Polk Co Animal Control in GA doesn’t post its statistics online but in 2007, the facility reportedly killed 83% of the pets in its care. Unless there has been a radical shift in practices at the Polk Co pound in the last few years, I’m assuming they still kill almost every pet that comes through the doors. Tragically, when a pound’s standard practice is killing pets and people make “mistakes”, pets die.
It is unknown whether Ace, a beloved dog who escaped his Polk Co yard last Wednesday night and was picked up by AC, was killed by “mistake”. But it is clear that he was killed within hours of impound and his body was sent to the landfill. The family contacted the pound as soon as it opened on Thursday morning but Ace was already dead. Owner Kristie Wilkes:
“We’re just absolutely heart broken.”
The county says it is policing itself and will decide if any policy violations occurred in the killing of Ace. The Wilkes family is considering legal action.
If you are a GA resident, please take action to help get the Georgia Animal Rescue Act (GARA) passed in your state. Like every lost and homeless pet, Ace had a right to live. GARA would force pet killing facilities to give lost and homeless pets in GA a chance to escape their kill rooms. We can not count on corrupt agencies to police themselves. Pets need a voice under the law.
Not again… I’m so sick of stories like this. There does need to be legal action taken.. where’s the 72 hour hold time?
You pretty much said it all.
And if I were them, I wouldnt even need to THINK about taking legal action if it were my dog. It would be done. Not saying I would necessarily win, but I would try.
That is inhumane and there should be a law against it – it isn’t the animals fault.
Wow, I think legal action is totally warranted in this case. These facilities are supposed to help us when we’ve lost an animal, not just “clean up the streets.” Disgusting.
It may not be against the shelter policy but I assume that the State of GA or the County has a law about how long stray dogs are supposed to be kept before euthanasia.