COUNTY WORKERS TRASHED ANIMAL RESCUE EQUIPMENT IN DUMPSTER! Replacement value - $10,982.00!

Oh boy! This is getting crazier and crazier!   Sometimes dog lovers come to the rescue, and here is one such case:

Gilpin County has a team of volunteers assisting in animal rescues called GCART - Gilpin County Animal Response Team. The original team was formed more than 20 years ago and they have selflessly volunteered 24/7 to rescue animals in harms way, also assisting the owners of the animals.

Recently there has been a huge change in the team. Those who built the team were nudged out as the county hired a full-time Emergency Management Director. He has new plans, new ways, and a new team of volunteers. I don’t know the new team members, but I imagine they have a heart for animals as well, or they wouldn’t be volunteering for GCART service.

That being said, some on this new team, under the direction of the Manager, cleaned out a storage container of animal rescue equipment (list below) with a replacement value of nearly $11,000 and threw it all into a dumpster at the fairgrounds on September 2.

Tap this link for the entire dumpster list.

At a glance, here is a short list of some things I cannot understand throwing in the trash without asking the former members about the value and uses for this equipment:

70 kennels

Wooden chair

$1,600 modular cage short bank (holds four animals)

20 brand new two-sided plastic pet dishes, and 20 additional plastic food bowls

Microwave oven

Used landscape fabric used as a mat over the dirt floor, under the animal cages

5 Special chicken feeders that hang from top of cage. 

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The Manager had solicited by letter the week before, his volunteers to clean out the storage unit, but didn’t contact those who had gathered all this equipment to ask what they would suggest be done with it all. His letter is attached below:

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“From: Nate Whittington <nwhittington@gilpincounty.org>

Sent: Monday, August 28, 2023 12:26:48 PM”

To: [GCART MEMBERS, removed for privacy]

“Hello,

I wanted to send out an update and request to all of you…

One of the major tasks I need someone to spearhead is cleaning the conex. If you are interested, I will need you to schedule the day to clean it out and decide if something is worth keeping or needs to be tossed away. Once the day has been decided, I will work with the County waste management to get a dumpster on site to help with the cleanout. I would like to have a meeting with whoever decides to take this on, as I have a few suggestions. 

Let me know if an area of help interests you 😊”

 

 

Nathan Whittington MPA, CEM, MEPP, Director of Emergency Management nunquam non paratus   Email: nwhittington@gilpincounty.org Phone: 303-515-4320

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The Manager was not at the fairgrounds when this “cleaning” took place and nearly $11,000 worth of equipment was thrown away!

On the morning of Sunday, September 3, our friends attended the dog training class at the fairgrounds with other Gilpinites. They noticed a large, green dumpster FULL of things one member of the class recognized as GCART supplies! These people were so surprised that this stuff was being trashed when it was obviously valuable, usable animal equipment…70 KENNELS, CRATES, FEEDING BOWLS, LEASHES, and on and on.

Well, these Good Samaritans immediately started retrieving the supplies out of the dumpster in shock with every item, wondering why in the world our County would be so wasteful as to throw away perfectly good equipment, when at the same time they are putting ANOTHER TAX INCREASE on the ballot in two months (1A)! Why would they be so reckless with the investments we have already made to the GCART program?

These wonderful folks rescued all the supplies and stored them in a building of a friend of one of the members, while they called the Sheriff’s Department to file a formal Complaint. Here are some pictures of some of the equipment they saved from a landfill:

 

The day after these good citizens rescued the equipment, one of them went back to the fairgrounds and found the dumpster FULL OF BALES OF HAY AND STRAW!!!! Again, they emptied this valuable resource from the dumpster and found a home to store it all. Even Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth (who worked with GCART for years and quit last week) saw the value of this healthy hay and straw.  She took two bales to use at the Community Garden! Pictures below…

The case is still under investigation by the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office. 

The good news from this pathetic story is that as soon as all this valuable equipment was retrieved from the dumpster, and the Complaint was filed, and the Sheriff’s Office gave them permission, one of the members (who has dedicated many years to helping animals) got on the phone and successfully got all the equipment donated to rescue agencies and other animal organizations grateful to receive this donation.

These people deserve recognition and praise for going above and beyond for the health, safety and comfort of animals in distress.

Thank you to all of those that looked outside of themselves and their own dogs on a Sunday morning to save this valuable equipment from a landfill and put them in the hands of others willing to help animals in need.

Thank you for reading our Gilpin Light, Illuminating truth in Gilpin County. Please feel free to share this with your friends and neighbors. You are also welcome to send us verifiable stories you are concerned about in our county.

Donna Okray Parman

Founder, The Gilpin Light

thegilpinlight@gmail.com

Email the Commissioners

... or call them at 303-582-5214 to voice your concerns.

Bypass lengthy voice commands by these extension numbers as soon as the system answers.  It will connect you to the Commissioner's voicemail.

 

Marie Mornis extension - 11101

Sandy Hollingsworth extension - 11103

Susan Berumen extension - 11102