00:01:00.500 - 00:01:24.070

Sonoma County. The chosen spot of all the earth as far as nature is concerned, according to the famed plant wizard Luther Burbank Diverse County, with 1,010,000 acres of land on 1574 miles of scenic roadways, the county is rightfully famed for its agriculture did a culture, industry

00:01:24.070 - 00:01:41.260

and recreation, as well as for the amazingly successful ethnic and economic mixture of its more than 340,000 residents on for the forward looking philosophy of its local governing bodies. Now we invite you to take a closer look at Sonoma County in the eighties, with your host

00:01:41.280 - 00:01:57.610

Rich McGlinchy going everybody, welcome to another edition of Sonoma County in the Agents. Glad you could join us for this particular edition of our program. We're gonna be talking about one of Sonoma County's oldest and most respected institutions, and it's called. It's the normal kind of

00:01:57.610 - 00:02:14.560

humane society We're gonna be talking to. Linda Van Testimony, who is the educational coordinator for the Humane Society. Later, we're gonna talk to Jan Brewer, who is the executive director of the Humane Society. But before we get into our actual questioning and answering from our guests.

00:02:14.920 - 00:02:29.400

We want to call the attention of the audience to our artwork. On the walls. We have two paintings. One is the fabulous man of war, considered by many people the greatest ober in racing history and on the other is the king of the night, the great

00:02:29.400 - 00:02:47.760

Horned Owl. And both these pieces of art are by Joe Hoffman, the Occidental artist, one of the finest artists I know. Now let's get into the questioning and anti about human society. Hartman switch hands with the pet there. Well, you're the education coordinator for humane Society.

00:02:47.760 - 00:03:04.660

Okay, let's explain that. What does an educational coordinator do? Well, basically, my job is to inform the public about about our organization and just to let them know what we do our functions and then to educate. Uh, and I go to a lot of the schools

00:03:04.660 - 00:03:24.510

and give talks about being kind to animals and being a responsible pet owner. What different? Uh, out. Let's do you said you go to the schools, you also use the media. How do you get out the educational information? Well, the best we can, um, by by

00:03:24.520 - 00:03:39.880

going to the schools and by giving talks to adult groups and just being involved in in the community and then letting everyone know because rich in the past, You know, it's amazing when I go to the schools. And I asked the students, What do you think

00:03:39.880 - 00:03:57.820

the function of the main society is? We're called Quote the dog catchers. And we're trying to change that image because there's so much involved with animals and, you know, just being the responsible pet owner. Where are you located? Our education center is in front of the

00:03:57.820 - 00:04:13.700

shelter. It's a white house. And where it 53. 45 Passable road, Highway 12 west. That's about midway between here in the past. Or maybe a little closer to Sebastian. Yes, it is. Yeah. Yeah, they're all right. You brought afraid? Yes, I did. You want to introduce

00:04:13.700 - 00:04:27.210

him to talk a little bit? This is Ness ca and Esca was the strange. He was at our shelter and she was picked up after Fourth of July and no one claimed her. So I had I adopted her and she goes to the schools with may.

00:04:27.210 - 00:04:41.950

In fact, she goes quite a few places and just to show everyone what beautiful animals we have with the shelter that need good homes. Desk is a great pure unease in this particular dog. Just little background. These dogs, their work dogs. They originate in the pyramids,

00:04:41.950 - 00:05:05.210

mountains in the guard, sheep and very mellow and very affectionate. Israel sweetheart, Very well behaved, called. She's looking at everything. He's looking everything around the studio here, and it's it might be a little warm for later on. Good. Glad to hear that what's involved in your

00:05:05.220 - 00:05:24.010

humane education program with, Well, what's going to the schools? Well, what I do is with with the education program going to the schools, I, you know, give the function of the Humane Society also on show slides of, you know, before and after a lot of humane

