The documentary "Shelter Dogs" director by Cynthia Wade recently had it's
debut showing in a few cities, which is stirring up quite a controversial storm
in the rescue community. According to director Wade the 74 minute film
"Shelter Dogs" explores how one controversial animal shelter tackles the growing
crisis of homeless animals, ultimately shedding new light on the "no-kill" vs.
euthanasia debate.
www.shelterdogs.org
In a slickly released narrative of the film's intent Wade goes on to explain
the purposes behind the film and the role of it's only star - none other than
the infamous and highly controversial Sue Sternberg of Rondout Valley Kennels.
Wade describes "Shelter Dogs" as a provocative and heartrending look at the
complex issues surrounding animal sheltering through the tale of one shelter
and its staff. This feature length documentary takes the viewer into the gray
zone of the national animal welfare system where quality-of-life issues take
center stage.
At the heart of the documentary is Sue Sternberg, an animal welfare pioneer
who has created Rondout Valley Kennels, a model animal shelter in Upstate New
York. At Rondout Valley Kennels, dogs live in suites decorated with rugs and
chairs. They listen to piped-in music and receive training. Each dog is
carefully assessed and temperament tested. If a dog is mentally deteriorating in the
shelter or shows aggression, Sue will euthanize the dog, believing that it is
a more humane option than a lifetime in the shelter.
As Sue agonizes over each animal, faces rising debt, and becomes
increasingly worried, the audience is given a first hand look at the difficult ethical
choices shelter staff face every day. The result is an unprecedented view of
animal sheltering in the United States."
http://www.shelterdogs.org/synopsis.htm">
http://www.shelterdogs.org/synopsis.htm
......................................................................
The controversy stems from the many recent reports over the increasingly
violent methods behind Sternberg's infamous temperament tests which often times
badger a shelter dog into submission leading to a failure of the test which
RESULTS in death of the animal.
Controversy of Sternberg is nothing new to the rescue community. Some hate
her while others fall to her feet. As one outspoken rescue supporter Shirley
of SaveaDog.org wrote "I think Sue is one of the few who is addressing the big
picture and she's doing something about it."
But it's exactly WHAT Sternberg is doing that causes the most controversy.
Sternberg, a self proclaimed animal behaviorist has publicly stated that if it
were up to her she would euthanize 80 to 90% of the animals in the shelters
in the Northeast.
There are countless first hand reports that at Rondout Valley dogs are
typically given tests that last less than fifteen minutes under extreme duress with
failure leading to the immediate death of the animal. No attempts to modify
behavior, no attempts to bring in breed rescue who specialize in specific
breed characteristics.
Much of the public criticism comes from what are now ex-employees of Rondout
Valley. In April 2002 one wrote of Sue's increasing nastiness and disdain
towards the animals temperament tested by Sue.
"At a recent seminar in Vermont, Sue was quoted as saying her goal is to
euthanize 75% of the dogs in the Northeast. I find this statement disturbing, to
say the least. Recently I had a conversation with a friend and fellow trainer
of Sue's about this comment. She said she felt the number was too low, if she
had made the statement, she would have made it 85% of the dogs in the
Northeast.
Apparently, this has been Sue's goal all along. She has nicknamed herself
Hitler, and is basically having her own Doggy Holocaust, practicing "genocide"
on all Northeastern dogs, right under all of our noses. - end of quote
To read the entire text of the comments by a longtime supporter of Sue in
what has become known in the rescue community as "The Truth About Rondout Valley
Kennels" click on the following link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Madabo...ty/message/804">
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Madabo...ty/message/804
Much of what is written is first hand experience with the often explosive
temper of Sue Sternberg. Paying the price for her vengeance is the hundreds of
animals she gleefully put to death because they didn't meet her criteria as a
"perfect pet." More disturbing are the insensitive remarks aimed at specific
breeds that Sternberg held in contempt which resulted in certain failure and
death of any animal who met with her disproval - even the sweet and innocent
beagle wasn't spared Sternberg's wrath.
