‘No-Kill’ Policies Slowly Killing Animals 2018

When “no-kill” animal shelters and rescue groups are filled to capacity, which is almost always, they are left with two options: turn away more animals than they take in or warehouse animals, often in substandard, filthy, and severely crowded conditions, for weeks, months, or even years on end. Most, if not all, of the animals who are turned away from such facilities still face untimely deaths—just not at these facilities.

Instead they are cruelly killed by people who don’t want them, are dumped on roadsides and left to die from starvation or being hit by a car, or spend their short lives homeless, unwanted, and producing more litters of animals for whom no homes exist.

The lucky ones are taken to well-run open-admission animal shelters, where they either find a well-screened, permanent home or are painlessly euthanized in the arms of professionally trained, compassionate people. Here are some of the “no-kill” animal shelter failures that made headlines in recent years for making animals suffer a fate far worse than a kind death.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in December 2018

Jarrell, Texas

KXXV.com reported that an investigation had revealed “deplorable conditions” at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Midnight’s Journey, Inc. Authorities asked and the “rescue” owner agreed to surrender 19 dogs found at the property, who “were taken for proper care.” Four warrants alleging cruelty to animals were issued, and the owner reportedly turned herself in.

Guilford County, North Carolina

MyFOX8.com reported that since a publicly funded animal shelter doing business as Guilford County Animal Services had implemented a “managed intake” policy, a local adoption group had experienced “a major increase in the number of surrendered animals.” “Our intake has been quadrupled than in previous years so the needs have just exceeded the structure we have,” said a spokesperson. Many residents who surrendered animals to the group reportedly “said they could not wait to make an appointment with Guilford County Animal Services.” According to representatives of two area adoption groups, animal abandonment had also increased.

Pomona, New York

LoHud.com reported that a nonprofit group doing business as Hi Tor Animal Care Center, which had a contract to provide Rockland County residents with animal-sheltering services, had apparently been turning away cats and had confined some “for years” at a building described as “small, disjointed and dilapidated.” It was reported that “[s]oaring cases of ringworm make dealing with perpetual cat overcrowding even more complex.”

Pittsylvania County, Virginia

GoDanRiver.com reported that state authorities had notified a self-professed “no-kill” shelter doing business as Pittsylvania Pet Center that it “could be subjected to fines of up to $65,250 unless the state office chooses to dismiss the civil penalties.” The fines were in relation to animal deaths and poor conditions during the time when the center was being operated by a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as the Lynchburg Humane Society. There were “four violations—one termed by the state as non-critical and three as critical—[that] revolved around reports of designated dog isolation rooms misused, instances of unsafe animal housing, failure to follow veterinary protocol and failing to provide adequate feed and veterinary care.” According to inspection reports, a cat had died alone in a windowless room at the facility that “was cluttered with equipment and miscellaneous items.” A report described a kitten named Dusk whom inspectors found starving. He reportedly “arrived at the pet center without eyes in July [and] was weighed once when [he] arrived and then another time nearly three weeks later. . . . During the Aug. 20 inspection, an office of animal care and emergency response veterinarian examined Dusk, found he was only 1 pound and gave him a body score of 2 out of 9, with a higher score meaning a better condition. The veterinarian [then] advised the shelter manager to ‘promptly obtain veterinary care for [Dusk],’ according to the report.” Another kitten named Voyd “entered the shelter on June 19 and died on July 15 [and] was recorded with an initial weight of 10 ounces. The report stated that shelter staff told the inspector that the kitten wasn’t examined by a veterinarian during [his or her] time at the center, and there weren’t records to show that the kitten had been monitored daily.” After Voyd died, an examination of his or her body “indicated the kitten weighed 7 ounces, according to the state’s report.” Healthy dogs were reportedly found “stored in a designated isolation room meant to separate the sick from healthy.” The state oversight agency “said it will send a second notice of its final decision regarding the violations recorded on Aug. 20.” A timeline wasn’t available.

Phoenix, Arizona

ABC15.com reported that authorities had seized 23 dogs and 22 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Az Dog Adoptions after “[i]nvestigators determined many of the dogs and cats had not received medical treatment and were not being cared for.” Dogs were found suffering from apparently untreated medical conditions, including “dental disease, suspected mange, and ringworm,” and cats showed symptoms of untreated respiratory infections, including discharge draining from their eyes. It wasn’t reported whether criminal charges would be pursued.

Jefferson, Texas

KSLA.com reported that authorities were investigating allegations of poor conditions and dead animals found at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Marion County Humane Society. Brooke LaFleur, the president of the group’s board, reportedly “said a woman named Caroline Wedding lived on the isolated grounds at the humane society and was responsible for caring for the dogs. However, LaFleur said Wedding was not transparent about the conditions at the humane society; LaFleur added she had no knowledge of the dead dogs.” LaFleur claimed that board members “were shocked” and “had no idea” about the conditions. Volunteers who reportedly spoke to reporters said they’d found “the humane society in bad shape, with multiple dogs living in a single cage—all of which are outside during winter months—feces scattered across the ground, and a lack of water and food.” One of them reported that approximately 40 dogs remained at the property, some suffering from “extreme diarrhea.”

Newport, Tennessee

KnoxNews.com reported that authorities had arrested Terry Starnes, the director of a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Friends Animal Shelter, on charges of cruelty to animals. The arrest was made after authorities received a complaint about a dog named Kylar who was approximately 40 pounds underweight when he was found and removed from the facility. The woman who filed the complaint reportedly said, “I’ve never seen a dog that close to death and not dead.” An investigation conducted in December revealed that “Kylar had been adopted in March but was returned to the shelter 11 days later. The shelter’s vetting sheet said the dog had received medical treatment … but the shelter’s manager could not say where Kylar was treated. He also was unable to produce any medical records, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.” The news release reportedly said that “[d]eputies visited the shelter … and reported some areas were in ‘poor condition’ and ‘in need of cleaning.… ‘Officers did observe dogs underweight and in poor condition.’” The director was fired, but the president of the group’s board reportedly defended him. She said that he “did the best he could with the resources that were available” and that “the nonprofit runs a no-kill operation—the shelter previously euthanized animals—and often houses more than twice the number of animals it should.” She went on to say, “We couldn’t hire as many people as should have been hired.… [W]e really couldn’t even afford as much veterinary care as would be ideal.” After he was removed from the facility, Kylar received treatment and was gaining weight.

Tampa, Florida

ABCActionNews.com reported that four days after he was adopted from a taxpayer-funded animal shelter doing business as the Pet Resource Center, which has been trying to operate as a “no-kill shelter,” a dog mauled another dog. The dog who was attacked reportedly sustained “a large gash that required a dozen stitches.” When the adopter returned the dog to the facility, he learned that before he adopted the dog, he or she had been “adopted and returned three times for aggression towards wildlife and other dogs and in two cases, he knocked a person to the ground,” information that the adopter alleged had been withheld from him. The facility said that it had since implemented a new policy requiring adopters to “initial [a form] to confirm they’ve been given information about the dog’s medical and behavior history.”

Selma, California

KMPH.com reported that after they were turned away from a nonprofit adoption group doing business as Second Chance Animal Shelter, two people who had wanted to surrender a dog were seen on surveillance video abandoning the animal in the parking lot and driving away. The dog was then “seen running around frantically in traffic.” The facility admitted him after the incident.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in November 2018

Lafayette, Indiana

JCOnline.com reported that a cat who had apparently been left behind when his or her owners moved had been captured in a live trap and pushed into a pond, where the animal drowned. The incident had been videotaped and posted on social media by a teenager who commenters said was paid by the manager of a mobile home park to “get rid of animals left behind when tenants move out.” Another commenter said that “shelters rarely take the animals.” Authorities were investigating.

Calgary, Alberta

CalgaryHerald.com reported that a resident had told staff at a turn-away facility doing business as Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society that he’d found 15 cats, “many suffering from respiratory issues,” in two plastic bins duct-taped shut and abandoned along a highway. After the facility accepted the animals, he later admitted that they “belonged to a family member who was unable to properly care for them” and that he’d been unable to find an animal shelter willing to accept them. A spokesperson for the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said that “it’s fairly common for someone who is trying to surrender animals to be told that the agency they’ve approached simply doesn’t have the room” and that most area shelters and adoption groups were full. The cats were receiving treatment.

Killingly, Connecticut

Courant.com reported that representatives of two area nonprofit groups had alleged that a publicly funded animal shelter doing business as Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG) Animal Services, which states on its website that it has “not had to euthanize any animal due to a lack of space,” routinely turns away cats. One of the representatives said, “They tell us, ‘We’re full. We have no room.’” A former NECCOG employee had reportedly filed a written complaint about conditions at the facility, including the denial of medical care to a badly injured cat who was allegedly “picked up and left in a cage overnight. She found [the animal] in the morning … meowing, lying immobile with [his or her] head in a food dish.” Killingly Town Council members were reportedly asked to launch an investigation into the allegations.

Las Vegas, Nevada

KTNV.com reported that former volunteers at a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had alleged that conditions and practices at the facility were dangerous and resulted in animal suffering. Allegations included a “leaking roof, sewage hoses running through kennels, and a mauling so severe a woman nearly lost her foot.” The dog involved in that mauling had been advertised for adoption on the same day as the attack. Some dogs had reportedly been languishing at the facility for years. Two former volunteers said that “when they were there, they saw dogs standing in sewage, their paws covered in feces.” Authorities had reportedly compiled a “long history of problems” at the facility. As far back as 2014, “records show overcrowded dog runs, uncomfortably hot temperatures,” and other issues. Records that year reportedly revealed that “a dog [who] was recovering from sedation after surgery [was] being walked on by other dogs in the cage.” County records and photographs from January 2018 “confirmed that kennels were flooded and that the roof was in disrepair.” A spokesperson at the facility reportedly said that “they are doing the best they can as a no-kill shelter.”

Fairfield, Connecticut

Connecticut.News12.com reported that authorities had found the remains of five dead dogs locked inside wire crates at the home of a woman who was “involved with an animal rescue agency.” The dogs reportedly “appeared to be neglected and left to die inside their crates.” Cruelty-to-animals charges were expected to be filed. It was later reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Bully Breed Rescue, Inc., said that “it was the organization’s president who was supposed to be taking care of the five dogs.” Authorities reportedly confirmed that they were interviewing representatives of the group “as part of this investigation.”

Elsberry, Missouri

STLToday.com reported that authorities had seized 80 cats and 29 dogs from the property of a self-professed animal “rescue” group. Most of the cats had reportedly been found “crowded into a three-room apartment reeking of urine and visible feces .… Many of them ha[d] matted or very thin coats; eye, ear and upper respiratory infections; and flea infestations. Many of the dogs were housed in indoor/outdoor kennels and those found inside the living area ha[d] hair loss, visible tumors and very long nails,” according to information provided by the Humane Society of Missouri. A humane society news release reportedly said, “In recent years, the owner had been licensed as an animal rescue facility. … Due to numerous unresolved citations, earlier this year the license was not renewed and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit alleging violations of Missouri’s Animal Care and Facilities Act.” (See the June 2018/Jefferson City, Missouri, entry below.) A court date was set to determine permanent custody of the animals.

