Letter to California Veterinary Medical Board by Saskia Boisot re: OCAC (dated around September 2015) To: Mr. Louis Massi Veterinary Medical Board 1747 N. Market Blvd, Suite 230, Sacramento, CA 95834 phone: 916-515-5220 | email: vmb@dca.ca.gov From: Saskia Boisot, MD Founder, No Kill Shelter Alliance FIRST PARAGRAPH I am writing to lodge a complaint and put in a formal request for an inspection of the Orange County Animal Shelter. I represent a group of people called the No Kill Shelter Alliance, who are extremely concerned about practices in some of the Southern California animal shelters, and specifically focused on the Orange County shelter at this time. We have been monitoring this facility for some time now, and in the course of our investigation, we have uncovered a significant body of evidence pointing to poor conduct at this place, that appears to have been ignored at every turn, and stems from a complete lack of oversight over their activities.

1. NOTE: This was originally sent via paper mail with all of the attachments, around September 2015.
To:
Mr. Louis Massi
Veterinary Medical Board
1747 N. Market Blvd, Suite 230, Sacramento, CA 95834
phone: 916-515-5220 | email: vmb@dca.ca.gov
From:
Saskia Boisot, MD
Founder, No Kill Shelter Alliance
6463 Paseo Delicias, #1833, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92607
cell: 619 895-0599 | email: sboisot@yahoo.com
Dear Mr. Massi,
I am writing to lodge a complaint and put in a formal request for an inspection of the Orange County Animal Shelter. I
represent a group of people called the No Kill Shelter Alliance, who are extremely concerned about practices in some of
the Southern California animal shelters, and specifically focused on the Orange County shelter at this time. We have
been monitoring this facility for some time now, and in the course of our investigation, we have uncovered a significant
body of evidence pointing to poor conduct at this place, that appears to have been ignored at every turn, and stems
from a complete lack of oversight over their activities.
This high kill shelter has been the subject of much criticism over the last few years, and despite numerous complaints
from multiple independent groups and countless negative media stories, they behave as if they are above the law, with
no accountability whatsoever for their actions. Furthermore, there have been five separate Grand Jury reports
criticizing shelter administration performance, each progressively more accusatory than the prior, and culminating in
two separate reports being generated this year alone. One of the most recent reports from this year actually went as far
as to suggest a complete restructuring of shelter administration altogether, to include dismissal of current leadership.
Additionally, as part of an audit conducted earlier this year, the facility was partially evaluated by an independently
contracted group called JVR Shelter Associates. This group had also previously visited the shelter back in 2007, and at
that time had made recommendations against hosing dog kennels down while animals were still inside, and yet twice
the shelter has snubbed these recommendations, and failed to make any changes in recognition. This issue was also
specifically raised in one of the aforementioned Grand Jury reports from this year. I have personally been in touch with
JVR Shelter Associates, but sincethey claim their role is merely advisory in nature, they effectively lack any power of
enforcement. I have included a copy of my email correspondence with them to accompany the rest of the evidence.
Finally, there have been two separate lawsuits against the Orange County Animal Shelter, one by a former employee,
the second by an independent animal rescuer called Sharon Logan. I do not know details of the first lawsuit, but the
second was instigated by an incident witnessed and videotaped by Sharon Logan, where a dog was brought in by their
owner for euthanasia, and physically held down by animal control officers outside the shelter building, and despite
showing no outward signs of aggression whatsoever, the dog was then summarily taken off to be executed without
question. In short, the premise of the lawsuit was that if an owner can just decide on a whim that they can no longer be
bothered to take responsibility for their animal, and then concoct whatever excuse suits their agenda, the shelter should
not be accommodating this request unless there is credible and sustained evidence that the animal is aggressive.
Although the lawsuit was settled by both parties, it has clearly demonstrated a large operational and ethical chasm in
the system, which only seems to be widening as we delve deeper.

2. As supportive evidence for my complaint, I am enclosing copies of the following items:
(NOTE THAT THESE ITEMS APPEAR AGAIN ON PAGE 4 AS SLIDESHARE DOES NOT ENABLE LINKS IN THE FIRST 3 PAGES)
1. The two most recent Grand Jury Reports.
If Animals Could Talk About the Orange County Animal Shelter 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/ocacgrandjuryreportifanimalscouldtalk
The Orange County Animal Shelter: The Facility, The Function, The Future
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/the-orange-county-animal-shelter-the-facility-the-function-the-
future
2. The 2015 Orange County Animal Shelter Performance Audit.
OCAC Audit of Orange County Animal Care (Shelter) March 2015
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/ocac-audit-orange-county-animal-shelter
3. Sharon Logan’s amended lawsuit, and the subsequent settlement.
Sharon Logan Lawsuit against OCAC (amended)
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/sharon-logan-lawsuit-against-ocac-amended
Sharon Logan Settlement Agreement with Orange County Animal Care
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/sharon-logan-settlement-agreement-with-orange-county-animal-care
4. Copies of a few recent media articles.
5. A copy of my email correspondence with JVR shelter associates.
Concerns regarding the Orange County, CA Feb 24, 2016 Contract for services by JVR Shelter Strategies
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/concerns-regarding-the-orange-county-ca-feb-24-2016-contract-for-
services-by-jvr-shelter-strategies
As I stated in my original letter to JVR Shelter Associates, as a human physician myself, practicing in the field of
pathology, part of whose job it is to oversee aspects of the hospital laboratory, which is subject to the utmost scrutiny
and constant regulation, I am shocked to find that no such standard is upheld for animal shelters. Although my
complaint specifically relates to the Orange County Shelter, I would contend that this facility merely provides a
microcosm for a much bigger problem, that being a lack of proper oversight for all animal shelters. Clearly as exhibited
here, when left unchecked, human nature defaults to the lowest common denominator.
Saskia Boisot, MD
No Kill Shelter Alliance

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4. (NOTE THAT THESE ITEMS APPEAR AGAIN ON PAGE 4 AS SLIDESHARE DOES NOT ENABLE LINKS IN THE FIRST 3 PAGES)
1. The two most recent Grand Jury Reports.
If Animals Could Talk About the Orange County Animal Shelter 2014-2015 Orange County Grand Jury
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/ocacgrandjuryreportifanimalscouldtalk
The Orange County Animal Shelter: The Facility, The Function, The Future
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/the-orange-county-animal-shelter-the-facility-the-function-the-
future
2. The 2015 Orange County Animal Shelter Performance Audit.
OCAC Audit of Orange County Animal Care (Shelter) March 2015
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/ocac-audit-orange-county-animal-shelter
3. Sharon Logan’s amended lawsuit, and the subsequent settlement.
Sharon Logan Lawsuit against OCAC (amended)
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/sharon-logan-lawsuit-against-ocac-amended
Sharon Logan Settlement Agreement with Orange County Animal Care
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/sharon-logan-settlement-agreement-with-orange-county-animal-care
4. Copies of a few recent media articles.
5. A copy of my email correspondence with JVR shelter associates.
Concerns regarding the Orange County, CA Feb 24, 2016 Contract for services by JVR Shelter Strategies
http://www.slideshare.net/NoKillShelterCA/concerns-regarding-the-orange-county-ca-feb-24-2016-contract-for-
services-by-jvr-shelter-strategies