Adopting Emily

This is the story of how I adopted my dog Emily several years ago. I am intentionally leaving out the name of the shelter where I adopted her because this was my one and only dealing with this shelter and may not have been typical. Since they didn't kill a dog or anything even close, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

When I was looking for a little dog, I had been laid off from my job and was having no luck in finding a new one. Billy and I agreed we would visit area shelters until we found a good match (sometimes I went alone since he was at work). The first dog we found was at my favorite no kill shelter, the Animal Protection League. The lady who introduced us to the little white female mixed breed was up front about some major medical issues the dog was dealing with which I really appreciated. We left saying we'd get back to her about the dog. I went home and began researching online. Ultimately, we decided against taking on a dog with these issues since there was the possibility, as with any dog, that the future held more, unknown medical problems and after all, I was out of work. I didn't think we could commit to the necessary veterinary expenses for this dog. We let the shelter know and they were very nice about it. I still remember that dog and think of her and how I had left lipstick on her white head.

The second dog I picked out was at a kill shelter. When I told the receptionist which dog I had chosen, she said that dog was on a potential hold for someone else. She said she'd call me and let me know if the adopter decided to take the dog. She did call me eventually, but by that time I had adopted Emily. I still remember that dog and wonder what happened to him.

I was searching online for shelters when I came across the website which led me to Emily. Although I didn't see her listed on the shelter's site, they did list a very reasonable adoption fee of $75 which included neuter, vaccines and heartworm testing. In addition, the site indicated that some dogs who had been at the shelter for a long time were half-price! I was definitely excited about that. I didn't know if I would find a dog there or if I did, whether that dog would be one of the half-price ones, but I figured I'd give it a whirl.

When I arived at the shelter, I went to the front desk and my eye was immediately drawn to an x-pen full of little dogs behind the desk. I'm sure my face lit up but the receptionist must have seen the gleam in my eye and told me immediately that all of those dogs were adopted. I remember wondering why a shelter would keep a bunch of already adopted dogs in an x-pen behind the counter. It seems like if they were the staff's personal pets, she would have just said that but I don't know. At any rate, after I explained I was looking for a small dog, she thought of one that was available and asked someone to bring her out to me. That was Emily.

I spent a long getting-to-know-you time in their spacious lobby area with Emily, most of which she spent having a nap on my lap. While I was there, a lady came in with her kid to redeem her lost Dachshund. The receptionist refused to return the dog to the owner without spaying her first. The owner eventually broke down in tears and the small child was obviously upset. I didn't like any of that and I got a bad feeling.

I called Billy to tell him about Emily and he agreed we should adopt her. I was given an application form and the receptionist asked me questions about how I took care of my other dogs which made me feel better. That's when she dropped the bomb: No, Emily was not a half-price dog, she wasn't even regular price - her adoption fee was double! For the second time that visit, the receptionist accurately read my facial expression without me even saying a word. I was shocked. I admit it would have been great to pay a reduced fee but I had gone in there willing to pay the regular, full fee if necessary. But double? WTF? She explained that they charge more for little dogs. For reals. Needless to say, had they disclosed this on the website, I may have decided not to go there or if I did, at least I would have been prepared. I felt they had lured me in to the shelter by promising me I could adopt a dog for $35 or $75 and then when I got there, jacked up the price to $150. Do. Not. Like.

Before the deal fell through though, the receptionist unleashed her most excellent salesman tactics. First she offered to take payments - $50 a month on my credit card that I would leave on file with them. Then to seal the deal, she appealed to my independent ego. Noticing that I had called Billy earlier, she asked, "Do you need to call someone to see if paying the fee is ok?". Oh hell no, I don't need to call anyone! I am a strong independent woman who makes my own decisions and takes responsibility for my own finances! I demand that you take my credit card immediately and put through the first payment!

Yeah, she got me. But in the end, we got Emily. So I can't really feel too bad about the whole thing. But honestly, I highly doubt I'll ever go back there to adopt another pet nor have I ever recommended the place to anyone. So I have to wonder if it was really worth it to them to get the extra $75 out of me when all was said and done. As I said in the beginning of this post, maybe this isn't the way they typically do business. But the incident with the Dachshund owner combined with my own experience just left a bad taste in my mouth.

By the way, the shelter ended up trying to charge my card an extra time after the fee was paid off. I complained to the bank who asked them for proof of authorization. They didn't provide a response and so the bank credited me the extra $50 charge. Not the capper to this story I wanted.

Do you have any experiences - positive or negative - to share about adopting from a shelter or rescue? I'd like to hear them.

