Sorry for the long post. It's hard not share what you know!
I had the great pleasure over the last few weeks to observe both Kristen Hassen and Kate Hurley in person, while they were both under extreme scrutiny for their failed policies. FINALLY !
Hassen was in Palm Springs, CA trying to sell and justify her recent contract with Riverside County Animal Services at their commissioners meeting. Haasen had to sit in a meeting, while a hundred plus animal advocates gathered and essentially told her~ that she was misguided, cruel and greedy. Not one single person came forward to support Hassen or her failed HAAS policies.
Animal lovers presented story after story, some from as far away as Memphis, El Paso, Tucson and Austin shared the horror of her "consulting expertise"in multiple communities. They shared the aftermath of her inhumane policies. The unwanted litters, packs of dogs, lawsuits and tragic deaths of animals that resulted from her idea of "helping communities" by keeping animals out of the shelter.
We had all gathered there, after her slick talking presentation garnered her a contract from Riverside Animal Care, to the tune of almost two and half million dollars....we figured it worked out to about $577 an hour for two years IF she was actually there 40 hours a week (doubtful, as she is always grifting at other shelters far away for new multi million dollar contracts).
It was shared over and over, this is money that could be used to actually HELP THE ANIMALS, as the shelter is in crises. The contract that was awarded, circumvented all normal Riverside County guidelines, and was awarded in some shady fashion. (No RFT/ requests for proposals, approved with NO community input of any kind). We are anxiously awaiting to see if the Board of Supervisors does the right thing and cancels this underhanded, damaging contract within the 30 day time frame. The orphaned animals of Riverside County deserve so much better.
And then there is Kate Hurley, in a class of her own, a woman who uses her veterinary powers for PURE EVIL. What a display of "know it all" arrogance and narcissism. Hurley was on the witness stand for about 2 days in San Diego at the trial: Pet Assistance Foundation VS San Diego Humane Society. I am no vet, but it seems like there should be some sort of sanctions from the CA Veterinary Board for her complete disregard of common decency towards the animals that she took an oath to protect, not harm.
Braggadocious and practiced she was. She must have had HOURS of prep for her testimony. First "Shelter Medicine Vet" in the world ... blah,blah,blah. Sorry, most people don't care how many degrees or studies have done, if you mistreat animals, at best you are nothing more than a misguided human being and at worst you are a well paid animal abuser.
Hurley is recommending flat out neglect and cruelty to the friendly, tame cats in San Diego and beyond. She made the false statement that indoor cats do not live longer than outdoor cats. She is and has been promoting the ILLEGAL dumping of friendly, tame cats by the 1000's on the streets of San Diego to fend for themselves since 2019. If that wasn't bad enough... she spends her time traveling across the country to promote this inhumanity. She claimed a study (one that she received over $5 million dollars to conduct, YESSSSSS $5 million dollars, and her pal Julie Levy got at least $2 million)... says it's a fine and dandy thing to do. And Hurley and her pals have created a program where they've done this to a MILLION CATS+ across the country. HUH? WHAT ???
She was actually boasting about dumping friendly, tame cats on the streets to fend for themselves. Hurley basically said "No one wants to adopt cats any more." These cats are not microchipped or followed, but yet they claimed they've SAVED over a million cats. Unlike feral TNR cats, these cats have NO CAREGIVERS or feeders. In short, they've help shelters DUMP a million cats, they have no way of tracking how many were eaten by coyotes, hit by cars, poisoned by eating rodents that were poisoned, owls, hawks, parasites, no food or water. Left to navigate 100+ degree weather in many areas, floods and snow in others. She is quoting some wacky math and getting A LOT OF MONEY for it. You are not suppose to leave your pets outside in the weather, ask any 6 year old.
Ms Hurley doesn't seem to know or care that it is ILLEGAL in California according to Food & Ag Codes-for shelters to be dumping animals (abandoning them) on the streets of cities. That's why there are multiple lawsuits, many will follow. Seems this team doesn't understand right and wrong, it takes a lawsuit to remind them. Shelters are also collecting millions of dollars in taxpayer money, and countless donations to care for these orphaned animals...not dump them on the street where they were found because some overpaid "consultants" suggested it.
This scheme is now public information~ and part of a greater master plan Hurley, Hassen and their HASS team (aka Human Animal Support Services) call "community-centric sheltering" or "reduced intake" protocol. They are selling this BS to shelters all across the country with a hefty price tag in the millions for their "expertise". What a grift! We heard Hurley say that animal welfare professional organizations support this policy. I read that to mean they are some how getting money from Maddie's Fund, Best Friends, Humane Society to promote this.
Bottom line, they do not care what happens to animals in need, and have no remorse about leaving animals to fend for themselves on the streets and hope good samaritans or small rescues do the job that shelters are being paid to do. They are advocating for shelters to refuse to accept animals. It is also telling is that both Hassen and Hurley have made MILLIONS selling their cruelty across the country to shelters by acting as consultants and doing "studies". Absolutely wolves in sheep's clothing.
It's long past time they be exposed for their failed, inhumane policies.
(disclaimer: this is my humble opinion of what I have observed)
Sorry for the long post. It's hard not share what you know!
