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Ok KCoolhan..How come there are pics of the dogs in the kennel looking good and after some time in MAC they are emaciated? How are there vet reports aying these dogs are starved? so they don't ecercise them because they can spread disease? Then why doe Matt Z hose down the cages with the dogs in them? Oh well that spreads parvo. You KCool have no idea. you are obviously affiliated with someone in MAC....shut up and make it better....don't defend them!

If it was their dog, why was it not claimed within the appropriate amount of time? In most shelters they get euthanized after 7 days, they are lucky that dog was not PTS due to their irresponsible ownership. Especially with the amount of Pit Bulls that go through that shelter.

Recommend you request a visit by State of CT Dept. of Agriculture in Hartford to verify or disprove the allegation. Mary Mushinsky, Wallingford

I have seen the kennels get cleaned. The dogs get locked on the opposite side and then switched over for the other side. Personally, my dog loves the water and wouldn't mind getting a little wash or even playing with the water as it comes out of the hose :)

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CT79.html

If you are so concerned about the dogs, take note at the effort that volunteers do on the website to get these dogs adopted. That's more than most high-kill dog pounds do.

@Mary- I completely agree with you.

KAC... MAC is not a shelter... seriously, if you cant grasp the concept of what City Animal Control should be doing, and their roles, then perhaps instead of changing names on here, sit this one out, and learn something.... your comments are just silly at best.

Animal Control- An animal control officer may be an employee of or an contractor to a municipality and is charged with responding to calls for service from the general public. Calls may include requests for help with wild animals, dangerous animals or animals in distress. Animal control services may be provided by the government or through a contract with a humane society or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (no relation to national organizations with similar names). Officers may work with police or sheriff departments, parks and recreation departments, and health departments by confining animals or investigating animal bites to humans. Rescued animals may be returned to their owners or transported to veterinary clinic or animal shelter. Animals held in the shelter can be returned to their owners, adopted, released to the wild, held as evidence in a criminal investigation or destroyed. A recent bill in CA proposes changing "destroyed" to euthanized. Opponents of this bill want the term to apply only to dying animals who are assisted by medication to die and not to be used for the humane slaughter of animals in shelters.

Cara Shriver- You appear to have little understanding as to how animal control works. Here is is the bottom line, a dog enters a pound, they risk getting diseases such as parvo. Sorry, there is just not much that can be done about that, no matter how they clean. (and PS, yes, putting them out to exercise WOULD increase their chance of getting contagious diseases) They risk DYING after 7 days, when they become property of the city. Why would they die? Because of pet over population. So, to break it down, THE ISSUE IS NOT ANIMAL CONTROL, IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP. Why was this dog not microchipped? Was the dog surrendered to animal control, is this how the before picture was obtained? Well, shame on whomever had the nerve to leave their dog there, or not reclaim it. I don't care what the circumstances are, you do not leave your dog at a pound.
Yes, dogs loose weight at pounds, they get sick- Sorry, it happens. No one likes it, but it does. Honestly, there is little funding to take care of sick dogs that may get euthanized.
The key to this is not to "shut down animal control" or sue- The key to this is to support animal rescues who will work WITH the pounds and GET THE DOGS OUT OF THERE!!! I find it unlikely that in a kennel of 30 dogs, one was starved and the rest look fine. Or maybe there were two skinny dogs- hey, I would say somewhere like 10% of dogs do not do well in kennel situations. But if there are some dogs that are NOT skinny- then it is likely the dog. They may be stressed and not eating, simple. When they get out of the pound, they eat, they gain weight, they are happy. So instead of blogging Miss Shriver, go out and rescue a dog. Go get one out of a bad situation and put it in a good situation. Go take a dog from the pound, open your home. Don't just complain about other people.

Animal control should still be caring for any animal within its possession. When you have a life in your hands you must care for it - we do as much for prisoners in jail!

Actually thats one of several dogs that have been starved. Yes that dog was an owner surrender thats how the before pic was obtained. There are vet reports of dog's adopted from there, where the vet states the dog was starved. As far as cleaning at MAC, they hose the cages with the dogs in them which easily helps spread parvo. The Meriden Humane society which shares a building with MAC takes their dogs out without problems, so the argument that they are not walked to stop diseases is moot. In addition to starvation many dogs, even after only 2 weeks there have trouble walking. MHS used to be able to help MAC with the dogs but they stopped that during the past year with no explanation. As far as getting the Dept of Agriculture to investigate, they seem to be pretty friendly with the lead ACO

A vet can say a dog was starved, the difficult thing to say as a vet is to say "this dog was starved because this dog was NOT fed"- The dog could have SELF starved, due to stress or any other conditions. Dogs put into a situation where they are stressed and depressed, do not eat. Then they starve. It does NOT mean that someone intentionally starved them.

Again, the Meriden Humane Society has a chance to vaccinate and get medical care for their dogs, the pound does not have that option. And to make it more clear, NO ONE, NO SHELTER, is exempt from problems with parvo or distemper, or any other medical issues. The Meriden Humane Society is no different. However, if they were to have an outbreak, they do not have to make it public. They do not take in dogs that belong to people (strays that can be reclaimed), they could just shut their doors and deal with the problem. ALL SHELTERS HAVE A RISK OF DISEASE OUTBREAK. As a result, all infectious disease protocols should be followed. Even if the Meriden Humane Society has NEVER had a disease outbreak, which is highly unlikely, even the best shelters do, they should still follow protocol and not place dogs that have not seen a vet together and walk them, exercise them, in the same yards as dogs who are vetted and vaccinated. They are a private organization, they do not have to answer to the general public unless they choose to. Big difference.

