Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Hi, Tiffany, . How are you?
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:Tiffany: I'm good.
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:Dixie: Thank you so much for
coming on the show to talk about
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:The Washington Humane Society.
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:Could you introduce yourself and your
role with the Washington Humane Society?
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:Yes.
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:Tiffany Smith and I am the Vice President
of the humane Society, Washington.
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:And how did you first get
involved in animal rescue?
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:Tiffany: As a kid I always loved
animals and wanted to be a vet but
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:never could get past the point of
being able to put 'em down if they're
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:injured or even, sick and stuff.
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:And so we rescued, growing
up with my family,.
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:And then, probably a
little over 10 years now.
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:I met up with Magnolia Chapter back
then 'cause we were a sister facility
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:off of the humane side of Louisiana.
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:Met up with them and just
started volunteering my time
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:and just went from there.
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:Dixie: Were you involved in the formation
of the Washington Humane Society?
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:Tiffany: No, they had formed
probably a couple years before
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:I started volunteering there.
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:Dixie: And what is your mission
and what areas do you serve?
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:Tiffany: We serve mostly
Washington Parish.
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:But we do help outside
of our parish as well.
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:Our goal now we to have fosters and
animals up for adoption and so forth.
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:But as time goes on, we lose fosters and
we don't have that ability really to.
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:hold onto foster.
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:So what we do more now is the spay,
neutering program trap cats to get
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:feral cats fixed and released back
to where they were and to help the
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:public just, educate the public
on the importance of spay neuter.
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:The importance of adopting.
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:We work with other facilities and other
rescue groups to try to help move animals
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:from the south up north where they
have a much successful adoption rate.
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:We just try to help where we can, when
we can and try to help the community
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:and how we can with with animal needs.
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:Dixie: And how long has the
Washington Humane Society been
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:operating in Washington Parish?
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:Tiffany: I've been helping them
for about 15 years and they
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:started before I, came aboard.
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:So I would say probably
20 years, maybe longer.
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:Dixie: And the spay neuter
program that you have, can you
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:explain what that program is?
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:Is it different from other areas?
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:Tiffany: I guess it just
depends on your price.
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:So we have an amazing vet in her
staff out of Mississippi, and we
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:go to Crossroads, Mississippi.
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:They've been doing spay neuter forever.
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:And as time goes on,
prices increase, of course.
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:For $85 you can get a female or
male fixed no matter the size.
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:And you get rabies shot and now we do
every animal that comes in, whether it's
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:a cat or dog, they get microchips too.
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:So that's free of charge.
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:Same with cats.
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:Cats come in.
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:We usually have, vouchers for feral cats.
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:We have trappers that'll go out and set
traps the night before, bring the cats in
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:the next day, and then wherever they're
tracking that, they'll hold onto the cats
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:for a few days afterwards to make sure,
the incisions and stuff are doing good.
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:So we have it once a month and Kay,
which is also one of the board members,
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:she helps out with the Washington.
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:Parish shelter.
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:So she does spay / neuter with them too.
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:We have everybody call, whoever wants to
come in to call first come, first serve
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:because we only could do so many a time.
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:And we have a house that's
been transformed into a
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:vet clinic, so to speak.
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:And, parents, so the animals or
whatever would drop off their babies
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:fill out paperwork, drop 'em off.
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:We spend the entire day
fixing cats and dogs.
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:It could be anywhere up
to 60 cats and 30 dogs.
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:We've done a few more.
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:We've done a few less in the a
day, and it's our vet staff and
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:then we have volunteers that come
and it's a well oiled machine.
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:We have people in recovery, we
have people doing paperwork, we.
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:The owners of the
animals, if they're ready.
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:Then we have, like I said, our vet staff
and her staff, so it's just a bunch of.
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:volunteers and our vet that have
everybody get together once a
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:month, usually on a Saturday and
do the spay neuter for low cost.
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:Because you take an animal to the vet
nowadays especially female, you're
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:gonna pay 150, 200 up to get them fixed.
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:And here it's very low cost for them.
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:, Sometimes we do get
grants to where we can fix
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:say 30 dogs at one day.
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:Last one we had, it was a grant and we
were able to fix all these cats and dogs.
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:I think we had 50 cats and 21 dogs that
all were fixed for free through the grant.
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:So I don't know if it's much
different than anybody else's.
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:I think price wise we're on
the cheap end, but I know that
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:also other rescues do cheap.
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:They neuter at times as well.
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:Dixie: Have you noticed any kind of
decrease in the feral cat population since
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:you've started this spay neuter program?
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:Tiffany: I think so, yes.
