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Animal House Divided; Two Humane Societies, One Roof

Posted on: Thursday, 2 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

Animal lover Jeanne Megel saw cats held in feline carriers at Colorado Humane Society. The sight made her mad.

State veterinarian inspector Cynthia Thompson said some carriers are too small to house more than one animal.

The humane society, which took over Colorado Springs' animal control duties in January, said it's using the small cages because the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region won't give it more space.

The Pikes Peak group, which held the animal control contract for 53 years and owns the building just off South Eighth Street where both organizations operate, displays its cats in spacious cages in glass enclosures. Pikes Peak officials say they negotiated with the city to receive the bulk of the building's space.

City officials say that's bunk and accuse Pikes Peak of trying to make conditions intolerable for a competing organization that took its $895,000-a-year contract.

The cost of that change is name-calling and finger-pointing between the groups, as well as accusations of dirty tricks and substandard animal care.

On the dispute's losing end are the animals.

"It's going to get worse probably," City Councilwoman Margaret Radford said. "I just think that anything that involves pets and animals and contracts and money, this has all the elements for a huge soap opera... and that's what it is."

The city ended its relationship with the Pikes Peak humane society to save money.

Four years ago, the Pikes Peak group opened a $6.1 million shelter, paid for with $3 million approved by voters.

All appeared to be going well.

During the next few years, the humane society asked for several increases in the amount of money it received from the city to silence barking dogs, track down strays and license pets.

Frustrated with the rising costs and wanting to cut expenses, the city took bids for a contract last year and awarded it to Englewoodbased Colorado Humane Society, which offered to do the job for $505,000 less than Pikes Peak.

The Pikes Peak humane society continues to do animal control for Fountain, Manitou Springs and unincorporated El Paso County.

Most people -- and so many accusations have been made it's difficult to determine the truth -- said problems started as soon as the group arrived.

DIRTY TRICKS

Five former Pikes Peak humane society employees who work for Colorado Humane Society said supervisors in the older organization encouraged them to be uncooperative with the new group.

Animal protection officer John Rogers said he was scolded for sharing information with Colorado Humane Society. Kennel supervisor Jeremy Comley said he was told not to help Colorado Humane Society staffers if they asked.

Wes Metzler, director of the Pikes Peak humane society, denied employees received such orders.

When Colorado Humane Society moved into the building, it received 38 percent of the space and was forced to house cats in a former garage.

Things turned nasty.

Animal feces were smeared on doorknobs at night inside the new group's part of the building, according to a report from Police Chief Luis Velez, whose department oversees the animal control contract.

Colorado Humane Society received calls -- that it couldn't trace - - reporting a pit bull in a schoolyard chasing children.

Workers never found the dog but wasted time and gas getting to the scene.

While a television station interviewed Colorado Humane Society officials, Pikes Peak workers paraded dead animals past the camera, giving the impression they were killed by the new group, Velez said.

Pikes Peak board member Tom Anderson called the accusations "garbage" and refused comment about them.

Bob and Mary Warren, who run the Colorado Humane Society, said all the incidents happened.

"This really, truly is getting to the point where we can't take any more," Mary Warren said. "It's war."

QUESTIONS OF QUALITY

Colorado Humane Society has another set of problems, concerning animal care.

Thompson, the state inspector, last month found several cats in enclosures that were too small.

She noted a pregnant dog was kept in the same room as dogs being treated for kennel cough and that isolation rooms for treating illnesses were cluttered and disorganized.

Visitors saw problems, too.

Megel said the floors of dog cages were covered in urine, and some water dishes were filled with it, as well.

Colorado Springs resident Yvonne Stemple said she saw dogs sitting in their feces.

Many people complained of an overbearing stench.

Several animal rescue groups who adopted dogs or cats from Colorado Humane Society said they won't do it again because the animals they received were terminally ill.

Susan Magness of Blue Lion Animal Rescue claimed she picked up four dogs that had parvovirus, a potentially deadly intestinal disease that infected and killed her pets.

Karyl Kelley, president of the Feline Friends of the Pikes Peak Region, said she thought she was getting six healthy pregnant cats.

She said they'd been vaccinated while pregnant, and 14 kittens died shortly after birth.

"We're still pretty much getting over the shock," Kelley said. "It's a horrible experience to have to sit and watch a cat die."

The Warrens denied anything is wrong with their animal care, and several professionals backed their claims.

A Colorado State University veterinarian said the organization is working to improve its conditions.

Other rescue groups praise the group's commitment to animals.

Thompson said a follow-up inspection this month found fewer violations.

BEST FOR THE PETS

The Warrens said they stand out from their predecessor in one area -- they euthanize fewer animals.

Pikes Peak killed 20,543 animals in Colorado Springs from 2000 to 2002. Colorado Humane Society put down 1,152 at its Englewood shelter during that period.

Pikes Peak took in almost five times as many animals during those years, but its euthanization rates were 32 percent to 34 percent, while Colorado Humane Society's were between 6 percent and 11 percent of the 13,782 animals it received.

Among major Front Range shelters, only Denver Animal Control kills a higher percentage of dogs and cats than Pikes Peak, about 37 percent during recent years.

One issue still is up for debate -- the sharing of the 40,000- square-foot building.

Police fiscal services director Tom Albertson said Pikes Peak needs to give up some space.

Anderson, the board member, said the city agreed to the setup in December and nothing more needs to be done.

Police are meeting with Pikes Peak officials and trying to work out a deal, which would include a front entrance for Colorado Humane Society. Visitors must go in through a side door in what used to be the garage.

Many animal lovers think the organizations have allowed the dispute to overshadow what is best for the pets.

Jess Sokoloff, canine program coordinator for the rescue group Dreampower, is among them.

"Probably the best thing that people could do is put pressure on both organizations to pull their heads out of their nether regions and remember what that shelter is there for," Sokoloff said.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0184 or sealover@gazette.com

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