Animal advocates in KY are suing some county shelters for failing to comply with the state’s humane care law for shelters. Over the past 2 years, they have photographed numerous atrocities at county pounds around KY. (Warning: There are suffering and dead animals in this slideshow of horrifying images.)
Investigative reporter John Boel from WAVE in Louisville went out to visit some county shelters to see the conditions for himself. What he found ranges from troubling to – uh, what’s the term I’m looking for? – organized crime. Yeah, that’s it.
One county pound in KY is the dog warden’s house. He doesn’t adopt out pets but sends people to another county which he doesn’t know the location of offhand. Another county pound keeps dogs chained to a fence with no shade, even in 90 degree heat. Other shelters either have signs posted stating that cameras are not allowed or outright refused entry to Mr. Boel.
The Edmonson Co pound is owned by Kim Carroll who operates the pound for personal profit. Mr. Boel saw cages of dogs and cats piled high. The cages were too small for the animals to stand up or turn around. When Carroll refused to allow Mr. Boel and his photographer inside the facility, he asked her about the stacked cages and suffering animals he had seen. And for real, don’t take a sip of your beverage just now. Because this was Carroll’s response:
“If you press the issue, we can go in and put down anything you want to,” Carroll said.
“I’m just talking about humane treatment of animals. I’m not telling you to kill them,” I said.
“Do you want me to kill ‘em?” she said.
“No, I don’t want you to kill them,” I said. “I just want you to treat them humanely.”
If this isn’t make him an offer he can’t refuse enough for you, Carroll obliterates all doubt:
Kim Carroll said their private status means they don’t have to answer to the public. Then she pushed my photographer.
“If you don’t turn that thing off, that’s going to be the end of it,” she said.
Carroll said the shelter passed a recent inspection by the state, but she never let us in.
“I’m asking you, don’t air this,” she said. “This is a lot bigger than you and I.”
What the what? This person is pocketing cash from taxpayers in four KY counties, flouting the law, forcing animals to suffer, threatening to kill them if a reporter gets too asky – all while doing her best Don Corleone impression. Who are the people writing checks to her from those four counties? Where are the police in Edmonson Co who are supposed to be enforcing the law? Which state inspectors submitted passing reports on these facilities? Are all these public servants in on this animal cruelty, perhaps skimming off taxpayers to perpetrate this fraud? Because if not, how has Kim Carroll not been sent directly to jail do not pass Go do not collect $200?
The Contemporary Justice Review is about to publish a scathing analysis by two members of UofL’s sociology department of how Kentucky has complied with the Humane Shelter Law.
Let me guess: Not.
I’m glad there’s a lawsuit. I’m glad there’s been an analysis done. But some people operating “shelters” in KY need to have handcuffs slapped on them and get put in the back of the police car for these failures to comply with state law. Now.
(Thank you Clarice for the links.)