SC Pitbull Breeder FAIL

The differences between what constitutes a responsible dog breeder and an irresponsible one are often the subject of debate among dog people. One pretty reliable sign that ur doin it rong as a breeder is if you rent a U-Haul to load up with your breeding stock and drive them to a kill shelter:

Twenty-two dogs were dropped off at the Greenville County Animal Shelter in a U-Haul truck. The shelter manager says its because the puppies were the wrong color.
[...]
[Shelter manager Shelly] Simmons said the owners were trying to breed "blue" pitt bulls because they sell for higher prices. Instead, they got 17 puppies in every color except blue.

Greenville Co Animal Care Services is hoping to find homes for all the dogs but the shelter they work with, Greenville Humane Society, refuses to adopt out Pitbulls and rescues are full.

There is a video at the link of a bunch of puppies who look too young to be separated from their dams. The article states:

Six pitt bull puppies are available now, as are the adults. The cost is $60. Shots, micro-chips and spay or neutering are included. Interested adopters can call Greenville County Animal Care Services at [864]467-3950 or email animalcareservices@greenvillecounty.org.

Contrary to popular belief, blue Pitbulls are not rare or worth paying extra money for simply by virtue of their coat color. For more info, see the "Myths" page on this Pitbull site:

There is, unfortunately, a faction of breeders (all unscrupulous), that are
attempting to cash in on the current fad of blue and red nosed dogs.
These people produce poor quality animals with no thought to health
and temperament, their biggest selling point being coat color. Breeders
of this type many times charge jacked up prices for their puppies,
justifying the high price tag by claiming their dogs are of a "rare" or
"special" color. The unsuspecting buyer is duped into believing their
animal is extraordinary simply because he happens to have an "odd"
colored nose. Breeders of this ilk are especially dubious because not only
are they producing bad stock, but they lure their customers in by making
false claims.

And in the case of at least one breeder in Greenville Co, they are not only lying to customers to try and get more money, they are lying to their dogs. Because as any good breeder will tell you, we make promises to our dogs that we will do our very best to ensure they have long and happy lives, even if they are not in our care, and that we will protect them from ever being dumped at a kill shelter.

Changes at Marion Co Animal Shelter in SC

Some of you may remember when a South Carolina politician, Kent Williams, adopted a German Shepherd bitch from the Marion Co Animal Shelter in order to breed her (in violation of state law). In 2008, after the bitch was left to roam the streets regularly and while in heat, she became pregnant and Senator Williams decided he didn't want to deal with the problem he created so called Animal Control to pick her up when she was due to whelp. As this story unfolded, it shed light on the terrible conditions at the shelter.

A group called Paws to the Rescue took over the shelter from the county in October 2008:

Before Paws to the Rescue took over for the county, the shelter had no heat, animals turned in to the shelter were disappearing and often, they were left with no food or water.

[...]

The group has installed heaters in the dog runs and cat room, improved the living conditions for the animals turned in and provided medical care such as vaccinations and spaying and neutering of all cats and dogs adopted from the shelter. All dogs are tested for heartworm, and emergency care and treatment can begin right at the shelter if local veterinarians’ offices are closed.

Adult dogs and puppies are now kept separately to help guard against the risk of illnesses such as Parvo. The adult dogs are also allowed outside to play in large grassy areas while their kennels are cleaned every day.

“Mentally that’s very good for the dogs,” [executive director Jen] Nall said. “It keeps them from going cage crazy.”

The group also keeps male and female dogs separated to guard against fighting and more unwanted puppies.

Paws to the Rescue has also been able to team up with several rescue groups through out the county to transport dogs to shelters that have adopters waiting to provide homes for the unwanted animals. This weekend they will transport 20 dogs and puppies to rescues in the Northeast.

Volunteer Irene Miller uses Web sites such as PetFinder.com and Facebook to spread the word about the animals available for adoption from the shelter.
“I Facebook, I Tweet, I foster dogs,” Miller said. “I’ll do anything I can.”

All sounds good. But the article also goes over the shelter's 2009 kill numbers:

“We brought in 2,700 animals last year, which is two and one half the amount we thought we’d bring in,” Nall said. “We were able to get 750 either adopted or to rescue.”

That's a kill rate of roughly 73%. I hope the community works with the shelter in 2010 in order to dramatically decrease the kill rate. So many positive changes have taken place already but if the end result is that nearly 3 out of every 4 pets entering the shelter wind up in the landfill, that's not "change we can believe in".

As for Senator Kent Williams, he won re-election in 2008 and his current term ends in 2012.

Why Don't Residents Bring Strays to Local Animal Shelter?

Residents of Barnwell Co, South Carolina are reportedly concerned about the high number of stray pets in the area. There is an animal shelter so I wonder why people don't take strays there so they can be cared for until they find permanent homes. Maybe it's because they know that's probably not what will happen to pets admitted to that shelter. Standard operating procedure at the shelter apparently includes a local Veterinarian who comes by on Fridays to kill pets for space but the shelter fills up again by Monday.