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:We do a lot of areas like we're
building, grocery stores or fast
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:food restaurants where, you have all
of 'em that are by the trash cans.
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:And then there are certain
areas that we work on.
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:And I think definitely the
population has decreased.
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:I do believe that we have made a huge
dent in the feral population one cat
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:can produce five kittens, and then those
kittens can produce and so on the forth.
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:So I definitely think that we've reduced
the the amount of feral animals out there.
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:For sure.
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:Dixie: As a board member, what
are your duties or what is like a
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:typical day or a typical week like?
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:Tiffany: So we're all volunteer based we
have changed so much over the past few
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:years from when we used to have fosters.
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:I was the foster coordinator, so
my job would be to go out, find
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:fosters, and then have those fosters.
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:Foster, whatever animal they wanted
to, I would never say, oh, you have to
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:take this dog or that dog or whatever.
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:I would be like, okay, what
is your home life like?
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:What do you have at home?
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:And then, okay, this is what we
have available that needs fostering.
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:Once they take their.
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:Dog or cat, whichever it was I would
go and make sure they had everything
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:they needed as far as vetting, wormer
vaccines, get 'em set up for spay neuter,
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:and then we'd have adoption events and
I would help do that as well and get
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:the fosters to bring their dogs there.
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:Over the course of the past few years
we, like I said, we've gotten out of
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:the fostering, it's a lot of work.
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:It really is a lot of work, and it's been,
Kay, Beth and I mostly us that do most
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:of the, groundwork with that and we had
a lot of great volunteers along the way,
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:but everybody gets busy in life and we now
just, what I do is spay / neuter clinic.
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:If we have something
afterwards and animals.
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:lick themselves open or something.
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:They would send me out or
Beth depends on who's closer.
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:And Beth usually does most of our
recovery, but I do go out occasionally.
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:I also go out and my daughter
and I, we will go rescue animals.
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:So I also do, post on, social
media, all three do that.
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:But we post on social media
animals in need owners that need
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:help with their animals res other
rescues, other shelters as well.
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:Dixie: Do you have animals in your
care that would be put up for adoption?
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:Tiffany: Not at this present time, no.
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:We, like I said, we got away
from the fostering because.
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:there was those few fosters that
we had that were tremendous.
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:Their lives got busy and they couldn't
dedicate the time, which is understandable
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:to fostering an animal and bringing 'em
to, adoption events and when you have the
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:same people doing things over and over
again, you spread yourself really thin.
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:And because we're such a small
humane society and the demand
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:was so high, we couldn't keep up.
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:So we had to turn our
endeavors to something else.
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:And that would be educating the public.
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:That would be rescue, working with
other rescues that do transports.
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:Working with the spay neuter programs,
getting grants to help the community
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:spay and neuter their animals, working
with local shelters to get them
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:on transports and to get the, the
rural shelters get the animals out.
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:So that's been our main
focus in the past few years.
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:Dixie: I understand that, so you
switch more to a preventative type
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:role rather than dealing with the
animals that were currently there.
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:And I do think that's
where you have to go.
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:You have to go to the source, which is
spay and neuter, because then when you do
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:that, then you don't have as many animals
out there that are actually needing homes.
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:So you mentioned educational programs.
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:Do you have any other types of
educational programs or can you explain
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:what you do as outreach programs?
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:Tiffany: So I know not so much in
the past year or so because we,
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:like I said, we've all been busy
and health wise for all three of us.
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:We've had a lot going on.
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:But I would go to, schools with
an animal and talk to the kids
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:like different grades and stuff,
not really young, those who could
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:comprehend and understand a little bit.
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:But talk to them about the importance
of spay neuter, the importance of
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:getting your animals vaccinated.
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:How to approach dogs if a dog's chasing
you, things like that to start young.
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:Send brochures home and flyers home so
they can bring them to their parents
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:to educate them about the importance
of vaccinations, the importance of
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:heartworm medicine, the importance of
spay neuter, and how you can get , our
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:information reaching out at a younger age.
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:A lot of people grow up and
they're like we don't know.
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:We didn't know about y'all.
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:We didn't know it was this cheap.
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:We caught our vet and it was hundreds
of dollars to get a dog fixed, or we've
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:also offered vaccination clinics before
where, you can get vaccinations . We've
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:offered rabies clinics before because by
law you have to have a rabies certificate
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:and tag and shot for your animal.
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:We've also offered
microchip, clinics before.
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:So we've educated the public like that.
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:As far as the importance of why you need
to spay neuter, why you need to vaccinate,
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:why you need to, flea prevention and
heartworm prevention, what the importance
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:of that is reaching out to younger kids
in hopes to start a generation where they
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:grow up and see the importance and want to
do better than possibly what we have now.
