Writing Shotgun

WHY I LEFT LONG BEACH ANIMAL CONTROL

Carey MacySat. April 19
 

When I was hired as an officer by Long Beach Animal Control on May 16, 2005, I was very excited about the opportunities I thought would be presented to me by working for the City of Long Beach.  I am an Eagle Scout, have a Bachelor’s degree in biology–option in zoology–and worked at Long Beach Animal Control for more than two years … until September 15, 2007.

Soon after I started, I realized I was not going to get the professional training and equipment I expected.  The training experience was very little, and less than pleasing; the trucks were run down, I had to supply some of my own equipment; it was also a fight to get city-supplied equipment repaired or replaced when needed. Regular pay raises required by the union contract never happened when they were supposed to.  The union contract also states officers are supposed to get one extra uniform a year.  I had two uniforms the whole time I worked there and I was denied numerous times when I asked for at least one more.  I had to wear a polo shirt if I got my uniform dirty while my other one was at the dry cleaner; which happened regularly due to the dirty job I performed.

Being an Animal Control Officer required me to make decisions all day long about how to perform my job: the order of handling calls, how to handle a specific call, how to write up the paperwork, and so on.  In one breath, management stated I needed to use my head, make logical decisions, and not bother them.  The next breath they chastised me for making a decision they–at that particular moment–happened to feel was wrong, and also yell at me for not contacting them.  Even if after a previous similar situation everything was fine, the next time–based on his/her mood–management decided I should have done it differently.

Management enjoyed controlling everything/everyone with fear. This is allowed to happen only because there is no written procedures manual to follow. It also does not help that the union is not able to address the hostile work environment because management will not meet with them. This is because management does not want to change what is working well for them.

Overtime happened on a regular basis, especially since we were perpetually understaffed. I was always hassled when management signed my overtime slips; they verbally gave me a hard time and acted like they were not going to sign it. Even if they sent me on a call close to the end of the day they questioned how long I took to finish all my work after getting back to the shelter later than usual. They told me to ask if I could come in early if I had a lot of paperwork to do. I was always denied when I did ask. Investigations piled up. I could not get any time to type them. I was usually doing a half-hour overtime a day to finish my normal call load paperwork, and I did not even turn in overtime slips because I was too worn down from being hassled every time I turned one in.

Management has major preferential treatment issues at Long Beach Animal Control.

My days off were Monday and Tuesday, and I worked a number of different types of shifts at all times of the day and night.  Officers accrue a day off a month as a personal holiday because if we are scheduled on a holiday we have to work, and do not get extra pay. Less than one percent of my requests for time off were granted, while other people were getting a couple days off a month.  It is documented that during my last year at Animal Control I was scheduled for the most off-hour, and 8 hour turn around shifts. 

Ever since I started working to re-involve the union with Long Beach Animal Control, everything I did was picked apart with a fine-toothed comb. I was being criticized at least once a week by management. I felt I did my job fairly well, and many of my co-workers agreed, but management made me feel like I was useless.

Every person who worked at Long Beach Animal Control expressed they felt the same way at one point or another. The employee turnover rate is tremendous. This leads to worse understaffing, requiring more irregular work schedules, exacerbating the issues. It also causes retraining of people on a constant basis, wasting thousands of dollars.

I am speaking up so that Long Beach Animal Control might enact changes–changes that can allow the agency to serve the public in the high esteem and ability the officers and the public desire, but which the management does not allow.

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  • Christine
    : ) You are brave!
  • Rebecca
    Thanks Carey
  • Thank You!
    All of you who have brought LBAC'S problems to the public's attention deserve a medal. I know your job is very difficult and I'm glad there are caring people who will stand up for the animals. I know more people would but they are afraid, so thanks for having the guts to do the right thing.
  • Sam Lowry
    This is one of the downsides of the focus on "public safety" that obsesses City Hall. City management propagates the myth that more police officers and firefighters are the only way to achieve safer streets and better quality of life, and every other city function is ancillary. So while the police and fire departments may have what they need to do their jobs, everyone else is just scraping by on uniforms, training, pay, and equipment, just to make do.