00:05:24.010 - 00:05:40.200

cases and on our rescues and just just a general background and again just to. And if anyone has any problems with with animals, that's what we're here for. And this is to, you know, inform everyone that we are around what I was touching on a moment

00:05:40.200 - 00:05:55.460

ago. Two. I think we should maybe elaborate on a little bit more. Do you? You don't limit your talks to schools only. You know, Rich, uh, I also give talks to, uh, you know, your adult community service clubs like your lions and Quantas, and again to

00:05:55.740 - 00:06:08.740

inform them you know of our function and let them know what we dio. Yeah, I know because I've talked to members of the different service clubs and you have appeared there. I think, at one time used to take some other little animals with you. Yes, and,

00:06:08.750 - 00:06:22.690

uh and I really went over big because people could see the type animals that the Humane Society was dealing with and see how basically adorable the animals were. And they really wondered how people could have. But as unkind as they were, well, all the the other

00:06:22.690 - 00:06:38.250

animals that I use. I have some guinea pigs that chin chila, cockatiels and again, just you know, a lot of times people think our services just limited to dogs and cats, and that's not the case. And in all these animals were given to us or abandon.

00:06:38.390 - 00:06:53.590

So I I use them in the education program. I had some visited with your to go and we had hardly hardly the cockatiels way had a little cocky you. Harley is is one of my personality birds because he's the one that does the wolf whistle and

00:06:54.860 - 00:07:15.190

very loving. How could the public doing us tonight, um, be contacted conducting the contact? You Let's see if they want some of your educational programs. What they can do is we do have a phone line for the education department and can I give that a. It's

00:07:15.200 - 00:07:33.090

5 to 66905 And if they want to give us a call and then we can set up, you know, a day to come and visit whatever it is, if it's a school or, you know, an adult group was that number again. 5 to 66905 to 669

00:07:33.760 - 00:07:52.830

And I do have one of those those message machines. But, you know, sometimes you yes, uh, and I write a little bit more. Yet where else do you take your education will Not only do we do the schools and service clubs, but we also have a

00:07:52.830 - 00:08:11.010

booth at the Cinema County Fair in the main pavilion. Also, uh, we were involved with Careers Day. It's like it the junior college to Nome estate and we've gone to Bodega Bay Fish Festival were involved in that. And today under the oaks so anywhere where there's

00:08:11.020 - 00:08:28.960

other other groups there and basically were there for information, you know, and to talk about animals, which is my favorite subject. Yeah, and I think it's important to note right here that we and I'd like to exclude myself. But I'll say we are not always good

00:08:28.970 - 00:08:43.480

pet owners, and that's why you have so many animals that have been collected or discarded something like this, and it's it's really tragic. And I know you're very, very close to this, and I know how hard you work and getting these animals together, protecting him and

00:08:43.480 - 00:09:02.500

trying to find new homes for talk about that in just a second. But do you have volunteers that work with you? Yes, we do rich. We started the program last year, and, uh, the volunteers air just valuable because there's so many different things that they're helping

00:09:02.500 - 00:09:17.220

us out with, because we're getting busier and busier all the time. There there's more people in Cinema County and more animals and and more to dio. Well, let's take that a little further. You said you have several very fine volunteers, but you probably need more. What

00:09:17.220 - 00:09:33.970

would they do if they volunteered to help you? Well, what they can do is, uh, there's there several volunteer programs that we have set up. One is, uh, we call an adoption counsellor with They work up with shelter and the great people. And if someone's looking

00:09:33.970 - 00:09:49.260

for a certain path and then they help him with that because we have over 100 dogs at the shelter at all times and and at least 25 cats. And this way the volunteer can spend some time with that person and answer questions about that certain perspective

00:09:49.270 - 00:10:06.830

pit. And then we also have. We have a pet therapy, which is my fate, one of my favorite programs, where the volunteers help me with by visiting. We visit the convalescent homes with the pets, and that only involves a couple hours a month. And then we