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:Dixie: There are a lot of rescue
groups out there that are foster based
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:and even though they do encourage
spay neuter they do get overrun.
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:Like you said, you only
have so many fosters.
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:They can only take so many and you
have such a big influx of animals,
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:so for small rescues that wanna get
started with something like you are
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:doing with a spay neuter clinic,
what advice would you have to them on
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:how they can get started with that?
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:Tiffany: I would say partner up with
somebody who has been doing it or does
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:it because we're all supposed to be out
there for the better of the animals.
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:We all have our own ways of doing
things at times, but the end result,
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:if you're out there for the animals,
then you want to help another rescue.
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:You want to help your fellow rescuer
to educate them and to help them
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:with, okay, this is how we did things.
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:And then not saying that they
have to do it exactly how we do
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:it or how someone else do it.
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:They can take our lead or someone
else's lead and run with it.
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:I try to go to someplace
that has this going on.
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:A spay, neuter clinic, a regular
thing, low cost, see how it's done.
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:You get donations, you get grants.
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:Grants are a big thing.
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:And then once you get your
feet wet it all falls in line.
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:But I would definitely, shadow a
rescue group, if you're a small,
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:especially a small rescue group,
shadow them and see how they do things.
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:And not saying how we do things , is the
exact and the way that has to be done.
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:'cause everybody has their
own way of doing things.
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:But at least you would get the
concept of it, you'd get the gist,
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:and from there you'd say, oh, okay,
we can do it like this instead.
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:So I would definitely say try to shadow,
ask questions, and the rescuers that are
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:out there for the animals and not for the
glory of what they do, they're gonna be
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:the ones that are gonna wanna help you.
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:They're because they see you wanna
help stop this overpopulation and you
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:wanna help these neglected animals.
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:And so we're on the same team because you
have those out there who aren't like that.
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:They're out there for the glory
of look at me, type attitude.
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:Dixie: I was actually gonna say in
the bigger cities, that goes on a lot.
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:There is a lot of fighting
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:Tiffany: Yes.
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:Dixie: Between rescue groups.
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:I don't understand it.
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:'cause everybody has the same goal.
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:Tiffany: Yes.
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:I don't, and that's all I can
say is it's about a status thing.
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:We did this much, we did that much.
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:It's a, look what we
did, look what we did.
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:You can say that all day long,
what is the quality of life of
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:the animals that you have and that
you're, where you're sending 'em.
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:If you doing your job as far as an animal
rescue or a shelter or whatever, then.
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:Everything speaks for themselves.
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:You're gonna have negative anywhere you
go with any rescue you have, someone's
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:gonna say something negative about
a rescue unit is done to us all the
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:time, but those who know us, those
know who , what we stand for and what
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:we do for the public and what we have
done and what we'll continue to do.
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:Know that.
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:These are just other
people that are upset.
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:Maybe we couldn't have helped them in
the timely manner that they wanted us
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:to, because that's not how life is.
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:We couldn't help some, we can't always
help people with their problem, and a lot
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:of people wanna put their problem onto us.
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:Big corporation, rescues.
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:It's all about how much
money can we get in.
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:And look at our numbers.
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:And that's not always a big thing.
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:It needs to be about the animal
and not about the recognition.
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:Obviously you want your rescue to be
recognized, but it's a whole team thing.
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:Anytime my daughter and I or or my kids
and I, we went on a rescue, it was never.
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:Look what we did.
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:It takes a team, and that's always
been our slogan is it takes a team.
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:There's never one person.
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:It's always multiple people
that make everything work for
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:the better of the animals.
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:Dixie: Absolutely.
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:And that was the whole point
behind this podcast is I was hoping
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:that this will actually bring
rescues together because it's time
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:Tiffany: it needs
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:to,
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:Dixie: yeah.
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:It's time for them to start
working together and put
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:aside the glory like you said.
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:Tiffany: Yes.
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:And see I worked as ACO
in Bogalusa, a officer.
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:And there's rescues, I didn't care
for some of the people that, volunteer
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:with them or worked with them, but it's
not about my feelings towards those
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:people, it's about my feelings towards
them wanting to help the animals that
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:are in need that I had in my care and
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:I might not like their personality.
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:We might clash, but they're still
doing good for animals and helping.
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:And as long as that's going on, I could
put any differences aside and work
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:with somebody for the greater good
of abused, neglected animals, because
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:there's such a high population of them.