The Department of Agriculture would conduct an investigation according to their laws, not according to how friendly they are with the officer in charge. The Department of Agriculture would certainly go in and prosecute if there was a kennel of 30 starving dogs. Since that does not exist to the best of my understanding, they will investigate according to the cases. I just feel it is unlikely that the pound skipped feeding one or two dogs for two weeks, however fed all the others.

Well how about what the an employee said when someone asked why the dogs looked so thin and he replied, "why should I get on my knees to feed these dogs? They are just going to die soon anyway." How would you explain countless witness reports of dogs with feces matted to their fur? Why do dogs from the Hartford animal control get adopted and fostered yet in Meriden they do not? Perhaps its because the Sherry at in Hartford actually gives a crap. If a dog is not eating due to stress he should be sent to the vet that is at MAC's disposal.

There is actually a law going into effect Oct 1st that the dept of Ag must investigate these claims. Currently they do not have to.

If someone said that, they should not be working in animal control, or with animals in general. I am just saying, check your facts. A lot of things could be misunderstood, made up by people that are upset over other issues, or exaggerated. I am not defending comments, just encouraging people to think reasonably. Check your facts. I will say this again, does it make any sense that someone would walk down a line of kennels and neglect to feed one or two dogs? Consistently skip the same dogs? Unlikely.

I see Meriden has decent bios up on petfinder, and there seems to be an effort. If people are upset about dogs not getting adopted, why don't they go down to the pound, take some pictures and help with adoption efforts rather then complaining? My question that I pose to you, is what are you doing?

I have seen thin dogs at Hartford/Newington facility, where Sherry works. I have seen matted dogs there. And if dogs are getting fostered, I bet its not through the city, it's through an organization that Sherry works with. So, get Meriden some help rather then just criticizing them.
My thought is that the ACO noted the dogs were thin, however, maybe they had interest, maybe someone wanted to adopt them, so the dogs were held. Cities DO NOT have money for diagnostics, not Hartford, not Meriden, not any city I have heard of. So, the dog would have likely been humanely euthanized. Perhaps the ACOs were giving them extra time to get adopted. I agree, a thin dog should be taken into the vet. This was wrong, dogs should not be in these conditions. But if it meant a home was waiting to take these dogs in, then I am glad they did not get put down. I agree, dogs should be taken into a vet if they are thin, if they are not eating. However, if someone is willing to spend money, and there is just a few days before that dog can have a chance, to me it is worth waiting.

I think people should go and make a difference in an animal's life, and do something productive rather then sit behind the comfort of their computer and make allegations. I know I make a difference in the lives of several animals, because I do it directly.

I would check your source- if someone said that, yes, it should be addressed. I am not defending anyone who made any comment like that. I have never seen that at Meriden. I have witnessed them feeding dogs. I have seen them walk down through the kennels with their big bin of food. The one comment no one addresses is that it makes no sense why they would skip feeding one dog, and feed the others. And no offense, I have walked through Hartford Kennels at Newington, and I have seen some pretty skinny dogs. I have seen some pretty damn matted dogs. I have seen dogs in Meriden get adopted, I see their website has great bios-

If a dog is not eating due to stress, it should be sent to the vet. But people should know that the city does not have money for diagnostics. No city does, not Hartford, not Meriden, not any city I have ever heard of. So, the dog will be sent to the vet and euthanized. I am just trying to voice the opinion that maybe they were giving the dogs a chance, they looked skinny, but instead of just euthanizing them, maybe they had someone interested in taking them and saving them, so they did not take them in to get put down right away. Now in the future, they might not get a few extra days. Lets hope they do.

if you have prof, you need to call the police and ASPC. they will check in to it. .

LifeSaver, KAC or whichever name you would like to use. You constantly come here misinformed and accusing others of prejudice against Meriden Animal Control.

For one, its by state law that if a City wants to act in a capacity of Animal Control such facility is required to contract with a veterinary clinic.... BY LAW. Simply state says: If you don't have the capacity to take care of the animals, don't be in the business of running an Animal Control Facility.

Second, you make it sound since that it is not a high kill-facility (what ever that means) that people should turn a blind eye to the mishandling of the animals, which leads me to believe that your opinion is biased. Let me point out, that people on here merely want the matter investigated by the city, and not to feather and tar Bryan Kline, Jim Barnes and Fatthew Zakrzewski. Also, this is not an issue where one or two people are complaining there are tens of people, who are sick of putting up with MAC and its exposure the taxpayer to lawsuits.

Third, ACOs job is not only to run around the town with a catch-pole and catch strays. There are other ways that dogs end up at the facility, some are quite loved.

Fourth, fine, so the dogs are not exercised to prevent the transfer of diseases. How come parvo cases visit Meriden Animal Control more often that a helping hand with some dog food in it? Let me teach you some more about state laws which apply to Animal Control facilities, when dogs of questionable health arrive at the facility, BY LAW, they are required to be in separate kennels to prevent exposure to otherwise healthy dogs. So how come when there is a case of parvo it always wipes out a number of dogs at MAC??

