A statement from the Mitchell Co Correctional Institute in Georgia indicates an adoption rate of just 21% at the pound and reads, in part:
On September 1, in accordance with its policies and procedures, Mitchell County Animal Control was regretfully forced to reduce the population of stray animals in its custody in order to maintain humane conditions within its capacity limitations. The County’s priority is to find homes for these animals as often as possible. However, with limited resources to house the constantly growing number of stray or forfeited animals, the County has no choice but to control the population.
Translation: On September 1, Mitchell Co killed 25 dogs and 22 cats – nearly every animal in the facility, including many who were slated for rescue:
“There was animals that were put down that were promised to be safe and to come in and see the furnace going was devastating,” said [pound volunteer Kathy] Harrell.
Imagine volunteering for a shelter and walking in to care for the animals you are helping to get rescued only to find them in the fucking furnace.
Apparently Ms. Harrell is one of the lucky ones allowed to help shelter staff do the jobs they aren’t doing. Other rescuers have reportedly been turned away:
Janet Goree says her efforts to help get animals adopted from Animal Control have been denied.
“We are all volunteers that want to see this happen, but the Animal Control won’t let us help,” said Goree. “The doors are firmly shut in our face.”
An adoption rate of 21%, killing animals rescuers are willing to save, turning away volunteers – it doesn’t look like Mitchell Co is doing the best they can, as we so often hear from killing apologists.
To be fair, I took a look at the facility’s website to see how they market animals. It directed me to this page to see the available pets:
Just in case this half-assed effort for two dogs (or halves of two dogs) wasn’t the only effort being put forth by the county, I went back to Google and found this page:
Now true, they only have one dog advertised here, and she’s from 4 years ago, but how about a round of applause for managing to upload the entire photo? Finding homes for shelter pets is clearly a “priority” for the county. And they are “regretfully forced” to kill animals, whom they haven’t marketed and whom rescuers are willing to take. But nobody wants to kill animals. That would be like, evil.
(Thanks Clarice for the links.)
Update (link via Clarice): The county says it will stop killing. I think I’ll wait until I taste the pudding.
http://www.walb.com/story/29985906/no-more-euthanizations-in-mitchell-county
Huh. The commissioners have decided that volunteers can help. I’m sure shelter staff is not going to be adversarial at all towards them…
Yeah, let’s see what happens. And how long it is before they’re “forced” to kill out of laziness.
“Volunteers are still working to set up their own non-profit rescue shelter.” That statement leads me to believe that the volunteers don’t really believe the killing will stop.
Really really sad way to run a shelter
I can’t imagine and animal lover working there
There is no way you can call this place a “shelter”! It’s a killing factory and I call bullshit on them. Hope the volunteers can put these sad excuse for human beings out of business. I am so very tired of hearing the same old excuses and seeing the same dreadful actions. RIP babies, you didn’t deserve this.
Left my thoughts on the link to the news article. Maybe others would do the same and let someone in power know that the word is out . . . another place I will never visit until they get their act together and stop killing.
I’m almost scared to find out – is this ‘shelter’ (HA!) run by the Corrections Dept – as in run by the PRISON? Are prisoners the staff that ‘care for’ the animals – and more importantly – are prisoners the ones who kill the animals? How the HELL does ANYONE expect prisoners to learn that life matters if they are allowed to (sort of) care for a living, breathing, innocent being and then KILL it and toss its body in a furnace? Who’s the dumbass who thought this was going to have a good outcome for any of the beings involved?
Blaming the political parties that implement these people that do not have a humane bone in their body or any pride in doing the best job they can do for all that are expecting
Efforts to improve an unexceptable indifference toward life and killing of innocent animals….
Shame on the whole city…….