Anyone know what this is all about?

Subject: [DOGJC] SAMPLE LETTERS - feel free to use


Here are some sample letters, along with whom to send them to. If you can find the time to put them in your own words that would be great, but is not required. Thanks to everyone for acting on this quickly.

LETTER 1

Dear Dr. Sorhage,
I am writing to you concerning the deplorable management and conditions at the Hudson County District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HCSPCA) in the hope of breaking the more than 25 year pattern of chronic abuses at the facility, and lack of appropriate official action.
The HCSPCA has a long history of operating in violation of shelter regulations NJAC 8:23A-1 et seq, as documented in the State Commission of Investigations' 2001 report and continuing to this day. The report noted then that the HCSPCA was the subject of more complaints and inspections than any other SPCA shelter in the state. The SCI was sharply critical of both the DHSS and the local Jersey City Health Dept. for failing to take appropriate steps to ensure the facility came into compliance. Both the DHSS and the local Jersey City Health dept. have a history of inspecting the facility, finding violations, and then failing to follow up or issue fines. In fact, the SCI stated that the DHSS's failure to respond appropriately to the HCSPCA was indicative of the failure of the shelter inspection system as a whole.
The HCSPCA has exhibited and continues to exhibit a habitual practice of deplorable conditions and substandard care of the animals. The HCSPCA has no desire or intent to take the steps necessary to operate within the bounds of the law. Strong regulatory response is needed to bring the facility into compliance once and for all. I am aware that both the State DHSS and the local Health Dept. have recently inspected the HCSPCA and found intolerable conditions and numerous, egregious violations. I expect that the DHSS will take the following steps:
Issue fines to the HCSPCA for all violations found at the 2/20/08 inspection pursuant to your authority under N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.14 and N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.19. This is necessary and appropriate mostly because, as noted in the report, the conditions had worsened since the inspector's last visit.
Issue a recommendation to the local Jersey City Health Department to suspend the facility's license until the HCSPCA submits and acts upon an approved Plan of Correction.
Ascertain whether the HCSPCA currently has a license to operate from the local Jersey City Health Dept. If not, then take all steps necessary pursuant to the authority granted by N.J.S.A. 26:1A-15 and N.J.S.A. 26:1A-5: to shut the operation down until such time as a license can be obtained.
Hold a Public Health Meeting between the local Jersey City Health Officer, Joseph Castagna, the president of the HCSPCA, and members of the public to create a plan aimed at bringing this facility into meaningful compliance.
Continue to do regular, unannounced inspections until meaningful compliance is achieved.
I expect and look forward to hearing from you as to what DHSS decides to do.
Send to (remove spaces on either side of @):

Faye Sorhage, State Public Health Veterinarian
faye.sorhage @ doh.state.nj.us

cc without comment to:
Renee.Cirillo @ doh.state.nj.us
Heather.Bialy @ doh.state.nj.us
melissa.raksa @ dol.lps.state.nj.us
mariano @ jcnj.org
MayorHealy @ jcnj.org
HudsonAnimalAdvocates @ Comcast.net

LETTER 2

To the Editors:

I am writing in hopes of bringing attention to the deplorable management and conditions at the Hudson County District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HCSPCA) in the hope of breaking the more than 25 year pattern of chronic abuses at the facility, and lack of appropriate official action.
The HCSPCA has a long history of operating in violation of shelter regulations. A 2001 State Commission report noted that the HCSPCA had more complaints and inspections than any other SPCA shelter in the state. The report was sharply critical of both the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Jersey City Health Department for failing to make the shelter follow the law. Both departments have a history of inspecting, finding violations, and doing nothing. Seven years have passed and things are now even worse.
The HCSPCA continues to practice deplorable conditions and substandard care of the animals. They show no desire or intent to operate within the law. The city and state need to bring the facility into compliance once and for all. Both the State DHSS and the local Health Dept. have recently inspected the HCSPCA. They found numerous, egregious violations. Even the most basic information on a Not-for-Profit is impossible to come by. No one can tell me who is on the Board of Directors of the HCSPCA. No one knows if they have a license. The only license I can find expired 5 years ago. If they don't have a license, how are they still open? When is enough enough?