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:Dixie: I definitely agree with that,
and then I see that happening too,
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:where rescues will fight over actual
volunteers because you might have one
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:person that has this philosophy I'm
gonna help where I can, and it starts
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:like a big feud between rescues.
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:It's crazy sometimes, if you're in it for
the animals, just put that to the side.
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:It doesn't matter.
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:Tiffany: Yeah, if you're in it for the
animals, then it shouldn't matter If Nancy
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:helps you and then goes across the street
and helps them and then goes down the road
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:and helps , it shouldn't matter because
no matter what, it's still an animal
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:in need, whether it's in your care or
whether it's with another rescue's care.
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:It's still an animal in need and
that's what you have to look at.
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:Some people are like, oh the
dog crossed over state lines.
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:It's not our problem anymore.
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:It's still an animal in need.
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:It doesn't matter how many people you have
helping you, or if those people wanna go
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:someplace else and help them because the
day that they can, you take the help you
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:have, you take it, you be grateful for it.
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:And then if they wanna help , somebody
else, another, agency or whatever, let
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:them, because they could be like, oh, they
didn't have a problem that we helped them.
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:Next time we're gonna come back
and bring five people with us.
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:So you always wanna be happy for
your companion rescues because
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:you all have to work together.
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:And when you don't and you collide
and you fight, that's when it
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:becomes about not the animal.
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:And that's a lot of problems
with a lot of rescues.
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:Dixie: Absolutely.
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:You are in Washington Parish, so
Washington Parish is a smaller
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:parish in the state and a lot
more like of a rural area.
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:So how do you get your primary
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:funding?
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:Tiffany: Donations.
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:We run off donations and grants
and we do fundraisers like crazy.
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:We'll sell shirts.
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:We do raffle tickets.
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:We'll do half and half, where
you sell raffle tickets, and then
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:whoever, we draw a number and whoever
gets it gets half the pot and we
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:get the other half, adoption fees.
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:Not like when we did have adoptions
our adoption fees weren't high at all.
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:I think our adoptions were a hundred
dollars and we pay 85 for a spay neuter.
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:So you're looking at $15.
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:We, put in pocket that
put back into the rescue.
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:And after you look at, all
vaccinations and stuff like
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:that, you're not making anything.
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:You don't make anything anyways
in rescue because it always goes
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:whether.
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:In the form of food or medical.
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:We just have to hope for donations.
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:We have regular people who, like,
when they pass, they'll give a
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:donation to memory of we have to
have people to do fundraisers.
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:And that's how we in grants
and that's how we survive.
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:Dixie: Where do you have your raffles?
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:Tiffany: So we do 'em online usually.
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:Because we don't have a building.
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:Washington Humane Society does not
have a building because we were foster
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:based, so we've never had a building.
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:So we would do 'em online.
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:We would pre present everything online
and then we would do a live drawing
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:and pick, just draw from whatever.
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:And whoever won would win the prize and
we would meet them and do the prizes.
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:, If they're in Bogalusa, we would
meet 'em in Bogalusa, in Franklinton,
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:pine, any of those places.
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:Dixie: With your spay neuter clinic,
you said that the Washington Humane
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:Society does not have a building, but
you have a house that you use that
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:was converted to a medical facility.
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:Is that correct?
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:Tiffany: Yes, it's our vets,
so it's not our building.
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:. It's like an older house and
she purchased it herself.
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:And it's in Mississippi and
we have our clinics there.
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:But it's strictly for spay neuter.
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:That's all it's for.
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:Dixie: So I guess it wouldn't be
open to the public then unless you
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:had an appointment for your events.
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:Tiffany: Yeah.
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:So unless we have a spay neuter
clinic, then, it's not open.
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:And the spay neuter clinic's open to
public, obviously, but as far as just
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:going there, no, it's just strictly for
spay neuter on those days that we have it.
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:Dixie: And how many volunteers
total do y'all have?
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:Tiffany: That varies.
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:Now if we're talking about
clinic, we have day 1, 2, 3, 4.
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:Up to at a clinic sometimes
we just have four.
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:But volunteers overall, that's
hard to say because you have
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:some people who volunteer once.
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:You have some people who
volunteer regularly, I would
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:have to say we probably have 10.
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:maybe 15 that volunteer
regularly for things.
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:The spay neuter whether it be
like every other spay and they
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:come to, or every spay neuter.
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:And then we have people who volunteer.
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:Like when we had one a couple weeks
ago, they brought us sandwiches and
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:pizza and drinks and snacks and a
cake to feed the, to feed us while
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:we're there working from, seven 30 to
who knows, 5, 6, 8 o'clock at night.
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:It just depends on how long
it takes us to get done.