    Bottom line... unless you wear a navy-blue uniform in this town, you're screwed. Nothing against cops or firemen, but the city should be taking a more holistic view of public safety, and selling it to the council and the constituency the way they sell the "more-police-and-fire" approach.

    It's really easy to point a finger at the the troops on the ground doing the work, but management is ultimately responsible for the climate that breeds a toxic work environment. These problems that Carey writes about are indicative of a systemic breakdown in our city government's culture. This is why, for the last 10 years since Jim Hankla left, I've been hoping for a city manager from outside of Long Beach to bring in some new blood and overhaul the way we do business. I don't see Mr West making the sweeping changes needed to make a real difference.
  • To Carey
    You should have left soon after you started. Why didn't you?
  • The "Q" Virus
    Carey, thank you for your story it one that rings true with anyone who has worked at LBAC. As a current employee in this unstable environment I appreciate you stepping up and telling it. Hopefully this will get the the people that have the power to make change at LBAC. Congratulations on your new position and much success to you.
  • To Virus
    Why don't you leave.
  • Only one person
    Only one person willing to attach their name to a story. Gosh, LBAC MUST be horrific. One person.
  • Lookie here
    at all the animals in the city of long beach that john q public doesn't give a rats ass about. blame everyone but yourselves for the job that lbac has to do.

    http://www.lbreport.com/news/apr08/euth2.htm
  • ACO's need a raise
    You are right Mr. Macy about how lack of training and lack of a written Policies and Procedures Manual for this department made it a frustrating and a challenging job, especially for someone who has never worked in this field of work prior. Animal Control Officers play a huge part in public safety and do a difficult job with many hats to wear. They are the voices of the animals that are abused and thrown away in the streets. Yet the public and city leaders, only see the old stigma "dog catcher". "Just put some gas in that old truck and give em' a net, maybe a shirt or two, a badge, a stick, and send them off to catch dogs". Animal Control Officers do alot more than catch dogs. They are called when that vicious dog is terrorizing a neighborhood and expected to control, contain, and carefully place that dog into thier truck without hurting it, even though its trying to bite the ACO's head off. Police Officers often shake they're heads in disbelief when they see an ACO approach a dog that's all teeth and growling, you often hear them say "that's all you have is a sitck??"While they have thier shot guns, machine guns, and other weapons aimed at the dog. ACO's are called on to check on that poor dog that has been left tied up in the sun or rain all day with no food or water or shelter, and to investigate any and all reports of animal cruelty in the city and to write any reports associated with that investigation for possible cruelty charges. ACO's are called when a citizen finds a stray dog running the streets or to pick up that litter of kittens, or those feral cat's in cat traps. ACO's are called when the neigbors 15 foot python strays into your bathroom. ACO's are also called when that bloody carcass is lying in the street in front of your house or festering in your alley. ACO's are called when that poor dog, cat , opossum, you name it get's hit by a car and survives while bleeding and dying in the street. ACO's are required to educate the public regarding animal laws and answer all those animal questions the public gives them regarding loose cats dogs, etc. ACO's are required to do all that and lots and lots more while working odd shifts, long hours, and to keep a smile and always have good customer service skills w/ the public.

    I hope that after all this controversy clears up. The public, city managers, gods above will see how tough an ACO's job can be. and at least pay them more than the trashman.
  • yes
    give all of lbac employees a well deserved raise
  • to macy
    are you part of class action suit
  • jan.hjorth
    hmmmm...well I was just reading that crumb-snatcher journal the long beach post, they have the euthinasia report. It really shocking about but not surprizing how many dogs statistic wise were declared vicious by Quigley. 75 percent of all dogs coming in were declared vicious or unadoptable, thats not right.Shows us folks what the public already knows, Quigley enjoys killing animals,she must really be a cat hater to snuff the life out of 5,000 cats in a single yr.
  • Lou
    The Pitchford facility on Spring street is a joint venture by LBAC and the SPCA. It is the SPCA who determines which animals are adoptable and which are not, not the LBAC. LBAC still does it's best to adopt out those animals that the SPCA rejects, but the initial determination lies with them. Please get your facts straight.
  • bunk
    public is at fault not lbac or any of its employees
  • to hjorth
    what is link to lbpost article. dont see your referenced material there. i saw details in lbreport which i thought you all hailed as great for requesting the info. make up your minds either you hate the lbreport or you dont
  • Youth N. Asia
    You are showing your ignorance! If people took responsibility for their dogs, cats and other "pets of the month", the number of animals euthanized would dramatically decline. I thank Quigley and the hard working souls of the Long Beach Animal Shelter for saving 64% of the dogs that, through no fault of their own, found their way to the shelter, including the approximately 29 per month that are brought in by their owners!

