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
Animals are an important part of my life and they deserve proper, humane and loving care.
Please join me in helping these vulnerable animals. We can no longer ignore this tragic problem. Because they have the capacity to suffer (and experience happiness) we have a moral obligation to stop this senseless suffering. These animals are victims of irresponsible human behavior. We would not have kill-shelters if it weren't for the reckless actions of people. As a rescuer of many strays (left in sewers, ditches, etc...) I know what it is like to "pick up after neglectful people." We can do better by these animals. I would like to see my tax dollars be used to educate people about animals (their inherent worth, rights, emotions, health needs, etc.) and our special obligation toward them (we should care for vulnerable beings), so that shelters become part of our barbaric past.
To paraphrase Gandhi, you can tell a lot about a society by looking at how they treat animals. Is this really the picture we want to portray...of a callous, uncaring society who thinks nothing of animal suffering?
Carroll County is growing and there are now many small animals being introduced into the county. For many health and safety reasons of both people and animals, it will be much better to address this situation now than to wait for it to get worse. To be honest, you don't even have to go to the pound to adopt a pet; they come to your door. There is not enough staff or facilities to handle the situation as it is. By having a good shelter with proper care and pet ID, we will have a preferred place to adopt pets. It is better to return lost pets to owners, and recycle the rest, rather than bringing ever more pets into the county. This adversely affects wildlife and farm animals as well. This is a legitimate function of government. It is essentially a part of public safety.
The shelter here is old and rundown. I feel sorry for the animals, and wish the employees had something more with which to work.
ALL animals deserve a chance! The county keeps it's public buildings in very good condition and they always smell nice. Shouldn't animals treated the same way?? More efforts should be made to adopt these animals!! There should NEVER be a kill shelter!!
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.
