Editor's note: Jesse Miller started the Animal Cruelty Heartline of El Paso in 2005. The following is an e-mail she sent yesterday (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008) announcing her resignation.
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Since many of you have been on my email list since I first started ACHE in September of 2005 I thought it would be appropriate to inform you of my resignation from ACHE effective December 31, 2008.
It is not easy running a non-profit, actually it is the hardest job I have ever had in my entire working career.
Due to conflict of interest; lack of support from my Board of Directors I am unable to continue my work for ACHE as the Executive Director and Cruelty Investigator.
Although I leave ACHE with mixed feelings of sadness and happiness I leave ACHE with NO regrets as I know I have given beyond the call of duty and made a tremendous difference in the lives of many abused animals. I leave knowing I did the best job I could do given the limited support and resources that I had to work with.
I am very proud of all the things that ACHE was able to accomplish these past three years. The main accomplishment of course is the many hundreds of animals that were served by the work I did for ACHE.
In a very short period of time I was able to bring much awareness to the issue of Animal Cruelty in our community. ACHE became the only agency able to rescue horses and to this day we served 52 horses since the first three horses were seized and rescued in September of 2006. In 2006/2007 ACHE had approximately 17 dog and horse cruelty cases pending with the Districts Attorneys Office. I was able to make an impact with Law Enforcement Agencies on how they dealt with cruelty issues; yes I gave the many abused animals a very loud voice. Because of my efforts in 2006 The El Paso Police Department entered into a Service Agreement with ACHE which allowed us to assist Police Officers in dealing with cruelty cases and take custody of the animals. I was also able to facilitate the warrant process through Law Enforcement so animals suffering extreme neglect could be taken into custody immediately. This is something that was almost unheard of until I made huge efforts in making this happen. I also pushed to remove animals without warrants understanding the law and knowing that we had to remove the animals or they would die if we delayed our efforts. I had countless people turn over animals to me to avoid being charged with animal cruelty. These animals were suffering due to lack of care and ignorance on the owner’s part. I educated a lot of people in the community about our cruelty laws and in return helped many animals out of very abusive situations. In 2007 then Chief Wiles nominated me for the Hero’s of the Pass award and I was selected to receive that award. Richard Wiles now our next Sheriff is a true advocate and will help many abused animals that are in desperate need in the County of El Paso. I hope to continue my efforts with him and the Sheriffs department to bring help to the many abused animals in the County. I was able to take part in Training Four Graduating Academy’s in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the Police Department regarding the link between human violence and cruelty to animals. The first year of ACHE’s existence I was able to secure a shelter so that the many animals coming out of our cruelty cases had a place to go and find safe haven. ACHE offered many animals coming out of domestic violence situations rescue and a new chance at life. I was the first Certified Animal Cruelty Investigator in El Paso. I was also able to bring much Print and Television Media attention to the issue of Animal Cruelty in our community. For this I have the dedicated Media people to thank they took notice of what was happening and made a huge effort in covering the stories I brought them in order to help bring awareness to our community. Because of these stories many more abused animals were rescued. Thank you!
I want to thank everyone that supported my efforts in making ACHE successful I truly appreciate your support without you I could not have done the work that I did.
My hopes are that ACHE will continue to operate and reach or exceed all the goals that I had originally set for its success. ACHE’s continued success will mean that many abused animals will get the help that they need and a community will be educated and served regarding the very important issue of ANIMAL CRUELTY.
I am now in desperate need of adopting out the 11 horses we still have in our care. In the next few days I will send out complete Bio’s and pictures of the horses I need to adopt out before I leave on December 31st. I will ask all of you to please help me find these beautiful creatures a home. ACHE also has a shelter full of great dogs that are also in desperate need of homes. Many of these dogs came out of our cruelty cases.
It has been my pleasure, honor and a true privilege to have been the founder of ACHE which served many abused and neglected animals in our community. I will continue my individual efforts by giving abused animals a voice they desperately need. Thank you….for all your help.