Anyone else see the insanity here?

The community should feel confident that any pet taken to a shelter will be sheltered and, in most cases, properly cared for until adopted by a new owner. That's what animal shelters are for - to temporarily care for lost and homeless pets until they can be reunited with their owners or new, permanent homes can be found.

A weekly shelter cycle of death and despair serves neither the pets nor the residents of the community and obviously isn't helping with the local stray problem. So why would we continue funding such an enterprise? Wouldn't the limited available funds be better spent saving animals' lives and offering more low cost neuter clinics? There is already a team of community volunteers in place - let's not squander their good faith investment by putting them to work on killing pets instead of saving them. I'm sure that's not what they signed up for when they agreed to donate their time.

The answers to the area's stray problem lie within your grasp, Barnwell County. Reform: It's a good thing.

It's Kitten Season - Your Local Shelter Needs You

Shelters all across the country are in need of supplies such as canned cat food and kitty litter to help care for all the kittens who get turned in to shelters every Spring. This shelter in Myrtle Beach, SC is making a plea to the community for assistance:

The Grand Strand Humane Society in Myrtle Beach needs your help.

The shelter is asking for donations of cat food, kitten food, canned cat food and cat litter.

The humane society's executive director, Sandy Brown, says the shelter is caring for over 100 cats and kittens and every cage is full.

Your local shelter is probably in similar need. Remember that your local shelter relies on you for support. They likely receive little or no financial support from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) - even if your local shelter is named "Humane Society". The HSUS does not run any animal shelters, anywhere although they do offer to take their money (to the tune of a $4000 - $20,000 "consulting fee") if your local shelter needs "help".

***

Shelters in the Baltimore, MD area are teaming up in an effort to get 500 cats/kittens into homes this month by waiving adoption fees. See more info here.

Aiken Co Shelter in SC Asleep at the Wheel?

The Aiken Co Animal Shelter in SC has an appalling kill rate of 86%. In order to improve, the County Council set aside $30,000 last year for a program offering spay-neuter vouchers to those in the community who qualified. Paws up! Unfortunately, the money has run out and there are still several months to go before any new money might be available in the new fiscal year. Even worse, the prevailing attitude seems to be: When faced with adversity, give up. Paws down.

Nine months in, the money ran out…during their busiest season. In the short time we were at the shelter, four more cats were brought in. Their future owners will have to hang on until next year’s budget passes, and another round of spay and neuter vouchers are up for grabs.

[Chief Enforcement Officer at the shelter, Bobby] Arthurs: “I feel like the county’s doing there part. I think it’s going to be left up to the citizens, next year, to use the voucher program, which it’s clear that a lot of them did, because we ran out of money in 9 months.”

I am loathe to tell anyone how to do their job but in the absence of any other ideas, I'm going to offer a few:

1. Someone needed to be evaluating the use of the program's funds on a monthly basis to make projections on future needs. When a shortfall was anticipated, steps should have been taken to address it. Perhaps contracted rates with Vets participating in the voucher program could be renegotiated to get through to the next fiscal year.
2. Since apparently that was not done and the program is now buried on empty, steps should be taken to allow for the continuation of the program on a temporary basis until the new fiscal year starts. Again the contracted rates might be renegotiated, a community fundraiser might be in order and certainly reaching out to the media with an attitude beyond "Oh well" would be an important step in rallying community support.
3. Give some area Vets the chance to be heroes! Rally the veterinary community, making them aware of the situation and ask if anyone can donate services to bridge the gap until the new fiscal year starts. People want to help.
4. A report detailing the success and need for the program needs to be put together so that a convincing pitch can be made for more funding to the County Council at the next budget meeting. It may not be successful but it should at least be given an honest try!

New Shelter in SC and Some Misinformation

There's a new animal shelter in Florence Co, SC:

It spans about 4,600 square feet and has 76 dog pens and 86 cat cages, Christmas said. Generally, animal control officers will keep one animal to a cage to prevent problems such as fighting over food, he said.

The old facility could comfortably hold 30 dogs and 26 cats, although it was common to have six to 10 dogs in one pen, Christmas said.

Eek. Imagine 6 to 10 dogs urinating, defecating, eating, and living their lives in one shelter pen. How many adopters were able to sort out the mess and find a family pet? "One animal to a cage" sounds like a big improvement in the quality of life for the shelter pets and hopefully will increase their chances of adoption.

Another bit of good news is that the county may offer a low/no cost neuter program at the facility:

The county has about $20,000 toward operating tables, anesthetics and other surgical equipment, but needs an additional $25,000 to start a spay-and-neuter program, Anderson [a county councilman and retired Vet] said.

