HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS AT
THE VERMILION PARISH RABIES
CONTROL CENTER
 Since
1988, HSL has worked around the state to stop abuses in the state's
many substandard pounds. Incredibly, we have been battling with
parish administrators in Vermilion parish for close to 20 years.
In 1991, we sued the Rabies Control Board for abusing their impounded
cats and dogs. The case was finally heard in the 15th Judicial
District Court before Judge Jules Edwards, who ruled partially in our
favor. Judge Edwards ruled that the parish had to provide
adequate space, food and water for their sheltered animals.
They had refused even to put these most basic humane practices in
place, despite our repeated requests! Sadly
the fight to provide basic needs for impounded animals in this parish
remains unabated. HSL's Jeff Dorson revisited the facility in
May of this year and found serious irregularities and questionable
practices still in place. He found that the shelter's CO "kill"
chamber could not be sealed properly. Workers were securing the
door with a brace of a screwdriver. Additionally, the rubber inside
lining of the heavy glass door was worn, and the machine rested on a
tilt, which also hampered its effectiveness. We filed a public
records request, to see if the parish has ever recalibrated its CO
machine, inspected it for leaks, or replaced any parts. To
date, we have not seen any documents to back up the parish's claim
that the machine is in good working order.
The
parish council approved funding of $17,000 to purchase a new gas
chamber. While a functional chamber would be preferable to a broken
one, this should not be mistaken as progress! Even the 'responsible'
use of CO chambers is almost universally opposed by humane groups,
particularly in states like Louisiana, where shelter workers can be
certified to perform lethal injections. Shelter killings are
tragic however they occur, but homeless animals should at the very
least be afforded the most humane death possible. Vermilion parish
should be investing in programs to promote adoptions and to reduce
the tragic killings of shelter animals, whenever possible.
Please
help us seek needed reforms at this facility. Can you join us in
asking for these three needed changes? Urge the parish to: 1.
Discontinue using CO poisoning to kill homeless animals and adopt
a policy of euthanizing animals by lethal injection. 2.
Improve housing conditions for cats, by purchasing stainless steel
cat cages and separating the animals by age, sex, health and
temperament. (Presently, cats are group housed in wire and
wooden cages close to the CO chamber.) 3.
Encourage adoptions! We are urging the parish to adopt animals
directly to the public. Presently, the parish will only allow
animals to be placed for adoption through Vermilion Animal Aid, a
local, overworked rescue and adoption non-profit organization.
The public is not even allowed to view animals in their shelter.
Interested adopters are shown photos and the chosen animal is brought
out to the lobby. This is a ridiculous procedure meant to discourage
adoptions and questions from the inquiring public.
Please send your letters and emails to the following officials: Mr. Dane Hebert District 1 5569 Alfred Road
Maurice, LA 70555
dhebert@vppj.org Mr. Chris BeraudDistrict 28625 Westwood Drive
Abbeville, LA 70510
cberaud@vppj.org Mr. Nathan GrangerDistrict 310903 North Road
Abbeville, LA 70510ngranger@vppj.org Mr. Ronald J. DarbyParish Vice PresidentDistrict 41617 Maude Avenue
Abbeville, LA 70510rdarby@vppj.org Mr. Wayne TouchetDistrict 5505 Eaton Drive
Abbeville, LA 70510wtouchet@vppj.org Mr. Mark Poche'District 61013 S. Broadway
Erath, LA 70533mpoche@vppj.org Mr. Keith MeauxDistrict 7906 Meaux Lane
Abbeville, LA 70510kmeaux@vppj.org Mr. Errol J. DominguesDistrict 817237 La. Hwy 331
Erath, LA 70533edomingues@vppj.org Mr. Gerald W. ButaudParish PresidentDistrict 917828 Pelican Road
Erath, LA 70533gbutaud@vppj.org Mr. Ronald MenardDistrict 109338 Hemlock Road
Kaplan, LA 70548rmenard@vppj.org Mr. Pervis GaspardDistrict 119127 Sand Pit Road
Abbeville, LA 70511pgaspard@vppj.org Mr. Cloris J. BoudreauxDistrict 1216635 W. La. Hwy 700
Kaplan, LA 70548cboudreaux@vppj.org Mr. T. J. Prejean, Jr.District 1317507 LA Highway 35
Abbeville, LA 70510tjprejean@vppj.org Mr. Leon BroussardDistrict 14401 Boatner Street
Gueydan, LA 70542
lbroussard@vppj.org Please forward this email to others that you think would be willing to speak up for the animals of Vermilion Parish.
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Tonight!!
Don't Miss a Very Special
Yappy Hour!!
Come Help Us Launch 'The Emily' Cocktail!
Wednesday, September 23rd
from 7:00 - 8:30pm
at the Old Point Bar
545 Patterson St., Algiers
NO COVER CHARGE!
The Emily will sell for $4.00
(Half of drink proceeds go to HSL)
Vegetarian red beans and rice will
also be sold to benefit the group!
At this Yappy Hour, we're launching a fruity
new cocktail named to honor a very special dog.
Join us as we raise a toast to Emily! Tails are really wagging around town,
because sales of this new drink
will support the
Humane Society of Louisiana's work for
abused and neglected animals.
'The Emily' is a delightful drink with cranberry, Malibu Melon and a splash of pineapple.
Poor Emily suffered a lifetime of neglect before
her rescue. This is an earlier picture of her.
Her former owners have since been charged
with cruelty. Emily, who is now happy and healthy
at our shelter, became a mascot for the Humane
Society's cruelty prevention programs this summer.
More than two dozen benefits called 'Emily Events'
were held in New Orleans, and this cocktail was
created as a part of that effort.
Come raise your glass to Emily!! Union Parish Hoarder CaseIn a previous email, we let our members know about a serious hoarding case in northern Louisiana in which 17 animals were seized by our Union Chapter. Some of these long suffering animals had not been out of their cages in years and were kept in filthy, appalling conditions.We have not been able to raise enough money to cover the vet bills for these animals. If you can't help yourself, please forward this email to anyone you think may be able to help. You can donate here or contact the veterinarian, Dr. Odom, in Farmerville, at 318-368-6060 to arrange for a direct payment.
If anyone is interested in adopting any of the 5 adult dogs, 1 puppy or 12 cats and kittens, please contact us at 1-888-6-HUMANE or fill out an adoption form at our website.
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