This year’s Oak Cliff Animal Initiative was a big success. Over 60 neighbors and animal advocates took the time on a beautiful spring morning to listen and productively discuss the animal issues facing our neighborhoods and city.
We continued our conversation based on last year’s positive framework as we openly discussed the challenges of the City’s current policy, resources, and laws.
Below is a summary of the meeting. Be prepared – it’s long, but it’s important. Read it a little here and there or plan on a few minutes to read it in its entirety…it was a 2 1/2 hour long productive meeting, so be prepared for lots of words. Even a new word you might not have known.
A big thank you to all our neighbors, volunteers, guest speakers, and to Scott Griggs’ office for arranging the room and providing our fabulous morning snack and Joe.
Our Goals:
As an army of many, together we can change our City’s animal culture by facilitating positive open conversation and collaboration in pursuit of solving our City’s animal issues. We can enact change when we:
- Connect, Inform and Empower
- Connect residents, advocates, businesses, rescuers, and passionate animal advocates with each other
- Exchange information through open conversations with each other and with the City about animal laws, resources, and known issues with the current system.
- Facilitate and Communicate
- Together, we can identify issues and communicate clear expectations with City leaders and Dallas Animal Services.
- As an army of many, we can spread educational information and help both create and demand a spay and neuter culture for our city.
Our neighborhoods are filled with individuals that rescue, volunteer, and advocate to save and help animals every day. As our culturally diverse neighborhoods come together, we quickly see that dogs don’t know neighborhood boundaries and our cross neighborhood collaboration is key to success. We share common animal issues and we share common resource needs. It is to our advantage to present a unified voice to help prioritize animal issues for the city.
The 2nd annual Oak Cliff Animal Initiative (OCAI2) guests included a diverse group of stakeholders including:
- Oak Cliff residents
- Crime Watch groups
- Individual rescuers
- Businesses
- City Council
- The Mayor’s liaison on animal issues, Mary Spencer,
- The press
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Special Guests: We had many special guests in the audience, many of whom came to listen in an official capacity and as an OC neighbor.
- Mary Spencer, Dallas Animal Commission Chair, Dallas Companion Animal Project Board Member, Advisory Board Member for the Texas Humane Legislation Network, Mayor’s Animal Liaison for the Grow South Initiative
- Joe Tave, Running for City Council in District 3
- Jay Acosta, Spay and Neuter Network
- Adrian Vela, Field Services Supervisor, Dallas Animal Services (OC resident)
- Courtney Gustafson, Animal Care Center Manager, SPCA (OC resident)
- Jimmy Tiller, Operations Manager, The Human Society of North Texas (HSNT) (OC resident)
- Deborah Whittington, Chairman for Code Compliance and Crime Watch for Bishop Arts, Dallas Morning News pet interest blogger (OC resident)
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Our guest speaker, Mai Brock, the Chief Interim Prosecutor, provided very valuable insight into how and where our current laws help protect animals. And Joe Tave, who is running for City Council District 3, listened and then spoke to the room about his commitment to helping solve the animal issues for the City.
Agenda
- Introduction
- Ground Rules
- Scott Griggs’ Comments
- Last Year’s Topics
- This Year’s Known Areas for Improvement
- Putting the Animal CONTROL Back in Animal Services
- The City Attorney’s Office – Animal Law
- Put animal WELFARE back in Animal Services
- Education Initiatives
- Neighborhood cats
- Recap action items
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1. & 2. Introduction and Ground Rules
We started the meeting with some baseline rules of engagement:
- Identify the Issues – We need to identify issues to solve them, but the meeting was not a gripe session.
- Say it with a smile and with respect- we were all there to collaborate to solve problems.
- Agree to disagree – healthy safe conflict always yields the best solutions. We may not all agree when openly discussing the issues, but we will respect each other’s positions.
- Euthanasia – Tough choices: humane euthanasia or death by street life
- Let’s acknowledge that the system is broken
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Our conversation worked from a baseline that the audience wouldn’t be attending a 2-3 hour meeting on a beautiful Saturday morning if the residents thought the current DAS, 311, and 911 system was working for animal issues. We also worked from the baseline that humane euthanasia is better than death by street life and therefor if we address the loose street dog issue, euthanasia and intake rates at the shelter will have to go up before they go back down.
