The NC Department of Agriculture, which oversees animal shelters, investigated the brutal microchipping (wait – WTF did I just write?) of a cat by a Rowan Co pound employee which resulted in the cat’s jaw being broken in two places. The severely injured cat, Cooper, was reportedly uncooperative during the bloody torture. Cooper is currently undergoing lengthy veterinary treatment and is being fed a liquid diet. The state has completed its investigation and determined that the ACO did not violate the NC Animal Welfare Act:
According to the investigation report from the Department of Agriculture, “The statements of the shelter staff, rescue personnel and veterinarians, the veterinary medical records and the shelter records have been reviewed. This review concludes that as Cooper was provided with access to veterinary care within 30 minutes of injury. Therefore veterinary care was provided as required by 02 N. C. Administration Code .0210 (c). Consequently, the findings of this investigation do not substantiate a violation of the N. C. Animal Welfare Act. The investigation findings have been turned over to the Rowan County Manager’s Office and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department.”
Sooooo brutal microchipping is a thing and it’s condoned by the state so long as the victim is given to someone who takes him to a vet within 30 minutes of the torture. If that truly falls within the Animal Welfare Act, I’m thinking the Animal Welfare Act sucks and needs to be changed to be a little more welfare-y and a little less legal-cover-for-animal-shelter-torture-y.
Rowan County Manager Aaron Church won’t say whether the unnamed ACO is still on paid administrative leave or back at uh, work.
Clai Martin, longtime pound director at Rowan Co, is being shifted to a related position in a county consolidation move:
As part of the consolidation, current Rowan County Animal Control Director Clai Martin will be moved into another position — manager of the animal enforcement division.
[…]
The consolidation would create a new department called Rowan County Animal Services. Church said Bob Pendergrass, the current director of the Nature Center at Dan Nicholas Park, would be promoted to oversee the new, consolidated department.
They’ve set a pretty low bar for you, Nature Center Guy. I hope you will raise it. Anything above “We don’t break cat faces for hissing during microchipping here” would be a good start.
(Thanks Lisa and Clarice for the links.)
Jeez, if John Q Public did something like that, it would certainly be considered animal abuse – why shouldn’t an ACO be held to at least the same standards?????????
So… it’s perfectly okay to harm an animal as long as you get him medical attention, afterwards? That’s very, um, … yeah.
What an abysmal miscarriage of justice.
ACO’s brutal assault on the Cat may Not have “Violated the Animal Control Act” in the Eyes of some Biased Person at ROWAN, but ROWAN AS A WHOLE IS A VIOLATION of ANIMAL RIGHTS ( and it is a HOLE ) and Needs to be thoroughly investigated by an Impartial Group with NO association to ROWAN. OBVIOUSLY YOUR DOING SOMETHING WRONG, LOOK AT THE END RESULT. If the Cat could talk, would he agree with YOUR Decision..? I Doubt it.
Absolutely disgusting.
As awful as this is, at least that piece of shit Clai Martin wont be in charge any more. He should have been fired and prosecuted but, in the grand tradition of the State of North Carolina, his ass is covered. Let’s hope that the employee who actually harmed the poor cat will find himself in a different position as well (and I can think of a few positions I’d like to see him in but again, North Carolina).
It’s worse in my opinion! An examiner.com says the following:
“Clai Martin will no longer be in charge of Rowan County Animal Shelter. His new position will be Manager of the Rowan County Animal Enforcement Division. Martin’s new duties will include animal cruelty investigations, enforcing ordinances, going to court, and will answer any calls or complaints as assigned by Pendergrass.”
Guess there is no accounting for stupidity. Not only did he servery harm a cat but now he’s in charge of investigations of cruelty!
Can’t this guy be put in charge of something non-living? Words escape me on this one!
Well shit.
So another fox is now in charge of investigating chicken depredation? Great. And good to know that torturing animals is fine as long as they get to a vet within thirty minutes.
Ugh, somedays I totally despair.
Well apparently our state animal welfare laws are ran by morons, soooo if someone was to harm their pet it’s ok? Why is NC full of low educated, unethical devils!!! Something has to be to be done, how can a ACO get away with this yet any other citizen would be fined, and jailed???
I hope that this isn’t dropped and pushed under the rug like so many other issues. And when God stands before them and ask,” why did u let ppl harm my animals “? I hope ur answer is good enough. NORTH CAROLINA STATE IS FAILING AT EVERYTHING. MAY THE RAPTURE COME SOON…AND THOSE THAT DON’T STAND FOR THE INNOCENT, BURN FOR AN ETERNITY. People that allow this treatment as ok, are allowing criminal minds to be at work. I truly believe the devil is within all board members who deemed this ok…absolutely shameful.
I once asked someone with the Dept of Ag about this very thing and was told that they are not part of the criminal justice system so it is up to law enforcement to press charges. Of course law enforcement won’t press charges unless Dept of Ag requests that they do so, but please don’t mention that.