Send to (for emails, remove spaces on either side of @):

Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P.
1400 Washington Street
PO Box 3069
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Attn: Letters to the Editor

The Jersey Journal
http://www.nj.com/mailforms/journalletters/

The Star-Ledger
Star-Ledger letters must not exceed more than 200 words. All submissions must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Address and phone numbers are kept confidential. Unsigned submissions will not be used. Calls made to you by the Star-Ledger to verify authorship do not guarantee publication.
eletters @ starledger.com
Cc: HudsonAnimalAdvocates@comcast.net

LETTER 3

Dear Mr. De Fazio,
I am wrting to thank your office for having taken the case involving 13 criminal charges against Zoe Carbajales related to her role as Manager of the Hudson County District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, issued by Joe Frank of Jersey City Animal Control
It is hard to describe how upsetting I find the deplorable conditions of the shelter and the behavior of its'manager. I was glad to hear that Mrs. Carbajales had been charged. I urge you to please proceed with the charges as soon as possible. I will follow up with your office shortly to see what action is planned.
Again, thank you for taking the case.
Send to (remove spaces on either side of @):

Edward J. De Fazio
hcpo @ hcpo.org

Cc: HudsonAnimalAdvocates@comcast.net

Finally an organized effort to get that place to change and start treating the animals better. I am writing my letters tomorrow. I hope others are doing the same.

Thanks for posting catsndogs :)

Great post Sal
as usual :)

mary ann

Please cross post.

My fellow animal lovers ?

The following is long, but PLEASE read all of it.

I am pleased to be able to announce the formation of a new animal
welfare organization, Hudson Animal Advocates. Hudson Animal
Advocates (HAA) is currently in the process of applying for not-for-
profit status. The first mission of Hudson Animal Advocates is to
see that all laws relevant to the operation of the Hudson County
District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HCSPCA)
are enforced. To that end HAA has retained the services of New
Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center for pro-bono legal
representation. In the words of our retainer, Appleseed has been
retained to "provide legal services ? in connection with ? efforts
to secure the open, transparent and lawful operation of the Hudson
County SPCA ("SPCA"), a 501(c)(3) charity operating in the City of
Jersey City. Specifically, ? our advice on the matter of obtaining
the cooperation of various state and local agencies in bringing the
SPCA into compliance with various state and local statutory and
regulatory requirements. This will include assistance from the
Public Interest Attorney in drafting correspondence to various state
and local agencies including but not limited to, the Attorney
General, in which ? will request the Attorney General take steps to
dissolve the Board of Directors of the SPCA and replace same with a
Board of Directors who can govern the organization appropriately and
consistently with all applicable legal requirements. " Joining us in
signing the retainer is Jersey City Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop.

In order to succeed in these goals, we will require your help and
understanding. We need to start with the following three action
items:

ACTION ITEM 1
We will start by reaching out to those who have taken some action
and convince them to take the next steps. We need each of you,
following closely the guidelines below, to write (via letter or
email) to the State Health Department, cc'ing the inspectors, the
Department's Attorney, Mayor Healey, and New Jersey City Council
President Mariano Vega. Your letters should mention the following,
in your own words where you feel it is appropriate. Make sure to
list whom you have cc'd at the bottom of the letter or email.

*The purpose of the letter is to request her cooperation in taking
strong steps to ensure that the HCSPCA is properly regulated under
NJAC 8:23A-1 et seq.

*The HCSPCA has a long history of operating in violation of shelter
regulations NJAC 8:23A-1 et seq. The HCSPCA has exhibited and
continues to exhibit a habitual practice of deplorable conditions
and substandard care of the animals. The HCSPCA has no desire or
intent to take the steps necessary to operate within the bounds of
the law. Strong regulatory response is needed to bring the facility
into compliance once and for all.

*The State Commission of Investigations' 2001 report noted that the
HCSPCA was the subject of more complaints and inspections than any
other SPCA shelter in the state. The SCI was sharply critical of
both the DHSS and the local Jersey City Health Dept. for failing to
take appropriate steps to ensure the facility came into compliance.
Both the DHSS and the local Jersey City Health dept. have a history
of inspecting the facility, finding violations, and then failing to
follow up or issue fines. In fact, the SCI stated that the DHSS's
failure to respond appropriately to the HCSPCA was indicative of the
failure of the shelter inspection system as a whole.

*You should say that you are aware both the State DHSS and the local
Health Dept. have recently inspected the HCSPCA and found
intolerable conditions and numerous, egregious violations. To break
the more than 25 year pattern of chronic abuses at the facility, and
lack of appropriate official action, you are requesting the DHSS
take the following steps:

Issue fines to the HCSPCA for all violations found at the 2/20/08
inspection pursuant to your authority under N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.14 and
N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.19. This is necessary and appropriate mostly
because, as noted in the report, the conditions had worsened since
the inspector's last visit.

Issue a recommendation to the local Jersey City Health Department to
suspend the facility's license until the HCSPCA submits and acts
upon an approved Plan of Correction.

