Clipping an angel's wings
by Mike Kroll
It
is hard to imagine something more positive in the life of an animal than
catching the attention of Cathy White. When she is not sleeping or teaching
English or public speaking at Carl Sandburg College you can make book that
White is doing something somewhere to improve the lives of cats and dogs or
other pets. Cathy's husband and family wanted to do something special for her
birthday last year. You know, on the order of a nice trip or a cruise. But she
would have none of that and insisted that they spend the $5,000 earmarked for
this present to support the spay-neuter program of he Knox County Humane
Society instead. The White home has become a rescue ranch of sorts for a
never-ending stream of local cats in need with Cathy making sure that all those
needs are met out of her own pocket.
Cathy
has devoted her life to animal welfare. She was one of the co-founders 17 years
ago of the Knox County Humane Society and served as president for ten years.
In1995 the Humane Society contractually took over responsibility for animal
control in Galesburg after repeated presentations to the city council by
society members White, Jeff Seiberlich and Erin Buckmaster. The society had
already purchased a building at the former Galesburg Mental Hospital and
rehabilitated the structure into an animal shelter. In recent years White and
other local volunteers have invested thousands of hours toward the welfare of
these animals and finding good homes for them through an Adopt-a-pet program instigated
and staffed by White, her daughter Julie and others.
In
most organizations someone who has selflessly devoted herself to the cause such
as Cathy would be honored and held up as an example, but the KCHS isn't like
most organizations. The organization White founded and led for a decade
unceremoniously gave her the boot at their August 9th meeting. That meeting's
agenda began with a closed session to discuss removing White and a proposal to
create rules for the ÒfiringÓ of volunteers. By a 6-2 vote (only board member Tina
Guardalabene joined with White in voting against her own dismissal) Cathy was
removed from the board.
I
spent nearly all of Tuesday night speaking with White at her Galesburg home.
Cats greeted me at her door and a bright white male cat took a special interest
in me as we sat down in Cathy's living room. ÒThat's amazing,Ó White pointed
out in reference to the cat. ÒWe just took him in after his 'mother' became too
ill and had to go into a nursing home. He has been very shy since arriving here
and spends most of his time hiding yet he immediately took a fancy to you.
Wouldn't you like to take him home as a pet? That gray in his coat is soot from
the fireplace. Somehow he got into it and got all dirty but when he is clean
his coat is a clear bright white...Ó
Cathy
never hesitates to place a needy pet into a loving home and I had to explain to
her that this was a match that couldn't happen. My wife is adamantly opposed to
pets in the house and I told White I would be sleeping in the back yard if I
brought this cat home with me. I reminded her that we were talking about the
Humane Society; she had somewhat reluctantly consented on the interview.
White
explained what transpired that night. ÒIt was horrible! They voted me off the
board at the beginning of the meeting and then dismissed me. I intended to
complete the meeting and wanted to participate in the upcoming discussion of
firing volunteers. The other board members were surprised that I didn't simply
get up and leave. Wil Hayes [board president] turned to me and said, 'You're no
longer on this board and I have things to do here,' indicating that my presence
at the meeting was not welcome. Even though I knew this was coming (the agenda
listed ÒRemoval of Cathy White as board memberÓ as the first item!) and many of
these board members have worked hard in recent months to induce me to resign my
primary emotion was not one of anger but sadness.Ó
ÒThe
entire character of this organization has changed in the last five years or so.
I got involved in this because I love animals, all animals. I realize I don't
have the temperament to make some of the hard decisions that the Humane Society
has to make but I also acknowledge the realities that make such actions
necessary. It would be unreasonable to expect to operate a 'no-kill' shelter
given our resources but I believe we can run a 'low-kill' shelter while
simultaneously assuring the best possible quality of life for the animals in
our care. The humane care and placement of animals in good homes has always
been my personal focus and I believe that was the group's motivation in the
early years. Today I'm afraid the welfare of the animals is no longer the
boards first priority.Ó
The
city currently pays the KCHS slightly less than $175,000 annually for the
contractual animal control and shelter services. No one with the Humane Society
would begin to claim that this amount comes close to covering the cost of their
operation. The KCHS is heavily dependent upon a combination of volunteers and
donations to maintain their operations. The paid staff is small and the city
money barely covers their salaries. Nearly all of the food and much of the
supplies necessary to operate the shelter are donated by caring individuals and
businesses. Historically much of the remaining financial costs have been met
through grants secured by Cathy White. White estimates that over her tenure she
has personally brought in grant dollars equivalent to about a year's city
funding.
