After the publication of our article concerning the closure of the Shelter for Homeless Small Animals in Przylasek to visitors, the chairman of the Management Board of the “Kwisa” Association of Municipalities contacted the editorial office Szymon Surmacz. He addressed the questions that arose after the order effective from 8 July to 9 August was issued.

Let us recall that the official justification for the decision cited temporary staff shortages. At the same time, the editorial office received a recording of a meeting indicating that the closure of the shelter had previously also been considered in connection with the escalating conflict surrounding the facility.

Two sick leaves

Chairman S. Surmacz argues that the current decision was made after the shelter manager reported sudden staff shortages. As he recounts, two of the six employees are currently on sick leave, which forced a reorganization of work.

According to the chairman, the priority now is to ensure the animals receive care and to maintain the shelter’s continuity of operation. He emphasizes that the dogs are still being taken for walks by employees, and that the closure applies only to visits by people from outside.

The chairman also repeatedly emphasized that the Management Board of the “Kwisa” Association of Municipalities and the shelter management are responsible for the animals’ welfare and the facility’s operation. As he notes, this is precisely why decisions concerning work organization must take the animals’ safety into account above all.

He admits: this scenario had been considered earlier

At the same time, S. Surmacz does not deny that he had considered temporarily closing the shelter even before the staffing problems emerged. As he explains, he believed then that such a solution could give the shelter the time and peace needed to implement organizational changes.

He assures, however, that the final decision was made only after the manager reported staffing problems. These, he argues, were the direct reason for issuing the order.

Volunteer program to launch in September

The chairman also announced that the “Kwisa” Association of Municipalities is preparing a new volunteer system which, according to plan, is to begin operating in September.

He claims that 14 people have already registered, regulations are being prepared, and prospective volunteers are to undergo training. In his view, working with dogs staying at the shelter requires appropriate preparation and cannot take place without prior induction.

He accuses some people of destabilizing the shelter’s operation

Chairman Szymon Surmacz believes that an atmosphere of conflict has been building around the shelter for months, making the facility’s daily operation more difficult. He claims that employees and the administration are burdened not only with the ongoing care of the animals, but also with numerous requests for access to public information and the need to prepare extensive documentation.

At one point, he even stated that – in his opinion – some people cared more about “reach and likes on Facebook” than about actually helping the animals.

He does not rule out legal action

The chairman also admitted that the Association of Municipalities had considered taking legal action against people who, in his opinion, publish false information about the shelter. He noted, however, that no decisions on the matter have yet been made.

We will return to this topic.

(Headline: illustrative photo).