FAAS: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

I received an alarming voicemail from someone who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from the very shelter they were volunteering at. 

The person who contacted me would only state that they were already familiar with my work as an outspoken animal advocate and ex-volunteer of FAAS, our City's animal shelter. 

My disgust with the inhumane treatment of its dogs while I was a volunteer there had forced me to leave after a year and speak out against them. 

The caller claimed to also be a volunteer at FAAS and asked that I contact them immediately.

I quickly called them and we spoke very frankly.

"Most people in Alameda, if you ask them, will say our shelter is 'no-kill' but that couldn't be further from the truth," explained the FAAS volunteer over the phone, "they kill cats, they kill dogs, and although its disproportionately pit mixes, no animal is really safe there," they said flatly. "It kills us [volunteers] to see good-intentioned people bringing pit bulls to FAAS because they believe the shelter will not kill them. I'll just say this, most of the pit bulls that do get out of there are extremely lucky because euthanasia is their only other option."

I understood the weight of what they were saying and urged them to continue.

"Volunteers and donors of the shelter don't know what they are supporting. They need to know that their beloved shelter is in fact a kill-facility and is still being run as a municipal facility according to the shelter's Executive Director Mim Carlson. FAAS still gets funding from the City of Alameda and now thousands from good-intentioned donors under the guise of being a "safe" place for animals, but the killings continue. They are truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. They kill adoptable dogs. People should know this."

My curiosity was peaked, "What happened? Why did you reach out to me?" I asked.

"Right now, FAAS is killing pit bulls at an alarming rate and its getting worse… three [The death toll is up to 4 at the time this piece was publishing] have already been killed this month [October]," they added. "We really need the public to know what’s happening, we are afraid for who is next... Roxy, Tug, Willow, Mr. Whiskey, Rue, the new puppy* who was just brought in, they are all in danger because of their breed."

"All pit bulls," I said, knowing where this was going.

"The shelter chooses to report some disturbingly outdated statistics for Maddie's Fund, on its website" the caller confided, "that they had killed 25 dogs… it’s probably doubled by now… and I can almost promise you more that 90 percent of them were pit bulls who were healthy and adoptable."

Again, I urged them to continue.

"No pit bull is safe at FAAS with Diana [Kimbrough, Animal Coordinator/ Euthanasia Technician] and Tina [Aedo, Kennel Manager] a left-over from the old regime, deeming many of them as "unadoptable", its breed discrimination, there is not a doubt in anyone’s mind. Plus you have Carlson who never so much as meets the dogs, signing off on their deaths. Management does not seem interested in caring for them."

"Can you give me an example?" I asked.

"Well," they began, "There was a sweet boy who was never given a name, only a number. He was a blue-nose male pit bull and was immediately disliked and deemed too dangerous for adoption by Kimbrough. Some volunteers who actually knew the shy dog scrambled to find a rescue to commit to pulling him and quickly found one. This rescue actually came to our shelter and assessed #025846 themselves and because they were familiar with the breed, found him sweet and loving and eagerly agreed to take him once they had a foster lined up for him."

"That's great," I said, "Right?"

"Nope. FAAS went ahead and killed him anyway. Even with a rescue committed to pulling him," they said flatly. "That rescue may never work with FAAS again, it was shameful."

All I could muster was a simple, "My God is that even legal?"

"And then there was Zeus, a pit bull who was often utilized by our trainers to teach new recruits and was handled regularly by teen and senior volunteers. He was suddenly killed, much to the dismay of everyone."

"And the reason?" I asked.

"Kimbrough noted that he was 'unadoptable' because the 'shelter lack[ed] the appropriate resources to train/rehabilitate' him. Those were the exact words Kimbrough used to justify killing him in her paperwork which was hidden from the public, until now."

With all the donations and money FAAS gets from the city and community (we’re talking upwards of $500,000 annually**) to simply kill a dog based on the claim of lacking appropriate resources to train and or rehabilitate a dog in their care is certainly damning evidence. Shelters are required by law to rehabilitate its animals in order to prepare them for adoption. If they cannot, that facility has a responsibility to reach out to its community and rescues. But none of that is happening for its pit bull-type dogs.

"Oh and Willow," they added hesitantly, "She is a sweet pit bull mix who was forced to abort all 11 of her puppies who were a few weeks away from being born," whispered the caller, their voice cracking, "It was a risky procedure and Willow hemorrhaged a lot after the abortion. She almost didn't make it. FAAS killed those puppies. It was heartbreaking to watch her go through that."

I was dumbfounded. How were they getting away with this?

Of course, I already knew the answer. The wonderful donors and dog-loving citizens of Alameda only know what FAAS tells them. They may be killing because they don't like dealing with pit bulls but that doesn't mean any of its donors have to know that. 

Kill shelters spin their stories in order to justify killing adoptable dogs by telling its donors and volunteers a vague and calculated response. Carlson simply gives the automated response that the dog was unadoptable due to serious behavior issues and then "humanely euthanized" … or if the shelter has had a dog for months as was the case with Zeus and needs space, they'll deem the dog "no longer safe" for adoption, tell the public he is "dangerous" and put them down. 

Kill shelters have been using this trickery for decades and our shelter is no different. Who are we to question them? To deem the dogs as "unsafe for adoption" gives FAAS a free pass to kill as many dogs as they'd like. The truth is not a factor in this equation. It justifies the facilities "kill numbers" so that it can continue to receive more tax dollars and donations."

As if reading my mind, the caller continued, "FAAS managers and board members simply spin the facts to sway the public's perception and claim that they only kill when they absolutely have to, and that it 'breaks their hearts' to do so. It's a slap in the face."

***Other brave community members, donors and volunteers have already come forward to Speak Out against FAAS with their letters, read them here, here and here.

Please call your representatives and FAAS Management and speak up for those animals who don’t have a voice.

Mayor of Alameda: Mayor Marie Gilmore 510-747-4701

City Manager: John Russo 510-747-4700

City Council: 510-747-7400

Mim Carlson (executive director) at 510-337-8560

Tina Aedo (Kennel Manager) at 510-337-8573