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:Dixie: What are some of the
challenges you have in recruiting
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:and retaining the volunteers?
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:Tiffany: I think that a lot of people
come in volunteering thinking I
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:was gonna get to play with puppies
or play with dogs and that's it.
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:I know when I worked at the shelter
and that was a lot, they didn't
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:realize that, volunteering could
also mean cleaning up behind a dog.
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:It could mean helping mow the grass.
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:It could mean helping give
vaccinations, holding 'em.
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:It could mean, sitting with a sick
dog, just one dog that may need a
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:little more extra time with someone
to, they're scared or something.
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:It could mean cleaning kennels
out cleaning the feed room out.
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:So I think sometimes volunteers
don't realize, they think, oh,
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:we're just gonna go have fun, play
with the dogs, and cats, don't get
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:me wrong, they need socialization.
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:That's very important for
the mentality of an animal.
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:But it's also hard,.
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:And I think that sometimes people don't
realize that and when they do realize
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:it, they don't wanna come back unless
it's something fun, which is great.
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:It's fine.
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:You still need those people too, but.
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:You also need those who are
willing to put in the hard work,
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:the sweat, the labor part as well.
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:And I think that sometimes people
don't realize how hard it is
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:until you get there to do it.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:You get to play with them, but you
have to clean up after 'em too yeah.
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:Then that is a job.
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:Definitely.
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:It's not something that's fun.
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:Tiffany: No, not all the time.
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:No.
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:Dixie: What are the barriers to
affordable veterinary care for
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:pet owners in Washington Parish,
and do you help bridge that gap?
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:Tiffany: So we help bridge it as far as
when we offer the spay neuter clinics,
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:the vaccination clinics, microchip clinics
and stuff like that, because it's very
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:low cost, like a microchip for $10.
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:You can't go to a vet and
get a microchip for $10.
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:You are looking at $45
at, to walk in at least.
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:And then, probably or more for the.
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:Whereas we would do clinics and say
we have a hundred chips where we could
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:do a hundred dogs or cats for $10
a pop, which is covering our costs
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:of the chip easily and helping the.
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:Public.
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:Same with vaccinations.
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:We buy 'em in bulk, we get 'em a little
cheaper, and so we can offer a vaccination
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:for $10 and get it done and do it right.
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:So people aren't scared to do it.
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:Or maybe they have an aggressive
dog and they just need help doing
410
:it, , I think most vets not all but
most vets have gotten away from.
411
:It's about the animal and not about money.
412
:A lot of vets are not very personable.
413
:They, just wanna rush you in, rush
you out, like doctors nowadays.
414
:But I think that most vets have
started to do it's about a money thing.
415
:Our vet is wonderful if she can
help you out or help anybody out.
416
:With something over the counter or
whatever, she's gonna tell you she's
417
:gonna let you, she's gonna help you
because her priority is the wellbeing
418
:of the animal, not about the cost.
419
:Now, she's not gonna sit and say, oh
yeah I'm give this to you for free.
420
:Because she still has to cover her costs.
421
:But she is by far.
422
:And I've met a lot of vets, and
like I said, I'm not saying all
423
:vets like this, but she is by
far one of the most compassionate
424
:vets that I've ever worked with.
425
:Just because it is about the
animal and it's not about the cost.
426
:Of, she's not gonna run a hundred
tests, she's gonna say, okay.
427
:So I think that's a problem with
vets nowadays it's more about money
428
:than it's about the animal and
helping the human with the animal.
429
:Dixie: For the vaccinations and the
microchip clinics, when you do those,
430
:do you and your volunteers give those
or do you have your vet there to give
431
:those vaccinations and microchips?
432
:Tiffany: If it's a rabies clinic, our
vet is there because it has to be.
433
:If it is a microchip or a vaccination.
434
:Like you're just annual vaccination?
435
:No, it's a handful of people that
we know and trust and I've done two
436
:of them the past few years myself
organizing , a microchip and a vaccination
437
:clinic, and it's just of you get cars
going, they stay in their vehicle.
438
:We come up, it's a checkpoint.
439
:Everyone, you get your paper, you
pay, you come up, we get everything.
440
:Go up next, . It runs really well.
441
:Okay.
442
:So not everybody gives 'em, because we
wanna make sure that you know how to
443
:give them, you give them, efficiently.
444
:We, don't have time to sit and
wait for people to learn how to
445
:do it during a clinic like that
because it's usually fast paced.
446
:You have people waiting to get in because
it's usually first come, first serve.
447
:If we have a hundred, we
do the first a hundred.
448
:Dixie: And what if somebody has
an animal and there's some kind of
449
:illness going on with the animal,
but they can't afford vet care?
