BJC ANIMAL CONTROL INFORMATION
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UPDATE SEPT. 15, 2011: I HAVE DELETED MUCH OF THIS WEBSITE, EXCEPT FOR THE PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL.. BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING AT THE COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION CONCERNING ATROCITIES AT OUR LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY WILL REMAIN AND IF AND WHEN I AM ABLE I WILL WORK ON THAT ASPECT. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THIS FACILITY CONTINUES TO BE RUN WITHOUT SUFFERING ANY CONSEQUENCES OF THE CRUELTY THEY HAVE PERPETRATED ON THE ANIMALS THAT ARE IMPOUNDED THERE. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE?
This site is a labor of love, from my own hands, my own heart. I am a veterinarian in Alabama. I have been severely disabled with a condition known as "fibromyalgia" since 2004. I was employed as the first full time staff veterinarian at our main animal control facility, Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control (BJC,BJCACS) when, as I approached my 3rd year of service, I collapsed from exhaustion I was subsequently diagnosed, and was unable to return to any work as a veterinarian.
Animal Control facilities are not like humane societies, in general. An important difference everyone should realize is that humane societies usually only take in "owned animals", owner-surrendered pets (I am referring to companion animals, our cats and dogs),owners that for whatever reason can no longer take care of, or just no longer want, their pets. Although they may not always have had the best of care, these animals are from a different "world" than so many that end up in an animal control facility. The care needed for these cats and dogs is very different than that of the cats and dogs impounded at an animal control facility, where diseases have become "endemic", the stresses the animals suffer from are more intense, making them more susceptible to disease. They are often treated unnecessarily roughly by employees who may not care or are afraid of them, they are not walked, or petted, or shown any kind attention by the employees. So unlike the volunteers at humane societies who are there expressly to dote on the animals.
Nothing can compare to what I encountered while working at our local animal control, Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control Services. They take in everything; owner surrendered animals, stray animals, abandoned, sick or injured animals, feral cats and dogs, litter after litter of unwanted puppies and kittens, animals seized from owners facing animal cruelty charges, dogs from dog fighting rings.....and the list goes on.
Although I had become aware to an extent that Alabama and many other states are dealing with what seems at times insurmountable numbers of homeless and unwanted animals, I did not see the "real truth" until I worked at BJC.
Horrific things. Animals were brought to the facility almost daily, often several a day that were in such condition that there was no hope that they could recover, much less become adoptable into a suitable home. No hope left that they would ever feel good again, (did they ever?), that they would ever have the chance to know the comfort, security, protection, and unconditional love of a human. As difficult as it is to euthanize any animal before its time, it was most devastating to me to have to let go of those who had to die miserable, their silent suffering that I could only imagine from their poor condition, from their despairing demeanor; and worst of all from the forever haunting look in their eyes. They were in such misery that my only option was to, as gently as I could, put an end to their suffering, help them on their way to Heaven. And yes I do believe they go to heaven. And I believe where they go they are finally well, and happy, never again to hunger or thirst for food, water, or love. We defined it as "humane euthanasia".
My career became my passion, quietly fighting for the cause for these animals my lifelong goal. I swore I would never turn my back on them. I would spend the rest of my career doing whatever I could to contribute to the efforts of so many that struggle every day to save these animals, to rehabilitate them, to give them the care they need and to find them the loving homes they were intended to have from the beginning. That is what rescue groups do, and we had a long list of these miracle workers that removed ("pulled" is the rescue term) as many dogs and cats as they could from this facility to literally save their lives. Most of the animals that left through the front door to a better life were taken by members of these groups. Take a visit to petfinder.com and just look at how many there are, in Alabama and across the country. It is staggering. I also want to recognize the many "ordinary" (not ordinary in my book!) individuals and families who opened their hearts and their homes to adopt a "new family member" from BJC. I remember many of them...
Those not so lucky left out the back door; lifeless corpses, carelessly tossed one on top of another into a nasty little dump truck that took them to the nasty little landfill, dumped there like so much garbage, on top of so much garbage. Society's waste, society's unwanted surplus of precious lives, with no purpose or meaning.
However, my dreams were cut short by my "affliction". I have worried about those animals ever since. I was familiar enough with the mentality and the work ethic of the employees there, and the man that runs the place, Steve Smith. I feared that the conditions that incited the public outrage over the facility before I was hired would return, with no one watching over them.
After 5 long and miserable years, I finally found a doctor who knew what it would take to help me come back from the depths of my disability to once again have a life, yet still very restricted. It was when I first began using the internet that I found my worst fears realized, and that the animals at BJC again were being neglected and ignored.
That is what prompted this website, first began by a friend, then turned over to me. I still cannot stand the physical and emotional stress of working, but I have a brain, my hands and my heart and these I will use to continue fighting for these animals. As I began to get caught up with what was happening in the animal welfare arena, I saw that so much had happened while I was "away". The social networking sites have become an almost explosive "marketing tool" for getting animals rescued and into forever homes. Legislative organizations like AVRAL are hitting hard and heavy, working on changing the laws that regulate the care given animals "incarcerated" in shelters, most importantly for those less than "humane" shelters across our state. And for other urgent animal welfare issues such as spaying and neutering, ending puppy mills, and animal cruelty.
So what is left for me to do? Well, lend my support, contribute what I have learned and experienced, and as effectively as I can, express the deep passion I feel for these animals so that others too will awaken to the urgency of their needs and to help further the efforts of the remarkable individuals who work so hard to save them.
I hope to make this a dynamic and interactive website by continuing to update and add information, and by asking for your input. I encourage you to leave your comments, ideas, stories, opinions, reactions to information on these pages. Your comments can serve to influence change through influencing officials and politicians who have the power to make change - they want to keep us happy! They NEED to keep us happy if they want to hold on to their positions.
As you will find, I am a strong supporter of the grass roots organization which has been established in just the past year, Alabama Voters for Responsible Animal Legislation (AVRAL). In the hands of these most capable individuals does truly lie our best, and most likely ONLY hope for the animals, as I see now; that only through appropriate, effective, and enforced legislation will conditions improve in shelters, and for our companion animals in general, across this "woebegone" state of Alabama.
And the politicians listen to the voters, because their futures lie in our hands. They WILL sit up and pay attention if our combined voices become loud enough, strong enough and passionate enough. PLEASE, it is a simple thing to do, but can have such a profound impact.
There is another side to this coin. And that is the responsibility that lies with us. The pet owners. We must do our part to minimize the number of animals that end up in these facilities by becoming more responsible pet owners. We must become more familiar with the meaning of "responsible pet owner". We must work to change the "good ol' boy" mentality in this state, the resistance to spaying and neutering; all the backyard breeding, the dog fighting,the idea that it is "okay" to leave an animal in the yard, chained and confined to existing in a very limited space (these animals often suffer from extreme neglect); that pets are for our convenience, not a responsibility.....that they do not feel emotions or pain in the same way we do.....because they do.
We must remain vigilent, keep abreast of the laws and lawmakers, keep eyes and ears open as most cases of cruelty and neglect are discovered incidentally by an observant neighbor, passer-by. We must do our best to bring ACCOUNTABILITY back into our everyday lives. We must lead by example, being accountable for our own actions and maybe even more importantly, what we say; not just for the animals, but for our own lives, our cherished "American way of life"; for our deeply troubled country. Because it is the right thing to do.
Thank you,
Virginia Woolverton, DVM
Adger, Alabama 35006
http://www.facebook.com/virginia.woolverton
