The Walter Crowe Animal Shelter in SC has a Facebook page which they could use to market their pets but – they don’t. They have a blog but it too is withering on the vine. They do have a page on Petfinder but when you click “Our Pet List”, it gives you an error message. The shelter’s website, which was never updated any of the times I checked, now redirects to the Kershaw Co Humane Society. I searched Facebook and Petfinder for Kershaw Co HS but came up empty. There are some pets listed on the Kershaw Co HS site but they are almost all listed as “unnamed” and I have no idea if they are current. This dog is about halfway down the list:
Walter Crowe Animal Shelter
460 Fair Street
Camden SC 29020
Phone: (803) 425-6016
This shelter’s kill rate is about 50%.
That is one of the saddest looking dogs I have ever seen – and he doesn’t even have a name!
This really bothers me. I get my dogs listed at least on Petfinder; Beagles also go (normally though I am behind) to Beagles-on-the-Web.com. I am beginning to use Facebook as I see others use it effectively. I have customized my PF page to look like us; we have our own website (though I am now sorry I jumped before exploring a LOT more) and I am beginning to use MadMimi for email updates. It is crucial and important to market and get our pets out there. I have hounds and old dogs – people don’t knock down my door looking for these types of dogs but when they adopt one, they get a happy dog who knows good care, basic training, etc. I have offered to dress up others’ PF sites but to no avail :(. Maybe they are doing so well they don’t think it necessary – NOT. Good post – my heart goes out to the dogs in this shelter and others who stay under a rock.
http://silverwalkhounds.org
http://silverwalk.petfinder.com
http://dog-blessed-silverwalk.org
And this is sadly too common. Shelters want to blame the public, but are more than happy to take the public’s tax money. I know some of the small animal controls barely receive enough money to hire a few works to care for the pets before they kill them, but many have a decent budget but do as little as possible for their paychecks.
I read that studies showed that just giving shelter pets names increased the adoption rate. I sent that info to our local shelter about a year ago — most of their pets are still listed by numbers today. On petfinder you can pick a name for the posted pet with one click.
Seeing the name “Unnamed” translates (for some people, even if only subconsciously) to “Too worthless to bother making up a name for”. Even though I know no dog is worthless, it gives me the impression the shelter staff/volunteers think so. And then there is no description at all. No “ok with cats” or “loves to play fetch” – nothing. Again, seems as if the pet has no value to the shelter staff/vols. And the photo. My god. Nothing says “Up against the wall you worthless thing” like that photo. There appears to be a complete lack of interest from the shelter on getting this pet adopted and yet, if/when they needlessly kill him, he will become a statistic they will use to blame the “irresponsible public” for.
Are there any rescues who can pull this poor boy? I’d be willing to sponsor. Actually, if I wasn’t in Michigan I’d pull him myself!
I don’t know these folks db but I read in a local news story that they pull dogs from this shelter: http://www.dannyandronsrescue.com/
I just recently had someone tell me they thought Walter Crowe was one of the good guys.Guess not. But, I have heard great things about Danny and Ron’s, in part due to research I’m working on in Spartanburg,SC. Anyone with info on how SHS deals with rescues, please contact me. I need to put it together for a presentation to their board.
I checked their website and have sent them an email. Thanks for the link! I will let you know if I can get something good to happen for this guy.
It makes my night that you are trying db. Thank you so kindly. It takes a village…
Dunno if this is the right place for this question, but do you have any links you could recommend that help people estimate a budget for adding a dog to the family? Of course city/country and other things change land and food costs, but I was wondering.
Some general thoughts:
http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/dog-ownership-for-poor-people/
Here’s another rescue in Camden, SC–
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/SC125.html
I’ll post this dog on the lab board if I can get a little more info from the shelter tomorrow.
Thanks for choosing him as as Shelter Pet of the Day!
He’s already a little bit less invisible.
This is why shelter refrom is so urgent, this is bad management and people need to make a stand and together make a difference.
Thanks for the second rescue. I have also made contact with them. Please let’s give this boy some love and happiness. We can do this . . .
It would also help if you could post any information that you find out about him (although it doesn’t sound as if the “shelter” cares much about that).
I called them this a.m. and found out they contacted a lab rescue about this dog and were just waiting to find out whether they could take him for sure. I told them I’d put his info on the lab board
(the rescue that they called is a member there,too)
but when I went back to download the photo, his listing was gone. So the rescue must have agreed to take him. I don’t think he was in immediate danger of being put down–they really were working on getting him out of there. They asked me to put another choc lab on the lab board, too–he’s hw pos. so may be harder to find rescue for him. I’m going to post that one instead.
They were actually very nice and their system is computerized so they located the dogs’ info right away. But they really need someone to maintain their PF or Adopt-a-Pet listings!
Forgot to add–if anyone wants to help with costs, the rescue to contact is Low Country Lab Rescue in Charleston–
http://www.lowcountrylabrescue.org/
Thanks!
P.S.–It’s also possible the dog got reclaimed today but more likely that the lab rescue said they could take him.
This is the same thing PAWS does in Pueblo they use their facebook page to promote the new shelter and use generic pictures of puppies instead of their own dogs, and don’t really answer questions about the dogs in their care now. It is not a good trend. I hope this guy makes it out!
Thank goodness that this boy is out of that shelter. Thanks for the very good news.
I’d be willing to donate some money to a rescue willing to treat the chocolate lab with heartworm. You might add that to the lab board, if you think it would help.
Thanks very much! I’ll add that info. Can you please let the shelter know since they’re contacting rescues for the dogs,too? I don’t know who they have on their rescue list. It’s possible Low Country might even be willing to take him if
some people chipped in for the vetting. The lab board has some generous members, too.
Do you have an email for the shelter?
Yes–here’s the contact info that was posted for both labs–ID is for the hw pos. male–
Pet ID #: 12454763
Shelter: Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter, Camden, SC
Contact: Rebecca Sutton
Phone: (803) 425-6016
E-mail: wcas@bellsouth.net
Thanks for the information. I have called and emailed to offer help. We’ll see what they say.
Unfortunately, the email did not go through. Not being a techie, I absolutely do not understand why that is. So I hope that will call me back.
I think calling may be best. I didn’t try the e-mail address. They closed around 1 pm est today but should be open all day on Mon.
Wow. And even with all this shoddy and lack of effort work, they have a kill rate of 50%…that’s actually pretty impressive! Imagine if they actually TRIED!?!
Must be all these pushy rescues and us irresponsible public that keep getting in the way by saving and adopting animals that messes with their kill rate.
They actually do contact rescues for the dogs. I just think they need help with their Petfinder site and website. Looks like nobody is updating the PF site. They seem to be updating the other site that goes to Adopt-a-Pet, though. And when I called about the first choc lab, they immediately asked me if I could also post the second one. So they do care–just maybe need some techie vols.
I’ve adopted from them before but the are not friendly people. Seem so not interested in the pets.
I’m speaking of Walter Crowe.