Asking for a reasonable outcome for rescue

Thank you for the nice piece on 21 June about the rescue situation in the Grand Coulee Area. It seems to me that the last sentence says it all: “But it isn’t going to happen under an R-1 zoning, Byers assured her.”

Do you know what this tells me? It tells me that I have been selected by the council for its famous SELECTIVE prosecution, with no negotiation, with no tolerance or flexibility; even when I can stand in my own front yard and see the MAYOR’S RV BUSINESS operating at full capacity, I am on the other side of the street in more ways than one.

Now it was pointed out to Ms. Byers that I live in an R-3, which is light industrial, but that was not good enough. It was also pointed out about the car hoarder (who has two more dogs than me and has never even gotten one notice) who lives on the same side of the street as me. Selective Prosecution? But we are not discussing that. What we are discussing is:

1. Since we have been fostering for several years now, why is City Council is just now getting involved. I have been working hand in glove with local police departments, fire departments, and individuals for 8 years now.

2. I have asked City Council if we could work together. Note what happened at the last meeting when they said we can work together, and then we show up at the most recent meeting and they just wanted to lynch us right then and now. Is this how they wanted to work together, “The Good Old Bully System”? Is this how they improve and advance OUR community?

3. If the community is asked to pay to license their animals, where is that money going? Because it doesn’t help clean up the street of strays, feral animals or even a local shelter.

4. Our rescue is SELF FUNDED and it is NOT costing the city nor anyone else but us financially; we foot the bill on it all. Yet the city is trying to shut down a service where everyone benefits — with no replacement, I might add. And I am sorry, but putting a stray down or driving them over to one of the highest kill shelters in the state just isn’t a plan.

5. We get very little help for fear of reprisal or something happening to them and their animals if they go against the city council.

6. Note what the city council currently has as a law, and now they want us to write the ordnance for free, which we don’t mind, but what then? the city has no plan or replacement for us except extermination of animals.

I realize that some of these things stated above shouldn’t be brought up in polite society, but I think with animals we need to bring up the “untouchable questions” first, because rescue has to speak for the voiceless. Communication delivery is everything, especially in a small town. And that is why we are asking — no, begging — for the help of all citizens in the Grand Coulee Area.

And yes, I said area! If they stop us here it is not just Grand Coulee; we have rescued up to and including Nespelem and over to Coulee City. We have taken these animals to the vet and then on to forever homes, and most of the time out of the area so they won’t have to be taken care of again.

So now what are they going to do? What are you going to do if you need to re-home a pet? What are you going to do if you need help with an animal? What are you going to do if you are being overrun by feral cats? Let the city come in? The most of what they have ever done is poison them. And that poisons every other animal in the neighborhood and leaves a vacuum for more cats to come in.

There is a way to do it without the inhumanity and destruction, and that is what we do as a passion. Kindness is not an act, it’s a lifestyle.

If the council and the planning board will negotiate in good faith, I will be there on the 9th of August at 5:30 p.m., Grand Coulee City Hall. Please come down and help us negotiate for the area and the owners, people, citizens and animals of Grand Coulee. All we are asking is for a reasonable outcome, some give and take and a special condition/use permit for an R-3 zoning area to continue our work.

Dorothy R. Harris