This Shelter is overwhelmed and needs our help
Pros: They take care of a huge area
Cons: they need a bigger place
Reviewed: 9 months ago -- Saturday, December 22, 2007
Pet Service Reviewed by: moore4dogs
Supporting Shelter: Table Mountain Animal Center
Supporting rescue: Stray Rescue of Saint Louis
Reviewed Service
Review Details
I am a volunteer at Table Mountain Animal Center,a harsh place most would say. I am there almost every day because I feel I am the voice for those who can't speak. I try very hard not to let any pet fall through the cracks.I am there for the animals.Table Mountain Animal Center is old....it's tired, there's nothing fancy about this place at all.It's falling apart...actually, it's scary, it's jail... The shelter takes care of six cities within Jefferson County here in Denver,Colorado, which, for it's size is just plain crazy.At any given day, we will have up to 200 dogs and as many more cats to house. And sadly,we have few volunteers compared to many of the other animal shelters in town, who call themselves "no-kill shelters". What I think many of those volunteers don't know is a lot of their "unwanted pets" end up here, because they are not getting adopting at their facility.Their outcome is not ever known to those volunteers. I am there for the animals, not because it's a pretty place and there are tons of people to meet. My main concern is to get the dogs out for even 5 precious minutes so they can go outside, smell fresh air and go potty. Very basic pleasures. My dream is to have a large volunteer base, and a nicer facility for our homeless pets to be in while they wait for a new family to adopt them.Every day, I feel like I'm in the trenches, just doing whatever I can to make it better for the shelter pets.Table Mountain Animal Center is in dire need of a facelift and make over. If you have ever wanted to make a difference for animals, please, please come here.
-- additional:
[updated on 2008-01-12 02:26:52]:
Sadly,I do not give excuses about Table Mountain Animal Center, I am being honest. This is a shelter that is overflowing with too many of Jefferson Counties homeless animals, brought here daily by the Animal Control Officers of SIX different cities. Over -burdened,under-staffed, we do the best we can. We also have a low-cost neuter and spay program that we offer to the public,as well as low-cost vaccinations.We have thousands upon thousands of homeless pets that come through our doors,many of them sick or elderly, many of them badly hurt due to accidents, and we take care of each and every animal to the best of our ability.This means spending thousands of dollars on surgeries to repair broken bones,mend fractures,stitch open wounds. But, because of the volume that comes through this facility, there are simply not enough people out there to adopt every animal who comes to us, and this is a hard and emotional situation that we all deal with daily. Please...Come, walk a mile in our moccasins before you judge us.
-- additional:
[updated on 2008-01-12 02:26:52]:
Sadly,I do not give excuses about Table Mountain Animal Center, I am being honest. This is a shelter that is overflowing with too many of Jefferson Counties homeless animals, brought here daily by the Animal Control Officers of SIX different cities. Over -burdened,under-staffed, we do the best we can. We also have a low-cost neuter and spay program that we offer to the public,as well as low-cost vaccinations.We have thousands upon thousands of homeless pets that come through our doors,many of them sick or elderly, many of them badly hurt due to accidents, and we take care of each and every animal to the best of our ability.This means spending thousands of dollars on surgeries to repair broken bones,mend fractures,stitch open wounds. But, because of the volume that comes through this facility, there are simply not enough people out there to adopt every animal who comes to us, and this is a hard and emotional situation that we all deal with daily. Please...Come, walk a mile in our moccasins before you judge us.
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Discussion
9 comments found.
I can only assume you are referring to MaxFund (since MaxFund is Denvers only no-kill animal shetler) and can say your comments about our animals ending up at your shelter are completely wrong and obsurd. Every animal at MaxFund is kept at the shelter until it finds a home, even if that means staying at the shelter for several years until homes are found. If your director tells you you get MaxFund animals, they are wrong as well.
I posted this on my own review of TMAC as well...
Sorry perhaps I shouldn't be so forward and I apologize if my comments were taken the wrong way - I was a bit perturbed as sherry's review seemed to isolate the shelter I devote my time to in a negative way as if we were to blame for TMAC's problems. I have reviewed most of the shelters in the city as I have been to almost all of them, either as a potential volunteer, potential volunteer, actual volunteer, or just as a visitor. I see things as some people might not and think I am being level-headed with how I approach them. For example, I gave other shelters 5's even though I'm not associated with them, but I was that impressed with their operations. Other shelters, like colorado humane society, got a 1, because I've been there, seen how animals are treated, how the operation is run, and ranked it accordingly. I think Table Mountain is run well given it's capabilities, but I think there is room for improvement.
I stand by my original review, but apologize for the negative comments that results. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding of sherry's original review that just got under my belt wrong.
Sorry perhaps I shouldn't be so forward and I apologize if my comments were taken the wrong way - I was a bit perturbed as sherry's review seemed to isolate the shelter I devote my time to in a negative way as if we were to blame for TMAC's problems. I have reviewed most of the shelters in the city as I have been to almost all of them, either as a potential volunteer, potential volunteer, actual volunteer, or just as a visitor. I see things as some people might not and think I am being level-headed with how I approach them. For example, I gave other shelters 5's even though I'm not associated with them, but I was that impressed with their operations. Other shelters, like colorado humane society, got a 1, because I've been there, seen how animals are treated, how the operation is run, and ranked it accordingly. I think Table Mountain is run well given it's capabilities, but I think there is room for improvement.
I stand by my original review, but apologize for the negative comments that results. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding of sherry's original review that just got under my belt wrong.
MaxFund does indeed thouroughly screen applicants and reject applications for various reasons - we want the animals to end up in the best home possible. If your dogs do a meet and greet and attack each other, maybe its not the right situation for the dog. If you have surrendered animals before and state you would surrender them again for minor reasons, then yes, your application would be denied - we are looking for permanent homes and know that being adopted and returned to the shelter can be traumatic for a dog, so we try to find the right home to begin with. If someone surrendered a dog because they got a new dog and they didn't get along well, that's good reason they shouldn't have this dog either, what will they do with their current dog?
Try calling someone and explaining their application has been denied, for any reason, I think it's very difficult to not come across as rude because the message itself is rude no matter how it is presented. I have been there when many of these calls are made or people are informed in person their application is denied, and people get angry, they get nasty, they swear, they use death threats, they say they are going to come back in the middle of the night and steal the dog, etc. All the more reason to not adopt to them in the first place.
Try calling someone and explaining their application has been denied, for any reason, I think it's very difficult to not come across as rude because the message itself is rude no matter how it is presented. I have been there when many of these calls are made or people are informed in person their application is denied, and people get angry, they get nasty, they swear, they use death threats, they say they are going to come back in the middle of the night and steal the dog, etc. All the more reason to not adopt to them in the first place.
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