We are FOR Dallas Animal Services. Dallas Animal Services (DAS) has made some great strides with the shelter, but we’re addressing animal control today and that requires tough, honest conversations. Pre meeting surveys told us that DAS, while working hard, is not serving and meeting the full needs of the community.
4. Last Year’s Topics
We reviewed last year’s topics and started the conversation under last year’s 80/20 Police Department model. The room was in alignment that not much has changed in the last year in regard to the City’s process, policy, or results in addressing known, identified animal issues. The consensus was that despite everyone’s amazing efforts to restore the DAS budget (great job everyone) the loose animal issues, in general, were worse. From the baseline we moved into this year’s identified issues and action items.
5. This Year’s Known Areas for Improvement
- Communication and Tracking
- There is a new $$$$ system in place that is supposed to solve the communication issues between 311 and DAS. We are told that the new system is designed to allow for meaningful tracking of dogs and calls.
- Let’s document the successes and challenges of the new systems.
- Now more than ever it is important to report loose dogs to 311 and to request a follow up call.
- Volunteers
- The neighborhood wants to help solve these issues through volunteering and boots on the ground education initiatives.
- Last year DAS was been given a $300k grant to start a volunteer program.
- Ask DAS to set a transparent expectation for how the program will allow the public to volunteer.
- Ask DAS to include our neighborhoods’ requested for a volunteer system that allows for and facilitates a neighborhood liaison.
- The neighborhood wants to help solve these issues through volunteering and boots on the ground education initiatives.
- Shelter Policy and Procedure: Need consistent policy and procedures.
- Address known issues with policy and procedure: The Aussie case and investigation put a lot of media attention on known issues with:
- Conduct
- Documentation
- Process and procedures
- Actively listening and solving issues from the user’s / taxpayer’s perspective
- These issues are ongoing even after the Aussie investigation has closed and “updates” have been made to SOPs (standard operating procedures).
- No intake procedure: The city has been “working” on this for quite some time now. Demand to know when will the procedure will be ready and published!?!
- Lack of intake procedure and process causes confusion for employees and residents about the intake process, hold times, euthanasia guidelines, and it sets confusing and unrealistic expectations on both sides.
- “Check IDs” – currently, it is NOT required to hand your ID over and have it scanned. The intake desk will tell you they have to do it.
- This is most likely adding to the dumping problem.
- Address known issues with policy and procedure: The Aussie case and investigation put a lot of media attention on known issues with:
- What happens to illegal residents if they need a service or need to claim a pet?
- There is no written policy on this
- Currently the gap between written policy and the perceived policy about showing and photocopying IDs is causing issues with residents’ willingness to claim their animals.
- When does the 72 hour hold start? The head of DAS and the operations manager of the shelter give differing opinions on this procedure when in the same room together. Let’s get this on paper in clear, easy to understand language and cascade the policy out to employees and the public.
- Be clear about what TIME of day the dog will be released from its hold. Currently, people think they have through the end of the hold period – but the EU list is made in the morning and that causes confusion. The dogs are often already dead when people come to get them thinking they are still on hold through the end of the day.
- Rules of engagement – Advocate with your City for a set of rules of engagement with the public rescuers (non 5013c rescuers). DAS currently does not see the value in collaborating with single and high volume rescuers like all the residents in attendance at the meeting. Scott Griggs is working with Gypsy Dog Ops (GDO) and the City to ensure proper rules of engagement are drafted so you do not to have a non-profit status to help our City’s animals.
- Policy and Procedure for “behavioral” animals – including shy or scared. There is currently no meaningful training for anyone on staff for animal behavior. We feel very strongly that everyone from the cleaning people to the intake officers, to the receptionist, to the head of the shelter should have modern behavioral and assessment training. Life and death decisions are being made by unqualified, untrained staff. Untrained staff are unknowingly compounding the issues with shy or fearful dogs. We have solid information about the training practices – you would be shocked at the training given to animals handlers. The animals and the people are both at risk because of a lack of a meaningful training programs and a lack of budgeting for training. Advocate for a plan!