It's simple, MAC has not control over their facility. There are constant complaints against them, lawsuits, and issues with the officers. If you cant do something and constantly fail at it... DO NOT DO IT!

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1. None on here is defending anyone. I simply stated what I have personally seen with my own eyes on the several occasions that I have been there. It's an opinion and I am entitled to mine.

2. I never once stated that they do not euthanize dogs. I know they do and I am not against it. Some dogs are not adoptable. There are too many dogs that need homes for every rescue/animal control facility to be a sanctuary. There are dogs that should NOT be adopted out.

3. Have you seen the kennels? They are all separate. No dog shares a kennel with another dog. The fact that they do not have a separate room for quarantine is not their fault, you can take that up with whoever built the facility.

4. Tens of complaints... Not hundreds, not thousands?

5. Considering everyone is making such a big deal about the parvo and less of a big deal about the "starving" of dogs, let's talk about that. As I stated previously, they HAVE individual kennels. The city of Meriden is filled with irresponsible dog owners who do not properly care for, or vaccinate their dogs. Puppies and elderly dogs, dogs with weakened immune systems are easily susceptible to the parvo disease. It is clearly in the city of Meriden, running rampant with the summer weather, thriving in the ground. When they hose down the kennels, there is a possibility that it can be aerosolized and that is something that cannot be helped. EVERY rescue/animal control facility deals with parvo at some point.

6. They do have a vet and they do use them. They do however, have limited funding for the dogs. Nothing gets done with the dogs until their stray hold is up. The dog is not property of MAC until it's time to get claimed is over. This is how most Animal Control facilities work. Do people agree with it? No. But this is how it is handled. There are way too many animals out there to fall in love with every single one. I have come to learn this.

7. Have you taken a look at the city of Meriden in general lately? It is not by any means a wonderful town with wonderful people prancing down the side of the road holding hands and jogging with their dog. I am very happy and relieved that I moved away. The city in general is not a good place.

Are there things that could be done differently? Yes. If Matt cannot disinfect properly, he should be retrained or replaced. I am not against having it looked into, I am simply stating what I know, what I have seen. Good for you if you get it looked into and things change for the better. There is no need to start bashing and criticizing strangers. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

And no, I am not Lifesaver as well :)

Cara- Educate yourself before you go saying that other people do not know what they are talking about. I am not saying this should not be looked into, I am just stating that the allegations seem exaggerated and some of the people making complaints are way off. Frankly, some of the postings I have seen should result in people getting sued. (not on this website, on the City of Meriden website) It actually may end that way, and if there is something going on that should be looked into, people are loosing all credibility by the way they are going about it.

Just a side note:
You claim MAC cleans poorly because they have had a parvo outbreak? Do you consider Guide Dogs for the Blind an irresponsible organization? They recently had a parvo outbreak, and I would guess that you do not go and criticize them. http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=about_parvo

I also am not saying they are perfect. I do not think any animal control can be perfect- there is always room for improvement. So, why not go in there and help, make a difference? I saw the complaints about the petfinder page, for all the complaining people did for weeks, they could have built a petfinder page for them. Instead of complaining and ripping people apart, go there and take a dog home to foster. Its great you already do it, keep doing it, and save a dog from there.

You can consider my opinion as biased as you want, I consider your opinion uneducated and uninformed. Your statements before were just saying people didn't know anything, but you clearly don't understand how animal control works.

Well, if nothing else, a conversation has been started. It cant hurt looking into it. If nothing is wrong then great, but if there is then it should get fixed.

Boy oh boy people have a right to speak what they want without a rude and obnoxious remark from a know it all like yourself!!!!! You may THINK you know it all BUT you don't!!

Over 1K views - people are noticing and supporting this. However, as always, Meriden Officials including Larry Kendzior are ignoring real issues. This one is not as easy as telling your secretary to call CL&P, or Highway Department to fix something, and then taking credit for fixing it. It would require some effort, so it's easier to ignore it rather than to break a sweat to earn that paycheck huh?

It's also easy to make anonymous statements on an internet site instead of taking the time to find out the actual facts on the subject you are posting about. If you want to know how this situation is being addressed, call me and come in and discuss it. 203-630-4123.

I call your bluff Mr Larry Kendzior, you had over two weeks to respond, so if you had anything insightful to tell us, you would already have. So perhaps instead of leaving you messages that would have never be returned you can enlighten us here. Your move.

Your response is a disservice to the concern that you purportedly want to see resolved. This site should be used to raise issues and provide information on problems that need to be addressed, not to engage in juvenile rhetorical challenges. Nonetheless, and anticipating that it is futile to try to accomplish something useful with someone who hides behind the anonymity of the internet, here is my response. Anyone reading this who wants to discuss the matter further can contact me at the number listed above.

1. I met with the Animal Control Officer and the Police commander with supervisory responsibility for the animal control facility to review the issues that have been raised concerning the operation of the Animal Control facility and get their response.

2. I discussed the conditions at the facility with the Director of Health and other city personnel who have inspected the facilty recently.

3. We contacted the veterinarian who treated the dog that had been adopted by a Massachusetts resident to get further information on the opinion expressed in the letter written by the veterinarian concerning the condition of that dog at the time the dog was adopted.

