CBS 21 Community

While your response is filled with errors and misconceptions, the one thing that stands out is, "She was spayed before we brought her home which leads me to believe that she could be ill."  ALL dogs and cats are spayed before leaving Molly's as well as most other local shelters.  This is not done because the animals are sick but rather to prevent the animal from reproducing.  The fact that you believe this dog is sick and haven't taken the dog to a vet is beyond belief. 

As to your allegations, there are NEVER 15 puppies in the glass cages.  Fresh food and water is ALWAYS available to all the animals but especially to the puppies and kittens.  Maybe that's why they were "peeing and pooping all over"...  Please don't insinuate these animals are not loved and held and live in filth.  What you neglected to mention are the volunteers who walk around with mops and paper towels cleaning up the floor.  Volunteers are constantly changing paper and if they notice an animal smells of urine or has fecal matter on it, the animal is bathed.  We volunteer because we love animals.  We do all we can to make these adorable creatures lives comfortable.  Instead of joining the battle against Molly's, volunteer and help make it better.

I have never posted to a bulletin board before, but I just can not sit here and read this without commenting. I have dogs in my house every day for my entire 40 something years on this earth.  I adopted a dog from Molly’s a little over a year ago. She is absolutely a wonderful loving healthy addition to our family. I can not stand by watch these post from irrisponsable pet owners that don’t even take their new dog to the vet. Is that NOT the first thing you do when you bring a new animal into your home? It doesn’t matter if it is a shelter dog or a $1000 purebred. I want MY vet to tell me that the dog is healthy.  And God forbid if it is not, I want to be able to start treatment immediately.

 

To “news”21, I have lost any faith I may have had in the local “news” media. What an incredibly one sided, fictional, twisted tale you put out there as “news”. Would you ever consider doing a story on the overwhelming majority of happy pet owners that adopted from Molly’s Place?

 

To Lori, and all at Molly’s, thank  you so much for saving my beautiful girl from a certain death sentence.  She is happy healthy and spoiled rotten, and we will be back to adopt another one.

Again, I have been a volunteer at Molly's for nearly a year.  In that time frame I have not ONCE seen an animal abused nor suffering (as was insinuated in a prior unjustified negative post).  Not EVER. Now, let's see.....I volunteer there because I am a HUGE animal lover, just like the rest of the workers and volunteers there.  Common sense should tell you that if Lori and anyone else at Molly's were doing anything even slightly questionable or unethical, don't you think we'd cease to work or volunteer there? 

Now, let's address a few issues, shall we?

Regarding the most recent post from blue72....

First, there were CERTAINLY NOT 15 puppies in one cage.  Let's be fair and not exaggerate, shall we?  Seems to be quite a lot of that going on in this forum from the opposition.  This was a litter of seven healthy pups.

They were in an 8 x 10 glassed pen, which like all the pens , is cleaned routinely, approximately once and hour.  Furthermore, these particular puppies LOVED to play in their water, as happy and healthy puppies do, so they were most likely covered in water and not "soaked in urine" as was stated.  Let's not assume things...

The puppies also have food and water 24/7 and are NEVER mistreated nor mishandled.  Lori wouldn't condone that behavior for a minute.

Now that we've clarified that, if your mother has health concerns with the puppy, please contact Molly's Place immediately.

Furthermore, to reiterate, Molly's Place is a wonderful, caring, RESCUE shelter. It is a wonderful alternative to pet stores that often use puppy mills.  Folks out there also might be horrified to know that there are other shelters, from which our puppies are rescued, that will euthanize their animals by using A GAS CHAMBER to suffocate them in a mass execution.  Lori saves these animals from this horrific death sentence.  Why not go check out these shelters and see what their conditions are?  I can guarantee one would be shocked and horrified.  Again, if it weren't for Lori and Molly's Place, so many loved pets would not even be alive.    So, stop by and thank Lori and the staff once in a while to thank her for what she does and how much she does for these animals.  I doubt you'll find anyone else that devotes almost every waking moment of her life to bettering the lives of these once unwanted animals.

Oh, and one more thing, to the person that stated that "you slap down your money and walk out the door with your animal.  There's no adoption process."  GIVE ME A BREAK!  It has to be the most extensive animal adoption process in the area.

We adore you Lori and you are an inspiration!  Please don't let those few negative and unjustified comments stop you from doing what you do in your unwavering commitment to caring for and saving animals....You are a blessing!

Honestly, I don't even know where to being!

This whole thing about Molly's Place is just sad.  How can anyone say they are broadcasting "news" and then air something as appalling as this?!?  I'm am ashamed of what America's newscasts have turned into.  I was always taught in Broadcasting Communications that you are to always get BOTH sides of the story before going on the record.  What happened, did someone get lazy???