- Since the OCAI2 meeting was held, we have been in touch with the SPCA whose volunteer training is sadly, more training than DAS staff gets. They have monthly training session for staff and volunteers. We are trying to create a collaboration that allows DAS access to SPCA training classes. We are working to make sure the DAS employees can get required continuing education credits for the SPCA training. More to come soon. This looks like it could be a win win for everyone.
- Advocate for new law: advocate for new laws at a State level that would prevent euthanasia of healthy animals when the shelter is not full. This is NOT advocating for a no-kill shelter. We are in no way advocating for a no-kill shelter. That is a lovely aspirational goal after the loose dog population is back under control.
- Resolve the conflict of interests and make a united team:
- Address the conflict of interest between DCAP / DAS / Animal Commission.
- Please review and support the restructure proposed by Scott Grigg’s office as it becomes available in May.
- Advocate for a panel (non-voting) with management level membership from: 311/ Code Compliance/Police Department/Public Information Office.
- Address the conflict of interest between DCAP / DAS / Animal Commission.
- The shelter is not just for 501-3cs
- One service level for all.
- Councilman Griggs is working with us proposing a supplemental “non 501-3c rescue friends” protocol
- Expect professional level conduct from anyone on payroll or the temp agency
- Expect professional behavior and equitable level of service from all associated with DAS: DCAP / DAS / Animal Commissioners
- One service level for all.
- Create an environment of trust, collaboration, and open communication
- Create a trust environment where employees and animals are not in danger when a complaint or area of improvement is noted
- Ensure a consistent, appropriate, professional messaging to the public
- Use of a Public Information Officer (PIO) like other departments even for Facebook and social media.
6. Putting the Animal CONTROL back in Animal Services
- Restructure: Systematically revamp and modernize!
- Animal Control and safety and quality of life are part of DAS’ mission – make it part of the business plan
- Vision: This requires a different kind of budget and planning.
- Let’s treat this like a legit business
- Understand needs of customer
- Audit process for efficiencies and effectiveness
- What drives cost structure?
- Prepare feasible budget and business plans for 3-5 years
- Forensic accounting
- Stop throwing good money after bad
- You can’t fix a problem if you won’t acknowledge it
- Get an outside consultant
- Police Department Model – 80/20 rule
- Budget for education and enforcement initiatives and a community liaison
- Training for behaviorally sound methods and best practices
- Modern best practices require this kind of training for success
- Every interaction counts
- Efficiencies and success comes from every interaction with an animal
- Expect compliance and promote a spay and neuter culture. Loose, dangerous, feral and hard to catch dogs – yes, we expect DAS to pick them up!
- Tools for success
- Community liaison / Neighborhood Officer
- Enforcement tools:
- Tickets
- Court
- Welfare and compliance checks
for:
- Intact – uncompliant
- Loose intact – Return to owner
- Repeat offender
- Spay and Neuter enforcement
- Provide no and low cost spay and neuter laws and resources
- How long is too long?
- Current waiting list is 3-4 months
- Provide no and low cost spay and neuter laws and resources
- Tracking and ticketing of repeat offenders
- Old system does not allow for tracking
- New system? Let’s be sure to report, follow up, and test the system’s abilities. You can post your 311 service request numbers and experience on the DAS accountability Facebook page that Jeremy Boss has set up.
- You can also send any unresolved issues to us here at Gypsy Dog Ops and we’ll see what we can do to help facilitate a positive outcome and resolution.
- Old system does not allow for tracking
- Training for all
- Acknowledge the loose dog crisis.
- Other nearby cities acknowledging the problem and are getting out front in addressing stray and loose animals:
- Fort Worth has a stray team dedicated behaviorally trained specialist for targeted tracking
- SPCA has behavioral training for under or unsocial dogs
- Other nearby cities acknowledging the problem and are getting out front in addressing stray and loose animals:
- Tools for success
7. The City Attorney’s Office – Animal Law
In January, we sent a list of questions regarding animal law to the City Attorney’s office. Our valued collaborator and Community Prosector, Yulise Waters, connected us to the city prosecutors that specialized in animal law. From that exchange we were able to find the right person to speak to the animal law and issues at the OCAI2.
Our guest speaker, Mai Brock, the Chief Interim Prosecutor, provided very valuable insight into how and where our current laws work to help protect animals. We really appreciate her time and participation in the conversation.