4. I met with an individual who had various other information and complaints to present concerning the operation. That individual brought with him the owner of the dog who had been confined to the facility for 14 days and who had complained after the dog was released that it was not fed properly.5. We arranged for unannounced visits to the facility by City elected offiicials as requested by the individual with whom we met as outlined in number 4.

6. I made a change in the police commander with supervisory responsibility for the Animal Control Facility to ensure there was no appearance of a conflict of interest due to the relationship of the previous police commander and one of the facility employees.

7. I met again with the Animal Control Officer to review the issues that had been raised and reinforce the need to ensure that proper procedures were being followed for the care of the animals in the facility.

8. We arranged for a future evaluation of the facility and its operation by the an official of the ASPCA and the Supervisor for Animal Control for the State of Connecticut Department of Agriculture. When that evaluation has been completed, we will take further action as needed depending on the results of the evaluation.

Thanks, Larry, for bringing in CT Dept. of Agriculture. You will get an outside review by personnel who travel all over the state and look at many different shelters. Mary Mushinsky

Mr. Larry Kendzior, thats a quite long list of items you have listed, unfortunately it falls under the standard political MO of much ado about nothing. At the end of every item listed it begs to be asked "....and what?" What has the city specifically done in regards to this? Specific and measurable actions would be nice, but perhaps it's too much to ask for.
One specific action does stand out, and its transfer of Police Commander whose family member works for the Meriden Animal Control. Its quite unfortunate that, its a reactive action rather than proactive. Complaints had to be filed to see the blatant ethics issue here? And of course if the city wasnt under the investigation for nepotism, this item would most likely would read as "I have talked to Police Commander about the issue."
It begs to ask, what specific actions have been taken to remedy this issue? What proactive steps have been taken to prevent this from happening again?
Am I expecting to hear answer to this, not at all. It will be the usual "We are working on it" with the hopes that people will eventually forget this. And I promise you that it will not happen, unless there is a clear resolution to all the misbehavior allowed among the ranks of officials in Meriden.
For some unknown reason you are persistent to know my identity, and I have an idea why, having it under good authority that Meriden Police is quite interested in squashing this as well, by any means necessary. However if you would like to know my name is Marcus, people call me Mike for short, and last name is Listoris, hopefully that will bring peace to you.

Mike L. makes an excellent point. This is not the first time that Meriden Animal Control has been in trouble for neglecting animals. Even before the new facility was constructed there were complaints against ACOs. Larry, when is it time when we stop playing this cat and mouse game, and do something about this and other issues in the city? Everyone in this city with half a working brain can see what is going on: constant ethics violations, multiple police brutality issues, and now this. Do you have us for fools Mr. Kendzior? If the best you can do is to fix couple pot holes perhaps you should move on to greener pastures, and let someone who gives a hoot manage this city.

this is it... everytime I open a anewspaper it's another story about screw ups in Meriden.... fix it and if you can't then give someone else a chance to do so!!!!11 Jeeeez how hard can it be to straighten these people out, instead of giving residents a run around- everytime all the time same old schpiel from Kendzior

The Meriden Record Journal ran an article this morning about this. The answers from city officials seems to be business as usual.
http://www.erecordjournal.com/ee/recordjournal/publink.php?shareid=073953ddf

Listen up everyone, I have to give Larry some credit - Kendzior is talking about "disservice" and if anyone is an expert on "disservice" he definitely is it - just ask any member of this community that has ever come to Larry for assistance. Ri·dic·u·lous!

Wow, read the RJ article.. and as a friend of Mr. Ronopa And Ginger, I can attest to this neglect and abuse by the ACO's of Meriden. I saw Ginger the day before she went into the care of ACO... and she was no way 'malnourished' as Capt. zakrezhewski claims... Ginger would eat food from the middle of an erupting volcano, yet Mr Onopa brought food and yet she still came back emaciated. Its sad that this will get swept under the rug. Also glad to see Miss Vumbaco on,the case.... surprised to see no dogs gone missing after her visits and clean bills of health, (why does she still have a job here anyways??) Thanks for letting me rant my frustrations.

Disgruntled, apparently some people have hard time figuring out the complexities of before and after photos. In legal terms: if sick dogs come to MACs possession, then there won't be a problem showing vet records attesting to it? Otherwise it's neglect. We just made a big circle and arrived at one conclusion: Meriden Animal Control; ACOs Kline and Barnes neglect animals.

Ah yes Mr Kendzior...its your old friend Rick. You tell people to contact with issues. I'm waiting on day 3 now about what a Meriden resident should do with stray cats. Yes I did contact you. Perhaps your cheerleader Mary Mushinski can cheer you on some more Larryulees Larryulees.......this is a bad episode of the Nutty Professor Larry and sadly you are more useless than Prof Klumpf!!

So two months later (at least) and Larry Kendzior is still engaged in dialog with MAC. I guess timely resolution (use this word loosely) is not on his priority?

Yes, where are we with this issue?

Mr Kendzior, when its one complaint or even two, then perhaps then you can play the "allegations" card, but if its a long line of people from your office door to the street then you should be smart enough to realize that you have a problem.

Kendzior = FAIL!

Serious problem that has been lingering for a while, Larry Kendzior himself pointed out in the Record Journal article that these issues have been hangin over MACs head for a period of time. It's only after a string of people knocking on Kendziors door has he woken up to say few useless things to the paper, and bless us with a comprehensive list of non-actions. Why be proactive right?? If Animal Control Officer Kline has not learned to run a decent place by now, what makes you think he wont get the whole city in trouble later? But who cares? After all, if the city is sued, its the taxpayers that cover that burden, not a penny from Kendziors or Kline's pocket. Good reasoning. Kendzior = FAIL!

