Letter to the Community
August 15, 2008
The Marin Humane Society has certainly had its share of media attention over the last several weeks! We’d like to take this opportunity to address these recent issues, and assure our supporters that your humane society remains fully committed to its mission: to help animals who are suffering from abuse, cruelty and neglect.
We were deeply saddened to report that an injured fawn on Quail Ridge in Terra Linda died on Tuesday, August 12 despite receiving around-the-clock care from a team of wildlife and veterinary experts.
Simply stated and in hindsight, there are things that could have been done differently for this little deer. We are deeply humbled by this experience and have made it a top priority to learn from it. We have organized a task force comprised of senior management to create improved and more timely procedures for helping injured wildlife. Also, we will be collaborating with other wildlife experts to ensure that MHS serves our community – and the animals who need us – with only top-level service.
As you may have heard and unrelated to the situation with the fawn, the MHS Board has accepted Neil Trent’s resignation. Neil accomplished a great deal during his tenure as Executive Director, and we will miss his contributions going forward. We wish Neil well in his future endeavors.
We are fortunate that long-time MHS Board of Directors member Suzanne Golt has accepted the position of Interim Executive Director. Suzy has more than 25 years’ experience as a manager, including approximately ten years as the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Rafael, consultant, and executive recruiter in the public and non-profit sectors. In addition to her management experience, Suzy brings to the position strong leadership and interpersonal skills that will greatly benefit our organization at this time. Her personal commitment to the Marin Humane Society is extraordinary.
Despite these recent events, our dedicated team of 96 skilled staff and nearly 800 volunteers remain highly energized – and more committed than ever!
In fact, over the last three weeks the Marin Humane Society has:
- Recruited more than 20 new volunteers
- Responded to more than 400 calls in the field
- Sent 106 animals into foster homes
- Averaged 275 animals under our daily care
- Transferred 56 animals to Marin through the Pet Partnership Program
- Hosted 17 Behavior & Training classes
- Conducted 58 behavior consults…AND
- ADOPTED MORE THAN 200 ANIMALS INTO LOVING HOMES!
Strong local support has translated to a humane society that is respected around the country for its pioneering programs and services. And it is your continued support that inspires our staff and volunteers to never rest as long as there are animals in need.
Warm regards,
Robert Sanderson
MHS Board President
Suzanne Golt
Interim Executive Director