I had the great pleasure over the last few weeks to observe both Kristen Hassen and Kate Hurley in person, while they were both under extreme scrutiny for their failed policies. FINALLY !
Hassen was in Palm Springs, CA trying to sell and justify her recent contract with Riverside County Animal Services at their commissioners meeting. Haasen had to sit in a meeting, while a hundred plus animal advocates gathered and essentially told her~ that she was misguided, cruel and greedy. Not one single person came forward to support Hassen or her failed HAAS policies.
Animal lovers presented story after story, some from as far away as Memphis, El Paso, Tucson and Austin shared the horror of her "consulting expertise"in multiple communities. They shared the aftermath of her inhumane policies. The unwanted litters, packs of dogs, lawsuits and tragic deaths of animals that resulted from her idea of "helping communities" by keeping animals out of the shelter.
We had all gathered there, after her slick talking presentation garnered her a contract from Riverside Animal Care, to the tune of almost two and half million dollars....we figured it worked out to about $577 an hour for two years IF she was actually there 40 hours a week (doubtful, as she is always grifting at other shelters far away for new multi million dollar contracts).
It was shared over and over, this is money that could be used to actually HELP THE ANIMALS, as the shelter is in crises. The contract that was awarded, circumvented all normal Riverside County guidelines, and was awarded in some shady fashion. (No RFT/ requests for proposals, approved with NO community input of any kind). We are anxiously awaiting to see if the Board of Supervisors does the right thing and cancels this underhanded, damaging contract within the 30 day time frame. The orphaned animals of Riverside County deserve so much better.
And then there is Kate Hurley, in a class of her own, a woman who uses her veterinary powers for PURE EVIL. What a display of "know it all" arrogance and narcissism. Hurley was on the witness stand for about 2 days in San Diego at the trial: Pet Assistance Foundation VS San Diego Humane Society. I am no vet, but it seems like there should be some sort of sanctions from the CA Veterinary Board for her complete disregard of common decency towards the animals that she took an oath to protect, not harm.
Braggadocious and practiced she was. She must have had HOURS of prep for her testimony. First "Shelter Medicine Vet" in the world ... blah,blah,blah. Sorry, most people don't care how many degrees or studies have done, if you mistreat animals, at best you are nothing more than a misguided human being and at worst you are a well paid animal abuser.
Hurley is recommending flat out neglect and cruelty to the friendly, tame cats in San Diego and beyond. She made the false statement that indoor cats do not live longer than outdoor cats. She is and has been promoting the ILLEGAL dumping of friendly, tame cats by the 1000's on the streets of San Diego to fend for themselves since 2019. If that wasn't bad enough... she spends her time traveling across the country to promote this inhumanity. She claimed a study (one that she received over $5 million dollars to conduct, YESSSSSS $5 million dollars, and her pal Julie Levy got at least $2 million)... says it's a fine and dandy thing to do. And Hurley and her pals have created a program where they've done this to a MILLION CATS+ across the country. HUH? WHAT ???
She was actually boasting about dumping friendly, tame cats on the streets to fend for themselves. Hurley basically said "No one wants to adopt cats any more." These cats are not microchipped or followed, but yet they claimed they've SAVED over a million cats. Unlike feral TNR cats, these cats have NO CAREGIVERS or feeders. In short, they've help shelters DUMP a million cats, they have no way of tracking how many were eaten by coyotes, hit by cars, poisoned by eating rodents that were poisoned, owls, hawks, parasites, no food or water. Left to navigate 100+ degree weather in many areas, floods and snow in others. She is quoting some wacky math and getting A LOT OF MONEY for it. You are not suppose to leave your pets outside in the weather, ask any 6 year old.
Ms Hurley doesn't seem to know or care that it is ILLEGAL in California according to Food & Ag Codes-for shelters to be dumping animals (abandoning them) on the streets of cities. That's why there are multiple lawsuits, many will follow. Seems this team doesn't understand right and wrong, it takes a lawsuit to remind them. Shelters are also collecting millions of dollars in taxpayer money, and countless donations to care for these orphaned animals...not dump them on the street where they were found because some overpaid "consultants" suggested it.
This scheme is now public information~ and part of a greater master plan Hurley, Hassen and their HASS team (aka Human Animal Support Services) call "community-centric sheltering" or "reduced intake" protocol. They are selling this BS to shelters all across the country with a hefty price tag in the millions for their "expertise". What a grift! We heard Hurley say that animal welfare professional organizations support this policy. I read that to mean they are some how getting money from Maddie's Fund, Best Friends, Humane Society to promote this.
Bottom line, they do not care what happens to animals in need, and have no remorse about leaving animals to fend for themselves on the streets and hope good samaritans or small rescues do the job that shelters are being paid to do. They are advocating for shelters to refuse to accept animals. It is also telling is that both Hassen and Hurley have made MILLIONS selling their cruelty across the country to shelters by acting as consultants and doing "studies". Absolutely wolves in sheep's clothing.
It's long past time they be exposed for their failed, inhumane policies.
(disclaimer: this is my humble opinion of what I have observed)
Thank you for sharing this. I hope everyone on this page reads it.
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