Kudos to Cheryl Winsten-Bartlett for PUBLICLY responding and identifying herself as a board member encouraging contact. I would say that contact generally occurs at board meetings and via letters. Since the Hermitage has not published its information on the where, when and hows of board meetings, and the only published way to contact the board is through the general hermitagecats@aol.com address, you might think contact is limited. However, Taylor and Tom have dozens and dozens of contacts from former volunteers, donors and sponsors in the form of emails and letters they have never answered. In fact, in the past they even refused delivery on paper letters which were sent with receipt requested slips. If Taylor is too afraid to have open meetings with contact with the general public, then he should start going through his in box and answering those letters individually. Or let the board secretary do it; I believe she would find it edifying to read people's first hand accounts, uncensored by T&T's version of events. Unless the board just threw away all the letters that made them uncomfortable?

I find it interesting that there were a few, writing as if from inside the Hermitage, who responded to the Tucson Weekly article in the TW's comment section, anonymously (bob1234, mitzi). They kept hitting the "We're fair, don't question us, just look forward" drum. Don't bring up the past? We're not talking about something that happened 20 years ago to our parents, we're talking what's happened in the past two years, when the Hermitage paid large sums in an unsuccessful spree of lawsuits and subsequent settlements. We're talking about a self-described no-kill shelter that offed dozens and dozens of cats, and continues to choose to have its medical care provided by a vet from a kill shelter. We're talking about how large sums of money are still being spent in the dark. Those are not "communication and management problems"; they are serious, multiple, sustained board errors in judgment and policy that go against the core of the Hermitage mission. And while some of these problems have stopped, others continue, because the power in the board has not changed. Bob and Mitzi, get real. NO ONE THE HERMITAGE KICKED OUT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY MONEY UNTIL TAYLOR AND TOM ARE GONE. Ask the board members to share with you the letters from donors that the Hermitage entered into evidence at the civil court hearing where they sued to shut down this blog. Ask Tim and Taylor to share with you the dozens of letters and emails they received from volunteers and donors (and did not reply to a single one). You don't tell people to shut up and go away, and then expect them to open their wallets a year later when you're in financial hard times. There will be no healing without there being a full reckoning. If South Africa can do it, I think a cat shelter can do it.

A few weeks ago, Monica St. Clare, the development director at the Hermitage, contacted reporter Tim Vanderpool at the Tucson Weekly, wanting to "touch base" (his words). Now, the last time Tim talked in the flesh to a Hermitage official, it was with Tom Tulowitzski who said the financials were great, former board members were liars, and no, the press couldn't see the financials and board meetings were private, so this was quite a switch. When Tim interviewed me for my take, he said Ms. St. Clare had been welcoming and open, and he did not feel she was hiding anything. He said they told him they were going in a new direction. And then he interviewed Board president Taylor Heidenheim, who essentially contradicted everything that his director had said, was rude to the people she was trying to do outreach to, snapped that they weren't required to have open meetings, and generally came off rather poorly. Tom Tulowitzski just refused to answer the phone. My British friends would say rather poor form.

So, what do you believe? It's been my experience in life that when what a person says is in conflict with what a person does, that their actions will tell you what they truly believe.

While there are volunteers, staff members and board members who say they are going in a new direction, and may truly want to, this is what the official Hermitage is actually doing:

--the promised information on when board meetings are held still does not appear on the website
--there is a letter of limited apology on the front of the website responding to the TW article, but no link to it
--the letter encourages people to contact the board, but there is no email address, and the links are all blacked out on the top (at least in Firefox)
--their letter encourages people to sign up for the newsletter, but there hasn't been a new one since April of last year
--the letter apologizes for management and communication mistakes; there is no apology for any behavior by the board
--to my knowledge, not a single individual person has yet received a personal apology from the board
--there is still no acknowledgment that cats were unjustifiably put down and most importantly, the two people who led the board into dysfunction remain on the board in the two positions of greatest power -- president and treasurer.

The Hermitage contacted the TW, inviting a visit, so they should have had all their ducks in a row when the reporter called asking to speak to the president. If Taylor's snarling "outreach" is the best the Hermitage has to offer in terms of leadership, then they are doomed by their own hand.