I must say this though.  Has anyone checked out the Humane Society lately?  What about how they KILL animals because they don't have enough space?  Doesn't anyone see anything wrong with that?  How about PAWS?  They say they have looked out for the best interest of the animals that end up at their shelters, but they LIMIT how many they will take.  The Humane Society does the same thing.  And on top of that, they CHARGE you at least $20 to drop off a stray!  Well, I guess they need the money to kill the animals instead of actually taking care of them...

Which leads me to my next point:

To all of you that had to pay for your dogs at Molly's Place...how sad.  You shouldn't have to pay for a poor stray dog that came from hell and has still survived!  NOT!  Its a dog (or a cat).  Why do you think they should ever cost less than a dog that was born on a puppy farm of a cat that is a purebred?  They are animals nonetheless.  Just because they were mistreated doesn't mean you should get to take them home for free.  You can't even get an animal for free at the Humane Society! 

There can't be a single person on this Earth that thinks just because they got their animal from a breeder that its not going to be sick!  I can specifically remember an instance with a close friend of mine who paid $1,000 for a cat from a breeder who ended up dying three weeks later because it had heart-worm so bad.  So please, stop this complaining about them being sick.  You can never have a complete 100% guarantee that your pet is going to be illness-free.

Now for a personal experience with Molly's Place.  My mother bought a beautiful puppy from there about a year ago and I must say she is the sweetest dog she's ever owned.  She's got such a winning personality and is so personable.  Just to think, if that puppy would have been somewhere else in this area she would have been killed!  I remember my parents being screened by Molly's Place before they could even sign the papers and when they did, they were told that the dog was sick.  The first thing my mother did (being the responsible pet owner she is) was take the puppy to the vet.  She was sick, but with a little medicine and some TLC, she was better a few weeks later.  My parents were never EVER led to believe that their puppy was 100% healthy and were even offered what they called pet insurance for 30 days. 

In conclusion, I would just like to state that you must know what you're getting into before you adopt any stray...it doesn't matter where it comes from, but Molly's Place is one of a kind in this area.  I know of no other place in Central Pennsylvania that takes animals in that would be killed.  I appualed them for the hard work and dedication they've shown to not only animals, but the people who love them.  I fully intend on not only donating supplies requested, but to get a pet from there.  I thank Molly's Place for being an ongoing presence in the community.

Lets do something positive for Merrick.

I feel obligated to talk about Merrick the Lab that was starved to DEATH by his owner John L. Shafer in June.  Shafer is charged with Animal Cruelty, which I believe is only a misdemeanor under PA law.

 

http://www.pennlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1155608718275840.xml?pennnews&coll=1

 

Chief Dennis McMaster stated in his 40 years as a policeman he’s never seen anything worse!

 

I’m asking everyone to write or call the Cumberland County DA and request they prosecute this idiot to the fullest extent of the law!  To many times people like this are let go with just a fine and/or probation – that just won’t due!  It’s time to send a message by making an example out of people like John Shafer.  The charges against him can carry up to 2 years in jail, maybe if he actually gets 2 years in jail the next idiot that decides not to care for their pet will think twice before allowing their pet to suffer and die!

 

If it were up to me his first 3 weeks in jail would be without food and water…lucky for him the law protects people from abuse like that!

You are an extremely irresponsible person for saying such ignorant things. You obviously know nothing about this incredibly wonderful shelter, but I suggest that you research your facts more before you speak. Lori rescues all dogs no matter how sick, unwanted or abused that they may have been. She and the volunteers pour their heart and soul into making all of their rescues not only healthy but also feel loved. There is a tremendous amount of time and dedication required to do what they do and they do it without a single complaint.

Lori is not an "idiot" she is a hero and I personally admire everything that her and her staff is doing. FYI she does bring all of the animals to the vet. Under no circumstances would she ever intentionally sell a sick animal. The simple fact is that these animals come form horrifying situations and unfortunately some of them may have a disease or illness that did not show any symptoms before they were adopted. This is the chance that everybody takes when they get an animal from ANY shelter, not just Molly's.

I have just started volunteering there myself and I can tell you just how much effort goes into establishing and then maintaining these animals health. When new animals arrive they are covered in ticks and fleas. Most of them are emaciated and they are all filthy. Each animal is carefully bathed while the volunteers patiently remove every single tick and flea that they can find. After their bath, they are dried with their own towel, given their vacinations and any meds that might be needed. Next, they are de-wormed and front line is applied. Finally, they are carried to a clean pen , located in isolation, where tons of food and water awaits them. These new animals are not allowed to mingle with the other animals for 14 days to prevent the spread of disease. Furthermore, we are instructed to wear gloves and wash our hands when going form one pen to another.