Sams Valley, Oregon

KTVL.com reported that more than 36 cats at four locations where a group doing business as Wild Whiskers Animal Rescue had been trapping, sterilizing, and reabandoning homeless cats had died from “panleukopenia, also known as cat parvo or feline distemper.” Painful symptoms of the fatal disease include diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures.

Harris County, Texas

CommunityImpact.com reported that since the Harris County Animal Shelter had “implemented initiatives in recent years to reach ‘no-kill’ status,” the facility was chronically severely crowded. The shelter director reportedly said, “We have four or five dogs in [some of our] runs, which to me is totally unacceptable.” The county was constructing a new $24 million shelter in an attempt to address crowding. A self-professed “no-kill” adoption group in the area doing business as The Kitten House Rescue of Houston, LLC, was also severely crowded, reportedly “over capacity by 50 percent.” Its managing director said that it turns away “50–100 cats/kittens each day, on average.”

Kittanning, Pennsylvania

TribLive.com reported that 17 cats had been left in covered plastic tubs outside a turn-away facility doing business as Orphans of the Storm. The facility’s manager reportedly said that the “shelter is inundated with cats at this time of year and does not have room for more.” The group was looking for other facilities and foster homes for the cats.

Boardman, Ohio

WKBN.com reported that a pit bull adopted just days before from the Mahoning County Dog Pound had been shot after attacking a child in the kitchen of the adopter’s home. The child’s father shot the animal once. Authorities were called and found the dog “still alive and walking around in the backyard of the house, badly bleeding.” He or she had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries.

Griffith, Indiana

NWITimes.com reported that authorities had seized 47 cats and six dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Bella’s House Animal Rescue after they “were found in a urine- and feces-filled home.” The animals were “found with limited to no food or water, police said, some confined in cages and others roaming free” in an “unoccupied home” and garage. The floors were reportedly covered with urine and feces, and the only heat available was an electric oven that was on and open at the time of the raid. First responders had “to wear protective clothing and face masks ‘to operate in the deplorable conditions,’” and the home was declared “unfit for human habitation.” “Rescue” owner Deborah Gizynski was charged with animal abandonment and neglect.

Martin County, Kentucky

WSAZ.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Stray Hearts Animal Rescue/Martin County Shelter had reported that a kitten had been found dead after being left in a cardboard box outside the facility in below-freezing temperatures. A spokesperson reportedly said that “dogs and cats are being left outside their doors at all hours of the night in the bitter cold,” that the facility was “overcrowded,” and that “people are constantly dropping off animals in the middle of the night.”

Bethesda, Maryland

Philanthropy.com reported that a nonprofit organization doing business as Alley Cat Allies, which promotes the abandonment of domestic cats, had been involved in “a number of questionable” financial practices. The piece said that this organization “offers a case study in what can happen when there’s a lack of government or institutional oversight.” The group’s founder and president, Becky Robinson, was reportedly “paid $265,309 in total compensation for the fiscal year that ended on July 31, 2017, while [Donna] Wilcox, the board chair and vice president, was paid $230,556 in salary and benefits. Together, their compensation amounts to more than 5 percent of the group’s revenue. The board sets the CEO’s pay, yet the board chair works for the CEO.” In 2015, after a neighbor complained about an outdoor horde of cats at Robinson’s home, “Alley Cat Allies bought the neighbor’s home for $590,000. Last summer, the charity bought a second home in Arlington for $569,000. Neither transaction was disclosed to the full board of the nonprofit.” In addition, the “board rarely meets—it has yet to convene in 2018.”

Marion County, Florida

WCJB.com reported that two cats had been left in a carrier at the gate of a turn-away facility doing business as the SPCA of Ocala. The president of the group, which only accepts animals if it has room, reportedly said “that the overall push to no-kill has organizations close to capacity and that people abandoning animals is a growing problem.”

Buda, Texas

Statesman.com reported that authorities had seized 161 cats and 15 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue.” They were found after authorities responded to a “call about inhumane animal care” and were removed “for welfare concerns.” ExpressNews.com later reported that owner Melissa Caffey had been arrested and charged with 10 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of child endangerment. A sheriff’s office news release reportedly said that investigators had “found dozens of cats and several dogs living in ‘brutal conditions.’ Four cats were found dead and several others are seriously ill.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in October 2018

Spring, Texas

YourConroeNews.com reported that authorities had seized 231 cats from a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Faye and Dave’s Cat Sanctuary. Officials testified at a custody hearing, reportedly revealing that they had “found the house to be in a bleak condition.” They said that “[u]pon their arrival after repeated complaints from neighbors, they found cats suffering from upper respiratory infections, skin conditions, emaciation, fleas and diarrhea. One unresponsive cat found on the property was later euthanized.” The court reportedly ordered owners Faye and David Spencer to surrender ownership of the animals and pay “more than $52,000 in court fees and veterinary bills.” It wasn’t reported whether cruelty-to-animals charges were being considered.

Edmonton, Alberta

TheGlobeandMail.com reported that authorities had charged the city of Edmonton and four of its employees with violations of the province’s Animal Protection Act in connection with the deaths of three cats in the city’s custody. The Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had undertaken an investigation “after receiving a public complaint that three cats in the care of the city had suffered distress and died.” They had reportedly “been transported between city facilities as part of a pilot project to provide homes for feral cats, but three of the cats died within a day of being moved.” A court date was set.

Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania

LehighValleyLive.com reported that authorities had found “more than 20 cats and dogs [who] were forced to live in a feces-smeared, flea infested home” at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Heaven on Earth Farm. Earlier in the year, “sanctuary” owner Jahjah Melhem had reportedly pleaded no contest to 31 counts of cruelty to animals “for failing to feed and care for some” of the approximately 300 animals in his custody (see the December 2017/Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, entry below) and “agreed to get rid of about 200 of the horses, goats, alpacas, sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats he owned.” During a recent inspection of the property, authorities said that they had found “nine cats and 16 dogs living in horrible conditions.” When they returned to the property with a warrant to seize the animals, the dogs were gone and Melham said that he’d “sent eight of the 16 dogs to a foster service via a friend.” An officer tracked down four of them, “and two still had significantly matted fur.” In addition, “[a]ll four of them need[ed] veterinary attention.” The other dogs were being sought. The “sanctuary” property’s lease had reportedly lapsed and wasn’t being renewed, and authorities intended to file cruelty-to-animals charges in the recent case.

Bakersfield, California

KGET.com reported that investigators with the State of California Franchise Tax Board alleged that Diana Roman and her mother had created a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Oliver Rescue Mission to “get a tax break on hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Roman had reportedly claimed that she donated nearly $700,000 to the “rescue.” However, “[i]nvestigators said no dogs ever were rescued or rehomed by Roman’s non-existent organization. Instead, investigators said Roman spent the money on her mother’s personal expenses.” She was scheduled to appear in court.

Morgantown, West Virginia

Newsweek.com reported that one of nine cats who were being fostered at a home for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Appalachian Peace Paws Rescue, Inc., had been “strangled and injured.” A suspect was charged with cruelty to animals after he reportedly called authorities to report what he’d done. The animal control and police departments were removing and caring for the animals.

Greenback, Tennessee

KnoxNews.com reported that two dogs had been shot to death at the property of a self-professed animal “rescuer.” They were two of 64 dogs “rescuer” Tony Alsup had removed from evacuated areas after a hurricane. They had reportedly been handed over to him by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Saint Frances Animal Center in Georgetown, South Carolina, whose executive director reportedly said, “I didn’t have a good gut feeling about (Alsup), but I made the call to send the dogs with him.” A sheriff’s department incident report allegedly said that two of the dogs “were shot by a neighbor and one was injured during a dog fight within the small cage they were staying in” at Alsup’s property in Tennessee. The injured dog “required a two-hour surgery” and was expected to survive.

Douglas, Wyoming

Caller.com reported that two dogs had died and another had sustained a broken toe after a van transporting 52 dogs from animal shelters in Corpus Christi, Texas, to adoption groups in Washington was totaled in a crash. The van belonged to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Faith and Hope Foundation, Inc. After the accident, “many of the dogs in the van got loose” but were apparently eventually located.

Lake Butler, Florida

Gainesville.com reported that authorities had seized 54 horses from a self-professed animal “rescue,” where they were found without adequate food or “proper living conditions.” Two of them died at the property, and one was in such bad shape that he or she had to be euthanized. A sheriff’s department spokesperson reportedly said, “The horses all seemed to suffer from some form of neglect. Some were mildly neglected, while others were in critical condition.” He also said, “Arrests are forthcoming …. I can guarantee you that.”

Asheville, North Carolina

WFMYNews2.com reported that a cat who had been adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” adoption group doing business as Brother Wolf Animal Rescue had been found dead and mutilated on the property of a grocery store. Authorities had reportedly been “alerted to social media images showing the dead cat strung up and sliced open, posed with needles in [his or her] body and drugs in [his or her] mouth.” The adopters had apparently allowed the cat to roam outdoors without supervision, and a microchip traced back to the group. Two suspects were arrested and “charged with misdemeanors for ‘improper burial of an animal,’” and a third was being sought in connection with the case. A necropsy was reportedly scheduled to determine the cause of the cat’s death.

Camden, Ohio

FOX19.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescuer” had been diagnosed with dementia. Family members found 44 cats and six dogs in her home, including animals with untreated medical conditions. A spokesperson for an adoption group that took some of the animals from the home said that some cats were “missing skin” because of a severe flea infestation, suffered from upper respiratory infections, and had inner ear infections.

Houma, Louisiana

DailyComet.com reported that two dogs and a cat died in a fire at a home where they had been hoarded by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rescue Revolution. Approximately seven more animals were “unaccounted for.” The “rescue” owner said a dog who had escaped the blaze had been seen “running near Wal-Mart.” Authorities reportedly said that the house was “filled with homeless cats and dogs,” and they were investigating the cause of the fire.

San Antonio, Texas

KSAT.com reported that a man tried to turn in two puppies he said he’d found to a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as San Antonio Pets Alive! but was turned away and allegedly directed to a public shelter. Hours later, the dogs were found “in a trash dumpster behind a grocery store . . . about 100 yards away.” They were “covered in fleas, had ringworms, tested positive for worms and one had parvovirus.” The group then took in the puppies and called authorities. The dogs were reportedly being treated.

Stanton, Michigan

FOX17Online.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” shelter doing business as the Humane Society of Mid Michigan “has a wait list 70 people long, all hoping to surrender cats or kittens before winter hits.” There were reportedly 142 at-risk cats on the list. A spokesperson for the group said that because of its turn-away policy, “[w]e end up with a lot of angry phone calls, from people who are upset.” 