Her office is working on putting the answers to our original questions in writing. As soon as they are available, we will post them here. We learned some insightful, but upsetting, things about the way our animal laws are currently written. We learned that under the current ordinances, our tethering laws are very hard to enforce and prosecute.
We also talked to Prosecutor Brock about having a regular “Donuts with the DA” meeting. It would act as an informal meeting to inform and align residents and the City’s Attorney’s Office on how laws are working, what to do when, etc. etc. It would also allow for an open informative conversation about what the people need to advocate to change and tighten city animal ordinances.
We look forward to this collaboration and specific action items that the Attorney’s office can recommend so that we can petition the City to rewrite our laws and ordinances so the intent of the law can more easily be enforced. We will post as soon as we have a date for a follow up meeting from the City Attorney’s side of the presentation.
8. Putting the animal WELFARE back in Dallas Animal Services
When did it stop being about the animals?
- Put the “why” back in the shelter. Why does DAS exist? Animals should be better off for our interaction, not worse. Even if the result is a humane euthanasia, the animals deserve to be treated with respect and care with every interaction.
- Base services
- Once upon a time, Dallas Animal Services was called Animal Control. The base service should still be humane animal control. Currently, that is not part of DAS’ measured goals or objectives.
- Animal control is the one thing that should always remain in the budget when times are tight. If the budget is too small, shelters can rely on existing partnerships with private rescues and corporate sponsors to help with adoptions and adoption centers, but you cannot outsource the shelter’s responsibility to animal control and safety and quality life on our streets.
- Compassion Fatigue
- Don’t tolerate it. It costs lives and creates conditions that allow for inhumane treatment of animals.
- Demand DAS put in checks, balances, support, and training to combat compassion fatigue.
- The current culture allows for an attitude of complacency.
- Don’t accept:
- “We have a lot of animals, so they are going to get sick, that’s just how it is.”
- “We have a lot of animals, we don’t have time to help yours”
- “We have a lot of temp employees and can’t be expected to train them because they change too often”
- “We are understaffed so we can’t be expected to do that”
- “Picking up street dogs is not worth the return on DAS’s investment”
- “Too busy to deal with neighborhood issues”
- Don’t accept:
- Each animal has value and rights
- While we may not be able to ultimately help them all into a forever home, each animal has value and how they are treated matters.
- Customer service training from the top down
- It just shouldn’t be that hard to help an animal. The public is not the enemy. Animal advocates of any kind or affiliation should be considered partners towards a common goal and mission.
- User feedback is valuable – leadership should listen with intent.
- Advocate for collaboration rules and policy
- Let get behavioral and assessment training for ALL shelter employees
- Every interaction counts!
- Spay and Neuter Enforcement – DEMAND this of the City budget!
- How long is too long to allow an owner to get into full compliance?
- If there is enough time for another litter – it is too long!
- Male dogs should be picked up immediately and returned to the owner, neutered, the same day or the following day. (under the daily field services appointments)
- If there are not enough appointments to do this…
- Get more field services spay and neuter appointments
- Measure the need and budget for it!
- If one (1) dog can be responsible for over 600 new dogs in 3 years….The return on investment for this ONE THING is BIGGER and will reach farther than any other one thing DAS can do.
- Get more field services spay and neuter appointments
- How long is too long to allow an owner to get into full compliance?
- Base services
9. Community Initiatives
- Compliance and Education Initiatives
- Low Cost and No Cost Resources
- Bad news:
- Big Fix For Big D
- Not all zip codes / no 75208
- Pets for Life
- Only in one zip code 75216
- Big Fix For Big D
- Good News:
- New connections and collaboration with Spay and Neuter Network, SPCA, and the HSNT. We look forward to structuring a solution with consistent go to resources through collaboration with these groups. Talks have started and we’ll post needs and news as we get this going.
- Bad news:
- Low Cost and No Cost Resources
- Request compliance checks and educational interventions through 311
- Expect this service – DAS does not have to pick up loose dogs, but they are required to go on compliance and welfare checks.
- Put in requests
- Request a follow up call
- Document the Service Request # (SR#)
- Include address
- Description of animal
- Problem
- Make a compliance and education request
- Post to Jeremy Boss’ DAS Accountability page
- Put in requests
- Expect this service – DAS does not have to pick up loose dogs, but they are required to go on compliance and welfare checks.