I would give more details, but I think that you should go see for yourself. The point is all of these animals are taken very good care of and Lori has only their best interest at heart. Molly's Place is rescuing defenseless animals that would have otherwise died without their help. Open your eyes and see what a wondreful gift this place is. I personally intend to do everything that I can to support thier efforts and I sincerely hope that you will too.

My parents lost their dog a month ago. We thought he had ran away and now we are not sure if he ran away or if someone took him. I have located a dog that looks identical right down to missing hair and teeth. I found him on petfinder.com and I contacted the shelter and they will not cooperate and let us just see the dog to see if it is him or not. This place is suppose to be a rescue place but yet they know that we could be the possible owners and they won't cooperate. The name of the place is Old Mason Animal Rescue in Berlin Heights, Ohio. We tried contacting the local sheriff and everything and they say there isn't anything they can do for us. I don't understand how they can be considered a rescue place if they won't help someone get their animal back. I guess what I am writing for is to see if anyone out there may have any info to help me out. I don't know where to go from here. If these people are such animal lovers then why would they try to keep an animal from their home unless it is all a money thing. They all say its a non-profit organization, but I think it is about the money because they know they can make money on certain dogs. I have previously adopted 2 cats from rescue places that were very good places but this one has me disgusted. If anyone has any info for me I would really appreciate the help.

I would be more than happy in helping to shut this place down.  I know people who have worked with Laurie Johnston through PAWS.  She has quite the reputation - for being crooked that is.  PAWS started out to be a no kill rescue; but unfortunately it turned out to be big business to make a buck or two.  Now she is doing the same with this Molly's Place.  And, what the heck does she think she's doing taking micro chips out of one dog and puting it another?  Does the word infection came to mind????????  My husband and sister-in-law both visited Molly's Place in the past.  The both said the same things about the conditions.  There are *** laying everywhere, sick animals amongst all of the others.  And people wonder why their animals are so sickly after "purchasing" them there?  WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This woman needs to be fined heavily and SHUT DOWN!!!!!!  True animal lovers don't carry on business like this woman.  I WILL NEVER step foot into this dwelling.  I really feel sorry for the animals that are there under such deplorable conditions!

lablaw40 - That sure is a lot of BS from someone that admittedly has never stepped foot into Molly's Place!

There are those who do, There are those who talk about doing, and then....There are those who criticize the ones that do!  You are obliviously the later of the three!

A true animal lover would never jeopardize an establishment that does so much good for so many unwanted, discarded animals.

STOP RELYING ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY AND GO SEE FOR YOURSELF...OR IS THAT TO MUCH WORK FOR YOU????

Its a sad thing people around here don't care about the lives of wild animals as they do of dogs and other pets.

Here's the thing about the micro chips that are placed into the dogs in case some of you didn't know this.

As most of you know, they are to keep track of the animal.  They are initially registered to the place that puts them in (we shall use Molly's Place for this example) and then once the animal is adopted out, the new owners are given a paper that they can either fill out and mail to the people who keep track of the information on the chips (I forget the name of the company) or they can go online and fill out the form.  If the new owner neglects to do this, the dog is still registered under Molly's Place (or whoever put the chip in).  Therefore, if the dog is ever given up (or lost, or run away), a new chip must be put into the animal.  There is no way that you can change the information on that chip.  These micro chips are very similar to VIN numbers on cars.  You can't just get a new VIN number without getting a completely new car.

My point in explaining this is because perhaps that chip wasn't registered, so the dog couldn't be returned.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I believe that if you are too lazy to register your animals chip, then you don't deserve to have the animal back.  It's not a hard process and only takes about 10 minuets if you do it online.  Maybe if owners registered the chips, they would never have to be removed and possibly cause infection.  

As for Lori's supposed removing a chip from one dog to another...do anyone besides her and perhaps her staff of hard-working dedicated volunteers know what really happened?  We all know the "news" didn't give us the full story...

And to lablaw40::  If you really feel sorry for these animals that you say are in such horrible condition, you would do anything to help them, correct?  These animals could use food, and kitty litter if you would drop it off sometime for them.  Perhaps before criticizing Molly's Place, you should go see for yourself how things really are.  I've been in Molly's before and have never EVER seen sick animals mixed in with the healthy ones.  Before writing such libel statements, you should check the facts out for yourself. 

