Something new caught my eye this month in my Google Alerts. The Statesboro Herald, a Georgia newspaper, was including weekly statistics from its local animal shelter in a section titled “Police Report”. I’m always interested in looking at shelter stats so I started monitoring these entries. Here is what the paper reported for a 3 week period:
I had never come across the Bulloch Co shelter before so I looked them up online. The facility’s webpage is on the county government’s website. It indicates the shelter is closed on weekends and describes what appears to be a limited admission status:
Sometimes the Shelter may not be opening at the exact normal time due to unforeseen circumstances that may arise with the animals, so we ask that you always call the shelter first before coming. Especially, if you are surrendering in a animal. Even with a new and larger facility, we still fill up very quickly. Each space is on a first come first serve bases, and we keep a high demand for them daily. If we don’t have the space available we can not take the animal in.
Apparently Bulloch Co taxpayers are funding a limited admission animal shelter which is not only killing dogs and cats regularly but has pets falling over dead in their cages at an alarming rate. Surrenders outnumber strays impounded by ACOs for each of the three weeks chronicled in the above snippets. So if Bulloch Co is limiting owner surrenders, why are they killing pets?
For this three week period, the Bulloch Co shelter took in 177 dogs and cats, killed 97 of them and saw another 41 (4 dogs and 37 cats) die in their cages. The live release rate for this three week period was roughly 22%. What on earth is happening at this LIMITED ADMISSION facility and why are Bulloch Co taxpayers funding this death house?
Whoa. That’s a LOT of “died at shelter”. Something is very, VERY wrong there. Is anyone local to check it out?
From that page – “CAN’T ADOPT??? THEN VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME TO SPEND WITH OUR FURRY BABIES!! SOCIALIZING & LOTS OF LOVE & EFFECTION FROM US HELPS THESE BABIES IN FINDING NEW HOMES FOR THEM!!”
I’m thinking that there’s not a whole lot of “effection” happening with all those deaths.
This is really unsettling. In 3 years as an AC Director I’ve only had 3 animals die in their cages overnight and all three were new impounds within 24 hours previously. I LOVE the idea of posting the shelter stats in the paper each week. Both counties I was at refused to allow me to do this. The policies and hours and stats are awful. Again – what are the citizens and the media responses to the way this government shelter is being run?
This is terrible! The number one thing that stood out to me is how many (especially cats) that are dying while in shelter care. This is the email to the director of Agriculture for the state of Georgia Mark.Murrah@agr.georgia.gov . As you know they are over all shelters and rescues in the state. I think he should be apprised at the events at this shelter and a formal investigation should ensue.
The middle week they had 20 animal die at the shelter. That’s very nearly 3 animals every day for a week. I can’t even get my mind around it. It would be like finding a new dead animal every time you went back to walk the dogs.
This is under general information on their fb page.
“We do not put down just to put down! We do our best to adopt out ALL dogs and cats that are adoptable! ”
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bulloch-County-Animal-Shelter/219172478112779
Well when they’re dropping like flies in their cages, I guess that cuts down the number of “adoptables”.
Hey, they are doing their best.
Their very best. Shame it sucks so hard.
Yeah, right!
Wow! That is just unbelievable! This shelter needs to be investigated, pronto!
was a copy of this blog posted to their Facebook page?
All shelters need to be monitored and investigated, always should have been.Very disturbing animals are suffering through no fault of theirs and being cooped up inside in small cages. I hate people.
This is EXACTLY what is happening in Hendricks County, Indiana.
This is so disgusting, yet it continues! We need a way to stop this! Enough is enough!
The Director of this shelter is an Ex-con and his wife runs a puppy mill (She has had over 10 breeds for sale at one time. They are using this place for their own personal gain, non-neutered dogs are given to her for breeding.