Monday, May 15, 2006

Rescuing Dogs From The Rescuers

The news that dogs and cats at Clayton County’s Animal Control might have to be destroyed since there was no place to keep them temporarily brought floods of calls and people coming from neighboring counties Friday to save the pets.

After state inspectors found a virus (Canine parvovirus ) in the facility, the floor is going to have to be resealed at the Jonesboro facility and this left the animals with no place to stay and raised the possibility that a mass euthanization might occur.

Ironically, the county’s no-kill shelter, the Clayton County Humane Society whose shelter is only a short distance away from the county one located near Jonesboro High School began getting angry calls on voice mail as early as 4 a.m. Friday, Society President Robin Rawls said. People mixing up the two shelters thought the Humane Animals were slated to be destroyed.

Isn't bureaucracy wonderful? These folks make a mistake, and then compound it by deciding they needed to kill all the dogs in their facility. How about just working with other rescue groups to take in the overflow? How about hiring help to take these dogs home to a different location while the repairs are being made? Why was euthanasia even considered a viable option? This place needs more than some physical repairs. They need to implement a few brain transplants in the senior staff.

But it doesn’t stop there… there is more to this story…

Rawls said what needs to be remembered is that people have to learn to be more aware of the problem and react accordingly. Those who adopt and move out of the county should know they can take their animals with them and they have to keep their animals from roaming around and creating more animals that have to be dealt with. They must be willing to care for the animals after they are adopted, she said.

So, the blame for all of this is pet overpopulation, not the shelter who apparently screwed up?

If I was in charge, here is what I'd be saying to them all:

"Right. Sure. Uh, huh. Yeah, I hear ya. Say it again.


Go home.

You’re Fired!"

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