- Ownership and responsibilities handouts
- Flyers are available for download for those who would like to proactively pass out “Your Pets, Your Responsibilities” flyers out to neighbors.
- Demand the City keep up consistent low and no cost resources
- Big Fix For Big D is cancelled again for many zip codes
- Reporting and Safety Initiatives
- Dog Walker Program through Dallas Police Department
- Save the date for the inaugural “Dog Walker Watch” meeting
- Date: Thursday, May 14th at 7pm
Location: Tyler Street United Methodist Church
927 West 10th Street - This is a new program offered by the Dallas Police Department. The basic idea is to learn how to watch for criminals or suspicious activity while out walking your dog. This includes loose dogs and animal issues. Come check it out!
- Dog Walker Program through Dallas Police Department
- The Blessing of the Animals
- We have chosen Sunday, October 4th is St. Francis Feast day, which is the traditional blessing of the Animals Day.
- We will be collaborating with Tyler Street United Methodist Church (TSUMC) and Body Oak Cliff to outreach to many Oak Cliff community churches and congregations to educate our communities on what it is to be a good dog owner and a steward of a companion animal through both God’s law and the city ordinances.
- The Oak Cliff Blessing of the Animals event will hopefully reach deep into our communities connecting people with resources and information. We will let the church leaders, the trusted, respected, experts, speak to their communities about what it means to be a good steward of God’s creatures. This outreach will hopefully dispel any cultural misconceptions that organized religion is the against spay and neuter of our companion animals. The church will help grow, influence, and inform multiple generations of companion animal owners and the this influence will spread out into the community and help create a spay and neuter culture.
- TSUMC offers a central location, abundant parking, and recovery space for a potential vaccination, microchipping, and spay and neuter event.
- We will be collaborating with the Spay and Neuter Network to bring low and no cost services to this event.
- C2K – Oak Cliff’s urban mission
- We are working with C2K to allow large groups of mission kids to work with and help advocate for our City’s animals all summer long.
- Groups of 60-100 kids come to the mission every week all summer long. We plan on facilitating lots of opportunities for them to help with dog training, education initiatives, volunteer bed building, toy making, dog walking, etc. etc
- We are working with C2K to allow large groups of mission kids to work with and help advocate for our City’s animals all summer long.
- New Partnerships and conversations. Thanks to the OCAI2, we are starting talks with the SPCA, the Humane Society of North Texas, and the Spay and Neuter Network to help better understand how we can help them with their missions and they can help the community in addressing our loose and stray animal issues. We are looking forward to sharing action item in the weeks to come.
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10. Neighborhood Cats are good. We don’t talk about them much for several reasons. We know of no known incident where a feral cat killed or mauled a human. The same cannot said about feral dogs. When we control the loose dog population, the cats are safer. Finally, there are established programs and resources for “porch” kitties or cat colonies. The programs work.
- The law allows for them. Trap Neuter and Release resources are available:
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11. Action Items
- We have created a list of questions that we will send to City Leadership. The questions are as follows, to include requests for future appointments or meetings:
- City Attorney’s office (email sent to Mai Brock on March 31)
- Agreed to provide a written list answers to the questions submitted by GDO in January
- Expressed interest in a future “Donuts with the DA” type meeting
- Scott Griggs’ office:
- Follow up meeting in May (meeting date set)
- GDO to request attendance at the 2nd quarterly OCAI meeting
- Action item for GDO: Date and time to be set and shared
- Dallas Animal Services (DAS):
- Dallas Companion Animal Project (DCAP):
- What resources are available for spay and neuter in our zip codes?
- SPCA
- Potential training collaboration
- Oak Cliff Animal Initiative
- Set 2nd quarter meeting
- See GDO to do list below
- Gypsy Dog Ops
- Publish future budgets meeting dates and times.
- Publish and known “town hall” budget meetings.
- Set time and date for the Oak Cliff Animal Initiative 2nd quarter meeting.
- Publish date.
- Set up training sessions for:
- Neighbors: How to approach and catch a loose dog using sound behavioral approach. In the meantime, here are some tips on how to catch a loose dog.