[...]

[Kathy Stewart, owner and founder of Home Away From Home Rescue in Florence] also said a spay-and-neuter facility will be a plus “because a lot of people aren’t going to (have their pets spayed or neutered) by themselves, and there’s a mandatory spay-neuter law in South Carolina.”

Well, no. (Is your fact checker out with Swine Flu or what?) SC mandates that shelter pets be neutered prior to adoption or that the shelter and new owner enter into a written agreement that the pet will be neutered within 30 days. Privately owned animals at shelters are exempt and there is no mandatory neuter legislation for non-shelter pets. Here is the wording:

§ 47-3-480. Provisions for sterilization; exceptions; payment of costs; subsequent notification of sterilization for animals not sterile when acquired.

(A) A public or private animal shelter, animal control agency operated by a political subdivision of this State, humane society, or public or private animal refuge shall make provisions for the sterilization of all dogs or cats acquired from the shelter, agency, society, or refuge by:

(1) providing sterilization by a licensed veterinarian before relinquishing custody of the animal; or

(2) entering into a written agreement with the person acquiring the animal guaranteeing that sterilization will be performed by a licensed veterinarian within thirty days after acquisition of a sexually mature animal or no later than six months of age except upon a written statement issued by a licensed veterinarian stating that such surgery would threaten the life of the animal.

(B) This section does not apply to a privately owned animal which the shelter, agency, society, or refuge may have in its possession for any reason if the owner of the animal claims or presents evidence that the animal is his property.

(C) All costs of sterilization pursuant to this section are the responsibility of the person acquiring the animal and, if performed before acquisition, may be included in the fees charged by the shelter, agency, society, or refuge for the animal.

(D) A person acquiring an animal from a shelter, an agency, a society, or a refuge which is not sterile at the time of acquisition shall submit to the shelter, agency, society, or refuge a signed statement from the licensed veterinarian performing the sterilization required by subsection (A) within seven days after sterilization attesting that the sterilization has been performed.

Individual shelters or a "political subdivision" of the state may adopt more stringent policies if they so choose. The existing state laws are sound to my mind. I support the neutering of shelter pets (with exceptions in case of medically unsuitable animals as determined by a Vet) and am absolutely against mandatory neuter laws for non-shelter pets. Neuter surgery is appropriate for many pets but the decision must be made by an informed owner based upon the counsel of his Vet with consideration for the individual pet's circumstances.

Additional reading on mandatory neuter laws:

No Kill Advocacy Center (pdf)

AVMA position

ASPCA position

Shelter Killing: Cruel to be Kind?

Nathan Winograd talks about one of the hurdles for No Kill: burned out rescuers who have witnessed so much animal abuse they come to feel that death is a kind and sensible option for the victims:

What makes this point of view especially disturbing is the illogical leap it causes people to make from a false assumption (animals are suffering in overwhelming numbers) to a violent conclusion: the idea that mass killing is acceptable, indeed desirable. Because even if the first assumption were true (it is not), the conclusion simply does not follow. There are many, many possibilities in between to combat it—education, adoption, redemption, sanctuary, rescue, rehabilitation—that are ignored simply because the notion that killing is the “logical” outcome has dominated the sheltering dialogue for so long and so completely. It is regarded as acceptable and inevitable even though it the most extreme, unnecessary, and inhumane of many possible responses.
[...]
In the end, their argument comes down to the false notion that there are fates worse than death. And, sadly, too many people who in rescue work have adopted this point of view, even though it is patently false on its face, all the more because it incorrectly assumes there are only two choices available: killing at the pound or killing at the hands of abusers or on the streets. Working hard to end the scourge of abuse and neglect—and to punish the abusers—is not mutually exclusive with saving the lives of the innocent victims. In fact, the moral imperative to do one goes hand in hand with the other.
[...]
No one is suggesting that shelters leave animals to their abusers or that we adopt animals out to them. Everyone agrees that abuse is terrible and something no animal should be made or allowed to endure. Of course, they must be rescued from these horrible fates. But once rescued and taken into protective care from former abusers, the question becomes do we find them homes, or do we allow them to become victims yet again by killing them? Why the leap to arguing that because they experienced abuse in the past, they should be killed now? Or that all the other animals entering shelters should be killed? It’s illogical.

Thank you Nathan for writing on this important topic. I reiterate my position on euthanasia: it should be performed by a Veterinarian using the gentlest method modern medicine allows to end the suffering of a medically hopeless pet. Killing unevaluated, abused dogs seized in dogfighting cases makes a mockery of the idea of "rescue". Killing unevaluated shelter pets to make space for more unevaluated pets who will be scheduled for killing shortly thereafter is a cruel cycle of insanity.