Tim Vanderpool wrote a follow-up article on the Hermitage, Open and Shut, for this week's edition. I don't think that you're going to be seeing a link to it from the Hermitage's "News" link on its own, though. The real irony of this is that they contacted him, "wanting to touch base"'.

My commentary tomorrow.

The Hermitage now has live links posted to its volunteer application and handbook.
The handbook has multiple references to the Executive Director, but there hasn't been one since Mary Jo Spring went off to explore other career opportunities.
And if you want to be on the board, or even find out what's involved, forget it. Everything related to that is gone.

Ron Zak left the Hermitage Board several months ago, although this was not publicized. What this means is that for the first time since the troubles began, there are more new board members than old. There are three people on the board who did not preside over the mass killings of cats, banning of volunteers, firing of staff, expensive and costly lawsuits that were lost and flight of sponsors and donors. And there are only two left who did, which means they can be outvoted and asked to leave. Everything now depends on those three. This is not the time for small, measured amounts of progress. The Hermitage is dwindling away. You have the com, you have the checkbook, you have the votes. This may be the most significant opportunity you will have in your lifetime to make a difference in your community. Do you have the will?

This is currently posted on the Hermitage's website, referring to their "Community Cat Initiative"
Everyone is welcome.
This is a group of cat lovers and concerned citizens working together to help eliminate the stray and feral cat population in Tucson. It’s a huge endeavor but with every cat that gets altered it may be another 4,000 that don’t go homeless, neglected or abused.
Be prepared to state how you would like to be of service to the group a.k.a. – the stray and feral cats.
Think beforehand about what kind of time commitment you are capable of.
How do you see yourself fitting into this cause? What would you like to get out of it?

This is the same organization that in July 2008 stated to the Arizona Daily Star that it was relocating its own feral cats to a release program in barns because "The decision was made because the feral cats were taking up space at the shelter..." The barn program only ever adopted to one individual. The Hermitage instead has reduced its feral population from over a 100 two years ago to a mere handful, and they didn't do it by adoptions or natural causes.

And I guarantee you, all are not welcome at these little meetings. I know about 70 former volunteers, employees and sponsors who are banned from the premises. I'm pretty sure if people from other animal rescues showed up, particularly with opinions that differed from the Hermitage, they would not be welcome either. If you really want to have a true discussion, ask the Hermitage staff what happened to their own feral cats, and see if they can give a logical answer.

Want to help cats in Tucson? Contact Casa de los Gatos, HOPE, FAIR, the No-Kill Alliance. Leave the Hermitage off your to-do list. This initiative is merely another attempt to rebuild the public esteem they lost without actually admitting to even themselves the wrong they did to their cats, the people who supported them, and to Sister's legacy.

I went to the Hermitage last month, and paid for a copy of their 2008 tax return, which they finally filed on November 6 of 2009. On Part VI, Section C, Question 18, they state that they make their tax returns available on their website, but there in fact was no copy, months after they had filed. After I obtained my full copy, they then placed a summary copy of 3 pages of it on their website (go to the "News" tab, and then go to "Legal").

Keep in mind that the 2008 return is for is the year in which there were several months of "business as usual", prior to people being fired, banned, and the subsequent flight of donors. I fully expect the 2009 return to be far, far worse, but we probably won't be seeing that posted until 2012.

Also keep in mind the many statements made to the press and public by Tom Tulowitzski (then Board president, now treasurer) about the incredible job the Executive Director Mary Jo Spring was doing bringing in money, continued support from the public, letters on the website from Ms. Spring claiming record contributions for the 2008 holiday season, etc. Remember too, that this was all WELL before the general economic crash.

For 2008, the Hermitage expenses exceeded revenue by $122,975. Net assets decreased by $146,546. The total fundraising expenses were $49,660, but the total amount of contributions and grants was $62,841. Ms. Spring's ~49K salary would be a separate, additional item, under management salaries.

Veterninary services were changed from Encanto to the Humane Society, which managment rationalized as a cost-saving measure. But the amount spent is almost identical to the previous year (it looks smaller until you realize that the dental is separated out from the medial in the 2008 return, and not in the 2007). The return lists $0 for legal expenses, and yet I and two others received letters from the Hermitage attorneys the week prior to Thanksgiving of 2009. I've met their attorney in court, and I rather doubt he was working for them pro bono. The total number of employees for the year was 43 (current staff on the website number 9, so that gives you an idea of turnover).