- DAS: Facilitate potential collaboration between the SPCA training program and DAS continuing education (CE) credits
- Attend follow up meeting in May with Assistant City Manager, Scott Griggs, Code Compliance, Chris Watts, and Deborah Whittington. (meeting date set)
- Share results of the Shelter Commission’s work on the rules of engagement for non – 501-3c groups and individuals.
- Set up future “Donuts with the DA” type meeting (email sent to Mai Brock March 30th)
- Talk about how to tighten the tether laws
- How to tighten illegal vending laws
- Publish Q&A from the City Attorney’s office (email sent to Mai Brock March 30th)
- Send questions from the meeting to the appropriate dept.
- For DAS
- What is DAS doing for education awareness in our area?
- When will the volunteer program be ready and rolled out?
- Code Compliance and DAS
- Is there an incentive (of any kind) for closing a ticket?
- What is the recommend / policy regarding multiple reports of dogs
- Should callers request or accept combining calls/ SR# for loose dogs?
- 311 operators have been suggesting to combine the call
- How do you know if the call(s) are resolved if they are combined?
- Should callers request or accept combining calls/ SR# for loose dogs?
- For DCAP:
- Are there any unused funds from the Big Fix for Big D
- Is the Big Fix for Big D going to include 75208?
- For DAS
- City Attorney’s office (email sent to Mai Brock on March 31)
- Let City leaders know you expect transparent answers to our follow up list of questions. As requested, a list of high level leadership that can influence the outcome for our City’s animals and residents.
- DAS (Dallas Animal Services )
- Jody Jones, Director Dallas Animal Services
- Dr Cate McMannus, Director of Shelter Operations
- Code Compliance (DAS us under Code Compliance)
- City Manager’s Office
- AC Gonzalez, City Manager
- Joey Zapata, Assistant City Manager
- City Attorney’s Office
- Susan Hawk, Dallas County DA
- Mai Brock, Chief Interim Prosecutor
- Yule Waters, Community Prosecutor
- Mayor
- Mike Rawlings
- Mary Spencer, Grow South Initiative, Animal Liaison
- City Council
- Scott Griggs District 1
- DCAP (Dallas Companion Animal Project)
- Mary Spencer
- Maleska Fletes
- Animal Commission
- Mary Spencer
- Chris Watts District 1
- DAS (Dallas Animal Services )
- Follow Gyspydog Ops on Facebook and on our website for more information and next steps as they become available.
- Send emails / letter / and make calls to City leadership letting them know you agree with the ideas proposed in by the Oak Cliff Animal Initiative and let them know you expect the City to prompt address animal issues.
- Help document the issue using the existing system
- Report loose dogs every time you see them
- Use 311 to report loose dogs
- Get the service numbers!
- Get ready to attend budget meetings
- Town Hall budget meeting are coming up – participate!
- Demand the DAS budget to SHOW directly how they plan to use resources to address our loose animal issues.
- We will post a list of important dates on the GypsyDogOps.com as soon as they are released in the next month
- Promote a Spay And Neuter Culture
- Let your leaders know that you expect education initiatives, low cost resources, compliance, and enforcement from your world class City and its Animal Services Division
- Spread the word about the benefits of a spay and neuter culture
- Expect compliance – it’s the law
- Help shape the law – sign up for legislation alerts
- Texas Humane Legislation Network
- Work with and support:
- SPCA and
- The Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT)
- Attend our “Donuts with the DA” meeting – we’ll make an announcement when the first one is scheduled
- Mark your calendars:
- Elmwoof event: Dog Days of Summer – date TBD
- Budget meetings: Dates TBD
- Oak Cliff Blessing of the Animals
- October 4th
- Participate in the conversation.
- Compassion without action is just feeling sorry for something.
- Big, small, there is a way for everyone to help change the animal culture in our communities.
- ADVOCATE EDUCATE VOLUNTEER ADOPT VOTE
Thank you!
and if you made it all the way to the end of the recap of the meeting, one special bonus for you from the official meeting minutes. Some of us learned a new word during the meeting. And it was being used the next day on the Fido page. You might already know all about: duchecanoe. We looked up in the urban dictionary….click it if you want to know, and at your own risk.