Why would I want, or need, to go see for myself the conditions of Molly's Place?  I think I know my husband and sister-in-law enough to value their opinion over someone I don't even know!  And after hearing their opinions, I have NO DESIRE to step foot in that place.!  It would break my heart to see these animals in such conditions. And just the same, you don't know me from Adam!  I'm VERY involved with Therapy Dogs International and take my dog to numerous places for pet therapy!  So, yes I AM a doer!!!!!!

Why don't you read some of the other comments in this forum; especially the one from a previous volunteer who didn't have too many positives to say about this so called animal rescue.

 

I've adopted many animals through other animal rescues, and am full aware of what a microchip is and what it is used for.  The point I was trying to make is, why would this woman REMOVE a chip and place it another animal??????  Seems to me to be a bit underhanded???!!!!!\

And, I do donate food, litter, etc... to other rescues.  But, as I said in my response to AnimalLover, why would I want to step foot in a place that I've heard nothing good about from family and friends that HAVE stopped in there and have worked with  Ms. Johnston in the past?  No Thanks!  Just can't bring myself to do this or face that woman!   

You seem so quick to believe everything you hear...if I told you the sky was falling, would you look up?  You have every right in the world to express the way you feel, but when you unknowingly make assumptions without having any prior knowledge (I'm talking actually stepping into Molly's Place), then you just make yourself look uneducated.  Just because there are a few bad apples in the barrel doesn't mean the whole lot is bad.  For every one person you know who didn't have a good experience with Molly's Place, there are probably at least five who have had an excellent experience.  I know I have and I'll be sure to get my next pet from Molly's Place!

I adopted a kitten from Molly’s Place.  I was very satisfied with my adoption experience, and my family is thrilled with our new pet.  Therefore, I was a surprised when I heard the negative news report on WHP.  After listening to the news report and reading the community comments, I decided to do a little investigating on my own.

 

I started with Molly’s Place web-site.  I must say that I was impressed with a shelter that goes to the effort Molly’s Place does to introduce animals to the public – a photo, physical description, approximate age, brief medical history.  I thought it was amazing that the Molly’s Place staff takes the time to name each and every animal it adopts and really gets to know them.  The animal descriptions include notes such as “this animal is shy”, “this playful puppy”, or “calm, quiet, pooches just looking for a nice place to stretch out and get lots of well deserved TLC”.  The notes tell you when an animal prefers a home without small kids, without cats, or without other dogs.  One note even said “recently spent some time in a foster home to work on fine tuning his doggy socialization skills”.  Sounds to me as if these are people who really care about animals, who know the animals they are adopting, and who are willing to give extra effort to make sure these animals are ready to be adopted. 

 

After the list of adoptable animals, I clicked on the list of “Happy Tails” – photos of pets adopted from Molly’s Place.  There was a slew (and in this case, I do actually mean more than one) of adopted animals.  Page after page.  I stopped counting after the 20^th page.  Let’s see – 25 animals per page for 20 pages – that’s at least 500 animals adopted!  The website gives the number of adoptions at over 1500.  Molly’s Place only opened last year?  I call that successful.     

 

The website goes on to describe the purpose and objective of Molly’s Place, where the animals come from, how the animals are processed, and how the animals are housed.  So many of the questions and concerns that were mentioned in previous comments are addressed in the website.  Concerns like veterinarians, medical history, adoption fees, and living quarters. 

 

For those who are interested, “ALL kittens, puppies, cats and dogs are examined by a veterinarian, spayed or neutered, microchipped, and receive age-appropriate vaccines. They are also treated for parasites (worms, fleas, ticks, etc.) and receive any other necessary medical treatment prior to being made available for adoption. Cats and kittens are also tested for FeLV and FIV.”  Seems more than sufficient to me.

 

“Adoption fees vary based on the pet’s age, breed, and size. For example, we do charge more for purebred animals. This is not because we feel they are more valuable. There is a greater market demand for purebreds. This higher adoption fee allows Molly’s Place to generate increased resources to help a greater number of animals in need. The fees we charge for our purebreds is a fraction of the premiums charged by pet stores and breeders. We do provide the initial veterinary care for all of our animals saving the new owners the expense and trouble of having these services performed. We may waive the adoption fee or charge a reduced fee for Senior or Special Needs pets.  Adoption fees cover the following services, which all Molly’s Place animals receive prior to adoption: Veterinary Examination, Spayed or Neutered, Age-appropriate vaccines, Treated for parasites (worms, fleas, ticks, etc.), Microchipping, Grooming, FeLV and FIV testing (for cats and kittens).”  The adoption fee seems a small price to pay for all of the services rendered, food and shelter provided, and care given to the animals.  I know I couldn’t get it done cheaper by my vet.

