Controversy has its paws all over the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) after a pack of 26 volunteers were abruptly shown the door, with some claiming they got the boot for barking up the wrong tree about the D.C. organization's practices. According to a report from DC News Now, these volunteers are riled up, suggesting their removal was a clapback for criticizing HRA's alleged cold shoulder to animals in need and a spike in euthanasia rates.
This isn't just a game of fetch gone wrong it's a serious allegation against D.C.'s lead animal rescue group, which is snug as a bug in a rug with a city contract to manage animal control and care. Former volunteers are wagging their fingers at the HRA, and one, well, um, Katie Lee spilled the kibble at a D.C. Council's Committee on Health oversight hearing in January on HRA's District contract, she said, "Although the contract mandates that HRA treat animals with kindness and respect, I have not seen this treatment for well over a year at the D.C.-owned facility at New York Avenue," as reported by NBC Washington.
HRA's side of the story? They're not rolling over so easily. The organization sniffed out a response stating that as an animal well-being outfit, they have to put safety first and certain behaviors won't cut it euthanasia, they didn't pin the reasons for termination on any one person because each case is its own beast, according to their grapevine. On the other hand, they did express a collective sigh of relief among other volunteers and staff once the troublesome bunch was let go.
What about the former volunteers, are their tails still wagging? Far from it actually, they're yelping about being cut loose by cold email and claim their eject button was hit because they got nosy about shelter conditions and, you know, they expected more from a place that's literally crying for volunteers on its front page, I mean, just look at HRA’s website where they're panting for help, "Volunteers Needed! Sign up today," another ousted volunteer, Lambert, retorted with disbelief in an interview with WUSA 9, claiming that respectful and kind behaviors were always observed among her and her circle.
In the snarl of he-said-she-said, the pooches and kitties of D.C. may be the ones left holding the, er, bag. With HRA and former volunteers at each other's throats, it's a messy kennel that'll need more than a few treats to settle down. One thing's certain in this dog-eat-dog scenario: there's no love lost between HRA and its former volunteer pack.