450
:Do you assist with that as well?
451
:Tiffany: We have in the past.
452
:We'll also ask for
donations to help cover it.
453
:Like I said, our vet works with us, so
we have in the past set people up and we
454
:don't make it a habit like this because,
we are a nonprofit organization that
455
:they make payments to us, like if they
can pay this amount then we can cover
456
:the rest and we'll try to work little
payments out here and there with them.
457
:And like I said, our vet is wonderful
at, we explain everything to her.
458
:This is what's going on.
459
:And it might be an elderly person that's
on disability and their dog is really sick
460
:and she say, okay, I'll do it at cost for
this so she's not making anything of it.
461
:She's given her time and it's at cost
where it would cost her for the medicine.
462
:No visit charge and stuff like that.
463
:So we do help out the public when we can.
464
:Our only bad thing is our vet is all
the way to Mississippi which we don't
465
:mind a drive, but we can't always do
a drive because, we have families and
466
:we work outside of volunteer work.
467
:Dixie: Since your vet is in Mississippi,
how far is she away from y'all?
468
:Tiffany: She's in Gulfport, Mississippi.
469
:But , like I said, she comes Crossroads,
which is 30 minutes down the road from
470
:me, from Fanklinton I've driven to her
place plenty of times and go for it.
471
:And so have Beth and Kay and we have some
volunteers that will drive a sick animal
472
:or injured animal or hurt animal there.
473
:And like I said, we also work closely with
different shelters who have vet staff on.
474
:call or have vet staff that can stabilize
an animal until we can get 'em to a vet,
475
:or they can get their vet to look at 'em.
476
:So that's why I say it's always very
important to have open communications
477
:with all vets and shelters that are around
you and never turn help down because now,
478
:nowadays you need as much help as you can
in the animal world with as many as we
479
:have on the streets and overpopulating.
480
:Dixie: Right now, since your vet is a
little bit of a drive away, do you do
481
:like a transport for the clinics that
you have or do you have people just
482
:bring them back and forth to the vet?
483
:Tiffany: So the spay neuter
clinic, since it's on crossroads,
484
:they bring their animals.
485
:We've had people bring them an hour away.
486
:Because even driving an hour and
paying like an $85 fee is still
487
:cheaper than going to, a vet.
488
:So they bring their own animals and
then we call them an hour before their
489
:animal is ready to pick up, to give them
clean enough time to come and we stay,
490
:obviously stay until the last animal was
picked up, but they bring their own animal
491
:and then they take 'em home themselves.
492
:Unless we have worked something
out ahead of time and if it's a
493
:disabled person or an older person,
they can't get their animal.
494
:We might have a volunteer that would
pick them up and drop them out, back off.
495
:That has happened before
'cause I've done it before.
496
:Dixie: And how is your relationship with
the Washington Parish Animal Shelter?
497
:Tiffany: We have a good
working relationship.
498
:Kelsey, who is the director
over there and she does spay
499
:neuter clinics all the time now.
500
:And Kay works with her with that
'cause Kay is like our go-to
501
:spay neuter woman, she does ours
and she helps Kelsey with hers.
502
:So we have a really good
working relationship with them.
503
:Dixie: That's great.
504
:Do you ever deal with handling animal
cruelty or any kind of neglect cases?
505
:Tiffany: Yes, we have we used to do
that all the time and we still do,
506
:if people call, but usually they'll
call the police first or whatever.
507
:We don't have jurisdiction like
a police officer does, but people
508
:will call us or let us know and we
will get the police involved or the
509
:authorities, whoever we need to.
510
:The humane society of Louisiana is
a bigger, Jeff Dorson if we need him
511
:because he's on , a bigger scale than us.
512
:We will get others involved in helping
an animal that's being mistreated.
513
:And as I worked as animal officer,
I was able to do that more with
514
:authority by the police department
to handle cases like that, neglect.
515
:And we have had several neglect cases.
516
:Dixie: When you have the
neglect cases, do you put those
517
:animals like in a foster system?
518
:Tiffany: When Washington Humane used
to have the foster system, yes, we did.
519
:We would, because we had
a large base of fosters.
520
:At one time I think we had 10 fosters.
521
:But it would be a foster
that we knew very well.
522
:We knew they could take
care of that animal.
523
:Beth was our number one foster.
524
:For cats and dogs.
525
:And she's very well knowledgeable
about medical stuff.
526
:So she would take some on, and we had
a couple others that were knowledgeable
527
:with medical and issues with dogs.
528
:So we did put 'em in a foster system.
