Animal Welfare Horrible, Neglectful Rescue in Brooklyn

[MissFormosa]

The conditions on the day that I visited are not typical of the facility.

This part of the email really got me because this is practically admitting that the facility was a mess that day.

I know, I should be proud that I did all I could. Well, this is my first time doing this. I'm making lots of mental notes for next time I encounter something like this.

 

[MissFormosa]

Update: I was just going to use this thread as an example in another thread and realized that I had never posted the outcome!

The rescue was visited by the ASPCA, NY Dept. of Agriculture and Markets, and the Mayors Alliance for Animals and has since cleaned up their act to the point where they did not receive any violations.

I am sure that the rescue originally had good intentions but perhaps due to lack of funding or overpopulation, they got careless and the animals are the ones that suffered. I am proud to say that if I hadn't said something, those animals might have still been in that situation.

 

[MissFormosa]

Update: My husband went to this rescue today and said it has improved 100%. He said it was really nice and my daughter told me that the rodent section was much improved. I am so happy for all of the animals there. As long as this rescue is operating this way, I will give them my full support.

 

[hurleyslave]

I just went to the Sean Casey Animal Shelter yesterday. Since from the last time I went there, yesterday's visit was definitely an improvement over what I have seen in the past (must have been due to your letter and the visits!). The people there really weren't that helpful - it was one volunteer who had no idea what I was holding in my arms was a guinea pig and the lady there didn't know how old the adoptable guinea pigs were either... When I went there two years earlier to adopt a hamster, it seemed to be in pretty good conditions but then after I went back, there was a serious amount of overcrowding. I guess there were just too much animals and not enough space? I'm not really sure... But then Sean Casey, the founder, came back and when he's not busy and pushed to the limit, he's actually pretty nice. I asked him if he could help me trim my guinea pig's nails because I didn't want to hurt him - his paws were white and black, so I couldn't see the quick clearly and didn't want to risk hurting him so I asked him to help me cut them. He took the time to sit down in a chair, slowly and gently clip each and every one of his nails, and then checked his ears and his gender (so I could be sure that my piggie wasn't mis-sexed from birth), told me that he was definitely a boy, and that his teeth were a little too long so he helped me file down the upper teeth. All in all, I thought he was a really nice guy to do this for me even though the shelter was pretty buzzing with lots of activity. So they do have their faults, but like I said, they have improved from the last time I was there, which was a year ago.

 

[MissFormosa]

I am so glad to see that they are still trying to keep the place clean and caring! Thank so much for the update!

 

[Sirene]

Just wanted to thank you, MissFormosa, for doing what you did. That was above and beyond - many, many people (quite possibly everyone else!) must have turned a blind eye to this shelter for it to have gotten into such a mess. The world needs more people like you!

 

[MissFormosa]

Thank you so much. I don't know if it was above and beyond, I would rather just think of it as "doing the right thing". :heart:

Here's how I see it...it's a shame that it has become commonplace for people to look the other way as a matter of convenience or to make an excuse for ignoring these sorts of problems. If I don't do the right thing, then who will? And when?

 

[Sirene]

I know - and most "animal people" I know would also consider it just "doing the right thing". Sadly, however, so many people just don't bother - and that makes people like you real life-savers!

 

[hurleyslave]

Just one question, MissFormosa if you don't mind - did you ever end up adopting a guinea pig from there? Or was that your first and last visit?

 

[hurleyslave]

Just asking because I was going to adopt one from them if they were still available and healthy. I have my eye on one of them but I don't know how long he's going to be there and I won't be able to get him until I graduate and come back down to the city.

 

[MissFormosa]

I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you. My work schedule is so awful that I rarely get a chance to read the threads during the week. I hope it is not too late to pass this info on to you.

Yes, I did adopt a piggie from Sean Casey a few months after I had found them in a mess and took action. My husband actually went to check the situation out since I knew that if I went and they were still neglecting the animals I would have lost it. He said it was very nice now and the pigs looked great. That was back in December. From the way he described it, I would put my support behind Sean Casey for improving his rescue so long as it stays beneficial and clean for the animals.

This is Delroy, the piggie we adopted there:



https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/about-guinea-pigs/50204-oh-no-new-pig-needs-lots-care-long.html

My hubby said that Sean Casey was there and personally cut Delroy's nails and trimmed his hair before my hubby brought him home.

Then I think I saw that someone on the forum was there recently and said that it was clean, but that the staff wasn't the most helpful.

Good luck! I was looking on PetFinder the other day and saw that they have three very lovely little brothers up for adoption. The adoption cost is $10.

 

[hurleyslave]

Awww he's so adorable! I absolutely want to steal him from you

No, it's no problem at all in the time between our responses; I have school too and just laze around on this forum during my in-between breaks

But I'm so glad that the founder Sean Casey was helpful even though the staff wasn't. (I was actually the one who posted about their update, lol.) When I went to check out the piggies and to get my own pig's nails and teeth trimmed down, the volunteers didn't know that what I was holding was a guinea pig and when they did find out, they all said, "Omigod, he looks just like a skunk!" Which he kind of does since he's mostly all-black with a streak of white running down the middle of his face, but I love him to death so skunk lookalike or not, he's still adorable.

Yeah, I was actually checking on petfinder.com through their animal rescue and I found three brother guinea pigs. I particularly had my eye on Oscar but who knows if he'll be there long enough when I graduate and come home to the city to adopt him? Hopefully he will be and then my piggie will have a new friend coming home! =)

Thanks for answering my questions; it really helped a lot to know that even though it's a reptile rescue, they're not going to feed the piggies to the snakes.