As instructed I have contacted the officer of the City Manager as instructed by Larry Kendzior. That was a week ago, and I'm still waiting. Can't say that I'm surprised.

Ahh yes Paul that is ole "Lip Sevice" Larry acting like he cares. Don't hold your breathe on a return call.

Larry Kendzior and his crew lead by Rohde are a disgrace to this city. Kendzior doesn't even have decency to keep order in his ranks, and when they fail they take the name of the city with them. Thanks for these abused animals, and Beth Vumbaco Larry!!! Keep on hiding, hoping this goes away you piece!!!

I contacted Larry with an issue about the Fire Marshall last year. Instead of listening to my side of the story he simply told me he agreed with the fire marshal and if I didn't like it I should sue the city. He must have figured I wouldn't be able to afford a lawsuit with the city. I say that because why would anyone in their right mind want to get the city involved in a lawsuit over a simple fire pit in a citizens back yard. I mean since he isn't the one footing the bill I guess it doesn't matter to him. At least Brian Daniels somehow got the fire marshal to change his mind. It sounds like kendzior treats the citizens the same way fire marshal trella treated me. They talk in circles for a little while without really saying anything pertinent to your issue. They figure the more bull they spew at you the more satisfied you will feel. Like when I sat down with trella and he started telling me how hard it was for dfm yachavino to come up with the open burning ordinance and how proud of him he was. blah blah blah. Then they tell you they will look into your issue, or review this or that. The whole time they have their mind made up as to what the endgame or outcome of the whole situation should be. Then they make you wait a while before sending you a certified letter from the city telling you why you are wrong and they are right. They dont really like speaking man to man with someone who disagrees with them. Especially Keith Gordon, haha. I called his house every night for a week to ask my representative in district 4 for some help with my fire marshal problem. I was very polite every night when I asked his wife if he was available, which he wasn't, for literally seven days in a row. I then left a message to please call me back and thanked her for taking the message. The following week I get a certified letter from keith from City Hall on the taxpayers dime stating he cant help me with my problem and to stop calling his house. He didn't even give me a chance to tell him my problem, how does he know he cant help me. On top of that someone from the city "anonymously" called the state to report some bogus claims about myself and my wives daycare. Apparently trying to get her business shut down. From what they reported there are only two people it really could have been. We have some rather petty people in some high places in this city and that needs to change.

All of them need to go, all they are in for is pension; their pockets, and nothing else. Kendzior, Rohde, Trella, Cossettes, take that money and GTFO

What is the status on this issue?

ASPCA's Community Outreach Director has not heard anything about Meriden requesting assistance from them. Mr. Kendzior, do you have a name you can provide us of who exactly was contacted at ASPCA?

To me this whole conversation is absurd... I've been in and out of that shelter AND YES I SAID SHELTER because that's what it is... A place you go for shelter when you are without a home... The things I have read in this stream and about MAC are simply un-true the way I see it someone is gunning for the ACO's job and they will do whatever they can to get it... I have never once been denied access to the dogs IF they had anything to hide I think they might be a little more cautious about who they allow in back... I have NEVER seen those dogs lacking food water or cleanliness... I rescue dogs and run my own rescue I KNOW what neglect looks like and MAC is NOT it!

Then you will have no problem identifying yourself. State dinged MAC for the water issue in their latest ANNOUNCED review of the facilities... so there.

Since you have the inside info then who is gunning for this 40K job, please enlighten us all.

I bet Larry Kendzior, didn't expect people to follow up on the absurd things he wrote here. And now he is nowhere to be found.

Nope sorry Cara I have an organization to uphold and we will not subject our organization to your nonsense... And Larry is likely done with you being a wannabe know it all... I know exactly who's gunning for his job... and if your so smart you'd know too. I'm not saying the place is perfect... but I'd like to see you or anyone else try to run a municipal shelter or ANY shelter for that matter and run things 100% perfectly... you couldn't. Why is this such a hot button issue for you? Do you have a personal vendetta against the ACO? Further more... try walking into New Britain THEN and only then will I listen to you bash Meriden. The facts are this no shelter is perfect but Meriden is doing better than MOST of the ACOs I work with across the state... You guys going in and causing trouble makes us having the ability to pull dogs more difficult... we are having difficulties being able to photograph dogs with other aco's who are under investigation because people like you guys. ACOs don't want to risk their jobs which means we can't network the dogs effectively... UNLIKE you Cara I have the dogs best interest at heart and build proper professional relationships with these people so that I can help get dogs out and into good loving homes while you sit behind your computer screen and complain... Give me a break... I'm done with you when you get a clue let me know but until you run a facility with a staff of 3 people you have NO right doing what your doing to MAC EVERY cruelty case I've ever brought to their attention was effectively and efficiently dealt with and as I've said before the dogs have ALWAYS had food, water and clean kennels... SO THERE

And BTW is anyone here who is complaining about PARVO aware of the fact that the virus can be on your shoes and spread that way? just wondering what I want to know most is why everyone is so ready to crucify the aco but has nothing to say about the loser owners who dump their dogs... there are people living in tents because they wont give up their dogs so sorry but people need to take care of their pets and you wouldn't have anything to worry about to begin with!

