July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Readers worried about change
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
I am writing to say I am saddened by the recent turn of events at the Jay County Humane Society.
Over a year ago, I began volunteering occasionally to help with events and participating in fundraisers. The need came to my attention after seeing numerous pleas for help and donations by the shelter manager, Tara Drumm. She was clearly invested in the good of the animals. Tara was very instrumental in sharing the mission and needs of the shelter through Facebook.
Eventually we adopted a dog after consulting with Tara to find the right fit for our home. We have never regretted this decision and have supported the Humane Society since.
Unfortunately, this week there has been a drastic change in how they are operating when they brought in a “consultant”. This consultant quickly fired Tara and another dedicated staff member, Dosha Rector.
According to a board member, Tara was fired due to her unwillingness to “embrace her new job description.” It was also reported that Tara did not follow board direction and argued with board members.
I am not surprised to hear these things as I have come to realize that if Tara feels strongly about something she will likely verbalize these feelings and fight for her beliefs. According to Tara, she was let go because she calmly disagreed with new approaches to training the animals.
After hearing both sides of this story, it is clear that there is a serious problem at our shelter.
When a board is in charge of running any organization, it is vital that they have a level of understanding for the day to day operations and that they have policies in place to address employee issues.
Another area that was not clear was the cost for this consultant as the Humane Society has constantly been under the threat of having the doors closed due to lack of funding. It was reported by the board that private individuals are paying for the cost of this individual. Yet volunteers were standing on the street days ago asking for donations.
Many community members are up in arms with this decision and many were so passionate about their outrage they attended the board meeting as well as created a petition asking for this decision to be reversed.
Tara has become the face of the Humane Society and she has the support of hundreds of people due to her passion for these animals.
This is something that needs to be examined by the board and while I agree that sometimes there is a need for change, it is important that we take the time to fully develop plans for change, procedures, and policies before we jump in head first and wing it. When we work together as a team we find that agencies can truly grow and become so much more productive. When we have knee jerk reactions or bring personal feelings into professional relationships it is a recipe for disaster. If there are issues, we need to have clear policies and procedures to address them rather than blindsiding someone with termination.
The role of a board member is not easy and I have no intention of minimizing the value of good members who have the best interest of the agency involved. I am simply saying that perhaps change was needed, but I question the appropriateness, professionalism, and process of these sudden terminations.
Sincerely,
Jennifer VanSkyock
Portland
Effective leader lost
To the editor:
I met Tara Drumm through animal rescue a couple of years ago. It didn't take me long at all to see the love, respect and dedication that she has for all animals.
She is the voice to so many animals that are discarded or left to fend for themselves and who otherwise have no voice. She is the reason so many animals now have a home and a family to feel safe and loved in.
She is the reason that someone like me who lives more than an hour away, supports a shelter like Jay County Humane Society. She drew me in and captured my attention with her social media networking. She made me want to help, and when there is so much help that is needed in the animal rescue world that I find overwhelming. I never hesitated to pitch in when I could to Jay County Humane Society because of Tara.
I mourn for the animals that have looked forward to Tara coming into greet and love them who now will wonder who will care for them. The board of Jay County Humane Society have been led astray.
Tara has proven herself to have been very effective as your shelters director and the animals will suffer with her absence.
Laura Callow
Fort Wayne[[In-content Ad]]
I am writing to say I am saddened by the recent turn of events at the Jay County Humane Society.
Over a year ago, I began volunteering occasionally to help with events and participating in fundraisers. The need came to my attention after seeing numerous pleas for help and donations by the shelter manager, Tara Drumm. She was clearly invested in the good of the animals. Tara was very instrumental in sharing the mission and needs of the shelter through Facebook.
Eventually we adopted a dog after consulting with Tara to find the right fit for our home. We have never regretted this decision and have supported the Humane Society since.
Unfortunately, this week there has been a drastic change in how they are operating when they brought in a “consultant”. This consultant quickly fired Tara and another dedicated staff member, Dosha Rector.
According to a board member, Tara was fired due to her unwillingness to “embrace her new job description.” It was also reported that Tara did not follow board direction and argued with board members.
I am not surprised to hear these things as I have come to realize that if Tara feels strongly about something she will likely verbalize these feelings and fight for her beliefs. According to Tara, she was let go because she calmly disagreed with new approaches to training the animals.
After hearing both sides of this story, it is clear that there is a serious problem at our shelter.
When a board is in charge of running any organization, it is vital that they have a level of understanding for the day to day operations and that they have policies in place to address employee issues.
Another area that was not clear was the cost for this consultant as the Humane Society has constantly been under the threat of having the doors closed due to lack of funding. It was reported by the board that private individuals are paying for the cost of this individual. Yet volunteers were standing on the street days ago asking for donations.
Many community members are up in arms with this decision and many were so passionate about their outrage they attended the board meeting as well as created a petition asking for this decision to be reversed.
Tara has become the face of the Humane Society and she has the support of hundreds of people due to her passion for these animals.
This is something that needs to be examined by the board and while I agree that sometimes there is a need for change, it is important that we take the time to fully develop plans for change, procedures, and policies before we jump in head first and wing it. When we work together as a team we find that agencies can truly grow and become so much more productive. When we have knee jerk reactions or bring personal feelings into professional relationships it is a recipe for disaster. If there are issues, we need to have clear policies and procedures to address them rather than blindsiding someone with termination.
The role of a board member is not easy and I have no intention of minimizing the value of good members who have the best interest of the agency involved. I am simply saying that perhaps change was needed, but I question the appropriateness, professionalism, and process of these sudden terminations.
Sincerely,
Jennifer VanSkyock
Portland
Effective leader lost
To the editor:
I met Tara Drumm through animal rescue a couple of years ago. It didn't take me long at all to see the love, respect and dedication that she has for all animals.
She is the voice to so many animals that are discarded or left to fend for themselves and who otherwise have no voice. She is the reason so many animals now have a home and a family to feel safe and loved in.
She is the reason that someone like me who lives more than an hour away, supports a shelter like Jay County Humane Society. She drew me in and captured my attention with her social media networking. She made me want to help, and when there is so much help that is needed in the animal rescue world that I find overwhelming. I never hesitated to pitch in when I could to Jay County Humane Society because of Tara.
I mourn for the animals that have looked forward to Tara coming into greet and love them who now will wonder who will care for them. The board of Jay County Humane Society have been led astray.
Tara has proven herself to have been very effective as your shelters director and the animals will suffer with her absence.
Laura Callow
Fort Wayne[[In-content Ad]]
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