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

LDNews.com reported that former employees and volunteers at a turn-away facility doing business as the Humane Society of Lebanon County “claim[ed] the organization has been adopting out animals that are dangerous and at-risk for contagious diseases.” They cited “a philosophy among Humane Society board members that all animals should be saved and eventually adopted, regardless of their health or temperament,” and one former kennel worker said that the “shelter is so full of unadoptable dogs that nobody can walk.” A dog named Amaru had reportedly been adopted out despite being “so aggressive that she was kept away from other dogs and only trained dog walkers were allowed near her.” In addition, “[s]everal times in the past year, dogs were adopted, bit their new owners, were returned to the shelter, and then were again put on the adoption floor.” Other allegations included housing a dog suffering from parvovirus in a men’s bathroom, failing to alert foster caregivers of a panleukopenia outbreak among the cat population, and severe crowding.

Drew County, Arkansas

KARK.com reported that authorities had found 500 plastic storage tubs containing dead dogs behind the home of a self-professed animal “rescuer.” They also seized 43 live dogs from the property, where “dog feces [were] everywhere inside and outside the home.” A neighbor said that some of the dogs had come onto her property earlier in the year and killed her small dog. Criminal charges were reportedly not being pursued against the “rescuer.” MonticelloLive.com reported that 39 of the dogs who were found alive at the property were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. New homes were reportedly found for five surviving dogs, and “10 animals escaped, 2 of which reportedly killed a neighbors [sic] dog and attacked a groundskeeper mowing a nearby cemetery.” Gruesome photos of the tubs that contained decomposing dogs’ bodies and live dogs suffering from severe medical conditions were included in the news report.

Clearwater, Florida

FOX13News.com reported that a 7-month-old child had been attacked and killed by a pit bull mix who had been adopted from Pinellas County Animal Services the previous March. A spokesperson for the facility said that the dog had been evaluated and “never showed signs of violence.”

Seven Hills, Ohio

News5Cleveland.com reported that authorities had seized more than 100 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Lucky’s Angels Cat Rescue after they were found hoarded in a home. The owner reportedly “said he has three floors in his house and anywhere from 40 to 60 cats can be found on each floor.” Authorities “said they had received a lot of calls about the cat rescue and that the situation was bad.” Cleveland.com later reported that authorities had seized 131 cats “as well as the bodies of other dead cats and kittens.” One of the cats seized was reportedly so sick from cancer that he died. The “rescue” owner filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the surviving cats from being adopted.

Cincinnati, Ohio

FOX19.com reported that a man had entered a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as The Ohio Pet Sanctuary through a back door and left a litter box containing five guinea pigs. The animals were reportedly underweight and standing in filth. The group’s owner said that “there is a waiting list to take in guinea pigs” and called authorities.

Las Vegas, Nevada

ReviewJournal.com reported that “a few days” after a couple adopted a pit bull mix from The Animal Foundation, the city’s public animal shelter, he fatally mauled one of his new owners. The victim’s husband reportedly came home from work and found his wife “dead in their living room, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County coroner’s office.” The dog was removed from the home and euthanized at the family’s request.

Mesa, Arizona

ElPasoTimes.com reported that authorities had seized more than 50 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Shelter Paws. Many were found “emaciated and appeared neglected,” and one dog was in such bad shape that he or she died at the veterinary hospital where the animal had been taken for emergency care. ABC15.com reported that a sergeant with the sheriff’s department said, “There was feces all over the place; there were some dogs that were very malnourished.” Cruelty-to-animals charges were being considered, pending the outcome of the investigation. Just months earlier, the outlet reported that “rescue” owner Domenic Anthony had “adopted dozens of dogs from the county that were about to be put down” and that he was “saving dogs from Maricopa County’s death row.”

Baltimore County, Maryland

BaltimoreSun.com reported that “Baltimore County’s Animal Services Advisory Commission ha[d] released a scathing report criticizing the county’s Animal Services department and calling for an independent investigation into its practices.” In testimony to the county council, the commission’s chair reportedly said, “It appears Baltimore County Animal Services management has become so numbers-focused, both on live release numbers and [trap-neuter-return] numbers, that it is going down a path leading away from real animal welfare.” The report alleged that cats were being dumped in a trap-neuter-reabandonment program by the department “too far from where they were trapped, return[ed] too soon after surgery and not provid[ed] care for other medical needs.” The report was also critical of a policy that “requires complainants to sign and notarize an affidavit” before the agency would investigate cruelty-to-animals allegations and cited the case of a dog named Oscar who died the previous winter when he was left outside in subfreezing temperatures despite “more than a dozen” calls to authorities before his death.

Ravenna, Ohio

Record-Courier.com reported that “more than 70 strays and owner surrenders” were on a waiting list at a turn-away adoption group doing business as Portage Animal Protective League, because the facility was full. A mother cat and five kittens had reportedly recently been found “in a tote in a dumpster outside of a drug store,” an unwanted dog had allegedly been shot by her owners, and a spokesperson for the group said that it sees “a lot of kittens and cats with respiratory infections, hit by cars, attacked by other animals, abscess[ed] wounds, [and] amputations.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in September 2018

Morganton, North Carolina

Morganton.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Friends for Animals the Humane Society of Burke County had been fined $7,000 for multiple violations of the state’s animal-protection laws. According to the report, “The inspection fail is just the latest trouble for the organization. Its long-time assistant director Teddi Stamey was fired in January after she was charged with two felony counts of trafficking methamphetamine.” In a later report, additional details were revealed about violations found by inspectors with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, including animals who were denied medical care and even comfort. A puppy was reportedly found “attempting to vomit and another puppy, a littermate, [was found] in distress.” State inspectors reported, “Even though the staff acknowledged that they knew the puppy in distress was severely ill earlier, they made no attempts to provide veterinary care or arrange for euthanasia until directed to do so by the inspector.” The report stated, “The shelter staff was evasive in their responses to (the inspector’s) question about the shelter protocol when a young animal was found in distress. The most specific and repeated answer to the question was that they ‘wanted to see which animals would make it.’” The group had reportedly acquired some animals from the Burke County Animal Shelter, including a dog with puppies for whom adequate paperwork wasn’t available. According to the inspection report, the shelter director “reiterated that the shelter does not record the intake of young animals until they see if they are healthy enough to survive.” The report explained, “Consequently, it is not possible to ascertain the intake or disposition of the young animals …. Therefore, it is not possible to verify how many animals have died in the care of this shelter based on their animal records.”

Adams County, Ohio

Maysville-Online.com reported that of five kittens who had been left in a plastic tub in the rain outside a turn-away facility doing business as the Humane Society of Adams County Inc., two had drowned and a third required emergency resuscitation. All three surviving kittens were suffering from serious upper respiratory infections and were reportedly receiving treatment. A spokesperson for the group said that the facility was full and “cannot accept more animals when it does not have space.”

Marion, Iowa

TheGazette.com reported that a man had been cited for cruelty to animals after he admitted to authorities that he’d abused a dog who’d been given to him to foster by a self-professed “animal rescue” doing business as Last Hope Animal Rescue. He reportedly “admitted to intentionally kicking the dog, causing internal bleeding and head trauma.” According to a spokesperson for the “rescue,” the group was alerted to the incident and found the dog, named Tilly, badly injured: “She was bleeding internally, and she had head trauma .… The dog couldn’t even stand up she’d been hurt so badly.” She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where her ruptured spleen was removed and she underwent multiple blood transfusions. Tilly had reportedly been imported by the “rescue” three years earlier from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business in Arkansas. At that time, she’d suffered from heartworm disease and other medical conditions. She was expected to survive the attack, but it wasn’t known what long-term damage she’d sustained.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Coloradoan.com reported that a man had been arrested and was “facing a class 6 felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals” for allegedly “abusing and killing a cat.” He reportedly told authorities that he’d adopted the animal from the Larimer Humane Society three days before “he threw the cat against the wall after [the animal] bit him, and ‘in a fit of rage,’ he put a towel over the cat and stabbed [him or her], after which he hid [the body] in his closet.” His roommate reportedly alerted authorities after hearing “strange cat noises coming from” the man’s room and later finding the animal’s body. According to the report, “Officers located a knife and towel as well as a bloody flathead screwdriver that they think was also used to torture the cat. Police and Animal Control officers also removed other animals from his room. Documents didn’t specify whether the animals were living.”

Columbia, Maryland

FOXBaltimore.com reported that two weeks after a woman had adopted a pit bull from an animal shelter, the dog attacked and killed her. Her husband found her body in their backyard, “with the dog standing over her.” The animal was removed from the property and euthanized. The woman’s family said that the dog had been adopted from a shelter, where he or she had been scheduled to be euthanized.

Falmouth, Kentucky

13WHAM.com reported that authorities had seized 458 pot-bellied pigs from a woman who said that she’d “tried to start an animal rescue.” Before the raid, owner Lori Tristan had reportedly “pleaded for people to adopt the pigs.” Most of the animals were described as “pregnant, in distress and malnourished.” It wasn’t reported whether charges were being considered.

Warren County, Ohio

Cincinnati.com reported that a dog named Evie who’d been placed in a prison program by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Joseph’s Legacy Rescue had been found dead in the cell of the inmate tasked with “training” her. A necropsy reportedly revealed that she had “died from blunt force trauma to her abdomen, causing her liver to hemorrhage .… The injury also caused damage to Evie’s kidney.” She had reportedly been found by the “rescue” in 2015 with “a broken hip from being hit by a car. She was also caring for her puppies when they found her …. Evie had surgery and was adopted by a family, but she was unfortunately returned.” Authorities were reportedly investigating, and the “rescue” said that it had “removed all dogs from the program.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in August 2018

Middletown, Ohio

Cincinnati.com reported that a man had been arrested on charges of cruelty to animals after authorities found dead animals at his home and he admitted to killing eight cats and kittens. A spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as New Beginnings Animal Center said that the man had adopted a cat from the “rescue.” She said that he’d “reached out to her on Pet Finder … claiming he didn’t have any pets and needed a new companion for his family.” According to her, he adopted a 10-week-old cat named Evie from the “rescue” after filling out “a thorough adoption questionnaire.” She said, “I talked to him for an extended period of time …. He seemed totally normal. He said he had a wife and daughter at home that were really excited about the kitten coming.” The group planned to start conducting pre-adoption home interviews, the spokesperson said. WCPO.com reported that the suspect, Edmund Cunningham, told police that some of the cats he’d killed were found as strays and that he had stabbed at least one and drowned others.

Farmington, Minnesota

FOX9.com reported that an animal shelter run by a nonprofit doing business as Animal Humane Society (AHS) had released “144 cats and one dog … from July 20, 2017 to February 23, 2018,” to a “rescue” whose operator was later arrested on felony cruelty-to-animals charges. Multiple charges were filed against Caycee Lynn Bregel “after more than 60 dead cats were found at a Farmington home several months ago.” (See the May 2018/Farmington, Minnesota, entry for details.) A cat whom “Bregel adopted from the AHS, lost 4.7 pounds while in Bregel’s care. Authorities completed necropsy exams on three of the cats. While their causes of death were undetermined, signs of possible starvation were present. The doctor found no food in the cats’ stomachs and intestinal tracts, which would take about one week to become completely empty.” Apparently in response to concerns, an AHS spokesperson reportedly said, “We could check on a foster today and they’re perfectly fine and tomorrow they break …. [W]e can’t withhold animals from everyone because we have a suspicion that there’s going to be a problem.”

