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Hermitage ex-staffers air gripes on Web

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The thing about humans is this: we can't keep our problems to ourselves. When adults are unable to work together, plan for the future or act responsibly, we're not the only ones who pay the price. Instead, our shortcomings have real consequences for those without the power or ability to protect themselves from our bad judgment.

A fight brewing over the direction and management of the Hermitage Cat Shelter is an illustration of how people with good intentions can end up so engrossed in their human problems that they lose sight of their true goal: helping the many Tucson cats who need a home.

Cats at the Hermitage do not live in cages but instead roam a ranch house on Tucson's East Side. Some are available for adoption, while others have special health or behavioral needs and will live out their lives at the Hermitage. The shelter takes in cats from Pima Animal Care as space is available.

The Star's Josh Brodesky in Monday's Star described the conflict as one between longtime volunteers who were used to how the shelter operated for years and had bonds with specific cats, and an executive director who changed the focus to adopting out more animals and professionalizing the shelter's operation.

One lightning-rod decision was to end a long-standing relationship with an individual veterinarian and partner with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona for veterinary care. Some object because the Humane Society euthanizes animals that cannot be adopted. But Hermitage assistant director Rosalie Torske said the shelter remains committed to the no-kill philosophy and its contract with the Humane Society allows cats to be euthanized only if the animal is suffering and there's no hope for recovery. The Hermitage executive director must also approve.

In 2007, the local Humane Society took in 12,477 animals and euthanized 4,476. Because irresponsible humans do not spay or neuter their pets — or get a pet when they're ill-equipped to care for it for its lifetime — animals pay the price.

Some longtime volunteers — people who've given their time, love and hard work to help cats — have left the Hermitage and are now urging people not to donate. They're wrong.

It's important to remember that the whole point here is to help homeless cats, provide medical care and a place to live for feline friends with special needs, and help educate the community.

The cats don't care that their litter boxes are cleaned by a cleaning service instead of a volunteer. The cats may be happy living communally with hundreds — the population is now about 270 — of other kitty companions, but they're likely be happier in a home with a family. The cats are at the Hermitage because they have nowhere else to go, and adopting out cats creates room to help more cats.

It's selfish to put individual bonds with particular cats above the goal of saving as many cats as possible. Torske said the shelter adopted out 27 cats in both May and June, while the previous monthly average was six cats.

A call for donors to stop giving money to the Hermitage is particularly destructive and myopic. Humans can argue about how to best help cats, but it's certain that starving the agency of money won't help the cats one iota.

We hope Tucsonans do not listen to this message and continue to support the Hermitage.

Animal rescue should be about animals, not people.