00:10:06.830 - 00:10:22.660

also have other other volunteer programs. We have adoption follow up where when someone adopts a pet from our shelter, then the volunteers will phone him after a couple of weeks and find out how are things going on you know, because we certainly want that person to

00:10:22.660 - 00:10:38.930

be happy with that pit. I don't know what came of it, but I think you were approaching this moment County fair to sort of trade out some kind of a uniter booth space or something for for the ability to perform services to people that hit dogs

00:10:38.930 - 00:10:55.580

and cars. That was that all about? Have you made a formal presentation to them yet The about the hot dogs on cars on hot days? Well, we have signs posted at the at the fair. And, uh, what we do is warn people that dogs will be

00:10:55.580 - 00:11:15.610

pulled out of cars at the fair because people really without thinking can be just terribly cruel to animals in many cases, not intentionally. That's what you leave A. You leave an animal in a hot car without any windows space breathing space. You are really you're threatening

00:11:15.610 - 00:11:28.770

that animal's life. That's right, rich. And it only takes a matter of a couple of minutes and then the heat. I'd like toe sometimes, you know, even though we we can't do this, put the people in that same situation and see, you know, because it ISS.

00:11:28.770 - 00:11:47.480

It's really it's really hot in there and brain damage, considering really fast. Uh, you mentioned volunteer programs, the different things that they would do. I think you're still not elaborate a little more because there may be people out there that would like to call you afterwards.

00:11:47.490 - 00:12:03.410

Yeah, 5 to 66 Noto five. And ask about voluntary because there are an awful lot of animal lovers out there. Many people loader, maybe retired or something and would like to lend a hand. So talk a little bit more about, well, other things volunteers can do

00:12:03.410 - 00:12:17.400

for us. We have some some volunteers that they just can't go up to the shelter because they would want to take every animal home. And so what they do is they help out at the education center, and we can always use volunteers at the education center

00:12:17.400 - 00:12:43.030

doing things like clerical work, stuffing envelopes, making phone calls and things like that. And then we have volunteers that, you know, come out and exercise the animals to, because that's that's real important. It calms him down and the make better, better perspective. Adoptees, um, you gave

00:12:43.030 - 00:12:55.780

us this number, and if anybody wants to volunteer now. Then they call the number that we have given them. They call that education. And then we set up an appointment to talk to them, and we interview him and ask him, You know, how much time would

00:12:55.780 - 00:13:14.330

they wouldn't be logical for them to be willing to put in to be of some assistance to you and just be satisfying to them. Well, again, it's It's up how they fit it in their schedule. But some some volunteers come in for several hours a week

00:13:14.330 - 00:13:27.890

and, you know, very faithfully do that. So you you're talking about from one hour to to several hours a week. And then there's always things to do at home to that that we give people that they, uh, you know, like cutting out toe things in newspapers

00:13:27.890 - 00:13:43.310

and keeping up on, you know, animal legislation and things like that. It's in the newspapers. Uh, we have some photos there now. Did you want to take those up now? Actually, take yourself a little bit. What? Jan will be talking about the photos. Generally you get

00:13:43.310 - 00:14:00.270

to talk about Linda. How long have you been involved with human? I'm going on my eighth year. Yes. What prompted you to get involved? I know you love animals, but is that it? Basically, it's a love love of animals. And I had a background I was

00:14:00.270 - 00:14:17.920

in for a church and used to raise bummer lambs, the orphan lambs. And I'm just really hooked on on the organization because I believe strongly that ah, the organization is here to help animals. And, uh, that's that's what I like to do. Have you found a

00:14:17.930 - 00:14:37.930

satisfying career? Yes, very much so. But it does have its positive and negatives. And sometimes when something, what are the negatives? Uh, when we have to do euthanasia, you know, because the fact that there is an overpopulation of of dogs and cats in Sonoma County, I

