Some of it, however, makes outrageous reading.
Let's see: on Page 12, within the minutes for the January 2008 meeting, the address 5210 Bonita is mentioned - the first Texas Pawprints shelter. However, Pawprints moved out in May 2005 because a more suitable property was found.
5210 Bonita was eventually turned into a boarding facility by the veterinary clinic around the corner on Henderson.
However, the folks at DAS and Skip Trimble never noticed this. Here's a verbatim excerpt from the Animal Shelter Commission minutes:
Officer Chavez provided a Cruelty Report of five current cruelty cases. Mr. McDaniel agreed to revisit the 5210 Bonita case that involves over one hundred cats in a residence. Mr. Trimble suggested the civil seizure of those cats since they are being cruelly confined. Mr. Curington said he would look into it with Dr. Thorne next week.
Let's look at this excerpt closely:
- 5210 Bonita was NEVER classified as a residence. Before moving in, Texas Pawprints went through the usual City inspection. After moving out, Vickery Place Animal Hospital turned it into The Cat Cottage, a feline boarding facility. This facility is still in business today.
- Texas Pawprints moved out of 5210 Bonita in 2005 - yet Mr. Trimble thinks that the group is still there in 2008. Wakey wakey, Skip! I can only guess that whoever showed up to do a civil seizure was pretty freakin' embarrassed.
I'll be publishing more excerpts later - including the decision that, although the Pawprints shelter director was acquitted of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges in 2008, that the Animal Shelter Commission would continue to harass her and the group. That pearler is in another month's minutes.
If you'd like an emailed copy of the 2008 minutes, drop me a line. I can't offer it for upload here as this blog template doesn't have that functionality. (Actually it does now - check out the blog entry above this one.)
3 comments:
FP, I would love a copy. And you can probably e-mail it to me directly. Also, how the h.ll do you actually get your hands on those reports? We've attended the shelter commission meetings, and several of them in 2008, but have never been able to access hard copies of the minutes, even though the meetings are subject to TOMA.
Oh, and I wanted to add, that I and several of the ladies that attended DASC meetings in 2008, were HORRIFIED at some of the discussion that took place. We left there absolutely NOT believing some of things we heard. There was one very influential and DRIVING member, when discussing the upcoming ordinance changes, wanted to make VERY sure, that if someone was out of compliance, that the city NOT allow them to surrender the animal in lieu of the citation or fine or penalty. That they "could" if they so chose, to surrender the animal since they obviously were not responsible enough to care for it...but DEMANDED that they be cited and fined as well. The amount of anger directed toward the citizens of Dallas, was unbelievable. And of course, there was always the recourse to seize, if conditions were less than "sanitary". Another member gave explicit instructions to A/C regarding someone they were following up on, and specifically told them to look in drawers, and bath tubs and showers, and closets, and every single possible hiding place, because this particular individual was so devious and sick that they would hide cats (this was a cat case...) anywhere. I don't believe there was a warrant involved, or perhaps there was, but I can't believe it included every nook and cranny of the house/facility. By the way, many of these cases discussed in open meeting, were presently in litigation, and we were shocked to be hearing the details. We left these meetings usually in a state of shock, or active anger. We simply could not believe how hateful and vindictive many on the commission were. We have tried in vain to obtain minutes of those meetings. There were many conversations that we "heard" but were never able to confirm through documented meeting minutes.
And inasmuch as Skip was the Chair of this committee, I think it's safe to say from my perspective, that many times he was NOT anywhere near in control of this committee. There are members that are so "rabid" about punitive measures, and about having their way, and exerting complete control, almost to the point of tantrum. I have seen the group DEMAND (in a quarterly ASC commission meeting) that Skip do something that he was reticent to do, refused to do, because it was so far removed from being the "charge" of this commission. And yet, at the end of the meeting, he obliged his committee. It was quite frightening to watch how this committee operates, and you would thought since the public, and especially the public that opposed the ordinances were witnesses at and to the meeting, that they might have acted in a more reserved manner, but no. I left feeling that I had been distinctly threatened. They certainly didn't care how they behaved or what they discussed in front of us. I believe that was intentional.
Anyway, I just wanted to add these , since we did attend several meetings during the ordinance fiasco. I follow your blog faithfully, and every description you have given of the individuals in these cases is absolutely SPOT ON! Thank you for your efforts!
2205-2008. So, did it take them 3+ years to process this allegation OR did they pull it out of their a**? I'm leaning toward the latter but gotta say either one would be TOTALLY unacceptable!
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