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was that a serious response? I mean really... OR is it that you HAVE been to New Britain ACO and are just now realizing they're the ones you should be reporting... OR did you just realize it's people like you who make saving dogs from ACOs that much harder?? Did you just realize you couldn't run that shelter efficiently with a staff that small? Listen I'm not a fan of anything Meriden... but the ACO does a good job with the resources he's given and the budget he's allowed and FYI the dogs ARE vetted as needed I have a friend who works at the vet they are contracted with... All I'm saying is put the blame where it belongs... The man who dumped his dog there only to find out he's lost weight should have NEVER abandoned his dog PERIOD and if the dog lost weight it's not for lack of feeding but rather being stressed out and depressed and confused. A friend of mine went away for a week and her best friend stayed at her house to watch her dogs (one of them having been adopted through our rescue, the other adopted from another rescue) Her rottie IN HER OWN HOME would NOT eat because it caused her so much stress for them to be gone the other dog was fine you can not make claims about them not feeding the dogs based on an assumption, or seeing an opportunity to attack. Dogs get stressed and sad and refuse to eat. You say you foster for other ACOs? I find that hard to believe since if a dog is property of the city you can not foster them its a liability cities are not willing to risk, so you clearly work with an organization who pulls these dogs and I'm pretty sure I can figure out which one... you guys may be starting something you will have a hard time finishing and your organization just might lose some credibility... Which again, effects the animals... think about it

How is a complaint like this making anything harder? If everything is on the up and up then whats the problem.
btw - you said, "SO THERE", you must be that officers kid that works at Animal Control with all your insider knowledge. Only a kid would say SO THERE. Whats next, I know you are but what am I? I'm rubber your glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you. NAh nah poopoo?

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ok that is twice now my post seems to have been deleted hmm

It seems the rescue person compares one bad situation to another and then says the situation thats not as bad is ok. Well the Gulag was bad but oh be glad you weren't in a concentration camp. I love how its always a vendetta. Ask the powners of dogs who were quarantined how there dogs were treated. Explain the before and after photos. Explain the vet report that stated the dog was starved. These people are accountable to the taxpayers who pay their salary. If its making it harder for a rescue to get a dog out of there then yes Meriden does have something to hide. Go look at the Hartford shelter. If there is a dog there that looks horrible no one os placing blame on them. Why, because they do their best to adopt out and foster many of these. Yes it can be done. No Meriden ACO's have no compassion and just want to collect their checks.

@Jason: "So there" was in fact in reference to Cara's "so there" Being a mother myself I have found that sometimes the best way to deter childish behavior is to simply give it back... Clearly this method has proven ineffective for miss Cara seeing as she has once again graced this page with yet another intelligent response. I'm not quite sure how you missed her "so there" and only picked up on mine but from what I can tell you seem a little biased. Perhaps Cara is the ring leader of this whole complaint. And you're nothing more than a pawn.
You ask how a complaint such as this makes anything harder. Well I'll tell you... In New Britain a group of gals got together and thought it would be a good idea to file a complaint about their ACO (and RIGHTFULLY so) HOWEVER since the allegations surfaced and an investigation was launched the NBACO now makes it nearly impossible to get through his doors to photograph the dogs for networking purposes (let alone, make sure they are ok), making it that much harder to get the dogs out and into good loving homes before they are put down. In NB the dogs are given no more than 14 days. We are currently scrambling to save 2 dogs before they are put down simply due to laziness. In NB there are 25 kennels and a whopping 5 dogs... But according to Jimmy their time is up and although he has the space refuses to house these 2 GOOD dogs any longer. MAC does not have this issue unless they run out of space or are dealing with a dog who is aggressive.
Neither myself or my volunteers have ever once been turned away from MAC while attempting to photograph the dogs. Therefore making it reasonable to infer that MAC has, in fact, NOTHING to hide.
The problem does not lie with MAC, YET, But creating issues with ACOs makes it harder for rescues to do their jobs even when allegations are substantiated (as in NBACO's case) The simple fact is this, ACO's can determine who they will or will not release a dog to and there are organizations working hard to help these dogs being turned away because of complaints they had NOTHING to do with. If an ACO [CONTENT REMOVED BY ADMINISTRATOR] it's the animals who suffer.
In response to your statement "you must be that officers kid that works at Animal Control with all your insider knowledge." LOL I guess you've never had a professional relationship with anyone especially in the rescue world. Listen, all my insider knowledge comes from years of experience and dealing with ACO's. I founded and run a not only successful but reputable 501(c)3, USDA Licensed, Rescue organization that is well known coast to coast. I eat, sleep, breath, and LIVE rescue. It is my passion it's what I look forward to every single day when I wake up. I happen to work with MANY ACO's across the state and know neglect when I see it and I'm sorry but MAC is simply not guilty of such allegations. There is ALWAYS room for improvement (the same can be said for MHS) but when you've got a good thing, which Meriden does (with both MHS and MAC), leave it alone because you don't know how the next guy will treat these dogs.

@MeridentResident&Rescue - your posts were not deleted. They were caught in our moderation queue due to language that violates our Terms of Service. It has been posted below with the content removed.

Again, we encourage all of you to move this conversation forward instead of backwards. Please be respectful of each other.

