Today is a very difficult day. We had to give back our dog Augie to my husband’s employer. Augie was a bomb sniffing dog, my husband’s work partner, and his faithful companion for the last 2 years. Unfortunately my husband has been battling a 9/11 related cancer, and his failing health forced him to resign his position as a bomb-dog handler. And although we understand that Augie is legally the property of my husbands employer, we had hoped, considering his older age, that they would retire him a little early and allow him to stay with us. But Unfortunately that did not happen. To the company he is a piece of property that earns them money, but to us he was our family. We are so devastated and heart broken over this loss, and can only hope he doesn’t stay too long in the training facility, and is placed quickly with a new dog handler that will love him as much as we did.
Another handler treated like family by MSA.
Bill Beaury
No words... Absolutely horrible and disgusting how this company behaves. Why don't we start a protest in front of Murray Street? Spread the word! When people see a MSA K9 handler working at the numerous sites, they should be informed with how crappy MSA treats their handlers.
ReplyDeleteIs there not one executive at MSA Security who has any sense of decency? Is there not one executive at MSA Security who has the guts and honor and can look at this situation that is so clearly wrong and make it right? Is there not one executive at MSA Security who will stick up for a handler? Based on past performance we already know the answer, a resounding NO! This is just one more negative incident on a long list that demonstrates consistently and overwhelmingly how poorly management treats the dogs and the handlers, and will continue to do so. If MSA management has a chance to stick it to us or has an opportunity to be petty and vindictive, they will do it and do it without hesitation. Tom Visconti as good a man as I have ever known was a loyal, honorable and courageous Police Officer. He is well respected by all who worked with him and has a stellar reputation amongst his brother and sister Police Officers. While working at MSA he was unselfish, conscientious and dedicated. Tom worked a difficult site and was well-liked and admired by the client for his knowledge and professionalism. So here we have a decorated New York City Police Officer, suffering from 9/11 cancer who can no longer work at a job he liked and was good at. He gave many good and profitable years to MSA and instead of rallying around him and helping make his life better, they take away Augie, a dog he loved, nurtured, made a part of his family and would be a source of comfort to Tom during the difficult tie ahead. Augie truly was a part of Tom's family not the fake family" that MSA would like clients and talk show hosts believe - but a real family. It breaks my heart to think about Augie leaving the family he knows and loves and now hanging out in a kennel. It's not bottom line because MSA has plenty of money and plenty of dogs - it's just them abusing their authority and acting in a mean-spirited and heartless fashion. Whomever at MSA Security made the decision to pull Augie has no soul, no empathy and a heart made of ice. Even the most callous, cold businessmen has to recognize on some level that this is wrong and it makes MSA Security look bad. The reputation of MSA Security continues to take a beating, morale is in the toilet and there can be no feeling of pride working for a company like MSA Security. The next time you are at Windsor and they tell you how important the bond between canine and handler is, think of Tom Visconti and Augie. MSA Security has become a bad joke in the security industry. The optics on this are so bad, but no one making decisions at MSA seems to care even about how it looks, even from a business standpoint. The sales force will go out and sell, wine and dine clients with expensive lunches and say with a straight face what a great company MSA is and what a great EDC Program we have and spout off about the "Windsor Brand". They will throw an expensive "client only" holiday party and the execs will invite their friends (most of whom who are not even clients) eat, drink, shake hands and tell each other what visionary businessmen they are. Laughable and when the EDC work starts to go away because clients are fed up and see the Windsor Brand for what it really is, or a good EDC company starts to go head to head with MSA and compete for work and be awarded contracts, those same execs who drove the company into the ground will find a way to blame the handlers. I would respectfully say to management why not move on, why not work with the UFK9 Handlers leadership and make things better for the membership. Let's begin to heal the employee/management relationship. Let's cast aside the acrimony and negativity and then we can all work towards making MSA a good place to work, a company we can all be proud of and even a more successful and profitable company.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should reach out to Guiding Eyes for the Blind and Puppies Behind Bars about this, they should know how the dogs are treated like cattle.
ReplyDeleteGuiding Eyes knows because I told them...
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