A recent news story hits close to home. The Lee Co animal shelter in SC has space for 35 dogs. The shelter has killed 100 dogs in the past 30 days. They are asking for food donations. How many in the community will be eager to come forward and offer support knowing that the food they donate will likely be a last meal for a dog on death row? I see a missed opportunity for community involvement had the shelter called in the media to appeal for food and homes while those 100 dogs were still alive. To my mind, people are much more likely to pitch in when the goal is to save pets. Even now, while making an appeal for donations, the shelter could and should make public a commitment to rehome the pets in their care, not to perpetuate the cycle of killing for space.

We all get burned out but killing is never the solution. There's no shame in asking for help when you need it. No one can do everything, but each of us can do a little something. Find your nearest no kill shelter here.

SC Shelter Kills Dog to Test for Distemper

Horry Co shelters seem to be continually closing due to Distemper outbreaks. The latest:

The Grand Strand Humane Society shelter in Myrtle Beach will remain closed to the public indefinitely as officials seek to ensure no more dogs contract distemper.

One pup of three that showed symptoms last week was euthanized so a brain-tissue sample could be sent to Clemson University for analysis. The results received late Wednesday showed the 3-month-old St. Bernard-mix turned in by a good Samaritan did have the airborne disease that shuttered Horry County's shelter twice and resulted in a mass euthanization at that facility.

But the other two pups, about the same age, seem to be recovering, Grand Strand shelter Executive Director Sandy Brown said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

[...]

"They are so much better you can't even tell they were sick," she said.

Distemper is treatable, but there is no test for it that doesn't require a brain-tissue sample.

*sounds buzzer* Vets diagnose and treat Distemper all the time without killing the animal for a brain tissue sample. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, "the typical clinical case is not difficult to diagnose" and blood tests are used for diagnosis.

A Vet speaks on the recurring outbreaks:

Frank Murphy, vice president of the S.C. Animal Control and Care Association, a voluntary association that reviews best practices of shelters and makes recommendations for better operations, said last week when the Horry County shelter reopened that cleaning and disinfecting should take care of the virus. The Horry County shelter remained closed and empty for more than 30 days the first time it had an outbreak, and Murphy said the distemper virus could not have survived those conditions, even without cleaning.

Horry Co shelters seem to be able to kill everything but Distemper. I hope the animals - both the sick and the healthy -who rely on them for care fare better in this outbreak than in past.

SC No Kill Shelter Goes the Extra Mile for Seniors

I just love this. Old dogs are my favorite. (And I don't mind old cats or humans either.) That's why I was so excited to learn about a program at the Animal Protection League (APL) in Hopkins, SC called Senior Pets for Senior People. The idea is to help in getting senior pets out of the shelter (they are often passed over for younger animals) and into homes with pet loving senior citizens who might be hesitant to take on a pet due to age or health considerations. Studies have shown many physical and emotional health benefits for senior citizens who own pets. Here's how the program works:

• Anyone over 62 years old who is interested in having a companion dog or cat can contact the APL and explain what type of pet he or she is looking for. The APL will carefully screen available older pets for a good match and bring the pet out to meet the senior at his or her convenience and WITH NO OBLIGATION.

• If the senior and the pet are happy with each other, the senior can adopt the pet (in essence, entering into a long-term foster agreement) AT NO CHARGE! (In some instances, the APL will even pay for the pet's food and medical care for individuals who are financially unable to do so.)

• The APL will appoint a liaison to stay in contact with the senior and to provide assistance as needed. This liaison will provide assistance getting the pet to a veterinarian, if need be, and will monitor the relationship to ensure that both the senior and the pet continue to benefit from the relationship.

• If, one day, the senior can no longer care for the animal, the APL will take the cat or dog back and work to place the pet in another loving home. In fact, the APL will resume care of the pet if at any time, for any reason, the relationship ceases to be mutually beneficial.

This is what I call a win-win situation! Adopted pets come with an "In Case of Emergency" poster with instructions for how to care for the pet: "If I am incapacitated or compromised in such a way that I cannot care for my pet, please immediately notify or return my pet to Animal Protection League".

Here are a couple pets currently available in the Seniors for Seniors program at the APL:


From the APL newsletter:

Ozzie is approximately 13 years old and has lived at the APL shelter since 1999—an entire decade! He doesn't show his age, though, and loves running and playing in the exercise area. Ozzie ignores cats and other dogs, but he gets a little nervous during thunderstorms. If you know of anyone looking for a faithful companion, please tell him or her about sweet Ozzie.

From the APL newsletter:

Caris is a beautiful Bengal cat who loves to chase laser pointers! We think that she hasn't been adopted yet because she becomes very shy when faced with a new environment. Caris needs a patient person to give her lots of time to adjust to a new home. She doesn't like being picked up but loves attention from the shelter staff.