Augusta, Georgia

WFXG.com reported that authorities had seized 18 dogs, six of whom had already died, from a single-family home where a woman was operating a self-professed animal “rescue.” The “rescuer,” Stephanie Bowles, was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals. When authorities arrived at the property, they reportedly found one dog near death and unresponsive under a back porch and “multiple dogs lying on the floor of the home and around empty food/water bowls.” More dogs were found locked inside two bedrooms. Neighbors reportedly said that “the stench coming out of the home was so strong that one officer could not step inside for more than a few seconds.” One said that power at the property had been “shut off a little over a week” before the animals were found and that daily temperatures had exceeded 90 degrees.

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville.com reported that authorities had seized more than 50 cats and dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Neverland Animal Rescue, Inc. The animals were found hoarded in a single-family home, where the floors were “so covered in feces that ‘it is unsafe for humans and animals to breathe the toxic fumes.’” A responding police officer reportedly had to wear a facemask because “there was such a heavy ammonia smell inside.” Trash and feces covered the floors, and the family’s only bed was “littered with trash and feces everywhere,” according to the officer. The Florida Department of Children and Families removed a child from the home, and the “rescue” owners were charged with child neglect and cruelty to animals. 

San Bernardino, California

SBSun.com reported that 17 cats, many of them ill, had been left outside the San Bernardino Animal Control shelter before it opened. A moving van had reportedly been seen driving up and leaving the cats, who were confined to cages and carriers. The shelter director reportedly said that “[p]eople often dump animals to avoid paying owner surrender fees …. The San Bernardino shelter charges owners $55 per animal surrendered.” Two cats were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. The others were apparently receiving treatment for upper respiratory infections and other conditions.

Fort Smith, Arkansas

SWTimes.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as HOPE Humane Society was operating “at two times its capacity and growing. Dogs are being held in cages in rooms with cats and areas normally used for grooming and bathing.” Its executive director said, “We need about five more buildings, but it won’t matter because they’ll just keep coming.” The facility announced in July 2018 that it was turning away animals and had 130 people on a waiting list to surrender them. (See the July 2018/Fort Smith, Arkansas, entry below.)

Torrance, California

DailyBreeze.com reported that a dog who was in foster care for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Ozzie and Friends Rescue had attacked and killed a dog named Kona who was on a walk with her guardian. The guardian said, “The pit bull was too fast …. He just got her in one bite. After that we tried to grab her but that’s when he started shaking her like a toy.” The fostered dog “would not let go of Kona, who was crying out,” according to witnesses. Another family member “punched the dog but [he] still would not let go.” A passerby reportedly “came over and choked the pit bull until [he] finally let the shih tzu go.” The “rescue” owner said that the dog had been trained before being placed in a foster home the day before the attack and that the group “plans to offer the dog for adoption again.” Kona was rushed to a veterinary hospital, where she underwent four hours of surgery before dying. Her family spent $8,600 on her medical bills.

Taylorsville, Utah

KUTV.com reported that authorities had seized 100 dogs found hoarded in a single-family home by a woman who had previously told them that “she was working with rescue and foster organizations.” Some of the animals were in need of medical treatment, and conditions in the home were described as “horrendous, with dog waste and elevated gases including ammonia. Firefighters donned hazardous materials suits to go inside.” Criminal charges were reportedly being considered. DeseretNews.com reported that the home was condemned. The city attorney said that the couple living there “kind of fancied themselves as people who cared for stray animals, taking care of dogs. They kind of viewed themselves as humanitarians.”

San Antonio, Texas

MySanAntonio.com reported that authorities had removed 26 dogs from a self-professed dog-training company doing business as Universal K9, which reportedly acquired dogs from animal shelters and claimed to train them for use by police departments. The company’s owner reportedly “agreed to surrender the animals because he didn’t think he would be able to continue caring for them because of the ongoing federal investigation” into the business. Dogs were found “living in ‘makeshift kennels’ created out of modified shipping containers,” according to the director of the city’s Animal Care Services. A nonprofit organization doing business as Animal Farm Foundation had reportedly obtained dogs from animal shelters and paid the company to train them, and the Petco Foundation had provided the company with grants. ExpressNews.com reported that the company’s principal operator, Bradley Croft, had “swindled about $1.26 million from the GI Bill program by fraudulently claiming his trainers were certified and using a dead man’s identity to further the scheme . . . . Croft has a lengthy criminal history, which includes shooting at people and other violence and a federal conviction in the late 1990s involving insurance fraud, for which he got five years of probation, court records show.” He was arrested on charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

Johnson City, Tennessee

JohnsonCityPress.com reported that the number of animals housed at the Washington County–Johnson City Animal Shelter was “at an all-time high, far exceeding the building’s capacity. Because no animal is ever euthanized for space, the rising costs associated with treating, feeding and housing all those animals has devastated the shelter’s financial status and caused all animal intakes to be halted for at least a week, possibly longer.” Animals were reportedly being housed two or three to a cage or kennel.

Jersey City, New Jersey

NJ.com reported that when a resident had arrived at an animal shelter doing business as Liberty Humane Society with a cat who was dying of liver failure, workers locked the doors to prevent him from entering. The man threw a rock through the glass front doors of the facility and “threw a box containing the animal at a staff member before running off.” The cat was reportedly rushed to a veterinary hospital, where he or she was diagnosed with advanced liver failure and euthanized. The animal was also found to be “severely underweight” and was suspected to have suffered from a disease “for a very long time,” according to the facility’s executive director.

Sacramento, California

Sacramento.CBSLocal.com reported that Sacramento County’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter wasn’t accepting lost or homeless cats. The facility’s cages were reportedly filled with 337 cats, many of whom were on a waiting list to be sterilized before they were to be abandoned throughout the community.

Greeneville, Tennessee

WJHL.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal “shelter” doing business as Greeneville–Greene County Humane Society was turning away animals. The facility was reportedly “at capacity with animals and [could not] take in any more cats or dogs.”

Deming, New Mexico

ABQJournal.com reported that authorities had charged an employee of a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Ruff Ruff Animal Sanctuary with 10 counts of cruelty to animals after 10 dogs allegedly died from neglect. Court documents alleged that the employee had contacted another man and asked “for help in dealing with … two carcasses. But in addition to the two dogs found in the trash, the man discovered the corpses of eight other dogs in kennels. The two men then buried the dogs.” Records in California showed that the owner of the business, Raymond Schmal, “pleaded no contest to animal cruelty charges in Kern County in 2014, when 12 dogs and 40 cats were removed from his home due to inhumane conditions. Two dogs died en route to a veterinarian and two had to be euthanized, according to the criminal complaint.” Approximately 100 dogs remained at the Deming property while authorities proceeded with an investigation.

Licking County, Ohio

NBC4i.com reported that authorities had charged the owners of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pittie Paw Rescue with one count each of animal abandonment and 22 counts each of cruelty to animals. The charges were filed against owners Joyce Meisenhelder and her daughter Kristin Beaupry after 23 cats, including nine newborn kittens, were found “abandoned in a run-down trailer.” The director of a local humane society said, “The trailer was filthy and filled with feces …. There was not edible food or water to drink.” The news story reported that “two cats were found dead. Another dozen cats plus nine kittens were in bad shape.” The humane society director said, “They were very flea infested, had open sores and scabs from the fleas, hair loss, eye infections, tape worms and were malnourished.’” The animals had apparently been left in the trailer after the family was evicted. They had reportedly moved dogs in their custody to another county. It was later reported that it was believed that more than 70 dogs were being “warehoused in a former cabinet factory” by the “rescue” in Knox County. A neighbor said that she rarely saw dogs outside the building. “We see the same rotating six dogs …. That’s it,” she said. Authorities had reportedly “asked Meisenhelder and Beaupry to allow them inside so they [could] check on the dogs, and inspect their living quarters” but hadn’t yet received permission. NBC4i.com later reported that authorities had seized more than 50 dogs from the former cabinet factory in Knox County after a neighbor revoked the “rescue’s” permission to use the driveway leading to the building. Without use of the driveway, water couldn’t be transported to the building, which lacked a water source.

Abilene, Texas

ReporterNews.com reported that Abilene Animal Services had implemented “no-kill” policies to reduce intake at the city’s shelter. The shelter reportedly receives more than 80 unwanted, lost, and homeless animals on some days. Intake hours had been reduced to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday—times when most people are working. City residents would no longer be able to surrender animals without an appointment, and the facility wouldn’t accept any animals from those outside the city without an appointment. The changes had reportedly been made at the request of Best Friends Animal Society, which pushes for similar harmful policies nationwide.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

KXXV.com reported that a spokesperson for the city’s animal control department said that “animal abandonment has gotten a lot worse in the last year. He said he’s seen more people who move out of their houses leave their animals behind.” A police department spokesperson said that “the city shelter is often at full capacity” and that “illegal dog dumping is an ever-growing problem.” The comments were made after eight malnourished and dehydrated puppies had been found abandoned in a cardboard box at an intersection. Other recent cases involved two puppies who had been “found in a pillowcase and a bunch of puppies [who] were … found in a trash bag.” Residents had also been leaving dogs at the animal shelter just out of view of surveillance cameras that had been installed. The owner of the eight puppies was identified and charged with eight counts of animal neglect. The mother dog and another puppy were surrendered to authorities.

Elizabethton, Tennessee

Elizabethton.com reported that the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter had been over capacity for more than a month. It’s “only accepting new animals in emergency cases, and regular intakes have been suspended.” Since the facility suspended intakes, animals had reportedly been left there after hours. According to the shelter director, “People are setting them out at the fence and leaving them.” Other animals had evidently been abandoned in the community, including a litter of kittens who’d been put into a plastic carrier and thrown “off a bridge and into the river.” A passerby rescued them and called authorities, and an animal control officer took them to the shelter, where they were described as “soaking wet” and in need of medical care. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating the incident.

New Hampton, New Hampshire

ConcordMonitor.com reported that authorities had “found dozens of animals, from horses to hamsters, dead or dying” at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as White Gates Critter Sanctuary. Edith Daughen and her husband, Nicholas Torrey, were each charged with 44 counts of cruelty to animals, among other charges. Authorities reported finding “a dead snake and a dead bird; both had either starved to death or died of extreme dehydration.” They also “found dogs, cats, reptiles, rabbits, birds and other animals in various states of malnourishment. Most had no food and none had water.” A horse removed from the property was reportedly “so emaciated that she collapsed in the trailer …. She had total muscular atrophy and … was too far gone to be saved.”

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago.SunTimes.com reported that an alderman had “demanded” that the Chicago Animal Care and Control shelter “stop allowing animal rescue organizations to ‘cherry-pick purebred or premium’ animals picked up by city crews.” He said that such groups had been “leaving us all the dogs nobody wants and can’t adopt out.” The facility’s former director, Susan Russell, was accused of maintaining “a ‘secret room’ unbeknownst to the general public where purebred dogs were taken so ‘chosen individuals’ could get ‘first crack at the expensive dogs that they then often sell for thousands of dollars.’” A month earlier, she’d been fired for “allegedly ‘warehousing’ dogs in chronically overcrowded conditions that made dangerous dogs more dangerous.” (See the July 2018/Chicago, Illinois, entry below.)

