Reform Carroll County (GA) Animal Control shelter
We declare that protecting animals in Carroll County, GA, is a legitimate and compelling public interest and petition the Carroll County Commissioners give adequate funding for the reform of the Carroll County Animal Control to prevent the unnecessary deaths of over 6,000 animals per year that end up dying after being impounded in the county shelter. The Carroll County citizens request our taxpayer money be used to update, adequately fund and staff the county animal shelter for the proper care of the animals and preventative measures to reduce disease and intake. Rescuers and humane groups from all over the country who have tried to rescue or help the animals also seek change so that they might help rescue and place adoptable animals from this shelter that are otherwise getting sick and/or being euthanized. We petition for the following changes to be funded and implemented now, and appropriately increased, when the new county shelter is built:
- on-site daily veterinarian care
- age-appropriate vaccines for all entering animals
- increase hold time for animals to be claimed
- scanning all animals for microchips upon intake
- microchipping all animals adopted to increase reclaim
- spaying/neutering all animals before adoption to reduce reproduction
- hire more permanent employees trained in disease control to care for the animals and to manage/train prisoners (ie,need more staff)
- create a friendly atmosphere for public and volunteers by not using county prison inmates in public areas (ie, need more staff)
- hire more field officers to be able to quickly investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases (ie, need more staff)
- promoting animals on-line and taking animals for off-site adoptions
- creating and utilizing a foster care program
- proper and adequate quarantine of incoming animals to identify diseases and prevent spread (need new shelter finished ASAP)
- utilizing rescue groups whenever possible
- use signs and communications to the public, and get in writing, that animals that are being relinquished are authorized to be killed
- feeding high-quality age-appropriate food (i.e., kitten food for kittens and puppy food for puppies)
- expand adoption hours to some nights and extended weekend hours to give working individuals an opportunity to reclaim or adopt
- implement medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs to solve problems and encourage pet-retention instead of relinquishment
We declare that protecting animals in Carroll County, GA, is a legitimate and compelling public interest and petition the Carroll County Commissioners give adequate funding for the reform of the Carroll County Animal Control to prevent the unnecessary deaths of over 6,000 animals per year that end up dying after being impounded in the county shelter. The Carroll County citizens request our taxpayer money be used to update, adequately fund and staff the county animal shelter for the proper care of the animals and preventative measures to reduce disease and intake. Rescuers and humane groups from all over the country who have tried to rescue or help the animals also seek change so that they might help rescue and place adoptable animals from this shelter that are otherwise getting sick and/or being euthanized. We petition for the following changes to be funded and implemented now, and appropriately increased, when the new county shelter is built:
- on-site daily veterinarian care
- age-appropriate vaccines for all entering animals
- increase hold time for animals to be claimed
- scanning all animals for microchips upon intake
- microchipping all animals adopted to increase reclaim
- spaying/neutering all animals before adoption to reduce reproduction
- hire more permanent employees trained in disease control to care for the animals and to manage/train prisoners (ie,need more staff)
- create a friendly atmosphere for public and volunteers by not using county prison inmates in public areas (ie, need more staff)
- hire more field officers to be able to quickly investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases (ie, need more staff)
- promoting animals on-line and taking animals for off-site adoptions
- creating and utilizing a foster care program
- proper and adequate quarantine of incoming animals to identify diseases and prevent spread (need new shelter finished ASAP)
- utilizing rescue groups whenever possible
- use signs and communications to the public, and get in writing, that animals that are being relinquished are authorized to be killed
- feeding high-quality age-appropriate food (i.e., kitten food for kittens and puppy food for puppies)
- expand adoption hours to some nights and extended weekend hours to give working individuals an opportunity to reclaim or adopt
- implement medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs to solve problems and encourage pet-retention instead of relinquishment
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Animals are very important and we need to take care of these pets and help find homes for your furry friends.
It is imperative that these animals not have to suffer more than they already have prior to arriving at the place that is supposed to be giving them "shelter". They deserve a chance to be reunited with their owners or adopted before being killed so quicklly.
I love animals, especially the dog that I adopted from a shelter in Fulton County. That particular shelter, Fulton County Animal services, does almost every item listed in the above petition, so it is not too much to ask a shelter to perform the items listed above.
This is important to me because animals deserve better treatment; they deserve to be kept healthy so they can be adopted, not just picked up on the street after they were likely abandoned and then just killed or ill treated so they get sick and then killed because of the maltreatment of humans. The fact that because of the unsanitary conditions of the place that 77 animals had to be killed is shameful and just wrong when a few simple and inexpensive measures could have been employed to prevent disease. I am a cat lover, but I really love all animals and this hurts my heart.
Because the true sign of a society's worth is how it treats the least of its members, and right now we're pretty worthless. This is just yet another example.
I care for the animals that need a place for refgue until they can go to a safe and healthy envoirment .
