Breaking News -- Head of New York City's Shelter System To Leave In October
By Diane West and Courtney Kistler
Exclusively for New York Tails Magazine
http://www.newyorktails.com/
Charlene Pedrolie, who headed the city’s public animal shelter system for almost two years, will officially be leaving her post this fall.
While rumors had been swirling for months about Ms. Pedrolie’s departure--voluntary and otherwise--sources close to the situation have confirmed her contract will not be renewed in October.
The AC&C is the largest animal shelter systems in the Northeast, taking in over 43,000 dogs, cats, and other animals each year. A not-for-profit organization since 1995, Animal Care & Control is responsible for the city’s municipal shelter system and operates in all five boroughs.
In 2008, AC&C took in over 40,000 abandoned, abused, or surrendered dogs and cats. About 21,000 were adopted and about 16,000 were euthanized. This is in stark contrast to 2002, when close to 31,000 of the 43,000 animals who arrived at the AC&C that year were destroyed.
Ms. Pedrolie, described as a ‘nationally recognized business consultant’, was appointed executive director of AC&C in October of 2007. She succeeded previous executive director Ed Boks, who was recruited from Maricopa County, Arizona in 2003. By 2005, however, Mr. Boks was head of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services. He resigned from that post four months ago.
Ms. Pedrolie ‘s tenure was often the target of much controversy, with former AC&C volunteers and other animal activists going so far as to circulate petitions calling for her removal because of her alleged lack of experience and a perception that she was out of touch with the severity of the intake and euthanasia problems of the shelter system.
A call to her office for comment was not returned.
Monday, August 17, 2009
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7 comments:
I hope this really happens. Too many animals have suffered and the ACC has lost too many good, caring people because of her.
What this story is missing is the other point of view about Charlene. I wish someone had reached out to me, a former employee of ACC, current volunteer of ACC and known supporter of Charlene (for good reason), before posting. For example, before Charlene was brought on, dogs in the non-adoption ward (there are many) were never walked. Poor cruelty seizures, eviction and arrest cases would just rot 24/7 in their kennels for months on end. Now the staff is required to walk these pups…thanks to Charlene who had to fight the Dept of Health to implement this program.
The Ex Director position of ACC is a thankless role and has no real control. You could stick Gandhi in that job and still have the same problems due to lack of funds and the conflict of interest in governance. Those that dislike Charlene need to look beyond the surface and would understand the blame is in the politics of the City, Dept of Health and Mayor Bloomberg. Charlene has done the best she can consider the poor cards she was dealt! Jennifer Panton
Doesn't it occur to someone to wonder why AC & C directors never last more than two years? Is it possible that the employer--the
City of New York--is at fault here,
either by hiring lemons in the
first place, or, more likely, making the job a recipe for failure in the second place? Ed Boks drove the PTS rates at AC & C
way down in his tenure, and Ms.
Pedrolie drove them down even
further. Isn't that the whole
point--more animals adopted-out,
fewer PTS?
Alot of things are hidden from the public and from the media. Many great vets, vet techs, and staff have left. It's hard for an animal lover to be there when an employee is told to put a 2 month kitten on the euth list because he was found by himself and has a cold. I asked why, he is a baby, he will get adopted fast. Answer: money will be spent on his medication. I could see the employee was frustrated. I took the kitten.
I don't know Charlene Pedrolie, the person heading up ACC for the last two years, but I do know that the Bloomberg administration by way of the Health Department has for the last seven years deliberately underfunded the City's animal control. This is not unusual, the Giuliani administration did the same thing. Then, the Health Department makes sure that no matter what the director does or does not do, whatever is off, not right, should be, should have been, the latest complaint, the latest tragedy, the result is the same, the director has to go.
This city should, Put Its Money Where Its Mouth Is, for these animals once and for all, or the animals' suffering will go on and on as another and another director is signed up and fails. Since its inception in 1995, Charlene Pedrolie is number four in the line of directors for ACC, each, publicly, having been found lacking for, so-called, different reasons.
What a bunch of hypocrites. They are so lame. It's simple. They don't want to pay. The administration wants all the Health Department money to go to human programs, despite the fact that the Health Department has the explicit responsibility to fund the City's animal control out of its budget. It's incredible that this continues to happen in front of God and everybody in the "capital of the world." It's also a shame that Mayor Bloomberg can't do better.
I just want everyone to know as well as the animal's suffering so do the people that work there. Not only do we have a front row seat to see all the bad that goes on with the animal's We also now have to buy our own uniform's and if we are not in uniform we can be written up for it. Most of us would have to work a full day to be able to buy one uniform. So not only are we underpaid. some of us would like you the public to know that we are not in it for the paycheck but for the love of the animal's.All other agency's in the city get a uniform allowence per year(WE DON'T GET ANYTHING)Most of us also feel we should get taken care of better all the money seems to go to the top and this is why the good worker's end up leaveing.So when all is said and done what are you left with?? People who know nothing and care nothing about the animal's.Is that not what we are fhere for(THE ANIMAL'S)Please HELP US HELP THEM. THANK YOU TO ALL FOR CAREING.
I've been an ACC volunteer for 2 years now. Leaving the emotion aside and examining he facts - Charlene achieved more than she is given credit for at the ACC. For example:
1. Renovations at the Manhattan shelter which we all know was a hole
2.Fought for and won an increase in budget for 2009
3. Continued to decrease the level of Euth's to the lowest ever
4. Changed some of the medical procedures to reduce kennel cough and infections
5. Forced the shelters to exercise the animals more
My critical evaluation of her tenure was that she did good with what was available to her.
However, I have done consulting work for goverment agencies and you wont find a more dysfunctional, ass-covering, outsider hating, status quo loving, taxpayer money wasting bunch of losers like those who work in and manage the Department of Health. I'm not talking about the shelter employees. I'm talking about the DOH who lay down all the crazy rules that make their and the volunteers work maddening.
Those people aided and abetted by some of the noisier volunteer activists who complained about Charlene have succeeded in forcing her out.
Now the creature is free again to hire someone in its own image.
Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.
Mark my words now - with in a matter of months the Euthanasia count will start climbing and the complaints rising.
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