Humane Society rallying supporters to protest Meredith budget move

[angela4design]

I received this email today about Meredith cutting the budget for the Humane Society, which could put animals at risk. The Laconia Daily Sun also has an article on the front page. Please help support our furry friends!

ISSUE:
The Town of Meredith is suddenly without a contract for Animal Welfare for pets, strays, surrenders and cruelty cases. The fate of hundreds of Meredith's dogs, cats and other pets are in jeopardy!

BACKGROUND:
After 30 years of contracting with the New Hampshire Humane Society (NHHS), Meredith has failed to renew its contract leaving the protection and welfare of hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals at risk.

Previously, NHHS has provided the following services for the people of the Town of Meredith:

Ability for all Meredith residents and Police to surrender animals that are strays, abandoned or relinquished due to personal or financial constraints.
Humane handling of all animals, including immediate treatment for illness and diseases.
Every animal received all necessary vaccinations and were spayed or neutered.
All animals lived in comfortable conditions and were cared for 7 days a week, 365 days a year until they found their forever homes.
The start of a TNR Program (trap, neuter,release) where feral cats were captured and spayed or neutered treated to receive all vaccinations and were released. Kittens are treated and put up for adoption.

WHO IS PROVIDING THESE SERVICES NOW?
Since January, NHHS has provided services to Meredith for 21 dogs and cats including a two day rescue of 13 cats & 2 dogs from a Meredith home where the resident had died in a house filled with garbage and debris. This has been done without a contract and without compensation.

WHAT IS THE TOWN OF MEREDITH DOING?
Meredith town officials have eliminated all of the animal welfare services effective January 1st, 2010.

Meredith town officials have advertised for bids to only provide for "kennels for police strays for dogs only" (this covers only dogs that are captured by the Meredith police).

Meredith town officials bid request can allow for these services to be provided by a "kill facility" rather than requiring a "no kill shelter" such as NHHS.

Meredith town officials have eliminated services resulting in animals being at risk:

No services are provided for any dogs that are not captured by the police department.
No services are provided for any cats, dogs, or other pets that have been found in Meredith by its residents.
No services for any cats, dogs, or other pets that are surrendered by Meredith owners due to death, illness, foreclosure, etc.
No medical treatment for these animals.
No adoption program for these animals to help find their forever homes.
No spay/neuter program for Meredith resident's pets.
No spay capture/release program for Meredith animals.
No rescue missions or other support in animal neglect and cruelty matters.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Call Philip Warren, Town Manager at Meredith Town Hall @ 603-279-4538
Contact the following people from the Board of Selectman:
Bob Flanders robertflanders@verizon.net
Colette Worsman FAX: 603-528-2224
Chuck Palm hhcamp@hhcamp.com
Miller C. Lovett meredith@svmcl.us
Peter F. Brothers twobros@worldpath.net

PLEASE ATTEND!
The Meredith Town Meeting - MONDAY evening, February 8 at 5:30 pm. at the Meredith Community Center (Route 3), 1 Circle Drive, Room B. Help us fill the room and show the Meredith Board of Selectmen how many people are concerned about the welfare of Meredith's precious pets and animals! The animals are counting on you to speak for them!

[Pepper]

I read the article in the Laconia Daily Sun and was completely stunned. The amount of money Meredith is trying to save is literally a pittance! I was further astounded to read that LRHS was told they would be notified directly when the "Request for Bid" was issued, but instead they learned of it by reading the Daily Sun last Thursday.

For the life of me I cannot fathom why someone thought it would be a good idea to eliminate the services of the Humane Society from their budget. Particularly when these services have been performed by LRHS for the past 30 years at very little cost to the Town! Have the Selectmen actually studied the issue before coming up with this cost-cutting measure? I doubt it.

I urge anyone on this forum who lives in the town of Meredith to attend tonights meeting and voice their concern for the welfare of these unfortunate animals who cannot speak for themselves!

[dpg]

Enough already...These money woes are getting sickening!! Cut this, cut that, all while taxes go up. Every idiot in office needs to be voted out and we need to start from scratch.

[Meredith Resident]

I just sent an email to them. I know a couple of the selectmen, and I know they personally hate animals. Not speaking for all of them, but it would be nice if they cut their non stop building rampage for a couple helpless animals.

[Pineedles]

I hate to bring it up but....new fire truck without a fire dog? Very sad!

[mcdude]