I have seen the shelter and pray for improvements in envoriment and staff
After reading the details of the story about Grady in the AJC, I find myself very saddened at the lack of concern being shown for lost and stray animals in Carroll County. The published budget from recent years isn't even $1 per animal. And the fact that found animals aren't scanned for chips so their owners can locate them, is absurd. People spend money chipping their pets just for this reason, so no matter where a lost pet shows up, it could be identified and returned. And shelters aren't even required to scan them? What's the point! i believe if more people knew they would be outraged.
I think the idea of raising adoption fees *and animal control fines* could definitely generate some extra income that could at least provide humane conditions for these poor creatures while they are in holding. Please, they can't speak for themselves. It is our responsibility to make sure we do our best for them while they are here.
Anne Harbison King and I grew up together in Oak Park, Jeffersonville, Indiana. We spent many lazy summer days scouting the areas around our homes looking out for stray animals to care for and protect. My memories of Anne will always be her laughter. I remember her love for animals and her kind, gentle ways. I an certain her passion will live on in the hearts of others. Sandy Winnett Lewis JHS Class of '68
Please take notice of this issue. Make way for change.
In honor of Anne, may her dream come to fruition. We will miss her greatly.
Anne King was a friend of mine from the time we were in 2nd grade. Her purposes and passions were so worthy. Success in this program will help keep Anne's memory alive!
I am just a neighbor in GA, but on behalf of these loving animals, I encourage you to implement these simple steps/procedures to save lives. IN addition I encourage you to call on rescue groups and other people for adoption help in your area. It is worth it. Thank you.
It's not just important to me but is, or should be, to any individual who has visited the "shelter". One doesn't have to be a committed animal lover to come away heartsick. Our community has turned a blind eye to the plight of helpless animals who, for the most part, are there because of neglect.
We adopted a puppy from the shelter a few years ago and hadn't had him a week before he started having seizures and had to be euthanized due to conditions at the "shelter". We have rescued seven dogs in the past ten years. The people who work there do the best they can with what they've got. It's time we take as much pride in the way we care for neglected animals as we do about the more obvious community improvements.
THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT IS GROWING AND IS JUST SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE!
As an animal rescue person and an ex-resident of the Temple area, I have suggested on many occasion that people in the Carrol County area visit the shelter to save a life only to have to put the animal they adopt down. In trying to promote rescue as much as possible, it's difficult to convince people to act on that when the animals they get are so sick.
My mother adopted a puppy from here last year and it had distemper- she had to put it to sleep. I can name at least 10 other people who went through the same experience.
I just happen to love dogs
The word "shelter" implies a loving, welcoming, caring atmosphere. It further implies a temporary place for an animal to be cared for until it is fostered or adopted. It DOES NOT imply a place with little or no care of and for the animals by un-skilled, unknowledgeable people,and a death chamber.
I used to volunteer at the Carroll County Animal Shelter. I came in daily to give treats to and socialize the cats. Some of the prisoners took the time to learn about the needs of the animals and made an effort to do as much as they could to make them comfortable and keep their cages clean. Others were clearly there just because it meant they could be out of the jail or prison. They cared little, did as little as possible, left cages dirty, water bowls empty or holding fouled water. I and another volunteer were the ones who had to try to teach them about the animals, the necessity of keeping cages neat and clean even if it meant cleaning the cages more then once a day. We volunteers often had to change the paper in the cages, and fill food and water bowls and litter boxes. I made a concerted effort to do a little write up about each cat, which visitors and potential adopters said they found very helpful. Even the prisoners said it helped them when these people came in. I developed a cute form to continue doing this, but the forms were thrown out, and I was directed that this would no longer be tolerated. I was also told, after I had been volunteering for at least 2 years, that no-one was allowed to take a cat out of its cage to be held or petted, not by any volunteer or by any potential adopter. Apparently, as the petition points out, getting the animals adopted IS NOT the primary goal of the shelter.
I am currently an employee at the Bowling Green, Warren County Humane Society, and my love for animals stretches to all Humane Societies and Aniaml Shelters in which they are extending their lives and time to save animals in need. We, as humans are their voices, and to not take care of animals appropriately is a shame and a murder in some cases. I saved one cat from the Shelter, but I can't save them all by giving them homes, only by showing them love by volunteering and working once a week. I hope other shelters can learn from ours.
Animals are so important so they should be treated thusly - They are living beings that bring us much joy and happiness. We need to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
Every civilized society takes care of it's most vulnerable citizens. Animals are included in this! Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way its animal are treated". Amen!
This issue is important to me because I work near the "Swiss Friends of Animals" in Vevay, Indiana and I listen daily to the problems caused by the lack of animal control or proper health care for the animals in our area. But, I am on this site for my high school friend Anne Harbison King. It's not surprising this was important to her too. She will be greatly missed.