According
to White two volunteers who were ÒfiredÓ by KCHS board members Ned Anderson and
Ray Keegan last October after they raised questions about the care of some cats
at the shelter. ÒJanis and Kathy were guilty of caring too much about the
animals. They regularly volunteered to socialize with cats and when they
noticed things about cats they shared their concerns with shelter staff and
[shelter director] Janet [Tolle]. Janet is so insecure in her position that she
took offense at these observations and requested that Anderson eliminate these
'troublemakers.' One day these women were in the cat room when Ned and Ray
walked in and Janet stood outside to block the door as the men told the women
they were no longer welcome to volunteer at the shelter.Ó
ÒThe
Humane Society disparately needs the volunteers whether Janet or the board
realize it. All of these people are devoted to the animals and supplement the
level of care possible with the paid staff alone. The participation of the
volunteers make the difference between providing a very basic level of animal
care and quality care including socialization. The paid staff simply do not
have the time to do much more than feed the animals and keep the shelter clean
and it is this extra level of human care and kindness that helps make animals
more attractive for adoption.Ó
Both
of the ladies fired were long-time volunteers and one had previously left her
entire estate to the Humane Society but there is no room for criticism or
disagreement, however slight, with management of the shelter by Tolle and
Anderson. A person's motivation of history with the organization carries no
weight whatsoever when they dare to question a decision of the board. Dissent
will not be tolerated and both staff and volunteers alike are forbidden from
making public comments about either the society or shelter operations. Cathy
White's high crime was that she felt so strongly about the welfare of the
animals that she simply would not be gagged. Instead she was summarily
dismissed.
Throughout
the long evening (White and I spoke for almost four hours) she regaled me with
stories of animals saved and her work to place animals in adopted homes. Cathy
told me of the time she and her daughter picked up some large dogs at the
shelter to take them out for exercise. ÒI told the shelter staff that I would
have them back later that day but I received a telephone call from Ned
[Anderson] implying that I had stolen the dogs and ordering them returned
immediately! After that Janet [Tolle] kept the dog cages locked so volunteers
such as myself and Julie couldn't get access. After years and years of running
the Adopt-A-Pet program it was shocking that they believed I was pilfering
animals from the shelter. After all, we sadly end up destroying significant
numbers of dogs and cats every month because we cannot place them all so what
harm would have been done had I actually intended to steal these dogs?Ó
Amazingly,
despite everything that has happened Cathy White told me she would be happy to
return to the Humane Society if they asked! She is very afraid that these
recent actions have done great harm to the public perception of the society.
ÒWhile
the board members were so angry at my letter to the editor in the Zephyr as
well as some others by concerned volunteers in the Register-Mail they just
don't understand that their actions in closing meetings to the public, firing
volunteers and expelling me does far more harm to the organization than could
possibly result from a little dissent within. In just the last few months three
board members have quit and I was booted and the men behind my ouster admitted
at a meeting that none of their friends want anything to do with this board. I
have received calls from a number of people who tell me they no longer intend
to donate money or time to the Humane Society and at least two individuals I
know have already removed the Humane Society from their wills. I am afraid that
these disputes and actions by the board will be the undoing of a group I
continue to believe in. I really want this organization to survive and thrive
for the good of the animals they serve. The board has done far more harm by
quelling the criticism than could ever have resulted from the actions of those
of us cast aside.Ó
For the time being White will focus her attentions on a parallel group she organized, the Guardian Angels, devoted to animal welfare. ÒOur goal with the Guardian Angels is to insure that all pet owners are able to obtain the medical care they need for their pets regardless of their ability to pay. We will continue to promote spaying and neutering of pets. And I am committed to making the resources of the Guardian Angels available to assist with the care of any animal at the [KCHS] shelter as long as we are permitted to do so. There remains so much to be done for the care of animal in Knox County and I won't be sidelined.Ó