North Carolina – When I read this:
Time is running out for animals at the Rutherford County Animal Shelter. The shelter will close temporarily for repairs and any animals not adopted before Friday will be euthanized.
I immediately went to the shelter’s website to see what kind of promotions they were running to get these pets adopted out. From the website, as well as the news report linked above, it doesn’t appear they are doing anything special. Just business as usual. The shelter is open for 4 hours a day (during times when working people couldn’t come in) and the adoption fee is $60.
What I was really hoping to see was something like what Rutherford County’s neighbors did in Asheville when they had to empty out their shelter recently:
Although there weren’t long lines on Monday as there had been on Friday, the Asheville Humane Society’s shelter had a steady stream of families calling and visiting the shelter, looking to adopt a pet.
[…]
The shelter is waiving adoption fees to empty its shelter in anticipation of moving to the new Animal Care Campus off Pond Road, where it reopens Sept. 7. All the cats are already gone.
[…]
“It put a smile in my face,” said Jennifer Brehler, operations manager at the shelter. “I knew that we would be able to save a lot of animals’ lives this way and make a lot of wonderful matches with right families. And just really provide the animals what they need, what they are looking for: loving homes.”
We know that free adoption promotions can work to empty out shelters. Why isn’t Rutherford Co offering such a promotion in order to avoid the needless killing of pets in their care? The public wants to help. Let them!
Update, September 3: A comment on this article appears to be a copy of an e-mail indicating rescue groups have stepped up to save the remaining shelter pets. Thankfully, it would seem that most were already adopted by a generous and compassionate public. If anyone has any confirmation on this, please post in the comments.
date Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 4:00 PM
subject FW: Animal Compassion Network
mailed-by rutherfordcountync.gov
Good Afternoon,
I appreciate talking to everyone this afternoon as we have worked to help the Animal Compassion Network secure the adoptable dogs and cats from the Rutherford County Animal Shelter. Based on a request from the Animal Compassion Network, the County will extend the time to pick up the adoptable dogs and cats from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday. At approximately 3:00 pm this afternoon there were 20 dogs and 12 cats at the shelter. A steady stream of adoptions has taken place today and the number of adoptable animals at the shelter should be even less tomorrow. I assume representatives of the Animal Compassion Network will be in touch with animal shelter employees tomorrow to determine the number and to coordinate their pick up time. The County appreciates the Animal Compassion Network rescuing these dogs and cats.
Thanks,
John
Update #2: Confirmation! Turns out, it’s Asheville who is helping Rutherford Co out.