I am an animal lover and strongly support any action taken to protect animal rights. I am also signing this petition in honor of Anne King, a friend from high school, who gave her heart for this cause.
In memory of Anne King, I am signing this petition. She was a good friend of mine from high school in Jeffersonville, IN and I will forever remember her making me laugh at absolutely nothing! Her devotion to this cause is such another wonderful aspect of her life.
I am signing this petition in memory of Anne King. We graduated from high school together in Jeffersonville, IN. What a blessing to know that Anne has been an advocate for animal rights. Thank you for the work you all do each and every day!
I Love animals, I have been a member & donated money to the HSUS for years. I have taken in 3 stray cats, & they are the love of my life. My husband has even grown to love them! We are unable to have children, so we now feel our family is complete. Our cats are basically furry kids in our eyes! There are many families out there that would love to have a pet, but can't or not willing to pay hundreds of dollars to breeders, yet not sure how to go about adopting one from the shelter. A lot of people are scared to go in to a shelter due to their lack of knowledge. Adoption sites, more advertisement via mailers, internet, newspapers, and such would help with this situation. I believe in helping the helpless, animals, children, elderly people, this is what I would like to see my tax dollars go to. I get tired of seeing my tax dollars going to the lazy! I would be willing to volunteer & do anything w/in my ability to help.
I am signing this for two reasons. First, the rights of animals should be protected and a protective order should be provided. Secondly, my dear friend Anne King has devoted her life to this cause! In memory of her I sign this petition with her "heart" in mind. Thank you!
No shelter should be called one in the absence of humane care for the voicelss animals housed there.
There is a quote from Mahatma Ghandi that really says it all for me. " The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated". it sometimes seems we are regressing not growing and going forward. we muct do better.
This situation is so horrible. All the dogs and cats I have. Showed up at my front door (Dogs) and cats that wandered into my yard. I saved 4 and kept one. I wish I could rescue all.
The thought of any animal being treated poorly concerns me and how it makes our state look is important as well.
This is to provide the basic humane needs of animals that do not have a voice other than those trying to help them. They are deserving of proper care until they are placed in responsible, loving homes. Animals are not responsible for their situations - people are and we need to protect them. It is our responsibility as members of society and tax paying citizens to make sure that those who are vulnerable are cared for properly. I have adopted pets from shelters and fostering groups my whole life and will continue to do so. Please make the unfortunate situations of those pets that do not have a home as good as possible while they are in County care.
more money is not the issue here. new management is!!!!!!!!!!
My daughter adopted my "grandkitty" from the Carroll County shelter during her freshman year at West Georgia University. Her new pet offered companionship and love to a homesick freshman! I'm thankful that the shelter was there but seek for renovations to be made. By doing so, hopefully many other pets will be saved and be available for adoption.
The moral strength of a community is judged by the way in which the most vulnerable are treated--and this includes animal LIVES. Carroll County needs a shelter that houses lost, abandoned, and surrendered animals in the most humane way possible. One method that the facility itself might raise money to provide adequate shelter for these animals is to cremate pets--I've paid as much as $150.00 to have one of my beloved dogs cremated. Surely this is but one way to provide funding for the shelter in these economic hard times?
I have volunteered at the sheltr on numerous occasions, and I have adopted four dogs from CC Animal shelter. The conditions for the animals MUST improve--
As a most tender hearted person on Earth, I am signing this petition to help in any way I can- I avoid any animal that is near the road while traveling and will stop and pick a turtle up in the middle of the road and set him on a path elsewhere...My daughter lives in Carrollton...
This is important because all animals deserve a chance.
I had a dog stolen 2 years ago and I searched this shelter every day for 2 months hoping to find her. I went every day because I was afraid if they did find her, she would be euthinized before I could get to her. It was a very sad place for the animals.
My friend's dog was involved.
WE need to take better care of our animals - we need to educate the public on spay and nueter. We need to find homes for these little animals who are so full of love and hope - When we understand and learn to take care of animals we will be moving toward a kinder, gentler society where we really care about people, one another and the environment for today and the future.
My cat, Hazel, turned 6 years old this June the 7th. I got her my first year at UWG and she has been my only roommate since! She too was infected with feline pneumonia on adoption, but proper vet care and a little TLC go a long way...today she is a 13 lb. indoor kitten whose my study partner throughout the day!! Every animal that comes through the shelter should be given the proper chance to have such a success story....
Treating animals decently is the sign of a civilized society. It is simply common sense and human dignity that should prevail, when it comes to innocent animals who can't speak for themselves.
Government responsibility at both local and federal levels must be implemented to cover full responsibilities. There is a duty in Carroll County, GA that is not being fullfilled to the citizens of the county, both human and animal- this is disgraceful...
No animal should be mistreated,they don't ask to be born or abused.
The way animals continue to be treated is horrendous! The people who CAN change this and have not should have to experience the same type of inhumane treatment!!!!!!!!!!!!!