Sincerely,
Jessie Miller
Founder Animal Cruelty Heartline of El Paso
David K
November 20, 2008
That was the biggest paragraph ever written - bravo, bravo.
Bewildered
November 20, 2008
Whose "conflict of interest" is it? Do the Board members have a conflict or does Jessie have the conflict? And why not explain the "lack of support" and leave everyone wondering what the problem is? Why not even say who the Board members are? Quite likely some people would step up to help if there wasn't such a mystery being sustained by Jessie? Why not get new Board members? Obviously from all the successes she has listed to her own credit there is ssomething that would have been (and still could be?) salvaged here but Jessie has made it virtually impossible by not explaining anything that is wrong. I can't give her any credit at all for not explaining what the problems are. For all the caring she has demonstrated she is certainly not ending this well by sneaking away and avoiding any elplanations at all. If this work is needed and worth doing then our community deserves explanations...not just a final self praise.
Herman
November 20, 2008
These are the same people who will not let you adopt a dog under any circumstance. I tried twice and since I was honest and told them that the nearly 100 pound dog I wanted to adopt would spend three days a week outside in my huge backyard that I couldn't have the dog. They said all dogs had to be kept in doors 100% of the time.
I hope they all go away.
Patricia
November 20, 2008
I cannot imagine what the issues were between you and the board, Jessie, but for a founder to leave an organization, I am dismayed. Thank you for all you have done for the animals and I wish you the best of luck in whatever your future endeavors will be.
Ms. J
November 21, 2008
you can not say the "same people" for it was not the volunteers that rejected you. nor should you say "i hope they all go away" for it was because of this organization and it's volunteers (along with other organizations) that were able to save hundreds of dogs, along with cats, horses, and some other wildlife that desperately needed help....and it does not say on the contract that the dog has to be kept in doors 100% of the time...i know for i have adopted from there and looking at the contract as i type this reply. maybe it was something else about you that kept you from being able to adopt. from reading your response i can see why you were rejected...it's because of that negative and hateful attitude i'm sure.
but at any rate....it is so sad to see Mrs. Miller leaving. she along with her volunteers were able to do so many great things along with bringing the hope that she was going to bring in SPCA (society for the prevention of cruelty to animals) into El Paso it will now be even further pushed back...but there is still hope. and just because she is not going to be the main "voice" does NOT mean that El Paso needs to go back to where it was before she started ACHE and PET HAVEN....we just have to continue with what she was able to teach us...use that knowledge for the better and do things on OUR OWN, along with continue to help ACHE and PET HAVEN with who ever is able to take them over. there are also others, like the Animal Rescue League.
just keep in mind, that it's not up to just ONE person....it is up to US ALL...and it's a continuous fight that we must be strong with helping out the cause. no matter how small or big. if you are able to do just one thing, then you are helping.
David K
November 21, 2008
Sorry Ms. J I can back up Herman's story. My wife and I ran into the same situation. They were undbending in their request that big dogs not be left alone outside ever.
These people are insane. They have a sickness that's called animal hoarding. I know a lot of people who could not adopt from them even though they had already had healthy well adjusted dogs of their own.
It's great that this person saved animals, but sometimes it becomes a sick obsession that is as bad as it is good.
There are several groups like this in town that are just as bad, so it's not an isolated incident. It's better that we promote the SPCA type groups and not these off-shoot groups.
Thank god for the pound. They are at least reasonable.
Yolanda Petereit
November 26, 2008
Wow Jessie I can’t believe it came down to this. As per you saying Due to conflict of interest; lack of support from my Board of Directors I am unable to continue my work for ACHE as the Executive Director and Cruelty Investigator.
Are we talking about the same BOD ?? The BOD who raised you $28,000 dollars in less than a month in last year’s fundraiser? The Board of Directors who sponsored all of your Animal Cruelty investigator training not to mention the $10,000 you just got from WAL-MART ?
If so it’s heartbreaking that you think of them like that when all they and I ever did was try to help you.