I don't like being picked up either Caris. All paws crossed that these two find loving homes for their twilight years.

Related:

Pet Ownership and the Elderly
Seniors Who Adopt Senior Pets Often Stay in Better Shape
Dog Owners Visit the Doctor Less
How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress

SC Shelter in Need Gets Help from Near and Far

Hundreds of pounds of kibble and blankets were flown in to save the day for the Anderson County Animal Shelter in SC:

The food and blankets, airlifted in by volunteer pilots from as far away as Pennsylvania and brought in by concerned area residents from as far away as Greer, were the answer to a call for help from the Anderson County Animal Shelter.

According to shelter officials, the facility is housing between 400 and 500 animals, including more than double the usual number of dogs for this time of year.

[...]

“The response from Animal Rescue Flights and concerned citizens in and around Anderson has been completely overwhelming,” she [Michelle Shead, the shelter’s adoption coordinator] said while she counted cash, checks and gift cards dropped off by concerned citizens.

One of the donations was $40 from an 11-year old boy.

“His parents said he’d saved up his money and wanted to donate it to help with the animals,” Shead said. “He will never know how much that means to all of us at the shelter.”

Volunteers with the ROTC of Westside High School in Anderson and cadets of the Anderson Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol loaded roughly four truckloads of dog food and blankets, Shead said, and more than $2,200 in cash donations had been received as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

I love community based efforts, especially when they aid the non-voting and otherwise voiceless members of the community. And in this case, a successful fund raising effort drew support from out of state donors as well. I'm glad to know the pets in the Anderson Co. Animal Shelter will have full bellies and blankies to sleep on tonight. It's been cold lately!

Video here.

Transparency and Organization Still Lacking at Secretive SC Shelter

Last month, I wrote about a shelter in Myrtle Beach, SC (run by the Horry County Humane Society) which closed to kill dogs en masse after a Distemper outbreak. The apparent attempts by the shelter director to mislead/hide from the media regarding the handling of the disease outbreak got her sacked not long after the story hit the local news. The shelter reopened after a month long closure (how long does it take to thoroughly clean a facility which should be thoroughly clean to start with?) but now Board members are jumping ship:

There are currently 8 members on the HCHS board with seven seats unfilled.

One of the 8 occupied seats was just filled this past week:

The board voted Wednesday to appoint Carol Bourne-Hunt to the HCHS board after Hunt was voted off the Grand Strand Humane Society’s board days ago.

Hunt told News13 she spend 13 years as a member of the GSHS board, but lost a re-election bid in January after the Myrtle Beach animal shelter staff campaigned for another candidate.

I couldn't find any available facts regarding the failed re-election bid but it doesn't take a genius to realize if the staff at this lady's former shelter campaigned for her ousting, they must have had a reason. Shelter staff are generally the hands on people who try and help the animals in their care within the limitations set for them by the Board of Directors. They see the day to day effects that board room decisions have on the lives of shelter pets. I tend to give their opinions significant value. At any rate, the Horry County Humane Society (half) Board won't be writing their own ticket indefinitely:

Some members of Horry County council cited the seemingly high turnover at the agency’s shelter and board as reason to take a closer look into the shelter’s management and finances.

The county’s Public Safety Committee voted on Jan. 14 to conduct an investigation into the shelter’s finances.

The HCHS received $535, 613 in county tax dollars to run the shelter in a contract with Horry County.

Yeah I'd like to know what exactly this (half) Board is doing with that half-a-million in taxpayer money too. I mean besides adopting out dogs during a known Distemper outbreak, killing dogs in their care and bringing on board someone who just got the boot from her own shelter staff. Accountability, anyone?

SC No Kill Shelter Targets Black Pets for Adoption

You may have heard of Black Dog Syndrome - black dogs (and cats) being more difficult to adopt out than other rescue pets. The general public seems to be put off by black pets perhaps because they appear intimidating or have a "generic" look to them. My local no-kill shelter, the Animal Protection League (APL), examined this problem at their own facility:

Over the years, a variety of unaddressed problems resulted in too many APL kennels being occupied on a long-term basis by Black Pearls with nowhere else to go. The APL adoption rate was declining annually.

APL offers some of the contributing factors to the problem , including:

• Indiscriminate and out-of-control breeding of rural pets, with dogs being mostly lab/chow mixed
• High numbers of abandoned or straying animals
  
• Uneducated pet owners
  
• Superstitions regarding black cats
  
• Low per-capita income leaving rural families little or no resources for spaying, etc.
  