The yearly non-public board meeting where new board members are chosen by the old members is coming up shortly. I'd say the three board members who were on the 2008 board need to explain to the newer board members just why they should be kept on the board, after analyzing this tax return. And if I were a current donor or sponsor, I'd be asking to attend that meeting.

There are three postings to this past Tuesday's Craig's List, for a vet tech, kennel technician and animal shelter aide. The postings were all done within a 3-minute period, for a nonprofit working with cats, and the Hermitage has used Craig's List in the past to fill their vacancies, so I'm fairly certain these must be at the Hermitage. If it is them, then that's half their cat care staff. If any of the former workers would be willing to talk to me, on or off the record, please contact the webmaster.

In my last post I discussed the general observations shared with me by Martha Price, a now former volunteer at the Hermitage. Today I want to focus on the capriciousness of the way the Hermtiage is managed.

Ms. Price was asked to foster a litter of 5 kittens for several weeks over the holidays, which she happily did. When kittens reach 2 pounds (the minimum weight limit for a pediatric spay/neuter procedure), fosters bring them back into the shelter, where they are checked, and then fasted for the night prior to surgery. (This is done to prevent vomiting and choking under anesthesia). Ms. Price was also asked if she would be willing to continue to foster the kittens after their surgery, as the Isolation Area was not a healthy place for the kittens and their kitten area was full of sick cats.

But, one of the Hermitage's brilliant ideas under the new regime was to get rid of the on-site vet tech. So, from 5 PM to 7:30 AM, no one is there. So, these kittens would be brought in, fasted overnight, have surgery, return to the Hermitage at 4:30 PM, and then be left alone overnight.

When Ms. Price realized that no one would be checking on the kittens post-surgery, and that they would be coming home with her the following day anyway, she offered to just bring the kittens directly home from the Hermitage post-surgery. Debbie Brice, the Shelter Manager told her that was not possible, because the staff needed to check on them post-surgery. When Ms. Price asked how that was going to happen if no one was there, she was told that there was a baby monitor in the Isolation Area, and that staff would be alerted if there were a problem. They would hear the kittens if they were having a seizure or if they were hemorrhaging.

I will pause here while you all roll your eyes. Ms. Price felt the answer was inadequate, but dropped the matter. She was also told they would need to check on them in the morning and Ms. Price assured her she could have the kittens back before 8 AM, to no avail.

The following day, she sent an email to the Hermitage to find out what time to come pick the kittens up, and was told there had been a schedule mix-up, and the kittens had not gone in. Debbie Brice said they would be fasting again that night to prepare for surgery. They again refused to allow her to bring the kittens home the day of surgery and which would mean that the kittens would have to fast overnight for the third day in a row. Debbie repeated that taking the kittens home after surgery was considered a liability and they would be better off alone. ( Apparently she forgot that part of the contract a foster parent signs says they relieve the shelter of all liability).

When pressed as to how having a human being monitor the kittens could be considered a liability compared to a baby monitor, the staff responded that if the kitten became ill, the foster parent would not know what to do. Ms. Price responded that she would take the kitten to an emergency vet where she would personally pay all vet bills.

Debbie Brice was very upset that her decisions were being questioned and told Martha that they would no longer be requiring her services as a foster parent if she couldn't follow her orders. Martha was also told that Monica St. Claire had called the board, and told them Ms. Price would not follow the foster rules. (Ms. Price, who is in her 50's, told me she felt at this point that they were trying to treat her like a naive 18-year-old who would just go away). Later that evening she was left a voice mail that said that the kittens were staying at the Hermitage and it would be "silly" to send them home with her at all.

There are so many holes in the Hermitage response to Ms. Price, I'm not even going to try to address them. She did share with me that after her last discussion with the Hermitage, she contacted her bank, and canceled the donation check she had written to them over the holidays. And because she had been the one who wrote the thank-you cards to the donors, she knew that hers far surpassed any of the other donations.