No-Kill Shelter Workers Get Jail Time for Animal Abuse

Did we need more evidence to know that no-kill shelters are not the solution? According to news reports two members of a no-kill animal rescue group will serve time behind bars for keeping nearly 300 dogs and cats in squalid conditions. Former Noah’s Ark Animal Rescue, CA owner Alexiea Tiraki-Kyrklund was sentenced to 16 months in prison, and Gloria Yvette Ramos, head volunteer at the shelter, was sentenced to a year in jail and five years probation for felony animal cruelty.According to prosecutors, animal control officers found 152 dogs and 147 cats inside the building, and a state-licensed veterinarian determined that the conditions were detrimental to the animals’ health and safety.The defense attorney argued that most of the animals had been in poor health when they were rescued from other facilities and that his clients “didn’t do anything wrong.” It’s that last quote about not doing anything wrong that bothers me. The police only found out about this because the stench was so overwhelming. If humans were overpowered by a smell beyond closed doors, imagine what the animals, with their sensitive noses, were subjected to inside! Good intentions can cause as much harm to animals as the worst abusers sometimes. – Joel