• Limited resources within the organization
  
• Remote shelter location
  
• Formation of other pet organizations that handled small- and medium-sized pets
  
• Formation of breed rescue clubs
  
• Growing apartment communities wanting smaller pets
  
• Turnover of uneducated staff
• Lack of public awareness
  
• Untrained rescued animals

These and other factors resulted in a challenging situation:

The APL shelter population began to mirror the rural pet population. Large, middle- aged, mixed-breed black dogs and solid black cats occupied available space for much longer periods of time because they were passed over for adoption while younger, more interesting, lighter colored pets were chosen.

APL's solution was to create a Black Pearls Program specifically targeting these black pets for adoption. This included staffing changes and education, community outreach, and a rotation program so that all pets had a chance to be seen by the public at off-site adoption events. In the one year period following implementation, APL reports that 79% of their black (or mostly black) cats were adopted and 42% of their black (or mostly black) dogs. In addition, they report a "ripple effect" resulting in more pets being adopted overall due to interest generated by the Black Pearls Program. Their success even earned them grant money so they were able to help still more pets!

How's that for thinking outside the box to get pets into homes? Certainly beats the blue-needle-solution offered to pets who might be slightly more challenging to adopt out by so-called "rescue" groups like the Houston SPCA and is most definitely superior to PETA's kill-them-all solution.

Innovative thinking and action on the part of shelters are both important means to achieving a successful no kill community. If a rural shelter in the South can do it, we can do it all over the country. We may not have our own phony baloney TV show to make us look like heroes, and we may not have celebrity endorsements and millions of dollars, but instead of lying to the public and trying to come off as something we're not, we can quietly walk the walk and get shelter pets into homes. Yeah, we can do that.

Black Pearl: Former APL resident Thor in his forever home

Truth Sought Behind Secretive Shelter in Myrtle Beach

The animal shelter in Horry County, SC has been closed since Monday, apparently killing scores of dogs in response to a Distemper outbreak. A local news reporter is trying to find out exactly what happened:

News13 tried several times to speak with board members since Monday about the distemper situation at the county’s shelter, but none have returned phone calls.
[...]
The board oversees the Horry County shelter, which receives $536,316 in tax dollars each year from the county, according to Horry County’s public information office. However, the county contracts the operations of the shelter out to the Horry County Humane Society, according to county director of public safety Paul Whitten.

In trying to piece together a timeline of how the virus was discovered, there are conflicting reports:

Two confirmed cases of Canine Distemper Virus closed the Humane Society Monday and the closing is indefinite, according to society director Renee Macklen.
[...]
The first case was diagnosed by a Conway veterinarian on Oct. 27 after a family adopted a dog from the HCHS and took it to the vet the same day, where the doctor diagnosed the animal with “probable K-9 distemper,” according to HCSC records obtained by News13.
[...]

A second case was confirmed by the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Clinic in Columbia on Nov. 26 after doctors there found CDV in the animal that was sent to Columbia from the HCHS.

“When we read this, we thought this was an isolated case,” Macklen said of the Clemson confirmation.

Director Macklen told News13 that she was unaware of the Oct. 27 diagnosis and had she been informed of the incident, she would have ordered the shelter cleaned and addressed the problem.

The records News13 obtained contained the records from the Conway vet attached to the HCHS record of the animal, all of which came from the shelter.

Macklen also told News13 she was unaware of the Nov. 26 case, although Clemson faxed the form containing their findings to the HCHS and the document was attached to the animal’s record obtained by News13 from the shelter.

So where does the truth lie - in the shelter documents obtained by the reporter or in the words of the shelter Director who "declines requests for interviews with several media outlets"? Unless the shelter issues a statement declaring their own records are inaccurate, it seems hard to refute the documents as evidence.

Since Nov. 20, the Horry County shelter has euthanized 36 dogs, according to records obtained by News13, but that number isn’t alarming to shelter officials, “We don’t have additional kennel space,” Macklen told News13.

Oh sure, what's to be alarmed about? No space=kill. Distemper outbreak=kill. Media asking questions=hide.

Euthanasia is a means to end suffering in a medically hopeless animal or one who is a danger to people. It is not an answer to the problems of shelter crowding, disease outbreak or any other inconvenient challenge. We are a no-kill nation. It's past time for shelters to join us.

Local Interest: Shelter Dog in Columbia, SC in Need of Foster Care

In my inbox this afternoon:

Meet Jasmine. Jasmine or “Jazzy” as she is lovingly referred to at the shelter is such a sweet girl. She is a graduate of the Dog Trainers Workshop in the Upstate and is also a graduate of Project Pet basic training. We’re not sure why she hasn’t found her forever home except that perhaps her size is intimidating. She is a very tall hound mix and is quite strong. Unfortunately because she has been in the shelter so long she is starting to become depressed and is losing weight.

