Speak Out For The Animals Sake

Section 1: "Detrimental Actions" shall be defined as any actions deemed detrimental to the well being or goals of the Corporation, acting in a manner disruptive to the efficient operation of the Corporation or acting in a manner injurious or without care for the animals we serve.

 Section 2: Termination of Membership
The Board, in its sole discretion, shall have the ability to terminate any Member at any time, for among other things, Detrimental Actions and Just Cause. Should the need arise, the Board may vote to suspend a Member's membership in anticipation of termination, with a two-thirds majority vote.

The above is taken from the Lakeshore Humane Societies' bylaws, and the number one reason I have remained anonymous as the writer of this blog. I am a member of the society. These rules prevent many people from speaking up in fear that they will be kicked off the membership rolls. It has happened before and until there are changes, it will probably happen again. Case in point: a member who was on the nominating committee, mind you, a volunteer refused to take a person's name off of the election ballot when directed by certain board members. Her membership was terminated. She was doing the right thing, but because the board is so corrupt, she was stripped of her membership. Her membership was reinstated this year and she has voting rights again. She also just happens to be a Two Rivers city councilperson.

To be honest with you, I have gotten to the point that if they want to kick me off for speaking the truth, then they can go ahead. The Lakeshore Humane Society is messed up, really messed up. I know of volunteers who can't do the right thing because they know they will be banned from the society for speaking up. They fear for the lives of the animals if they are not allowed to volunteer there anymore. How wrong is that? What kind of people run an organization that does not allow people to speak their mind and suggest ways in which the society could be run better? A dictatorship runs like this. People who are hungry for power are like this. Yes, the Lakeshore Humane Society is full of people like this, and those people outweigh the good.

I try not to get too worked up about it because I know at this point in time it does not make a difference what I say, or what I suggest. It is ignored. I have become a “bad” person already, in just the few short months I have become a member, because I have asked the hard questions and I have been persistent.

The candidate forum is coming up this September 27, 2011 at 6:30pm. I have discovered that the public can attend this. You do not have to be a member. So please attend and ask these candidates some hard questions. If they are running for re-election, ask them why everything is so messed up and push for answers, not just answers that evade the question. Seek the truth. I might as well spill the beans here. I am one of the candidates, and no, I am not asking you to vote for me here. But I will tell you one thing, I am running for this board so that I can, hopefully, make sweeping changes. The animals deserve this. It is a shelter for the animals. If you are not doing a good job, and I get elected, I guess I may be considered someone to fear. But in reality I am a person who seeks truth and justice, and in this humane society there isn't a lot of either. A lot of people have been putting up with or tolerating the status quo. Sorry, but I will not go with that anymore. I believe the humane society needs an executive director who can run the shelter the way it should be run, and actually make it successful. Right now that is not being done and you have a board of directors who, for whatever reason, have allowed this to go on for far too long.

So show up on September 27th and ask questions. Then on October 18th either attend the annual election meeting and vote or request an absentee ballot. If you need help requesting an absentee ballot, email me. If you don't attend the candidate forum and would like to know more about the candidates, just email me and I will get back to you. But in the end do something. Animals have no voice. We the people are their voice. Let's tell the Lakeshore Humane Society that the animals are fed up and things need to change, for their sake!