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
The shelter here is old and rundown. I feel sorry for the animals, and wish the employees had something more with which to work.
I have seen the shelter and pray for improvements in envoriment and staff
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.
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.
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.