Caddo Parish Animal Services: "...things began to go downhill..."

The first of a series of articles about Caddo Parish Animal Services written by Jessica Carr of The Forum is out this week.

With her writing, Ms. Carr hopes to shine some light on conditions at CPAS and attempts by advocates to enact some reform there.  She's done a nice job in this first article laying the groundwork for those relatively unfamiliar with the situation there.  

Those of us that have been following this issue and advocating before the Caddo Parish Commission for so many years sometimes forget that there is a large segment of our community who may be unaware of what is happening at CPAS; they're out there. I've talked to them.  

So, Ms. Carr's article this week lays the necessary groundwork and I hope it reaches a wider audience than we web-warriors have been able to achieve.  Several of our local news outlets have reported on the problems and Lex Talamo at The Shreveport Times has covered these issues.  There is little reason now for anyone to claim ignorance on the mismanagement of this shelter which lies directly at the feet of the Caddo Parish Commission.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, some members of the Commission are attempting to address issues at CPAS but change comes slowly and unless the general public is at the Commission meetings using their allocated three minutes to lobby for change then the Commission seems more than happy to shove the issue to the back burner.  

Here's a snip from Carr's article in The Forum:

To say that it’s been a rough year for the Caddo Parish Animal Shelter (CPAS) would be putting it mildly. The shelter has received a number of complaints from animal rights advocates and members of the community looking for changes to be made. Several incidents this year have only added to the shelter’s murky reputation that has been a consistent topic of heated debate in the Shreveport-Bossier community.  

The incidents and complaints against CPAS have been brought to light by animal rights advocates on social media, personal blogs, and some have been reported by local media. Allegations range from overcrowded kennels and inadequate medical care to CPAS workers wrongfully euthanizing dogs that were claimed by rescue groups on several different occasions.

Carr also notes my ongoing post which logs a small portion of the abuses reported at CPAS which is here.

Any day we can get the media to keep the pressure up on this issue is a good day.  Share the Forum article on social media and pick up a copy. 

I look forward to seeing the next installment.

Further Reading:
A Chance for Change at CPAS  (10/14/2017)
Problems at Caddo Animal Control Continue (April - October 2017)
The Shreveport Times:  Out of Control Animal Shelter, by Jack Whitehead (Oct. 6, 2017)
The Shreveport Times:  There is Something Not Right at this Animal Shelter, by Lex Talamo (1/14/17)