Laconia Daily Sun

Selectmen return Humane Society arrangement to status quo, for now
MEREDITH — Mary Di Maria, interim executive director of the New Hampshire Humane Society, took to the podium last night as though she were a dog with bared teeth. No sooner did the barking begin than the Board of Selectmen realized they were the smaller dog in the fight and retreated, tail between their collective legs. Di Maria, and the room full of her supporters, was present at the meeting out of indignation that the town had advertised a request for proposals for kennel services. The Humane Society, located in Laconia, just barely over the Meredith town line, had been providing those services, and many others to the town, for 30 years, Di Maria told the board. “My concern in something of this nature is that all the bids have been listed for dog services only — we do a lot more than that for Meredith,” she said. Di Maria said the Humane Society accepts stray cats and dogs that residents collect and the non-profit organization also participates with the Police Department in recovering animals from homes where they’ve been neglected or abused. Further, she said the Humane Society has pledged to shelter and care for any animal until it is returned to its owner or is adopted to an acceptable home, and that the society won’t euthanize animals. She questioned whether a private kennel would be so generous, as they are only required by law to keep an animal for seven days. One kennel, whose services have been contracted by some regional municipalities, is in business as both v a kennel and a pet crematorium; she strongly insinuated that the two sides of the business are closer than most would like to know. Last year, she noted, the town of Meredith paid the Humane Society $9,500, though she said the services provided to the town were well in excess of that figure. Turning from the board to the audience, she said, “You should be outraged that this is even being considered.” Her comment drew a vigorous round of applause. Town Manager Phil Warren explained that as he was new to the position, he engaged in a lengthy e-mail exchange that began with a request for the Humane Society to fill out the same paperwork that the town was requesting of all “outside agencies”. “It was put very plainly that their services were viewed as just that, they were a vendor and they were providing services,” he said. Warren said town policies call for services be awarded through a bid process. “As a vendor, they have to be treated like every other vendor... It doesn’t stop the Humane Society from responding with a bid,” he said. Di Maria wasn’t satisfied with the answer, telling the board that she requested a meeting with a representative of the town, only to be told by Warren that it wouldn’t be necessary. “I find that absolutely disgraceful, that after 30 years of a relationship, that was the way we were treated.” Warren attempted to respond, only for his amplified answer to be drowned out by boos from the many humane society supporters in attendance. Selectboard Chair Peter Brothers noted that $10,000 in funding for the Humane society remained in the proposed budget for 2010 and though the board has been searching diligently for savings this year, “There is a bigger issue, the humane treatment of the animals.” He acknowledged that the breadth of animal services required by the town was largely unknown to him and he suggested that the board schedule a workshop so it could learn more about the topic.

See complete article HERE

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by Meredith Resident

I just sent an email to them. I know a couple of the selectmen, and I know they personally hate animals. Not speaking for all of them, but it would be nice if they cut their non stop building rampage for a couple helpless animals.

Well, I've heard it said more than once by a member of my town's budget committee: "Bullets aren't that expensive," in the context of animal control costs... Sorry but that's just sick...

[dpg]

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

Well, I've heard it said more than once by a member of my town's budget committee: "Bullets aren't that expensive," in the context of animal control costs... Sorry but that's just sick...

Real appropriate way for them to be speaking...NOT...

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

Well, I've heard it said more than once by a member of my town's budget committee: "Bullets aren't that expensive," in the context of animal control costs... Sorry but that's just sick...

That is sick.

"I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other ... And it's very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals ..."~Barack Obama President Elect USA

and for you Righties that would never agree with anything Obama said...

"Animals cannot speak, but can you and I not speak for them and represent them? Let us all feel their silent cry of agony and let us all help that cry to be heard in the world." ~Rukmini Devi Arundale

"Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human life". ~ Albert Schweitzer

"I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. I have done something," He replied. "I created you." ~The Animals' Savior Copyright Jim Willis 1999

"The measure of a society can be how well its people treat its animals." ~Mohandas Gandhi

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

Well, I've heard it said more than once by a member of my town's budget committee: "Bullets aren't that expensive," in the context of animal control costs... Sorry but that's just sick...

Standing offer to Meredith budget committee members that think a bullet is cheaper, "I'll make it even cheaper for you! I'll buy the bullet if you pull the trigger with the muzzle of the gun on the Fluffy, or Rover's head on the corner of Rt 3 and Rt. 25 at noon on Saturday." I'm no PETA member but I know what's wrong. Shame on you budget committee members! Go home and tell your children and granchildren that you were wrong and won't do stupid things like this again.

[Lakesrider]

Or......

We could just start dropping off stray animals at the committee members houses...

[fatlazyless]

It certainly seems like this 'tempest in a teapot' was just a procedural issue because the new town manager, Phil Warren, was going by the rule of requesting bids for any one town vender service/supply costing more tha 5-thousand dollars.

It's definately NOT about the money. Meredith is a town of 5800 residents & miles & miles of super-duper non-resident waterfront that has a proposed 12.4-mil dollar annual budget for 2010-2011, a brand new 2009 $850,000 aerial tower fire truck, and a proposed 3% school budget increase. The police dept belongs to one organized labor union, the rest of the 80 town workers, DPW & admininistrative belong to a different organized labor union, and the school has contractual agreements that are cast in hi-strength concrete, so the Meredith 'Money-Machine' will definately not forget the doggies and kitty-cats and the NH Humane Society in nearby Laconia that gets about $8500./year from Meredith. $8500 is the property tax from ONE individual "Wal-Mart" style, Winnipesaukee waterfront home.......just one.....and there's like plenty out there!

Barney the Basset Hound says AAAARRRRRROOOOOOOOO's to to the Town of Meredith .......arrrrrrrrrroooooooooooo.....arf....arf...ar f.....plus he always appreciates a Meredith doggie biscuit!

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Standing offer to Meredith budget committee members that think a bullet is cheaper, "I'll make it even cheaper for you! I'll buy the bullet if you pull the trigger with the muzzle of the gun on the Fluffy, or Rover's head on the corner of Rt 3 and Rt. 25 at noon on Saturday." I'm no PETA member but I know what's wrong. Shame on you budget committee members! Go home and tell your children and granchildren that you were wrong and won't do stupid things like this again.

For the record - that's Alton I'm talking about, not Meredith, but I think the traffic circle here where Routes 11 & 28 intersect would be an appropriate place, as you suggested.

[SAMIAM]

Millions for a Taj Mahal community center,police station big enough to service a city of 100,000 people, fire station addition and a bragging rights fire truck........and they won't cough up a measly 10K for helpless animals.......sick.