00:14:37.940 - 00:14:53.480

I'm involved in that and just go out and talk about it. Yes. And sometimes I feel like me, and I'm not getting the word out fast enough, but spay and neuter their go. Some documents from the dog here. That's gonna Yes, he's getting a little She's

00:14:53.480 - 00:15:11.510

getting a little warning. Uh, yeah, they It must be frustrating, and it is frustrating. I know to you a lot of times because you have, well, money, money's. We're gonna talk about that with Jan. But there isn't enough money in their seldom is for a on

00:15:11.510 - 00:15:28.640

animal service agencies such as yours on duh. It's something that is desperately needed. So by the way, if anybody's out there thinking of disposing of a few $1000 you wanted to do the most good possible for your canine and feline and all other type animal friends,

00:15:28.960 - 00:15:41.610

you could do far worse than to call the Humane Society. I think it called you for that matter. And then you could get a word over to Jan. 5 to 66905 I got that number already done. So if you are thinking of making some kind of

00:15:41.610 - 00:15:59.570

a fiscal donation, you could do far worse than to contact the Humane Society because they do need your help. Thank you for all this information and for introducing this tune. Esca and Mr It's a pleasure to have you here. I thought you watching. You were gonna

00:15:59.570 - 00:16:21.750

come back in just a moment. After this public service announcement, we're going to talk to Jan Brewer, the executive director of Humane Society about the operation of the society from the management. And if you will back in a moment. What is this place anyway? Let me

00:16:21.760 - 00:16:48.860

do it. Way. These truth, truth, truth, Truth t. Well, what is it? I don't want to. Stupid. If we don't end illiteracy in America, it may end us. Ah, Thought from the American Association of University Women. I'm Pat Benatar. I'm a singer. I'm not an expert

00:16:48.860 - 00:17:04.060

on AIDS. But you don't have to be to know the facts about AIDS. All this fear that surrounds AIDS is really not gonna help. What will make a difference is research and understanding. The bottom line is that AIDS is preventable. So please get hold of the

00:17:04.060 - 00:17:28.200

fax. Because if you don't know what's going on, it's time to get an education. Don't mind me. I'm hiding my wire. Okay? We're talking to two women who are involved in a institution. Has been It's a normal county for a long time, and it's a very

00:17:28.200 - 00:17:46.390

important institution. It's the signal becoming humane society. And I think that you've probably enjoyed talking or hearing us question. Linda Van Tesla, who is the education coordinator for Humane Society and you met Nasca a while ago. Who is one of the animals that companies Linda and

00:17:46.390 - 00:18:04.680

all of her training brings not time to be gender. Why do I really? You haven't talked to you for you for a long time. Enough. You're the executive director of the human main Society. And so we're trying to have save questions that specifically different from the

00:18:04.680 - 00:18:25.840

educational corner. Maybe you could give us a rundown on what is the Humane, Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization. So we indepent we operate independently, and we are in association with several national organizations. However, we are a separate independent organization. So a lot of people

00:18:25.840 - 00:18:44.120

don't understand that they think that we're involved with them, um, the city or the county as a separate department. But in fact, we're independent that well, the differentiation between you and the sooner we gotta animal regulation department, which fundamentally is the so called dogcatcher, if you

00:18:44.120 - 00:19:06.890

will, or the pound master. Well, they're not that because you're really operate the impound facility where they're concerned with animal violations and and dealing with that you're concerned with the preservation and animals and helping animals and finding and was there have been abused and getting them

00:19:06.890 - 00:19:27.130

in getting them new homes. Right now, there's an interesting way to look at that. The Humane Society protects animals from people, and animal regulation protects the people from animals. However, we do flow together. Yes, I know you do, and you work together frequently. But that's a

00:19:27.140 - 00:19:44.260

very important Are you also called the S P. She A. Yes, and it's interesting in number of society for the prevention of cruelty to animals and live people don't understand that. They say you're the humane society, but you're not the Spc A. But we are. We