    Cats unfortunately do not fare as well, mostly due to the feral cat population. Only 16% of the 5,405 were adopted. 5,405 cats what does that tell you? Think about it before you jump into your truck with a bag of kitty chow and drive around town feeding the endless colonies of feral cats! You are not helping you are part of the problem!

    Bottom line…SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR ANIMALS! Be responsible.
  • quigley is not the problem
    spay and neuter, then quigley wouldn't have to do your job. she'd be without a job and thankful that she was
  • jan.hjorth
    Quigley's inability to work with people to resolve problems ( remember she works for the people of Long Beach ) her enthusiasm for killing dogs. I have seen her glee arguing for a dog to be killed in one of those hearings. The shameful high kill rate at animal control. Over 75 % of the dogs that go into animal control will not come out alive ( the kill rate would be much higher if SPCA didn't take dogs off death row ). She has the unwavering support of her boss Ron Arias and the city manager Mr West. The team of Quigley/Arias will turn the facts around to justify their morbid, sick desire to kill dogs.They both most GO. Time to hire people to take their place that care about animals and the people that love their animals. The people of Long Beach want a no kill shelter and Animal Control works for the people. I pay more tax dollars than Quigley/Arias/West put together. I am disgusted by the way they treat dogs and people. Fire them Already! PS: Press Telegram your nothing more than a rag masquerading as a fourth class newspaper.

    .
  • Scary Carey NOTT!!
    This article you wrote sums it all up. You are a cry baby that needs to grow up. Your were a joke of an Officer, you were the butt of most LBAC jokes. You were a constant screw up and a chronic complainer. Everyday you were heard whining about one thing or another. You hated the areas, you were assigned. You were always getting "slammed with calls" as you put it. The hours were a stress on you, etc. I never heard a person complain so much about nonsense. Just do your job and shut up. You would spend 30-45 minutes complaining about a certain call, when you should have been handling about 2-3 calls in that time. Now you've joined the other complainers and jumped on their band wagon, and the way you handled this situation was juvenile and proves my point of what a crybaby you are. GROW UP!! Let's face it , you were never cut out to be an ACO and you never should have passed probation and you never should have been given keys to a city vehicle, which you wrecked several times. I hope you don't have the same problem at your new job. Your workers will probably just lock you into one of those porta-potties that you now paint.
  • to hjorth
    you want a no kill facility open a noahs ark, maybe you can rent same warehouse with your money
  • #19 is in charge of training
    #19 is one of the people responsible for the low morale at LBAC. This is the type of person that will kick you when your down. This is the type of person who will watch a fellow officer struggle and offer no help. Don't worry Mr. Macy, you are respected and liked by the people that matter. Forget about the macho, arrogent,cop want-a-be's at the shelter. The new ACO's at LBAC are being trained by #19 or someone just like #19. It is obvious. Changes are coming because of people like you Mr. Macy, not by the macho, arrogent ACO's remaining at the shelter.
  • Youth N. Asia
    Be a part of the solution not the problem. Don't place blame on LBAC, Quigley or any other public servant. Wise up there is no such thing as a no kill shelter...period end of story.

    Take responsibility for your pets. Spay or neuter.
  • and
    if you dont have a pet to spay or neuter offer to spay or neuter someone elses pet or donate to friends of long beach
  • jan.hjorth
    ya,bro, like im going to give Quiggy's friends (FOLBA) a dime! When they support the mass killings at LBAC. Best to be giving your money to a good rescue org. that has'nt yet been popped by Quiggy and Co.
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