MR&R so you are saying if things are bad don't hold anyone accountable because it may just get worse. That really a poor apologist type of attitude to have. There are problems with many municipal run animal control facilities but to not bring them to light is a travesty of justice.

Arthur you are ABSOLUTELY right about one thing... ACO's are accountable to tax payers. I have to respectfully ask, do you work with animals? The reason I ask this is because anyone who REALLY works with animals knows that dogs get stressed... they know that dogs will starve themselves and in a shelter setting some dogs just don't fair well. That's what I'm saying... we can not force a dog to eat end of story. I've had dogs come to me from shelters and it takes them a few days to eat it doesn't mean I'm starving the dogs they are stressed and refuse to eat... why is that so hard to understand?

I'm saying I work with this aco and have never seen validation of any of these claims

Its understood that dogs get stressed but to have a dog for months that came out looking like only skin and bones or the before and after pics that are out there. What about the dogs that could barely walk because they are never exercised. What about the reports from people who said the ACO's wouldn't feed the dogs what they were given? What about the people who had their dogs in quarantine who tried to visit their dogs during posted hours yet no one was ever there? What about the kennel assistant spraying the cages with the dogs in them saying "oh the dogs like it"? What about the ACO's never answering the phones or returning calls to people who wanted to adopt. what about the ACO's never updating the pet finder page until this came out? What about the father of the kennel attendant being in charge of the AC facility in a direct conflict of interest? What about an ACO with a complaint of drowning opossum babies instead of giving the babies to the wildlife attendant at their disposal? What about the ACO's harrassing people who had their dogs in quarantine for biting another dog, and then drove to their houses telling them they could take their dog at any time? what about the "pet dog" at MAC that runs loosely and is the subject of a pending lawsuit against the city of Meriden for biting someone? What about that same dog running around with out a visible rabies vaccination tag where the Meriden ACO's would put you dog in the p8und for the same thing? See MR&R you are either friend so Meriden ACO's or you are simply blind to or unknowledgeable about what goes on there. Yes I do work with many animals and these people lack the skills to do the job and should be held accountable. Its funny that those in the city leadership just like to deny and point fingers. The Meriden police department did the same thing and now are under a federal investigation.

MR&R is the same person from before. Claiming to have extensive dog expertise but yet unable to comprehend the duties of an ACO.... sure you worked with dogs for 30 years, sure you run successful rescue operation, known from coast to coast :rolleyes:

Meriden Resident, please quit dreaming - your posts are laughable at best.

I will reply to the incidents I know about...
1. Donated Food: MAC feeds Blue Seal food ONLY. Why upset little tummies unnecessarily? They purchase it at Meriden Feed.
2. Visiting a quarantined dog: Between 3 and 4 pm every day they are there UNLESS they are out on calls I've almost ALWAYS found someone when I've shown up unannounced. I've even found them there outside of those hours. THAT is MY experience. I can only comment on my experience with them.
From what I know the man referred to (who filed a complaint) is the one who's dog got out and attacked 2 other dogs and bit their owner causing over 10,000 dollars in vet bills alone. When the quarantine period was up and the man was allowed to retrieve his dog he was informed his dog could NOT be off his property without a muzzle from that point forward. The man became irate and proceeded to have a temper tantrum. What this man and many other people FAIL to acknowledge is that, quite frankly, had the man been more responsible a lot of this could have been avoided.
3. As far as never getting an answer or return call, In my experience I have ALWAYS had my messages returned, in fact I play phone tag at times with them because they, like me, are busy. There have also been plenty of times where I've called and gotten an answer.
4. As far as the kennel assistant... I COMPLETELY 100% AGREE WITH YOU it is a conflict of interest... and he seems pretty lazy to me... It wouldn't surprise me if he has sprayed the dogs which is unacceptable. However I've never witnessed that 1st hand.
5. About the opossum babies, I never heard of this until now but I will say this, its advice I give to ANYONE with wildlife that needs rescue NEVER call any ACO for this... Bring them to a wildlife rehabilitater. If the wildlife attendant is who I think your referring to he would have likely disposed of them as well... (NOT CONDONING this if it happened but just making a general statement) He is a pest control guy not a rehaber... It is always better to bring any animal to someone who does it because it is their passion than to someone who is paid to do it... Yalesville Vet has an amazing rehaber. That is also my experience.
6. IDK of any harassment They have never harassed me. BUT I have also never been so irresponsible that I had to have a dog put in quarantine.
7. I also do not know of a bite or the circumstances surrounding the bite with the pound's pet dog so to that I can not comment other than to say it's pretty obvious that the dog should not be allowed loose if there is a bite history... I have also never seen him out of his kennel... that is my experience.
8. As far as a dog being put in the pound for not wearing a rabies tag... That's ludicrous I'm sorry but the only thing you are required to have is the certificate and your vet will tell you that you do not HAVE to put the tag on their collars just make sure you have the certificate and that it's up to date because it the LAW in the entire state... not just Meriden.
9. And to the complaints about the dogs not being exercised IF that's the case which I can say I've never seen them exercising dogs, then they should be required to exercise them for a required amount of time every day but I do not believe the STATE requires them to do so... This isn't just a MAC problem it's a state issue.
The state does not mandate them to fulfill exercise requirements NOR do they put forth guidelines about feeding requirements... Sad but true. ACOs are required to feed the animals in their care but are not required to feed them a specific amount based on their size or number of times per day as long as they are fed once a day that is all they care about.
MAC feeds twice a day which is a HUGE upgrade from other ACOs in CT and honestly likely from the homes they were previously in before their arrival at MAC.