00:19:44.260 - 00:19:59.050

are. We were both Your hat covers all those different things. Okay, what services did Humane Society offer to the public? We've talked to lend a little bit about what she does on the educational aspect of it. But what is the society over the problem? Well, as

00:19:59.050 - 00:20:18.730

many societies do, of course, we offer a facility or shelter where stay animals and wanted animals can be cared for and hopefully found find new homes for them or finder original owners. But more importantly, I think we're there for the education again. And this is where

00:20:18.730 - 00:20:39.320

Linda's position is so important the education of the public about the rights and wrongs of dealing with animals. Our goal is to put us out of business. We are working to put ourselves out of business, make it a necessity for us not to be there, because

00:20:39.320 - 00:20:56.290

when you stop and think about the reasons were there, it's because people are unable to care for their responsibilities. And so the bucket is passed to us. It's a pet owners. All of us would be more responsible and take proper care of our animals and not

00:20:56.800 - 00:21:15.310

abused them in any form than your organization could disappear. Just about we really could. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to ever contest. And of course, there are situations where people take on animals, not realizing that commitment could be anywhere from 12 to 19 to 20 years. And

00:21:15.320 - 00:21:30.100

that realization isn't there when they first take on the animal and then later on down the line because their lifestyle changes or different demands come into their lives, they're forced to give up their animals. And of course, we are there to take that animal on and

00:21:30.100 - 00:21:52.180

do the best for it can. What about the other cities or eight cities in Sonoma County Road A park, Petaluma, its enormous a vast pool. Florio use bird chatty rotor park. I didn't know anybody. What about that? The other incorporated cities other than the city of

00:21:52.180 - 00:22:13.150

Santa Rosa function independently for their animal control work. And they're humane work. And that, of course, is designated are mandated by three California state penal code. So they do operate independently. Some of those cities have regular shelters, their small some have holding areas. Uh, and because

00:22:13.150 - 00:22:29.460

those cities air small, they often don't have the demand that we take on taking in animals. From the city of Santa Rosa and the unincorporated area of the county, you have a so called lost and found service. What is this? Well, of course, that the biggest

00:22:29.460 - 00:22:45.270

problem is, uh, when that when the little dog or cat gets lost, how do we find it? Uh, and unfortunately, a majority of the people do not license their animals or put I d tags on them. So when they stray away from home, um, you know,

00:22:45.280 - 00:23:03.620

how do we know where they belong? Right. So we work very diligently with a recording that's playing all day long. Of the animals that are being received at the shelter. We have ads in the papers. We have our staff at the shelter working very hard to

00:23:03.620 - 00:23:23.520

try and match owners and pets lost pets. Yeah, right now that follows that, that you have an adoption program? Yes. Let's try that. Well, unfortunately, most of the animals that we receive at the shelter are strays. So under the law, we must hold them for a

00:23:23.520 - 00:23:42.930

specific period of time anywhere from 5 to 7 days, giving the owner a chance to claim them. When that has, when the owner does not come forward, then the animal is available for adoption. So we're looking for a new home. Okay. Earlier, we mentioned Linda and

00:23:42.940 - 00:23:59.700

she indicated that you were discussed this okay. And we've been talking about the fact that the reason the Humane Society exists because there's a great deal of animal abuse, much of it is unintentional. Much of it is. Stupidity has no other way to phrase it, and

00:23:59.700 - 00:24:18.970

some of it is intentional. And all of it we deplore. But animal abuse. How do you handle it in the humane Society? Well, when it whenever anything is reported to us of any kind of neglect or abuse, deliberate or intentional or whatever. We have state humane

00:24:18.970 - 00:24:37.990

officers who investigate the situation and try to determine who, what, where, when and why. Who is responsible. If it was intentional. What? Kate, what was behind the act? And of course, we have the ability to prosecute anyone who violates the law. You hear? Now you have

