as possibly 6 years of ages, in the middle of winter season and 2 feet of snow,” Gavin said. “We had a great deal of those cats return with frostbite or with infection.”

Gavin remembered an occurrence when she got a call from a regular visitor asking if they might generate 3 roaming kittens.

Due to miscommunication with the visitor, Gavin accepted the visitor’s demand prior to recognizing that the kittens were visibly underweight and had serious health concerns.

“Turns out they have severe upper respiratory infection, their eyes were very goopy and crusty,” Gavin said. “Two out of the three couldn’t even open one of their eyes, or both eyes.”

After getting approval from Cpl. Stutzman to waive the kittens into emergency situation foster care, Gavin declares that Pumphrey stormed into the lobby and asked her why she accepted these kittens.

“It’s illegal for us to decline strays,” Gavin explained. […] “He proceeded to rant about how we need to make sure that mom was with them and try and get her, to put them back where they came from, and that we shouldn’t have taken them in the first place.”

Gavin said she felt belittled and embarrassed towards completion of that interaction.

“He then told me that if it’s a persistent issue, [I would] need to tell [the visitor] that we will no longer be accepting strays from her and that if she wants to set up her own rescue she can, but we will no longer help her with that.”

Her last day of work was on Feb. 16, submitting her 2 weeks observe quickly after her fight with Pumphrey.

When inquired about the workers who spoke versus him, Pumphrey said that the neighborhood requires to focus more on statements from workers who operated at WVHS for a number of years and to not concentrate on a couple of “disgruntled” workers who just worked there for a couple of months.

“The folks that may have been here for a short period of time that are choosing to make personal attacks, those aren’t accurate,” Pumphrey said. “It really is inappropriate and kind of bullying behavior.”

Other employee did share favorable experiences with Pumphrey. Kathie Teeley, who has actually offered at WVHS for over a years, said that he was the very first Executive Director she has actually seen that attempts to understand each animal separately, instead of simply fundraise for grants.

Cpl. Stutzman shared that the modifications Pumphrey has actually been carrying out are starkly various compared to the height of the pandemic.

“Even in the last three years, [the shelter] has made dramatic changes, and implemented new science-based programs and that we’re seeing a positive growth from that we’re seeing, less people being burned out, we’re offering more training to individuals that need it.”

Gavin clarified on the truth that she believed Pumphrey had excellent concepts for the shelter, however was troubled by the disrespect he revealed towards front workplace staff.

“Anyone who worked at the vet clinic, or anyone who was in animal care and control, or anyone in administration, he would take their suggestions and their thoughts and opinions very seriously, because to him they’re just higher than we are,” Gavin said. 

Social media posts concerning the shelter’s neighborhood cat programs started to wane in early March. WVHS even committed a couple posts to staff, consisting of Dr. Hayley Barkoviak.

When stress were high, Cpl. Stutzman said the social networks buzz was beginning to get to shelter workers.

“[New employees] were crying because they felt that the community hated them, because posts were made on social media that were degrading the work that’s [been] done at the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society,” Stutzman said.

Fantozzi said she was shocked when she checked out Bonney’s post, however was alleviated to see that it assisted clean up a few of the false information surrounding their neighborhood cat programs.

Gavin said she does not be sorry for speaking up, however comprehends that it might be challenging to go back to the shelter in the future. She likewise pointed out that she and other colleagues discussed producing a union, 

“There were so many talks about us just walking out one day, but we can’t really do that without having a union,” Gavin explained. “It was really difficult working for someone who just doesn’t agree with a lot of what you’re saying and then just wants you to agree with everything they’re saying.”