An unlicensed transporter who was allegedly bringing sick pets from GA shelters to CT without health certificates was charged with 28 counts related to an “illegal pet adoption operation” by CT authorities. The state Department of Agriculture seized 10 cats and 2 dogs and took them to a vet clinic where 2 of the cats were euthanized due to illness.
The AP wins the award for WTF Word Choice with this lede: “A Central Texas police department has fired its animal control manager amid allegations of poor care and treatment of creatures in a shelter.” (Thanks Kim for the link.)
Shelter dogs have been trained to find illegal elephant tusks and rhino horns. The dogs work in airports, shipping centers and ports.
Hundreds of snakes, many dead, along with a large number of rodents were found in the home of a CA school teacher. The snakes were starving to death in unheated plastic bins. Authorities arrested the owner on suspicion of animal cruelty. No word on what happened to the animals. (Thanks Kerry for the link.)
Children’s book illustrators contributed to a new book by drawing their favorite animals.
A note about the GA rescue. The two cats that were killed due to “illness” tested positive for Feline Leukemia on one test. So the “shelter” in question killed them immediately. No waiting and testing again to see if they were really positive. No even trying to see if they could be placed. Just instant death and placing the blame on the rescue. Nevermind the fact the odds of the cats getting it from the rescue (if they were even true positive) are very slim. That is *not* on the rescue. That is very telling of who it accusing them of abuse.
I know this rescue well. If they were to be shut down entirely there would be many animals in GA who will no longer have a prayer of getting out alive as they work with counties few other rescues deem worthy of their time. There is a lot of information the media is leaving out. I can’t get into details personally but don’t write them off as a “bad rescue” just because of what you read in the news.
Yet another example of why we should not be sending shelter animals to states that kill pets. There is no cat shortage in CT and healthy/treatable cats are killed in the shelter system AFAIK.