Austin, Texas

KXAN.com reported that the city’s self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter, doing business as Austin Animal Center, was housing 456 dogs. Shelter officials reportedly said that it’s “the most dogs they’ve seen in two years.” The facility had “run out of kennels to keep the dogs in so they [were] being kept in meeting rooms, offices and outdoor truckport kennels.”

Los Angeles, California

KTLA.com reported that a dog named Valerie who had been adopted from Orange County (OC) Animal Care during a free adoption event was found two weeks later injured and abandoned in a neighborhood. A resident called an adoption group, which transported the dog to a veterinary hospital, and she died there. The group alleged that she’d sustained trauma, including possible sexual abuse. A microchip was traced to OC Animal Care, which released a statement that said, “The OC Animal Care shelter does not discriminate against those wishing to adopt unless they are suspected of or have been convicted of animal offenses. … [T]he individual who adopted Valerie is now ineligible for future adoptions at our shelter.” OCRegister.com reported that authorities were investigating.

Rio Rancho, New Mexico

KRQE.com reported that a self-professed dog-training company doing business as K9 Rehab Institute had produced and was selling bumper stickers that read, “Rehabilitate a Dog, Euthanize an Animal Control Officer.” The owner of the group reportedly “made the bumper sticker because she claims Rio Rancho Animal Control is unnecessarily putting dogs down.”

League City, Texas

CommunityImpact.com reported that the League City Animal Shelter was crowded and was “no longer accepting surrendered or stray animals.” The shelter director said that since becoming “no-kill” the previous year, “the facility has been inundated with unwanted pets” and that cats were being housed “at pet stores across the city.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in July 2018

Gaston County, North Carolina

WSOCTV.com reported that the Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement shelter would no longer accept animals without an appointment from people who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, care for them any longer. Appointments would reportedly only be scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1 and 3 p.m.—times when most people are working. Crowding at the shelter was cited as a reason for the restrictions.

Lake County, Florida

MyNews13.com reported that the Lake County Animal Shelter “has been filled to capacity since the county decided to make the shelter no-kill” in 2017. Because the facility was reportedly crowding almost 500 animals into a space designed to house 350, the county planned to spend $7.8 million to construct a new one.

Danbury, Connecticut

NewsTimes.com reported that Danbury city officials had filed a lawsuit against a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Tails of Courage after the group “continued to house and offer dogs for adoption … in violation of city and health inspectors’ orders.” Health inspectors said that they had found “disgusting conditions” at the property during three separate inspections over the previous year, including one during which they found nearly 60 dogs “sharing cages in the garages where they found feces and urine.” More than six weeks later, inspectors found a dog who “was in need of immediate medical attention from sores on her feet from standing in feces and urine …. The dog could not bear her body weight on her paws.” The manager of the “rescue,” Krystal Lopez, had reportedly been charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, and zoning inspectors issued a cease-and-desist order against the group because it “had expanded well beyond its allowed capacity without the appropriate permits and improperly discharged sewage from the animals.” The city had reportedly requested injunctions to stop the “rescue” from housing animals “until it complies with all of the state and health department’s orders.”

Logan, Utah

TimesUnion.com reported that after an animal shelter doing business as Cache Humane Society decided to operate as a “no-kill” facility, costs went up. After failing to negotiate an agreement with city officials, shelter management changed the facility’s locks, which reportedly left police officers with no place to take animals seized in cruelty cases, dangerous dogs, and homeless animals in need of refuge. The police department set up cages at the police station to house animals temporarily.

Fort Smith, Arkansas

NWAHomepage.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as HOPE Humane Society was turning away animals because it was full. The facility reportedly had 130 people on a waiting list to surrender animals, and “crates and kennels” filled with animals lined its halls. A shelter manager reportedly acknowledged that animals turned away were at risk, saying of neglected and unwanted animals, “They’re starving. They aren’t wild animals. These are animals that depend on people.”

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

OttawaCitizen.com published a column alleging that just days after being adopted, a dog named Cali who’d been imported from an open-admission animal shelter in Riverside, California, had broken away from her new owner and attacked and severely injured a small dog on private property. The adopter had to pay nearly $7,000 in veterinary bills. She reportedly called three self-professed “rescues” for assistance to train or find a new home for the dog, but none would help. Because of the risk that Cali posed, the adopter had her euthanized.

Chesapeake, Virginia

PilotOnline.com reported that authorities had removed 39 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as House of Thunder Senior Basset Hound Sanctuary and Rescue after they were found hoarded in a filthy home that smelled so strongly of urine and feces that it could be smelled “down the street.” A resident reported concerns about conditions after seeing puppies advertised for sale on the internet, which included photos of “a yard filled with trash and debris, and puppies in a crate covered in feces.” The “rescue” owner reportedly surrendered the dogs, and authorities “expect to charge the owner with multiple counts of failing to provide proper care.”

Miami Township, Ohio

MyDaytonDailyNews.com reported that just days after he or she was adopted, a dog released by an animal shelter attacked and badly injured an 8-year-old girl who was taking him or her for a walk. A neighbor said that his wife’s screams alerted him to the attack, and he saw the dog “with [his or her] mouth on the head actively biting” the child, who was “covered in blood.” He reportedly “took the leash from the victim and ended the attack by ‘choking the dog with [the] collar.’” The child was hospitalized with “multiple head injuries,” and authorities removed the dog for a quarantine period before he or she would likely be euthanized. Before adopting the dog, the owner said that she was told that “the dog would be fine around children.” WHIO.com reported that the girl had sustained a fractured skull and “about a dozen wounds on her head.”

Frankford, Delaware

DoverPost.com reported that an officer with the state Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) had responded to a call from a resident who was concerned about an abandoned homeless kitten found with a severe eye infection and so sick that he or she wouldn’t eat or drink. After picking up the kitten, the officer reportedly transported him or her to another area and left the ailing animal “in the woods.” When the resident filed a complaint against the officer, an OAW spokesperson reportedly said that “they leave that kind of thing to the discretion of the field officers and that feral cats don’t go to shelters.” In 2010, “no-kill” legislation was passed in Delaware. In 2014, a volunteer with a “rescue” in the state said, “Delaware law changed several years ago concerning animals, so a lot of the shelters just completely shut down as far as accepting cats …. Basically what that caused, is it makes statistics look good in shelters … and puts the killing on people who are dumping them out on the street because they have nowhere to take them.” Local residents searched but were unable to find the sick kitten.

Valrico, Florida

TampaBay.com reported that a lawsuit had been filed against real-estate agent Deborah Clark, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Cat Call Inc., after she sold a home that was described as “uninhabitable” because of damage caused by animals hoarded at the property before the sale. After purchasing the home, the buyers were reportedly “overwhelmed by the stench of stale cat urine that, unbeknownst to them, was deeply embedded in the drywall and insulation.” They alleged that Clark had “used the property to house up to 25 feral, stray and abandoned cats” and, according to the complaint, “engaged in a scheme to conceal the damage done to the property, and the noxious odors emanating from the property … by, but not limited to, installing new carpet, replacing baseboards, painting over urine saturated drywall and insulation, and through the use of masking deodorizers to hide the stench of cat urine from prospective purchasers.” The lawsuit, which was reportedly filed against Clark and a realty company she worked for, alleged “negligence, breach of contract and failure to disclose hidden defects that left the house ‘uninhabitable.’”

Savannah, Tennessee

WBBJTV.com reported that authorities had seized more than 100 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” after they were found hoarded and neglected at a private residence. A police department spokesperson said, “Some of the cats were very malnourished. Some of them were living in their own feces. You could tell that they just haven’t been taken care of.” An animal services spokesperson reportedly told the outlet that approximately 50 cats had been found in cages outside and that workers expected to find around “100 more cats on the property; many, they say, on the brink of death.” A neighbor said of the cats, “Their hair is falling off of them. There was one, it looks like maybe, [his or her] throat’s been cut or [he or she has] been injured around [the] throat …. There’s several of them that are just barely walking around.” Authorities reportedly said that the “rescue” owner could face felony cruelty-to-animals charges.

Springfield, Missouri

News-Leader.com reported that a resident had been charged with animal abandonment after video surveillance footage captured her leaving a dog on the side of a road. The animal was reportedly found later “badly dehydrated” and suffering from burns to the paws, apparently sustained while running on hot pavement to try and catch up to the owner’s vehicle. She allegedly told authorities that she felt that abandoning the dog was “her only option” after she was turned away from several animal shelters in the area, which told her that they were full.

Waterford Township, New Jersey

Philadelphia.CBSLocal.com reported that authorities had charged the owner of a self-professed horse “sanctuary” doing business as Labrador Hill Sanctuary with more than 60 counts related to neglect and cruelty after animals had been found without adequate food, water, or shelter at the property. A witness said, “Six or seven horses have died in the last month or two, because they didn’t have water in that heat.” Animals had allegedly been found “suffering from EPM (a neurological disease caused by infection), staggering around, appeared starved, and some had gaping wounds with maggots in them.” An investigation was reportedly ongoing.

Tucson, Arizona

KVOA.com reported that the Pima Animal Care Center had been adopting out dangerous dogs, including one who had been repeatedly returned because he was aggressive. He had allegedly become so unstable that shelter workers had to use “equipment (drag lines, covers, etc)” to handle him. Another dog had reportedly been adopted out five times, “despite notes about aggression toward people and other animals.” In his second home, he’d reportedly bitten four children.

DeKalb County, Georgia

AJC.com reported that an emaciated dog had been abandoned in the parking lot of a closed county animal shelter after a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as LifeLine Animal Project, which the county contracted for sheltering services, had announced that it was full and was “in crisis mode.” The dog was in such bad shape that “he couldn’t stand or lift his head.” The facility requires a $35 surrender fee to accept animals from people who can’t or won’t care for them. The dog was being treated.

Clarksville, Tennessee

ClarksvilleNow.com reported that residents had expressed concern that animals would be abandoned after Montgomery County officials voted to charge fees at the taxpayer-funded shelter to accept animals from residents who couldn’t or wouldn’t care for them any longer. The facility also set fees that would be required before it would accept animals for euthanasia from residents who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for euthanasia services at veterinary hospitals in order to relieve sick and dying animals of their suffering.

Sardis, Mississippi

WREG.com reported that authorities were investigating after 12 dogs were found dead in a van being used to transport them to another state from a self-professed “no-kill” shelter doing business as Southern Pines Animal Shelter. The vehicle was taking approximately 50 dogs from Mississippi to Minnesota when it broke down. Witnesses reportedly saw that “the van was pulled over on the side of the highway for two to four hours.” One witness said, “We pulled over to see what was going on. … [I]t was a lot of animals. Some of them dead, a lot of them in bad condition.” It wasn’t immediately known how the animals had died. The sheriff reportedly said that criminal charges would be pursued if deemed appropriate.

