Authorities with the city of Deltona, Florida obtained a search warrant and entered the home of a couple to find they were well over the 5 pet limit. The Halifax Humane Society seized 114 cats and killed 108 of them despite a city spokesman’s claim that only a few were sick:
[Lee] Lopez said a few cats suffer from feline Leukemia, but more seemed well fed and healthy.
The man who lived at the residence considered the cats family. His wife threatened to hurt herself as her pets were being taken away so she was transported to a mental health care facility. (Thank you to the reader who sent me this story.)
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Photos posted online show animals in filthy cages at the Lucedale pound in MS but the mayor says the photos are not representative of conditions at the facility. The pound reportedly keeps intact male and female cats together but the mayor describes that as a funding issue. So everything’s good I guess. (Thanks Clarice.)
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One shelter worker’s revelation regarding “perfect” adoption applicants. (Thanks Anne.)
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As the supply of seals, the regular food of polar bears in the Arctic, dwindles due to climate change, scientists have observed starving bears eating dolphins who have been drawn to the area by unusually warm waters. (Warning: graphic photos at link.)
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The white man who called 911 to complain of black teenagers at a pool in Texas is a convicted felon whose crimes include animal torture. In 1999, the man reportedly beat cows and pigs bloody with wooden boards and pulled the limbs off baby turkeys before spray painting the farm animals. (Thanks Anne.)
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Uber, but for the bravest among Florida’s forest dwellers.
What’s especially sad about the Lucedale shelter is two years ago they had a great guy who was hired to manage it. He refused to kill, fought the city council for removal of the gas chamber (which he did and then used it for food storage!), created an Amazon wish list, did fund raising and built an outdoor play area, begged the council AGAIN for the ability to use volunteers (until then strictly forbidden because they might sprain an ankle or something) and worked with rescues. All while taking care of his then five year old and fourteen year old daughters. And he walked to work everyday because no car and the city wouldn’t let him use the city truck to drive to and from home.
He was successful. He got the local WalMart to donate food, had people stop by to help clean, paint and walk the dogs. Kept up the facebook page and garnered fans from all over the country (me included). For all of this he was paid the princely sum of $24,000 a year and worked 6 days a week. For all of his efforts and dedication they fired him. Now the place is full beyond capacity, no one is networking the animals. they’ve had disease outbreaks (he used to regularly spray for mosquitos) and there are no spay/neuter services. He did most of the updates from his personal iphone and then found volunteers who used their personal computers since the town didn’t see fit to provide anything akin to 21st century technology. He was building trust and a support base and as soon as it got some attention the city council did what those with limited critical thinking skills and education tend to do when faced with change – they threw a fit and got rid of the person doing the job. This is the result. They must be so proud. Sorry, Kevin, you deserved better.
I hope this fine man has found another facility to work with. He sounds like he has his priorities straight and really started to make a good change. A pox on those who couldn’t tolerate his “success”.