Subject: Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care

• Anyone Out There Like Unconditional Love?

  May 25, 2007

• Man The Barricades For Dogs And Cats

  Have some free time at noon today? If so, and you feel the city is ignoring problems at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, you might want to scoot down to a demonstration at City Hall.No Kill Houston wants the city to approve a contract to bring a supposed "no-kill" animal shelter consultant to assess the troubled animal shelter.According to the press release, "Houstonians have a message for Mayor Bill White: Stop the stall tactics and sign the contract! For nearly three months, the city'

  January 27, 2009

• Nathan Winograd, No-Kill & BARC

  Since its inception, Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care has been defined by mismanagement. Relegated to an unsightly corner of Houston's Fifth Ward, the facility, which operates with a staggeringly high 80-percent euthanasia rate, has been a historically low priority for Houston's leaders.While other cities throughout the country have taken proactive measures to implement low-cost spay-and-neuter programs and create foster homes and successful off-site adoption centers, Houston's lea

  January 28, 2009

• Death and the Raccoon

  August 1, 1996

• Much-Loved Veterinarian Fired by BARC

  Photo by Daniel KramerGil Costas, a part-time veterinarian at Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, was fired today for lack of state-mandated certification, Houston Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Kathy Barton told Hair Balls. The news was originally broken by Nicole Sica, editor of the animal-welfare blog Poocini and a writer for the Houston Animal News Examiner. "The official reason is that his services were no longer needed," Barton told Hair Balls, "but...we also determi

  February 3, 2009

• BARC's Firing Of Vet Doesn't Add Up

  On Tuesday, Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care veterinarian Gil Costas was fired for what Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Kathy Barton said was not having proper state certification.Barton said Costas did not have "site-specific" Texas Department of Public Safety controlled-substances registration. But Jane Ray, of DPS's controlled-substances division, told Hair Balls this morning that the "site-specific" factor only applies to where vets store narcotics -- not to where th

  February 4, 2009

• City Still Hiding BARC Documents, Despite AG's Ruling

  Photo by Daniel KramerAs Hair Balls has previously noted, the City of Houston apparently doesn't want its citizens knowing what's going on at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. For the past few months, advocates concerned for the health and safety of the more than 20,000 animals BARC processes each year have submitted numerous public information requests. The Health and Human Services Department's immediate reaction is to forward the requests to the Attorney General with a sort of kitchen

  April 7, 2009

• BARC Sucks

  January 29, 2009

• Zero Tolerance, Puppy Scams and Strange Bedfellows

  No outside liquids for Hightower High

  May 15, 2008

• Save Lobo: A Siberian Husky Mix is Sentenced to Die

  February 7, 2008

• The Fido Solution

  The ultimate answer to too many strays, cash-strapped budgets, animal shelter abuses and starving people

  February 3, 2005

• The Last Ride

  December 9, 2004

• The Dogs of War

  Foster programs try to save departing soldiers' critters from becoming casualties

  March 20, 2003

• In the Doghouse

  An animal typically has three days before he leaves the city pound, dead or alive. What happens during that time continues to cause concern.

  November 7, 2002

• You'll Be Shocked To Learn BARC Doesn't Much Seem To Care About Its Dead Dogs, Either

  Fido's dignified last ride, thanks to the City of HoustonSo you're a higher-up at Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, which has experienced public relations problems for the last...um, decades...and then one of your employees comes to you in February with a concern: An exposed-bed Solid Waste Department truck that hauls from the shelter to the landfill is partially filled with corpses in clear bags.You don't really know what the employee's problem is -- the dogs are already dead afte

  June 10, 2009

• UH Fight Gets Nasty: Closing acclaimed Human Development Lab preschool angers parents

  June 18, 2009

• A Q&A With The Man Who Oversees BARC Leaves More Q's Than A's

  Photo by mary_thompsonWhen it comes to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, Stephen Williams is a man who does not like to dwell on the past. As the director of Houston's Department of Health and Human Services, he said in an interview Monday that while he was aware of years of criticism of BARC, the thing to really focus on are the recent and ongoing improvements. Chief among these is the new policy of vaccinating animals in the field, before they are even brought to the shelter. Williams

  June 30, 2009

• Complain About BARC, Find Yourself Charged With A Crime

  Photo by bf_photos The Harris County District Attorney's Office has charged a BARC volunteer for filing a false police report regarding animal abuse he said he heard while at the city's animal control facility. Shelby Kibodeaux was charged July 1 with the class B misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of 180 days in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. After speaking with Kibodeaux this week, and being blown off by just about everyone else, Hair Balls's articulate, cogent and measu

  July 23, 2009

• Council Hears About More BARC Stuff, This Time Some Nasty Divorce Allegations

  ​It seems a day can't go by without some drama regarding the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. Today's edition involves a 2006 allegation of abuse against BARC Interim Bureau Chief Gerry Fusco made by his then-wife. The Harris County Sheriff's Office report was posted on an online animal-advocacy forum and e-mailed to council members this morning. The report states that a sheriff's deputy was dispatched to the home of Gerry and Jennifer Fusco in August 2006, whereupon Jennifer stated

  August 24, 2009

• City Council Once Again Considers BARC; Once Again Does Little To Nothing

  Photo by abcrumley​City Council delayed voting again on extending the contract for Gerry Fusco, the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's interim chief. Council members Ronald Green and Pam Holm asked that the vote be tabled. (Green told Hair Balls earlier this week that he hadn't read the contract yet). The $135,000 contract would extend Fusco's stay through January.But in a general discussion about the contract at today's council meeting, council members Ed Gonzalez, Sue Lovell, Toni L

  August 26, 2009

• Animal Cruelty Can Be Fun!