Multnomah County, Oregon

PortlandTribune.com reported that a city audit of Multnomah County Animal Services had found “mismanagement, inattention to staff and training, and a focus on boosting live-release rates over public safety.” Auditors reportedly found that, in some cases, dogs had been “on the adoption floor with no enrichment for months, with no human contact other than feeding,” and some employees told them that “animals don’t receive adequate care, causing behavioral problems to fester and worsen. Then … the animals are adopted out.” In addition, “[m]ultiple staff members expressed concern that dogs they did not consider safe were adopted out.” Some employees and others reportedly claimed that “shelter management was focused more on improving its statistics … than it was on providing humane treatment.” A spokesperson for an adoption group reportedly told auditors that she had at times received animals from the shelter in such poor shape that she had provided them with euthanasia services in order “to put them out of their misery.” An animal control officer reportedly told auditors that he was frustrated that the shelter adopts out aggressive animals and that the situation “has gotten much worse in the past year.” He described cases of children having been rushed to the emergency room after they’d been attacked by adopted dogs.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago.SunTimes.com reported that the director of Chicago Animal Care and Control had been “fired for ‘warehousing’ dogs in conditions that made dangerous dogs more dangerous.” A source at city hall reportedly said that dogs had been “stored in offices and inhumane conditions” and that “multiple volunteers and staff members” had been bitten by dogs at the city shelter. Bite reports had reportedly increased by 58 percent in the previous year. Dangerous dogs had reportedly been returned after adoptions, and one killed a dog at the adopter’s home. A city hall source said, “We talked to her about the shelter being overcrowded. But she refused to listen [or] do anything about it. She was focused on driving up live outcomes and adoptions.”

Mesa County, Colorado

GJSentinel.com reported that a man who had captured and drowned a neighbor’s cat would not be charged with cruelty to animals and had “resolved the case by paying restitution.” He admitted to drowning the animal, explaining that “he was at his wit’s end trying to keep the cat out of his yard,” and said that he “blames a local cat shelter and Mesa County Animal Services” for not accepting unwanted cats. The local shelter reportedly told the man that it wouldn’t accept the animal because “it sounded like the cat was feral.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in June 2018

Decatur, Illinois

Herald-Review.com reported that authorities had seized 25 cats and seven dogs from the owner of a nonprofit spay/neuter clinic doing business as Care Van Pet Program, which “also took in homeless dogs and cats.” Court documents reportedly alleged that the owner had failed to provide them with necessary care, including “food, water, sanitation and veterinary services.” A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office reportedly said that the animals had been found in “extremely unsanitary conditions with some having no access to food or water.” An investigation was ongoing.

Dyer County, Tennessee

StateGazette.com reported that cats were being turned away from the Dyersburg/Dyer County Humane Society, an animal shelter partially funded with taxpayer money. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it was “nearing its goal of becoming a no-kill shelter. However, the number of animals (both dogs and cats) left abandoned is overwhelming,” leaving the shelter “little room to accept new arrivals.” A resident said that she had taken a pregnant cat who’d been abandoned near her home to the shelter and had been turned away, “forcing her to return the cat … to her neighborhood.” She went back approximately four weeks later with the cat and five kittens who had since been born and said an employee again “informed her she could not drop off the animals per the shelter’s current ‘no cat’ policy.” When she refused to abandon the animals again, the employee allegedly “snatched up the box of cats and threw it 10–15ft. into the back of a truck.” The employee was fired after a complaint was filed. The woman said that another abandoned cat in her neighborhood had also “become pregnant and the neighborhood is now littered with stray animals [who are] uncared for.”

Jefferson City, Missouri

STLToday.com reported that authorities had recorded 96 violations of the state’s animal-protection laws at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as My Children Animal Rescue Shelter. Inspectors with the Missouri Department of Agriculture had reportedly found 21 dogs confined to a filthy apartment, some in need of veterinary care, and other violations at the “rescue.” The state’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against the “rescue,” seeking an injunction to prohibit the owner temporarily from operating it. Violations found by inspectors over the previous year included the following: inadequate shelter and unwholesome food, inadequate veterinary care, excess fecal matter, inadequate social groupings, dogs with fighting injuries, a dog who was attacked by other dogs during an inspection, dogs with hair loss, a dog with an injured nose, and an underweight dog. The owner had also been cited for operating a shelter without a permit.

Hernando County, Florida

ABCActionNews.com reported that authorities had seized dozens of dogs from a self-professed “no-kill shelter” doing business as We Care for Paws Foundation. Owner Carol Allard reportedly failed to meet the requirements to apply for a kennel license, and a sheriff’s department spokesperson explained that housing was inadequate and dangerous: “The wires become exposed and so now … the dog is walking on [them] and it’s ending up causing injury and damage to their paws.” FOX13News.com reported that the sheriff’s office noted “a history of problems at the property,” including complaints from residents. Approximately 80 dogs and 20 cats had been found at the property, and Allard was allowed to keep 14 of the animals. It wasn’t reported whether charges were being considered. In 2016, the “shelter” apparently received a “Shelter Animals Count” incentive grant from a “no-kill” marketing company called Maddie’s Fund, and it was listed as a “Network Partner” of Best Friends Animal Society at the time of the raid.

Washington Township, Ohio

WDTN.com reported that a dog who had been released to a foster home by SPCA Cincinnati had attacked and killed another dog in the neighborhood. Two people were bitten when they tried to stop the attack, and the foster dog was reportedly “punch[ed]” and “hit” during the incident. She was signed over to local authorities and euthanized.

Saginaw, Michigan

WNEM.com reported that a resident said she’d been turned away from the Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Center when she took several homeless cats there. The facility’s director reported that it had implemented a “managed intake” policy and that residents were put on a waiting list if they needed to drop off animals. According to the report, “It comes after several cases of alleged animal abuse in Mid-Michigan where kittens were thrown out of moving vehicles like trash.”

Knoxville, Tennessee

WBIR.com reported that a cat who had been taken to a county-funded turn-away facility doing business as Young-Williams Animal Center to be quarantined on a rabies watch had been “accidentally” turned over to an organization that abandons cats on farms in another county. After she was abandoned at a farm, she “reportedly got loose from a shed holding the cats at the farm. The farm’s owner reported he had seen the cat up in the rafters, but said at the time she hadn’t been seen since.” Her owner wanted to go to the farm to look for her, but the organization refused to tell her where it’s located.

Naples, Florida

NBC-2.com reported that a man had run away after he “violently tossed two kittens” into the lobby of a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Humane Society Naples. One of the kittens required surgery for a broken leg, possibly sustained during the incident. The shelter reported that it only accepts animals from people after they made an appointment, filled out forms, and paid a $20 fee per animal.

New York, New York

NBCNewYork.com reported that a dog who had been adopted from Animal Care Centers of NYC had attacked two dogs in a neighborhood, killing one of them, in two separate incidents. After the second attack, she was taken back to the shelter, and neighbors were reportedly circulating a petition asking that she not be returned to the community.

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

NOLA.com reported that authorities had seized more than 60 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rolling River Ranch and Rescue after they were found hoarded in “unsanitary conditions” without “adequate food and water.” Animals seized included 40 dogs, 20 goats, and an unspecified number of cats. The “rescue” operator, Maria Thomas, was charged with one count of cruelty to animals, and additional charges were expected to be filed against her. Complaints had reportedly been filed against the “rescue” over the previous year, which led to a 2017 agreement between Thomas and authorities to avoid legal action against her at the time. Under the agreement, which she violated, she had agreed to stop taking in animals and allow authorities to make unannounced inspections at the property.

Edmonton, Canada

CTVNews.ca reported that three cats had been found clinging to life after they were left in cages for 22 days in a vehicle used by a “team” at a limited-admission facility doing business as Edmonton Humane Society. They had been transferred from another facility prior to being left in the truck. The cats were reportedly dehydrated, “hungry,” and suffering from urine burns when they were discovered. They received medical treatment and were then transferred to yet another facility.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in May 2018

Key Largo, Florida

FLKeysNews.com reported that a man alleged that he’d been turned away from an animal shelter in Key Largo when he tried to surrender 40 cats who were suffering from a variety of serious medical conditions, including “open wounds, infected wounds, pneumonia, respiratory infections, lice, mange and scabies. All were emaciated, poorly fed and scratching or shaking.” He said that he’d acquired them from the street, where he’d found them roaming. A shelter that was reportedly 78 miles away eventually accepted them, and he was charged with 36 counts of cruelty to animals and four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Seven of the cats were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized.

Weeki Wachee, Florida

RNRFOnline.com reported that authorities had seized 36 dogs, six cats, “46 horses, mules and minis, three pigs … and a flock of roosters and chickens” from a self-professed animal “sanctuary” and arrested the owner. The dogs were reportedly found “living without adequate shelter or water.” In addition, “[s]ome of the animals were secured in pens that were too small and were filled with a combination of mud, feces and urine.” The “sanctuary” owner was facing 36 charges of cruelty to animals. ABCActionNews.com reported that the horses were “[s]cared, weak and hungry.” They were reportedly thin and injured and hadn’t received needed hoof care.

Laton, California

ABC30.com reported that authorities had seized 383 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Laton Animal Rescue & Care Inc. and charged the owner with seven counts of felony cruelty to animals. The animals included dogs, farmed animals, and equines who were suffering from a variety of medical conditions, including mange and other skin diseases. Two cows were found starved to death. YourCentralValley.com reported that 82 percent of the dogs had tested positive for ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease, and that many of the animals were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized.

Austin, Texas

MyStatesman.com reported that five volunteers at the city’s self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter, the Austin Animal Center, had been suspended after voicing concerns about the adoption of a pit bull named Wilma to a man who allegedly told them that he had sold pit bulls in the past. He had also reportedly been cited for leaving a dog in a car unattended. A city spokesperson said that selling the dogs was not necessarily a “disqualifying factor” for adoption. Volunteers were also concerned because the adoption separated Wilma from another dog, named Betty, with whom she was bonded. A city news release reportedly said that the shelter was “out of space” and that “[s]ome animals are in crates or staff offices because of overcrowding.” Another volunteer reported that “somewhere between 30 and 50 dogs don’t get out of their kennels on any given day” because of crowding. Volunteers reportedly raised $600 and purchased Wilma from the adopter, who returned to the shelter and adopted another dog a week later.

Ecorse, Michigan

WXYZ.com reported that the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pit Stop for Change Rescue & Rehabilitation was facing possible cruelty-to-animals charges after authorities seized 17 dogs, who were found in a hot moving truck. The “rescue” operator was also accused of moving with 70 dogs from a warehouse in Louisiana, where “rescuers” found “horrific” conditions, including filth and six dead dogs. According to FOX2Detroit.com, authorities in Michigan found 17 dogs in a 100-degree box truck and believed that they’d been confined there all day. Water receptacles were empty, the smell was “horrible,” and the dogs lacked required health certificates. The animals were emaciated, had overgrown toenails, and were apparently infested with internal parasites. After moving from Louisiana to Michigan, the “rescue” reportedly had to close after violating zoning ordinances.

