Letters for June 13, 2023

Change is hard at Spokane Humane Society

I’ve been volunteering twice a week for two years at the Spokane Humane Society. My experience has been nothing short of positive, rewarding and inspiring. Much of that is due to the appreciation, dedication and open communication from the shelter staff.

I find it disheartening that a handful of volunteers from one program left abruptly over what appeared to be an inability to adjust to changes in procedures and policies, all implemented for legal, liability and safety reasons. What’s more disturbing is their relentless online and media smear campaign against SHS since leaving. Who suffers from this ongoing attack? The animals they claim to care so much for? The staff working tirelessly to help save, nurture, heal and find them new homes? Both.

Change is hard. It requires open-minded individuals able to adjust, compromise and understand they may not be privy to all the facts considered in the decision making process. Or, that they may not always get their way.

This community is in desperate need of the tremendous good SHS and all other local animal welfare agencies provide. They all need our financial support, volunteerism and gratitude. These organizations struggle daily to provide a multitude of humane services on a shoestring budget, with overworked and underpaid staff. Let’s put our hearts, efforts and energy into supporting them and the animals in their care, rather than engaging in wide-sweeping biased attacks that only hinder their ability to collaboratively and positively address the critical needs of an ever-growing social issue of unwanted and abandoned animals.

Deborah Williams

Liberty Lake

Painting streets is a bad use of funds

So, the Spokane City Council is spending $1 million painting city streets to “beautify the area and calm traffic.” Really? Call me uninformed, but my first question is, how in the world do you “calm” an inanimate object such as traffic? The article in the June 5 Spokesman (“Artists paint Pride flag in intersection outside Riverfront Park”) says the $1 million comes from the city’s “traffic calming fund” (whatever that is). The money in that fund comes from traffic camera fines. I don’t recall the announced intended use of the traffic camera funds when the city decided to increase traffic camera coverage, but was it truly expected to be used to paint streets?

It is interesting to note that a federal study showed that colorful crosswalks don’t have any effect on pedestrian safety. And the Federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices only allows white lines to be used in crosswalks. So, it is pretty obvious that the City Council chose to ignore federal advice and to spend a million bucks to paint streets.

Personally, I believe that decision was misdirected. If the city has a surplus of $1 million to spend, a better choice could have been found. Something like, say, food for starving children. Or something more mundane, like repairing pot holes, rather than an unattainable goal of “calming traffic.” It seems to me that brightly painted streets could very well be not just distracting, but possibly dangerous as well.

Norman Coffman

Spokane

Positive thoughts on SHS

On April 21, it showed in My Impact (a program that records volunteer hours) that my volunteers hours surpassed 2,000 hours!

With that being the case, it has made me reflect on my time volunteering for the past five-and-a-half years at the Spokane Humane Society. My volunteering has been for vaccine clinic, fostering and canine coach (dog enrichment).

The first thought that comes to mind is the sincere compassion that all of the employees show for the animals. This includes intake, to the veterinarian clinic, front end employees, to kennel technicians, cat room care takers, as well as administration.

I have seen the tears, frustration and joy that happens with the animals that have been surrendered, abandoned, and adopted.

There are two comments that always comes up when telling friends or an acquaintance about volunteering: One, how could anyone take an animal to this shelter? Two, how do you not bring all of the dogs home?

The answer is the same! These animals are very well taken care of, they all get vet care, a clean place to be with bedding, clean water, good food, shelter, and most of all compassion.

I am very proud to be a volunteer for the Spokane Humane Society.

Tammy Cook

Colbert

Still on the streets

In response to the June 6 article “14-time felon accused of beating, threatening woman, pointing gun at man”:

May I have the audacity to ask why a 14-time convicted felon with a gun was still on the streets of Spokane committing more crimes?

Mike Ryan

Nine Mile Falls