Ascertain whether the HCSPCA currently has a license to operate from
the local Jersey City Health Dept. If not, then take all steps
necessary pursuant to the authority granted by N.J.S.A. 26:1A-15 and
N.J.S.A. 26:1A-5: to shut the operation down until such time as a
license can be obtained.

Hold a Public Health Meeting between the local Jersey City Health
Officer, Joseph Castagna, the president of the HCSPCA, and members
of the public to create a plan aimed at bringing this facility into
meaningful compliance.

Continue to do regular, unannounced inspections until meaningful
compliance is achieved.

The letter should end by asking her to please let the writer know
what she decides to do.

ONCE YOU HAVE SENT YOUR LETTERS, PLEASE EMAIL HudsonAnimalAdvocat es
@ comcast.net (remove spaces on either side of @)and let us know you
have done so. As soon as enough people have emailed us that they
have written, we will set up a call day. On that day we will ask
each of you who wrote Dr. Sorhage's office to call and confirm that
your message was received and ask what action is planned.

Write to:

Faye Sorhage, State Public Health Veterinarian
Department of Health and Senior Services
Division of Infectious and Zoonotic Disease
P.O. Box 369
Trenton, NJ 08625
faye.sorhage @ doh.state.nj. us (remove spaces on either side of @)

cc without comment to:
Renee Cirillo @ same address
Heather Bialy @ same address

Melissa H. Raksa, Chief Deputy Attorney General
Hughes Justice Complex, 8th Floor
PO Box 112
Trenton, NJ 08625
melissa.raksa @ dol.lps.state. nj.us (remove spaces on either side of
@)

cc Mayor Healey and Councilman Vega with a note indicating that this
is for their information (fyi). Please DO NOT include a note asking
them what they intend to do. We will address them on city action at
the appropriate time. They can be reached at the following
addresses:

Council President Mariano Vega, Jr.
City Hall
280 Grove Street
Room 202
Jersey City, NJ 07302
mariano @ jcnj.org (remove spaces on either side of @)

Mayor Jeremiah Healy
City Hall
280 Grove Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
MayorHealy @ jcnj.org (remove spaces on either side of @)

ACTION ITEM 2
We also need to raise public attention to the failings of the
shelter without making direct accusations that we, as individual
writers, can not prove. To that end, you should write to local
publications that express your horror at the local news reports you
have seen and poses one or more of the following questions:


Can anyone tell who is on the Board of Directors of the HCSPCA? The
information does not appear to be available anywhere.

Does anyone know if they have a license? The only license you are
aware of expired 5 years ago.

If they don't have a license, how are they still open?

Please write to:

Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P.
1400 Washington Street
PO Box 3069
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Attn: Letters to the Editor

The Jersey Journal
http://www.nj. com/mailforms/ journalletters/

The Star-Ledger
Star-Ledger letters must not exceed more than 200 words. All
submissions must include the writer's name, address and phone
number. Address and phone numbers are kept confidential. Unsigned
submissions will not be used. Calls made to you by the Star-Ledger
to verify authorship do not guarantee publication.
eletters @ starledger.com (remove spaces on either side of @)

ACTION ITEM 3
The district attorney has thousands of cases referred to his office
from local municipalities for action. Even if this matters to the
Prosecutor's office, the charges against HCSPCA Manager Zoe
Carbajales may not be noticed for awhile unless we make it float to
the top. You need to write the Prosecutor (again, by letter or
email). Thank him for taking the case. Tell him how upsetting you
find conditions at the shelter and how glad you were to hear that
Zoe had been charged. Urge him to please proceed with the charges
as soon as possible. Let him know that you will follow up to find
out what action has been taken. ONCE YOU HAVE SENT YOUR LETTERS,
PLEASE EMAIL HudsonAnimalAdvocat es @ comcast.net (remove spaces on
either side of @) and let us know you have done so. As soon as
enough people have emailed us that they have sent letters, we will
set up a call day. On that day we will ask each of you who wrote to
the Prosecutor's office to confirm that your letter was received and
ask what action is planned. Write to:

Edward J. De Fazio
Hudson County Prosecutor's Office
595 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
hcpo @ hcpo.org (remove spaces on either side of @)

The above action items do not address the issues related to Dr.
Young. Our retainer with Appleseed is limited to the SPCA, as they
need it to be, but we can certainly look into retaining them on that
issue as well. Having all the documentation available will help us
to achieve that. That woman needs to be removed from her profession
as soon as humanly possible. Also, if anyone on this list has ever
dealt with her 'rescue group' please contact us to recount your
experience.

For that matter, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to
contact us at HudsonAnimalAdvocat es @ comcast.net (remove spaces on
either side of @)

Please cross post.