If you can help, please contact Blair at bsalmon@projectpet.com or call Project Pet at (803) 407-0991.

***

Note from me: Jazzy is approximately the height of a Weimaraner and has been in the shelter for 8 months. She needs a break. They would like to see her adopted but would be happy just to get her into a foster home for right now. She looks like a sweetie.

Whistleblowers on Cruelty at South Carolina Shelter

Two volunteers from the Cherokee County Animal Shelter told the County Council last month that animal control officers have been killing shelter pets using an illegal method - intracardial injections on animals which have not been sedated. SC state law outlines the accepted methods of euthanasia and injections into the heart of a fully conscious animal is not one of them.

Further, "Department of Health and Environmental Control agents met with animal control officers and county officials Tuesday because the shelter isn't licensed to have sodium pentobarbital, a federally controlled substance, on site." Also in violation of SC law, the volunteers report that animals given the intracardial injections are disposed of without having their vital signs checked.

The two volunteers "asked council to contract with a licensed veterinarian to perform necessary euthanasias, to hire a shelter manager and to improve conditions at the shelter, which is supported by city and county funds." The Council responded by saying they will shop around to area Vets for prices and take steps to bring the shelter into compliance with the law. No mention is made regarding efforts to improving shelter conditions.

Read the full article here.

Follow up:

This week, the County Council announced they will develop a manual for animal control officers to follow, although they couldn't say when it would be ready - maybe months.

The shelter had a 42% kill rate for 2007 with 48% of its pets being transported out to other areas for adoption and only .01% (not a typo, that's 1/100th of a percent) being adopted out by the shelter. They actually had more animals listed as "unaccounted for" than "adopted" last year. The 2007 figures represent a slight improvement over the 2006 stats: 68% kill rate, almost 24% transported out to other areas for adoption and .02% adopted directly from the shelter. (Note: I'm all for transporting animals out to areas where they might be adopted but the reality is that not all those animals are adopted. We don't know where they went but if it was anywhere in the South, the kill rate of the accepting shelter may be high. So it's an iffy number to wrestle with.)

The Cherokee County Animal Shelter continues to operate without a manager and the two animal control officers who allegedly violated state and federal laws regarding euthanasia and the procurement of euthanasia drugs remain on full time duty and have not been reprimanded.

Read the complete follow up article here.

My take - If you're going to "lose" more pets than you adopt out, and make killing the main business in your shelter, can you at least do it humanely and in compliance with the law? Do you need a manual to tell you that? Better yet: How about improving shelter conditions, hiring a manager and working toward a goal of actually saving pets as your main function, reserving euthanasia only for the hopelessly ill and injured?

Open Letter Regarding Senator Williams and SC Shelter Requests Help

These are the questions I will be mailing to the appropriate parties concerning the Kent Williams GSD case. Anyone is welcome to copy these questions into his/her own letter:

• Did Senator Williams violate the laws of Marion County and/or the State of South Carolina when he failed to spay a female German Shepherd whom he adopted from the Marion County Animal Shelter - his local shelter - in 2007?
• Did Senator Williams pay his local shelter's adoption fee, which he must have known the shelter relied upon for desperately needed funding, when he adopted this German Shepherd? Did Senator Williams pay the adoption fees for any other dogs he adopted from his local shelter?
• Did Senator Williams violate the laws of Marion County and/or the State of South Carolina when he repeatedly allowed this German Shepherd Dog to run at large?
• Was this dog vaccinated against Rabies? If not, did Senator Williams violate the laws of Marion County and/or the State of South Carolina when he failed to vaccinate this German Shepherd Dog against Rabies?
• Did Senator Williams exercise due diligence in preventing unwanted breeding with the female German Shepherd whom he knew was not spayed? Did he provide safe and humane confinement for the dog when she was not directly supervised by a responsible person?
• Did Senator Williams, faced with the imminent birth of puppies from his pregnant German Shepherd Dog, behave in a responsible manner when he called Animal Control in March 2008, asking them to pick the dog up and return her to his local shelter which the Senator must have known had deplorable conditions inappropriate for the birth of puppies and a policy of euthanizing homeless pets?

The South Carolina Code of Laws regarding dogs can be read here and regarding Rabies vaccination here.

*****************

Just received this in my inbox:

PLEASE CROSSPOST WIDELY

Please help this overcrowded shelter!
Oconee County Animal Control is rescue friendly.

Please save one today!

Oconee County Animal Control
321 Camp Road
Walhalla, SC 29691

864-638-8798

Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday
10am to 5PM

ocas@netmds.com

jaimee@all4mutz.com

There were also photos and descriptions of a number of really sweet looking dogs who need homes but I'll let you search for yourself if interested. This is their website:

http://www.oconeepets.com/