Citrus County, Florida

ChronicleOnline.com reported that authorities had cited a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Out of the Box Animal Rescue Inc. for 10 violations of animal-related ordinances. A judge found the business guilty on all counts. The citations were given after the “rescue” failed to allow a dog in its custody to be quarantined after he’d bitten a child, causing the boy to have to undergo 14 post-exposure rabies prevention injections.

Chicago, Illinois

ChicagoTribune.com reported that pet shops in Chicago—where stores are prohibited from selling dogs and cats unless they’ve been obtained from animal shelters or adoption groups—had purchased dogs from two self-professed animal “rescues” in the Midwest that were registered at the same addresses as large breeding operations (puppy mills). Dog Mother Rescue Society in Missouri and Hobo K-9 Rescue in Iowa reportedly both shared addresses with commercial breeding facilities and had been formed since Chicago’s pet shop ordinance was passed. The two companies had reportedly sent more than 1,200 dogs—most of them young puppies—to pet shops in Chicago over a two-year period. Plans were underway to revise the city’s ordinance to prevent puppies from commercial breeding mills from being funneled through shell nonprofits to be sold in the city.

Farmington, Minnesota

HometownSource.com reported that authorities had arrested the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Minnesota Animal Rescue after finding more than 60 “dead cats in numerous locations—shallow graves in the yard, inside a detached a garage and inside the home’s freezer and refrigerator.” Authorities also seized 40 live cats and were concerned that the operator, Caycee Bregel, had animals confined at a second location. Minnesota.CBSLocal.com reported that five dogs, a hamster, a pig, and a rabbit were also seized; that cats had been found locked in rooms that were difficult to access because of trash and debris; and that the home was covered with feces and urine. Bregel may have also been doing business as Minnesota Foster Cats and Kittens. TheEpochTimes.com reported that a local resident said that she’d reported concerns about the “rescue” numerous times but that “no one listened.” She also “said that she thinks the Humane Society should not have kept giving Bregel animals in the first place.” FOX9.com reported that a first responder had said that surviving cats were “[v]ery hungry.” She continued, “They were missing fur. They were … you could see every bone in their body. Some of them were missing some body parts. . . . There were animals everywhere. … There was feces everywhere. It was the most horrendous smell I’ve ever smelled in my life.” The case was under investigation.

Plant City, Florida

TampaBay.com reported that authorities had seized more than 320 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fur N’ Feather Farm after they were found “sick, flea-ridden and emaciated.” Many were suffering from upper respiratory infections, and six were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. The owner, Jean Wilkes, agreed to shut down the business but may still face cruelty-to-animals charges. She was allowed to keep 100 exotic birds found at the property after an inspection by state fish and wildlife officials. WTSP.com reported that workers had to wear protective gear to enter the filthy home and that cats “were suffering from multiple problems, such as respiratory infections, parasites and dehydration.” WFLA.com reported that five dogs had also been found at the property and that custody of the cats had been signed over to the county. A spokesperson said that by court order, Wilkes “cannot operate as a pet rescue. She cannot operate as a foster. And we have the right and ability to come in at anytime and inspect her property to make sure she’s complying with this agreement of five cats only.” She was also allowed to keep the dogs, in addition to the 100 birds.

South Bend, Indiana

ABC57.com reported that authorities had seized 27 cats from a member of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pet Refuge, Inc., after they were found hoarded in cruel conditions. Photos taken by authorities showed sick cats, overflowing litterboxes, cat feces in a kitchen sink, and the near destruction of the home. One of the cats was in such bad shape that he or she had to be euthanized. SouthBendTribune.com reported that some of the cats “allegedly had abscesses and maggots, serious upper respiratory infections and other medical conditions that had gone untreated.” An investigation was ongoing.

Hubbard County, Minnesota

ParkRapidsEnterprise.com reported that charges had been filed against Chelsey Lizakowski, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Healing Hearts and Hooves, after a “deputy observed over 50 horses on [her] property. He noted that bark was eaten off a significant number of trees, with little hay out for the horses.” A humane investigator “estimated there were 75 to 80 horses and not enough shelter for all of them … [leaving] 50 or so horses without cover during inclement weather.” He said that “there was hay present and some water, but not nearly enough for the amount of horses.” Many of the animals were also “underweight” and “needed hoof care.” Two stallions were reportedly “freely breeding,” and Lizakowski told investigators that she “planned to sell the newborns.” A veterinarian statement reportedly said that “a number of horses displayed clinical signs of lice infestations and had ‘unacceptable’ BCS [Body Condition Scoring] of 4 and under.” Lizakowski “pleaded guilty to [a] public nuisance offense with the agreement that the charge of mistreatment of animals will be dismissed.” The court ordered that by October 1, she “must have an additional shelter erected for the horses on the property.” In addition, she “must allow law enforcement, a Humane Society representative or appointed veterinarian onto her property to ensure compliance.”

Catawba County, North Carolina

WSOCTV.com reported that a dog adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as the Humane Society of Catawba County had attacked a child in the adopter’s home, nearly ripping out her eye. After the attack, the girl was bleeding badly and required stitches. The dog had reportedly been at the shelter for two months before the adoption. “They really didn’t tell us much about the dog,” the adopter said of shelter staff. “They just told us to pick out a dog and to take it to the play yard to play with it.” The animal was quarantined after the attack.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in April 2018

Clinton, Missouri

ABC17News.com reported that two workers at a shelter operated by a nonprofit doing business as the Clinton Animal Rescue Endeavor had sustained serious injuries when they were attacked by a dog housed at the facility. Two employees of a nearby transfer station went to the shelter after hearing the attack and “cries for help” and “found the dog actively attacking the male worker. The dog had bitten him in the neck and face and would not let go.” One of the transfer station workers used a weapon from his truck to shoot the animal twice in order to stop the attack. The dog died, and both shelter workers were rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

Corpus Christi, Texas

KRISTV.com reported that authorities had arrested two men on cruelty-to-animals charges after seven dogs were found shot to death. One of the men allegedly admitted that he owned the dogs and that the other man had helped him “[take] care of a problem” after the dogs attacked and killed other animals on his property. The owner said that he had tried to find a shelter to accept them “but was unsuccessful.”

Veedersburg, Indiana

WISHTV.com reported that eight former volunteers and several people who had adopted animals from a self-professed “animal rescue” doing business as Hoosier Hooves and Hounds alleged that animals there had been neglected. A dog adopted from the group reportedly couldn’t even climb stairs because her muscles had atrophied. Another adopted dog had been diagnosed as having heartworms and was infested with fleas. A former volunteer who worked there for almost a year said that dogs were kept in small crates the “majority of the time” and that she didn’t see any of the animals receive routine vaccinations. The organization had been receiving payments from three municipalities to house animals. Clerks for two of the towns said that they would’ve canceled the contracts if they’d seen photos taken at the “rescue,” which claims to have closed.

Richmond, Virginia

WashingtonPost.com reported that the Richmond Animal Care & Control Foundation (RACC) had cited its “save rate” and open adoption policy when defending its animal shelter against criticism over the abandonment of a 12-year-old blind dog named OJ who had been adopted just days before. He’d been adopted with another dog, with whom he’d apparently lived and upon whom he relied for guidance, two days before he was found wandering alone on a rural road in another county. A good Samaritan took him to an animal shelter, which tracked his microchip to a woman who’d adopted him from RACC. When contacted, she reportedly said that she didn’t want the abandoned dog but intended to keep his companion. Both dogs were eventually reunited at RACC. Its director, Christie Chipps Peters, reportedly said that the adopter “will face no legal ramifications.”

Danbury, Connecticut

DailyVoice.com reported that authorities had arrested an employee of a self-professed “animal rescue” doing business as Tails of Courage and charged her with two counts of cruelty to animals. FOX61.com reported that the suspect lived at and managed a shelter run by the group, where authorities had found dogs confined to cages that were “too small for them,” multiple animals housed in single cages, and an “excessive amount of fecal matter on the animals.” Responding to complaints about sick animals at the “rescue,” police reportedly found some who “they believed to be in distress” and who weren’t receiving needed care. It wasn’t reported whether any were seized. A court date was set. NewsTimes.com reported that authorities had ordered 25 animals found in “unhealthy and extremely unsanitary” conditions removed from the property in January. One dog named Twilight had been sent to a veterinary hospital for evaluation, where it was reportedly found that she suffered from “‘sores and ulcers’ on her paws from being exposed to urine or feces.”

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

MyrtleBeachOnline.com reported that a staff veterinarian and two board members had resigned from a self-professed “no-kill animal shelter” doing business as Grand Strand Humane Society, apparently because they were prohibited from euthanizing animals who were ill with highly contagious ringworm infections. The outgoing veterinarian said that “attempting to treat a highly contagious zoonotic disease in the current situation is reckless and dangerous to the staff, the public, and the general cat population.” At a board of directors meeting, she provided a copy of an e-mail from a veterinarian with the ASPCA, who agreed and stated, “‘[A]s a highly contagious zoonotic disease I do not think it is appropriate to treat ringworm in the shelter unless you are able to provide care appropriately and safely.”

Canton Township, Pennsylvania

WPXI.com reported that authorities had cited a self-professed “no-kill animal rescue” doing business as Pet Search for 13 animal-care violations, including for “failure to keep kennels sanitized, to have enough space for the dogs to sit and lie down, and failure to protect dogs against weather and have clean bedding.” No additional details were available.

Sevierville, Tennessee

WBIR.com reported that an animal shelter that was previously a self-professed “no-kill shelter” doing business as Pets Without Parents (PWP) had entered into contracts with the county and area cities to provide sheltering services. The agreements were made after another private shelter in the area stopped accepting homeless and unwanted animals. After being flooded with animals, PWP reported that severe crowding and disease plagued the facility. Sick cats had reportedly been housed in the shelter’s intake area “for months,” and its president said that the facility had “many dogs here for three, four or five years.” In a Facebook post, a shelter representative reported, “[W]e had too many cats due to taking in as many as we could to meet the county and city contracts; not ever realizing 100s of cats would enter our facility.” Fifty cats had reportedly been transported to a veterinary hospital for assessment, and the shelter was taking steps to reduce its population further.

Van Zandt County, Texas

DFW.CBSLocal.com reported that authorities had seized 70 horses, nine donkeys, six pigs, and a longhorn cow from a self-professed “animal sanctuary” doing business as Over the Moon. The remains of 50 dead horses were also discovered “in various states of decay” at the property, where emaciated horses were found with no food and little to no water. Some of them were so hungry that they had eaten tree bark and into the trunks of trees. Authorities were gathering evidence for possible criminal charges.

Victor, New York

13WHAM.com reported that at least 20 cats had died in a fire while trapped in a single-family home being operated as a self-professed “animal rescue” doing business as HopeAgain Cats, Inc. At least 30 cats and a dog were found inside the home, according to the city’s fire chief. An animal shelter reportedly took in the dog and four cats injured in the fire, which was believed to have started in the kitchen when no one was home.