529
:When we didn't have it anymore,
then we would work with, Bogalusa
530
:Animal control when I was there.
531
:And Kelsey and other rescues that
have a foster based system or even a
532
:building, and we would work with them
like we worked North Shore before.
533
:But we would work with them and they
may take the animal on for us and we
534
:just give over everything to them.
535
:So if we were raising money
for it, it goes to them.
536
:If , people were sending like
for dogs that are emaciated.
537
:If they're sending food and
blankets, it would go to them then.
538
:But yeah, those neglect cases and stuff
like that we partner with different
539
:rescues, shelters, and when I say
shelters, I mean like the Washington
540
:parish shelter, like one that, is
very knowledgeable and has vet staff.
541
:But that's how we do neglect cases.
542
:Dixie: What challenges do you face
in reaching all corners of Washington
543
:Parish with your message and services?
544
:Tiffany: I would say just
people stuck in their ways.
545
:That just don't care.
546
:In law enforcement we run into
a issues with law enforcement.
547
:We have three where we had three shelters.
548
:We had one in the city of Franklinton.
549
:We have one in the parish, which is
Washington Parish in all shelter.
550
:And we had Bogalusa the city shelter,
which is Bogalusa animal control.
551
:Bogalusa animal control
was shut down this year.
552
:It needed to be shut down.
553
:It is not operable at
all, any, any longer.
554
:They don't have animal
control there either.
555
:We have, I think someone who is now
acting as a parish animal control officer.
556
:I don't know his exact title as
far as what he can and can't do.
557
:And then Franklinton has,
firefighters will go out and,
558
:pick up animals and stuff.
559
:So the problem is, our biggest issue,
I think with any rescue really is.
560
:Law enforcement.
561
:A lot of times law enforcement do
not know the updated rules or laws of
562
:animals, and they wanna turn a blind eye.
563
:I'm not saying everybody's like that,
564
:but working with law enforcement as
animal control, I saw that firsthand.
565
:A lot of them, oh, it's not my problem.
566
:It's not a human, it's
not, a law is a law.
567
:Whether it be a human law or
an animal law, a law is a law.
568
:And if you're there to uphold the law,
then you need to uphold all the laws.
569
:It doesn't matter if you're an animal
control officer making people uphold
570
:the laws, or if you're a police
officer or a sheriff deputy or whoever.
571
:A law is a law, and I think that
we need to get back to that.
572
:To that part where an officer,
sheriff, deputy whatever,
573
:they need to uphold all laws.
574
:And I know that's a lot, but
that's the world we live in now.
575
:So you can't uphold some laws and then
not other laws just because I'm not human.
576
:Dixie: And that is something that
I'm actually consistently hearing
577
:too, from a lot of other rescues
that I've been speaking with.
578
:Tiffany: Yes.
579
:You'll call, you'll tell people to call
the sheriff's department or call the
580
:police station, whatever, and they'll
be like, okay, we'll send somebody out.
581
:Because it's an emergency.
582
:I've been there I've been where people
are selling animals in a parking lot.
583
:They're not supposed to or giving
away, and they're not supposed to be.
584
:That's a law.
585
:And it might be a stupid law,
but it's a law for a reason.
586
:Some people might think jaywalking is
stupid law, but it's a law for a reason
587
:and you can't pick and choose which
ones you're gonna uphold and not uphold.
588
:So that's, that is a big
problem I think everywhere.
589
:Is that I think that officers once a
year, maybe once every six months, need
590
:to have a training with animal rights.
591
:And they need to just, if you become
an officer, become a police officer,
592
:sheriff, deputy, or whatever, you
need to understand that a law is a
593
:law no matter what it obtains to.
594
:And I think that once, if we
can get that through, it would,
595
:things would be a little better.
596
:Not saying that's the cure of
everything, but that's a starting point.
597
:Dixie: Coming from an animal control
background, I know a lot of people when
598
:they hear animal control, they're scared
of it, they think of the old, kind
599
:of cartoons with the the dog catchers
600
:Tiffany: yes
601
:Dixie: so it's not a good thing.
602
:They don't have a good association with
animal control, why is animal control
603
:needed and do you think that there should
be animal control in Washington Parish?
604
:Tiffany: I
605
:definitely think there should be animal
control when you have animal control.
606
:It does help the law out
in general, the police.
607
:Because that, that one part,
and, Washington Parish is,
608
:it's small, but it's still big.
609
:So two or three animal control
officers doing the entire parish
610
:and city limits of everywhere.
611
:That's not a lot.
612
:And honestly, not with the population
overpopulation that we have.
613
:And the cruelty, the dog fighting
rings, all that stuff that goes on here.