 

And the living quarters are “non-traditional, free roaming”.  Is this typical?  No way.  Is it innovative.  Sure.  To me, this implies that the animals will be at their best and at their worst.  Will it include animal waste on the ground?  Probably.  Or a dog sniffing undesirable places?  Definitely.  These are animals – it comes with the territory.  Yet, I’ll have the opportunity to see an animal up close and personal.  I’ll be able to see first hand how it plays with my kids, how it might interact with other animals (since I already have pets at home), and if it’s healthy.  What a great idea!

 

Next, I decided to check my paperwork from Molly’s Place.  The paperwork came in a labeled folder.  It was easy to find the folder since Molly’s Place made it so convenient for me by placing all of the paper work in the folder, that I was able to file it right away.  Microchip information – check.  Certificate for Free Veterinary Exam – check.  Pet Insurance – check.  Adoption Agreement – check.  Vaccination Record – check.

 

On an interesting note, the pet insurance is provided by ShelterCare.  As part of its advertisement, ShelterCare advertises “30 days coverage for accidents and illnesses common to shelter pets”.  It seems to me that, if there is a need for this type of insurance, then there must be previous instances of animals getting sick.  That a sick puppy is not specific to Molly’s Place, but might be representative of the whole pet adoption process.  Whether you get your pet from a shelter or a store or the farm down the street or a friend, you assume a risk.

 

A FREE veterinary exam?  Wow!  Think of the financial savings.  What a great initiative to encourage new pet owners to have their pets seen by a vet.

 

There’s a note on my pet’s vaccination record that says “Molly’s Place Rescue recommends that all new pets receive a Veterinary exam soon after they are acquired”.  Just so I’m understanding this correctly …  Molly’s Place is suggesting that I take my new pet to the vet, is giving me a certificate for a free vet appointment, and giving me 30 days of pet insurance just in case.  Sounds kind of fool proof to me.

 

Now, let’s look at the adoption agreement which I had to read and sign.  Of the many things that I agreed to, some of the stand outs pertaining to recent news articles are:  I agreed that Molly’s Place makes no guarantees as to the health, temperament, disposition, or training of this pet.  I agreed to procure immediate veterinary care should the animal become ill or injured.  I agreed to license the animal in compliance with the laws and ordinances in force in the municipality in which I reside.

 

In other words, if I have a sick animal, then I should take it to the vet.  If I have a dog with a history of running away, then I should take measures to prevent it from running away and I should have the dog licensed (according to law) and tagged with id so it can be returned to me.  I am the pet owner.  I am responsible for my own pet.  I make my own decisions as to the care of my own pet.  Makes me stop and think about others …

 

“Molly's Place Rescue specializes in the rescue and placement of orphaned, abused, unwanted, and abandoned companion animals.”  Many of these animals come from deplorable conditions.  They are parented by animals whose owners’ did not take the responsibility to spay/neuter them or to properly restrain them.  They are birthed in unsanitary conditions.  They are fighting an uphill battle just to live.  Molly’s Place, among many other places, rescues these animals.  How can this be wrong?  Do you really think that people would help these animals unless they are devoted to them?  Do you honestly believe they do it for the money?

 

After considering the news reports and dialogue on the bulletin board along with my own research and experiences, I conclude that Molly’s Place is a committed, dedicated, and caring animal rescue.  It’s not a store, it’s a RESCUE.

 

I believe that they “are committed to finding a loving home for each and every orphaned pet who passes through our doors, no matter how long it takes” that they “never discriminate on the basis of health, age or breed. By involving and educating the community, Molly's Place Rescue works to raise the public's awareness of the plight of homeless animals, as well as to help them realize the benefits of adopting an animal in need.”

 

They have rescued over 1500 animals, and the number climbs higher every day.  Just the sheer number of adoptions from Molly’s Place is commendable.  I’m sure that with such a large number, that there are sure to be negative experiences.  It only makes sense.  However, there seem to me that there must be to be far more happy experiences.  Let’s see a positive news report on the success of Molly’s Place and the other animal shelters.  Maybe show both sides of a story.  Maybe check our facts again and again and again to make sure the truth is being told.

 

We each have choices to make.  If you don’t want to visit Molly’s Place, then don’t.  If you don’t want to adopt an animal from Molly’s Place, then don’t.  If you don’t want to pay the adoption fees, then don’t.  But don’t complain about it either.  If it’s not your way, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.  It just means it’s different.

 

I adopted a pet from Molly’s Place.  I am pleased with my experience.