00:24:37.990 - 00:25:00.670

some photos Do you want? Oh, put those up and show those. You probably remember the celebrated case of of, uh, Arrow, which is one of the most tragic things that unfortunate. Fortunately, I should say it did not. Eventually week come a full fledged tragedy because I

00:25:01.470 - 00:25:18.370

was saying close. Yes, By the grace of God, he was, It seems like in some talented veterinarians. Go ahead. Well, cat was found on a reported to us by a young boy early on a Saturday morning, and he found arrow in a ditch in Rincon Valley

00:25:18.370 - 00:25:37.090

with this arrow all the way through in the cat kitten was seemed to be fine. Uh, so we rushed him to a veterinarian. Yeah, it's It was incredible to see the kitten just sitting there like everything was fine and, uh, yet to zero. It was, you

00:25:37.090 - 00:25:54.720

know, really going all the way through him. It just turn your stomach A little blessing. How about today? Today Arrow is in a new home which he picked by himself You, and to show you how wonderful this story Waas Arrow was shot accidentally as you saw

00:25:54.720 - 00:26:10.200

the first picture and then was brought saved by veterinarians removing this things from him and taking everybody humane society. And he became a course deliberating in Sonoma County, and many, many people wanted to give it a home. So I think they finally had to have a

00:26:10.200 - 00:26:27.980

drawing way, took the applications and laid them out on the floor during a board of directors meeting and brought arrow out. And the 1st 3 that he stepped on, where the 1st 3 applicants that we talked with in the first person to you also have, ah,

00:26:27.990 - 00:26:44.080

a couple of other before and after it reviews. And we're down to a couple of minutes. So we want Oh, okay. To get thistle, a case we've handled recently of nine horses that were being starved to death and As you can see, this horse is extremely

00:26:44.090 - 00:27:06.230

Ribhi eyes, probably anywhere from 250 to £300 down and wait. And, uh, this is the same horse today, this animal of something more like these two general vein of our painting of man O war healthy. And but you know what's a miserable right? Right? Same horse.

00:27:06.320 - 00:27:23.800

What's amazing to me is why someone would take on that number of horses, whether it be one or nine or 20 and then deliberately not feed. Uh, while they're sitting right there on the property with hard to believe the gender, there's an increase in the pet

00:27:23.810 - 00:27:39.520

population and that, as I say, we're are times getting very scarce here. And if there is an increase in the pet population, you're probably gonna have to have a bigger shelter plans for that. Yes. Those are plans coming up. Part of our shelter of their shelter

00:27:39.520 - 00:27:57.810

has been built in two sections. One section was built in 1941. So that dates it. And, uh, we did some renovation a few years ago. However, old is old and we really need to refurbish Theo entire facility to accommodate the animals properly to give them the

00:27:57.940 - 00:28:17.610

kind of environment that they deserve so that those are our plans coming up, Our Teoh revamp our facility completely quickly in a future girl with your plans you want to share? Uh, yeah. Put us out of business number one. That's that's just are standard goal for

00:28:17.620 - 00:28:34.120

Yeah, we We are really striving very hard to put do programs into effect through our education department to put us out of business. And we need lots of help implementing those programs. Well, I think you people are doing a splendid job. I really do. And I

00:28:34.120 - 00:28:51.670

know Linda on. Do you, uh, personal friends. But I know how hard you work, how hard you work to make the Humane society go. Keep it functioning. Keep the economics. Yes, stable. And I know how very, very hard you working in bettering the the lot, if

00:28:51.670 - 00:29:04.880

you will, of the animal population in this county. And we're all out of time. And I think it is wonderful to have you both here as always. Thank you, rich. And we'll have you back. Ladies and gentlemen, we've been talking to Jan Brewer, the executive director

00:29:05.190 - 00:29:19.260

and Lynn event test a lot of the education coordinator for Sonoma County Humane Society. We've been back next week with another member of the county government. Family or important related agency touches humane society. Until then, good night, but nothing good health to you all.