614
:So we definitely need animal control
and it would help officers out.
615
:Those who are there for the public
and not necessarily for animals.
616
:There needs to be accountability.
617
:If you're going to have an animal,
there needs to be accountability for it.
618
:You're accountable for your kids that
are humans and they're living, then
619
:you need to be accountable for other
living things that you're supposed to
620
:be taking care of because that animal
didn't choose to come live with you.
621
:You chose to take that animal in,
you chose to go buy that animal or
622
:to go rescue that animal or whatever.
623
:We don't get to sell our kids
because we're having another baby.
624
:So why should you be able to just
dump a dog because you are having
625
:a baby or because you want a puppy?
626
:Because this dog's older.
627
:Laws need to be enforced and I think
that's a big thing with the difference
628
:between up north and down south is
up North enforces laws, they enforce
629
:spay neuter they uphold laws as far
as you have to have your animals.
630
:They have to have 'em.
631
:You have to have tags on 'em.
632
:You have to pay a fee for 'em.
633
:You only can have so many.
634
:There's so many backyard breeders
they just wanna look away.
635
:If I don't see it, I don't,
the problem's not there.
636
:And it's still there.
637
:It's still there.
638
:So animal control officers
are definitely needed.
639
:Dixie: What are your long-term aspirations
for animal welfare in Washington Parish
640
:and the Washington Humane Society?
641
:Tiffany: I would be lying if I said I
wish we could go back to foster base.
642
:But that's just not foreseeable for us.
643
:I hope to do, still more clinics,
obviously and rabies clinics and
644
:vaccination and microchipping.
645
:Because I think when you have healthy
dogs all around, then the animals that the
646
:shelters do get won't be as sick or, they
won't have to put as much money into 'em.
647
:Because there's healthier dogs running
around, if that makes any sense.
648
:Definitely more outreach of spay
neuter and grants with spay neuter
649
:to help those with low income or no
income or the elderly to help them.
650
:And I just wish that we would,
there's so many dogs that are
651
:chained with no, no proper shelters
or that are just standing in mud.
652
:I just wish that.
653
:Like I said earlier, law enforcement
was forced to enforce laws for animals
654
:and it didn't just come down to one or
two people or rescue groups to have to
655
:constantly nag and nag to get that done.
656
:There's, we can't do it ourselves,
so we all have to work together.
657
:And so I would hope that.
658
:One day stricter laws would be made,
or at least laws that we have would be
659
:enforced more to help with these animals.
660
:Dixie: What message would you like
to share with the community about
661
:the importance of animal welfare
and responsible pet ownership?
662
:Tiffany: Just think about it.
663
:Think about what you want.
664
:Not buy off a whim.
665
:Or, adopt or get one , oh, my kid wants
a dog and your kid's four years old,
666
:and then six months later you're giving
the dog up because the kid wouldn't
667
:feed, the dog, wouldn't take care of it.
668
:It's a 4-year-old.
669
:It's a kid.
670
:I have three kids and we fight
them all the time about feeding
671
:the dogs and that's, that is their
responsibility is to feed the dogs.
672
:And but then, they're like,
oh, we want this to know it.
673
:It's a responsibility thing.
674
:I'm not gonna get rid of my
dogs because I have to force
675
:my kids to feed 'em sometimes.
676
:So you have to take ownership.
677
:You have to take responsibility.
678
:And before you think, oh, I want
this kind of dog, do your research.
679
:'cause you might think you
want this kind of dog, but it's
680
:your lifestyle for that dog.
681
:And a lot of people don't realize that.
682
:They think that it's a cute dog,
they want that dog, and then
683
:they throw it like a pug outside.
684
:A pug cannot be outside a Boston.
685
:terrier cannot be outside, so
do your research on these dogs.
686
:And seriously consider getting 'em fixed.
687
:Everybody says, oh, I just
want one from the litter.
688
:Okay?
689
:What happens to the rest of the dogs?
690
:You want that one?
691
:They have seven.
692
:So you have six dogs now that can breed.
693
:So is one really worth six more dogs that
can breed, that aren't gonna get fixed?
694
:So just the outreach of more
importance of spay neuter.
695
:Everybody says if you spay
and neuter all of them, then
696
:you'll never have any more dogs.
697
:That's not true.
698
:That's not true at all.
699
:Dixie: Yeah, absolutely not true.
700
:Thank you so much for joining me today.
701
:Tiffany: I appreciate it.
702
:Thank you for having me.
703
:Dixie: You're welcome.
704
:And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
705
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
706
:should be told, please contact us.
707
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
708
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
709
:explore the world of animal rescue.