Eventually her own staff would have to resort to deception in order to spare
innocent dogs from death at the hands of Sue Sternberg. What's also
interesting is in what can only be described as a sign of mental instability Sue
Sternberg's prized temperament tests gradually grew more and more difficult for
animals until the tests themselves became cruel and unusual punishment to inflict
on a shelter animal.
Sternberg's own gas cow her infamous temperament test has evolved to meet
her growing desire to kill shelter animals. Her ex-staffer put it this way "The
temperament test has been revised. What was once a tool to flush out
aggression in a potentially dangerous dog was now a weapon that condemns the average
dog."
Despite fear of reprisal from Sternberg's wrath a few employees tried to
prevent the needless slaughter that became ever so common at Rondout Valley.
What started as a model shelter where animals where given every opportunity had
evolved into the "doggie death camp" that Sternberg would brag about in her
visions of what could only be deemed her own personal "Final Solution" for
homeless animals.
Most of the employees sat back and watched the senseless slaughter by
Sternberg. Reminiscent of the German soldiers who idly looked on why millions were
murdered is this first hand account "The Shelter Receptionist/Trainer, who has
studied under Sue for years, would also watch the tests. If the dog would
fail, which was usually the case, the trainer would say how unfair the test was,
or how she didn't see the "look" Sue said she saw (in the dog). Some of the
dogs she felt, just needed a program. Unfortunately, she would never voice her
opinion in Sue's presence for fear of losing her job. She still works there, we
voiced our opinion...we don't."
One trainer at Rondout Valley would manipulate tests results to spare dogs
she felt Sternberg would want destroyed. The crimes and atrocities against
innocent animals is enough to cause the blood to boil in anyone who has dedicated
themselves to saving lives NOT snuffing them out.
"What gives Sue the right to play God? Why should she decide who lives and
dies? What gives her the right to lie to people about the fate of their pets,
because she decides that they would be better off dead?"
And that is the focal point of this discussion of Sue Sternberg. Many in
the rescue community are still being duped by her slick public relations
machine. How many of YOU have considered or have attended one of her seminars.
These seminars have become Sternberg's bread and butter bringing in vast profits
from an unknowing group who attends under the premise of being taught her
enlightened beliefs.
But did you know of the plight of the animals used for these conferences?
Would you knowingly give money or attend any event that resulted from the
abuse, suffering and death of innocent animals? You judge for yourself-Those of
you who attend Sue's Live Long and Prosper seminar that's done at Rondout Valley
Kennels are probably unaware of how the demo dogs come about and how they end
up. For approximately 2 months leading up to a Live Long and Prosper seminar,
Sue begins to gather dogs to use as examples. The more aggressive the dog,
the better! These dogs sit in the boarding kennel in what the staff has labeled
"death row." They have a red dot on their cage which means "caution",
therefore they do not go out to the exercise yard, and are not given the extra
attention and love the adoption animals should receive. An example of this would be
Bandit, a 10 month old Husky.
He was surrendered due to divorce. He had horrible food bowl aggression, he
sat in the boarding kennel for 3 weeks: unexercised, just waiting for his turn
to be used as a "demo dog" at Live Long and Prosper. After he served his
purpose, he was euthanized.
For those of you who have attended a Sternberg seminar remember the faces of
the victims of Sternberg's ego. Was it worth knowing your attendance
condones the slaughter of these pawns in the demons of Sternberg's warped mind?
I recently wrote a few responses to an attempt to glamorize Sternberg's role
in solving the animal overpopulation crisis in this country. Murdering off
the innocent as Sternberg envisions will NEVER be part of my solution and I
would hope not part of the many dedicated rescue volunteers who work countless
hours to save life NOT destroy it.
One rescuer wrote me about his first hand observations at one of Sternberg's
seminars "I founded Big Sky Rottweiler Rescue six years ago and have been
fighting Sue Sternberg's perverse and irresponsible evaluation methods since day
one. Thankfully the shelter I teach the dog behavior class at is a no kill
shelter and when attending a conference put on by Sue the staff and managers got
up and walked out in the first ten minutes."
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