  Regular readers of the Houston Press and Hair Balls have been following the saga of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care for some time as we've tried to raise awareness about mismanagement and abuse at the facility. Change is slow to come by, as the City and City Council continue to sit on their hands. But is animal cruelty always that bad? Now hear me out...I'm not talking about actual abuse, which is horrifying and shameful, but rather fictional abuse, which can be amusing and catharic. Ce

  August 28, 2009

• Former BARC Vet Sues City Over His Firing

  ​Veterinarian Gil Costas, fired from the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care last February for an alleged registration violation, has sued the City under the Texas Whistleblower Act.Filed today, the suit accuses the city of "trying to hurriedly squelch Dr. Costas and discredit him" after Costas accused fellow BARC vet David Rundell of operating without a controlled-substances registration. Costas also complained that Rundell's superior, former Chief Veterinarian Eunice Ohashiegbula-Iwunze,

  August 31, 2009

• The "No-Kill" Advocate Issues A Report Showing All's Still Not Well At BARC

  Photo by wsliver​Hair Balls has just been making our way through "no-kill" advocate Nathan Winograd's just-released assessment of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, and we have one question for city officials: When are you going to sue this guy for libel?!We ask that because the BARC described in this highly detailed, photo-laden 196-page analysis is not the same BARC we've been getting vague "attaboy!" reports of since Gerry Fusco was brought on as interim bureau chief.Now, we don

  September 15, 2009

• BARC's Change Agent Finally Gets A Contract

  City Council unanimously approved hotly debated 6-month contract for Gerry Fusco, interim chief for the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. The unanimity was a bit of a surprise, given the sharp critcism doled out two weeks ago by Councilwoman Jolanda Jones, who said she felt Fusco had refused to give her enough information about the benchmarks on his contract, among other things. The $135,000 contract will keep Fusco at BARC through January.There was no mention we heard of the report released

  September 16, 2009

• Some Good News Comes Out Of BARC

  ​Some awesome news coming out of the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care today: The City has secured $3.3 million to vastly improve the dilapidated buildings that process more than 20,000 animals each year. But that's not all -- BARC's also planning the construction of a new facility, complete with an adoption program, vet clinic, and a dog park.According to a press release issued today, a new "modular facility for cats will be in place within 30 days," and renovations to the nearly

  October 1, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Fat Dogs, Happy Dogs, All-Knowing Cats

  "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe," Rutger Hauer says at the end of Blade Runner, a film which Hair Balls has never actually seen in its entirety, because we've fallen asleep during every attempt. But in looking through this week's batch of amazingly adoptable animals at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, we noticed more stray dogs than usual, and we sort of drifted off, thinking about things they might see out on their own, and how bewildering, scary and astonishing thos

  October 7, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): It Was A Dark And Stormy Night At BARC...

  Because Hair Balls has been busy shopping for a decent Halloween costume this week, we needed help in writing about this latest batch of lovelies available for adoption at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. So we turned to members of our fantasy cricket league, which happens to include esteemed authors both living and deceased. These folks were only too happy to lend their unique gifts to the cause, and we just can't thank 'em enough!   Photos by Robyn Arouty​Gumby (Raymond Ca

  October 14, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Listen Up, Class

  Alright class, settle down. We have a lot of work to do, as we were all off last week. Today's vocabulary lesson only includes canine breeds available for adoption at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care -- we didn't want to blow anyone's mind the first day back. But you still need to pay attention. Bobby, what did I just say?! Do you have something to share with the rest of the class, young man? That's what I thought. Now, eyes up front. That includes you, Samantha. Do I have to confis

  October 28, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): This Edition Has A Cool Theme Song

  Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to alleviate the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care's crowded conditions while welcoming a loving, loyal, possibly slobber-ridden companion into your life. Attached are the photos of your primary targets. If you or any team member are caught or killed, the Secretary of Hair Balls will not only disavow any knowledge of your actions, but we will also kick your ass. This website will self-destruct in five seconds. Just kidding. Wouldn't that b

  November 4, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Updates, Both Good And Bad

  Due to some technical difficulties having to do with the stimulus package, global warming, and the war on terror, Hair Balls isn't able to present a brand new batch of adoptable critters this week.Instead, we thought we'd tell you about some dogs who've been adopted, and some who are on death row. Hopefully the latter will make you feel guilty enough to run right out and snatch one up. Seriously, we want the pics of the dogs who're still at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care to pull y

  November 11, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): 5-7-5 And Gift Certificates!

  Whenever there's a seasonal change (or what passes for a seasonal change in Houston) Hair Balls tends to get a bit wistful. With the holidays approaching and the weather cooling a bit this week, we couldn't help but turn inward and examine our own soul, even as we try to help the animals at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care.Fortunately, our meditative sojourn only lasted about five minutes, because we stumbled upon a freakin' Who's the Boss? marathon on cable, sidled u

  November 18, 2009

• La Plus Ca Change At BARC

  Photo by wsilver​People who aren't fans of dogs accidentally strangling themselves with their leashes aren't going to like this story: On Wednesday, a dog at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care died after, as previously mentioned, it got caught up in its leash while a staff member cleaned its cage.Elena Marks of the Mayor's Office, which now oversees BARC, confirmed for Hair Balls today thart "it had been taken out of its cage and secured with a rope or leash while the cage

  November 20, 2009