No Kill Shelter Struggling in NC

The state of North Carolina says they’ve been working with The Haven, a no kill shelter on 140 acres, for years on compliance issues:

For years, the state has encouraged [shelter director Linden Spear] to bring the facilities up to code by building more kennels and laying concrete and gravel – impermeable surfaces considered more sanitary than grass or wood.

Spear said she has complied when she can.

But as the state has noted, she’s also continued to take in dogs and cats, adopting them out when possible and keeping them on the premises when it’s not.

In any given month, Spear could have 600 to 800 dogs at the facility and 500 to 600 cats. Sometimes, it’s more.

The state has regularly dinged her for violations, from the quality of kennel structures to problems with water drainage, waste disposal, and insect and vermin control.

At least once a year since 2005, officials have issued a warning to Spear to come into compliance with the state Animal Welfare Act.

Every year, Spear fails.

The state recently sent a letter to Ms. Spear’s attorney giving a July 9 deadline for The Haven to reduce the dog population by half with a September 1 deadline for full compliance.

Spear said she has gotten word to outside network groups to help find homes for at least 300 dogs.

But one of the groups, the Humane Society of the United States, said Spear has all but turned down its help.

The Humane Society helps fill in the gaps where other shelters are unable to and promotes legislation against animal cruelty, said Kim Alboum, the North Carolina state director for the Humane Society of the United States.

Earlier this spring, Alboum said, the group offered to take a large number of dogs from The Haven and find them homes. Since then, it has never heard back from Spear.

Ms. Spear is apparently not fond of the idea of turning over hundreds of dogs to HSUS who would serve basically as a third party broker and farm the dogs out to various groups around the country.  If Ms. Spear is able to place the dogs with local rescue groups that she knows and trusts, I can understand her preference for going that route over handing the dogs over to a lobbying/fundraising group who does not run an animal shelter itself.

I, for one, am thrilled to read that HSUS “helps fill in the gaps where other shelters are unable to”.  Here’s their chance:

By Sept. 1, the shelter needs raise $60,000 to $100,000 to finish renovating the adoption center, the quarantine area and the dog pens.

Gap available for filling.  HSUS mega-checkbook on standby, I presume?