@ Cara... I assure you I am not either person from before. And I also assure you the we are well known coast to coast but that's neither here nor there. The facts are the facts and I'm simply sharing my experience. I'm sorry that you are unable to see anyone else' side in this but your own. And I'm sorry that you can not seem to understand that there are OTHER people in this town other than yourself who have not had the same experiences you are referring to. I'm sorry that you seem to be incapable of comprehending the fact that we live in America and all have our constitutional rights to free speech and fair trial. I just don't believe in prosecuting anyone without fair trial. I don't believe that bashing our ACO will bring any changes for the animals (based on what I've seen in the past) THAT my dear is my EXPERIENCE and I just like you are entitled to your view I also am entitled to mine. Keep making childish digs... to me that just proves you are not in this for the animals best interest... And for the record I never claimed to have 30 years experience in rescue... That would be impossible considering I am not even 30 years old. And quite honestly we are well known internationally and have people who donate to our dogs from other countries on a regular basis that really wasn't my point. I find it strange that you so badly want to be able to discredit me and the other people commenting on this thread that oppose your view that you are reaching and grasping at whatever you can. Accusing me of being another poster to this thread. I can not speak for the others but I will tell you this... This is the ONLY name I've used here and I'd appreciate it if you'd not accuse me of such a childish game again.

I see my mistake, as long as dogs are fed few pebbles once a day then ACOs at MAC should get a pass on all neglect. I have noted this for the future so I don't make the same mistake again. You also have a great imagination, I'll give you credit for that, beautiful tales you tell us.

Cara, I never said he feeds a few pebbles once a day in fact if you'd stop trying to manipulate my words we might be able to get some where... Why don't you look into the allegations in NB so you can get a grasp on what a judge will tell you if it even gets that far. I've been down this road... I've seen the outcomes...

MRR, I'm still in stitches. Blue Seal - is a poor quality kibble, full of fillers, anyone who deals with dogs in any manner should know this. Please go on though.

@ Mary I'm fully aware of how poor the quality is it's better than purina or or the other grocery store brands for that matter. Idealy I'd feed WELLNESS (CORE), NATURES VARIETY (Instinct), HALO, OR EVEN TASTE OF THE WILD FOR KIBBLE MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE HAPPENS TO BE A RAW FOOD DIET I like NV's BUT my point was why feed multiple brands and upset their stomach's that was my point people don't donate ONE specific brand I'm well versed in dog nutrition thank you. I'm also well versed in allergens so please... Mary if you'd like to further challenge my knowledge have fun. It's likely that I can run circles around you especially where nutrition is concerned but THAT is counterproductive! You guys are so focused on a MAC witch hunt that you can't even focus on the dogs and the ACTUAL FACTS at hand. You continue to try to discredit my qualifications and continually fail to do so... I'm speaking up because you guys are wrong. maybe not about everything but there is no neglect going on there and the majority of the community knows this. There is a small group doing everything they can to get the guys of ACO out but it's not gonna work... so stop wasting valuable time and energy on you little crusade against ACO and start making a difference for the dogs.

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This is a message we received today and thought we should share... Its copied and pasted and I will provide you all with the photo as well... It was forwarded to me from a friend who was involved with this adoption. PLEASE note my rescue had nothing to do with this adoption but I was lucky enough to meet this awesome guy and his new family!! Good luck handsome boy!!! <3 And Please take note of the fact that Beau does not look starved AT ALL and he's been there since March. GREAT JOB BRYAN!! :)

It is with the happiest of hearts that I share this photo of a dog that everyone EXCEPT the ACO's at Meriden Animal Control had given up on. I cannot thank BRYAN KLINE enough for his complete support in allowing me to help this dog get the chance he deserved. Beau was at Meriden Animal Control since March of 2010. No one would rescue him and everyone else said "Pitbull? Put him do...wn" Bryan and the other AC officers just could not bring themselves to put this special dog down. When I offered to help, they never hesitated. They went above and beyond to help me help him. Beau was adopted yesterday by the Rupps. A young, athletic couple who will give him the life he deserves. THANK YOU to all who helped me with this special mission.

Meg is right, Cara let the cooler heads prevail. Its obvious that MRR is making up stories.

Back to the topic, if the allegations were not true then Captain Zakrzewski wouldnt be removed from his post as they have surfaced. So there must be truth in this somewhere, and City Hall knows it.

Again with the personal attacks... I did not dispute Captain Zakrzewski's position being a conflict of interest... Nor did I fabricate the photo or email attached to it

So what is the story? Kendzior came in, flapped his lips, promised everything and then just left. Anyone know if there is any progress?

Mr Kendzior, this is simple: If you are not a part of the solution then you are a part of the problem. Especially being a City Manager. How can you sleep at nigh?

It's clearly evident that Larry Kendzior is OK with city officials doing whatever they want. And apparently residents are nothing more than revenue to fill his pockets. Shame on you Larry Kendzior!

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Where did you see that the DEP arrested Kline?

At least somethings getting done. Well done DEP

I guess DEP didnt arrest Kline,

DEP would not be the ones to arrest anyone for animal abuse so once again someone didn;t check facts and is makking stuff up.

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Best,
Megan