Hillsborough County, Florida

WFLA.com reported that residents were asking county commissioners to investigate the “lack of adoption screening” at the taxpayer-funded Pet Resource Center (PRC), which had been trying to operate as a “no-kill shelter,” after a dog named Theo was found just months after adoption starved, blinded, anemic, and barely able to stand. A local “animal rescue” representative said the shelter’s screening process was “a joke” and that “[t]hey’re just letting them out the door with anyone.” Theo was found in such bad shape that the PRC was pursuing cruelty-to-animals charges against the woman who had adopted him and her mother. WFLA.com later reported that a dog named Tiger had been adopted out by the PRC to the girlfriend of the man who had originally abandoned him and that she had given him back to the man. The previous year, a witness had videotaped Tiger’s owner pushing him out of a car that belonged to his girlfriend and driving off. The PRC apparently found and seized the dog and adopted him out to the same girlfriend four months later. Tiger was found at her boyfriend’s residence when he was arrested on an unrelated offense. A local “animal rescue” representative said, “We have no screening, they ask no questions, all they care about is that the dog leaves alive so they can put a check mark next to his number.” It was reported that “[r]escue groups blame PRC Director Scott Trebatoski for gutting the screening process in a rush to up the numbers of live releases.” Tiger was again seized and released to a “rescue group” from which he escaped, and he reportedly “remains missing.”

Clarksburg, Maryland

FOX5DC.com reported that a dog adopted from the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center had attacked and killed a smaller dog named Lucy, who was playing at a playground with her family. The unleashed adopted dog charged between the legs of Lucy’s guardian and grabbed her, breaking her neck. The guardian tried to stop the attack and reported, “I grab[bed] the dog and I was punching, punching and punching, let it go and I saw the blood was coming out of Lucy’s eyes and mouth.” She was rushed home, where she died. The adopted dog was impounded for a quarantine period.

St. Petersburg, Florida

BayNews9.com reported that authorities had seized 28 dogs from a self-professed “animal rescue” doing business as Happy Hounds Rescue after they were found hoarded in filthy conditions. Dog feces were found throughout the home, and puppies were found in a crate described as “soiled.” Conditions were so bad that the city declared the home unfit for human habitation. The owner, Rose Romano, was cited for cruelty to animals and creating a public nuisance. ABCActionNews.com reported that records showed that “shelters from all over the state have been sounding the alarm about Happy Hounds and Romano for years, alleging that she neglected some of the dogs she took from their shelters and that dogs became ‘sick,’ ’emaciated,’ and in some cases ‘died.’ One complaint alleges Romano dumped two dogs on the street right after she picked them up from an animal shelter in Highlands County. The dogs were later found and taken in by another shelter.” Romano reportedly admitted to abandoning the two dogs after they started fighting in her vehicle. Local authorities said that they’d investigated the “rescue” three times in three years after receiving complaints from other counties in the state but that they didn’t have the authority to shut it down.

Cullman, Alabama

AL.com reported that a self-professed “animal rescuer” had been charged with 21 counts of cruelty to animals after authorities found seven dead puppies in a plastic tub and more than a dozen other neglected animals at her home. Seven dogs were found in an outdoor pen without access to shelter or water, three cats were found in a wire dog-training crate without food or water, and four cats were found crammed in another crate without food or water. The floors of the crates were covered with feces, and the cats were described as “very sickly.” A live puppy was found with blisters, and the dogs who’d died apparently also had some. In addition to the burns (allegedly caused by an electric heater), the surviving puppy suffered from severe dehydration and a parasite infestation. The animal was taken to a veterinary hospital but didn’t survive. Authorities also found two mature chickens in a cardboard box without food or water. The birds had eaten a portion of the box in an attempt to survive. All but three dogs were signed over to authorities.

Robinson, Illinois

WTHITV.com reported that animals were being left in abandoned homes and dumped in rural areas. The director of the Crawford County Humane Society (CCHS) said that it was likely because the government-run shelter would accept only “obvious strays,” and CCHS charges fees to accept animals from owners who can’t, or won’t, care for them any longer.

San Antonio, Texas

MySanAntonio.com reported that authorities had seized two cats who were “in need of immediate care” from the San Antonio Cat Café, which was hoarding more than 50 cats at the business. The nonprofit café, which houses cats available for adoption, was also ordered “not to allow the public to interact with its felines until it addresses various health issues, including a lack of proof of rabies vaccinations and needed treatment for contagious diseases such as upper respiratory infections.” A former employee alleged that the business owner had “hid[den]” the deaths of several cats from the public and denied needed veterinary care to sick cats. She also alleged that the owner had failed to isolate a cat infected with ringworm, “resulting in three different litters of kittens getting infected, along with members of the staff and volunteers.” KENS5.com reported that another former employee alleged that four cats had died at the café during her four months on the job and that the café’s owner said that she didn’t know how many cats were in her custody. More than a dozen citations were reportedly pending against the café, and authorities had asked the owner “to keep the business closed until the cats are in good health.”

Clayton, New Mexico

ABC7Amarillo.com reported that authorities had seized approximately 120 animals from a self-professed “animal sanctuary” doing business as Dreampower Foundation after they were found living in conditions described as “deplorable.” Many of the animals suffered from neglect and apparently untreated medical conditions and injuries. Dogs were found “with little to no protection from the extreme heat and wind. Many of the food bowls were empty, filled with dirty backwater or frozen over.” Cats were found “confined to rooms inside the home, including the basement where they were found living with dirty litterboxes.” Evidence was being gathered for possible criminal charges. The property owner, Diane Benedict, had reportedly been cited in Colorado the previous year for operating a similar “sanctuary” in violation of a court order that prohibited her from having more than 15 animals without acquiring a license.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in March 2018

Lane County, Oregon

RegisterGuard.com reported that a former volunteer had filed a lawsuit against the Greenhill Humane Society, SPCA, alleging personal injury, negligence, and liability after she was mauled by a dog at an animal shelter operated by the group. The lawsuit reportedly stated that the dog had been returned to the shelter twice because of “behavioral issues” and claimed that he was aggressive toward people, which “was enhanced by [his] housing at the shelter.” The former volunteer reportedly sustained injuries, including “an open bone fracture in an arm; lacerations on her face, arms, torso, legs and chest that required surgery and plastic surgery; [and] permanent scarring.”

Jacksonville, Texas

CBS19.TV reported that hours after a dog adopted from the Jacksonville Animal Shelter had been taken to his new home, he was aggressive toward two children there. After the dog snapped at a boy with epilepsy, the child had a seizure. Another child sustained broken skin in a second attack hours later. The dog was returned to the shelter for a quarantine period, after which time he would reportedly “go through another evaluation period to determine if [he’s] adoptable.”

Northport, Alabama

TuscaloosaNews.com reported that five homeowners had appeared before the city council to file complaints against a self-professed “canine rescue operation” being run by neighbor Stacy Ritter Jordan out of her home. One resident said that two pit bulls had escaped from the “rescue” twice and attacked his poodle, causing serious injury. Others were also concerned about potentially dangerous dogs escaping, and the owner of an area spay/neuter clinic reportedly told the council that she once found a dog at the property who was hanging by the collar on a fence after apparently trying to jump over it. She reportedly also “shared several additional anecdotes about animals in deplorable conditions under Jordan’s care and called on the council to make sure that if she is allowed to continue taking in animals, she has to do it the right way.” TuscaloosaNews.com later reported that city officials had ordered Jordan to cease operations, citing her failure to obtain a business license for Southern Paws Animal Rescue. She said that she had also failed to acquire a license for a former business, Alliance for Animal Welfare, and claimed that she’d “turned over leadership of the rescue to someone else.”

Salem, Massachusetts

Patch.com reported that local residents were complaining that a self-professed “no-kill shelter” doing business as Northeast Animal Shelter had been turning away animals. The outlet reported that it had “heard from a dozen North Shore residents who … were rebuffed when they tried to place a lost or abandoned animal with the shelter.” One resident said that the shelter wouldn’t accept a cat who’d been hit by a car and referred her to an open-admission animal shelter because “no one would want him.” Another said that the shelter had refused to accept a lost or homeless cat whom she’d found “cold and crying” outdoors. Residents were also concerned that the shelter imports animals who are considered more adoptable from other states while turning away local animals. The shelter’s director reportedly said “that of the more than 5,000 dogs Northeast Animal Shelter took in during 2017, 1,013 were local pets, including 291 adoption returns whose original source could have been out of state” and that the shelter “cannot accept large numbers of any breeds that people do not want to adopt.” The director continued, “If we did that, these pets would sit in their kennels for the rest of their lives or until we went out of business because we had no room for adoptable pets and no adoption income.”

Lewiston, Maine

SunJournal.com reported that two people had been injured and a dog killed in an attack by another dog released to a potential adopter by the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society. The dog was taken into an apartment, where he or she “immediately bit the family’s Yorkie,” according to a witness. Two people sustained injuries when they tried to stop the attack: A man received lacerations to the face, and his daughter’s hands were cut. Both were taken to a hospital, and the Yorkshire terrier died. The dog who attacked had reportedly been advertised with a warning against allowing him or her to be around cats or small children. The animal was quarantined after the incident and was expected to be euthanized following the quarantine period.

Iron Mountain, Michigan

IronMountainDailyNews.com reported that authorities had accepted a plea deal from the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Noah’s Nordic Ark. Dianne Marie Lund-Johnson pleaded guilty to kennel facility and animal burial violations in exchange for the dismissal of a charge of abandoning or cruelty to animals. The charges were filed after authorities found the bodies of dead animals in a ditch near her unlicensed shelter and found dogs housed at the property in kennels that were either too small or in dark locations and afforded little human interaction. She was allowed to keep a certain number of animals, provided that she would allow regular and random checks by authorities.

Ferrisburgh, Vermont

AddisonIndependent.com reported that complaints about conditions at a self-professed “rescue” doing business as Heidi’s Haven Animal Rescue dated “back to at least 2007.” It had reportedly acquired animals from shelters, and neighbors complained that it was run out of a single-family home, where approximately 30 dogs and 10 cats were hoarded. Complaints included that the home had a bad odor and that it was attracting rats and mice to the neighborhood. Some people expressed concern about conditions for the animals, and one visitor said that she saw animals stacked in crates at the property. Court documents reportedly revealed that authorities had visited the property in 2011 and found “crowded and unsanitary conditions,” smelled “‘feces and urine’ in the garage and kitchen,” “saw feces on the kitchen floor,” and saw “multiple kennels stacked on top of each other.” They counted 28 dogs and nine cats on the property and cited the “rescue” operator for depriving an animal of “adequate food, water, shelter, rest, sanitation, or necessary medical attention.” WCAX.com later reported that neighbors had complained that there was “nonstop barking from the 32 dogs inside and that the property’s condition has led to a rat problem in the neighborhood.” At a town meeting, officials deemed Heidi’s Haven to be a business and gave the operator until mid-April to apply for a zoning permit and until the end of March to prove that conditions that were attracting rats to the area had been addressed.

Miami-Dade County, Florida

WSVN.com reported that authorities had seized 15 to 20 dead, five conscious, and a “few” unresponsive cats from the home of the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Smilen Cats Rescue. The unconscious cats were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Animal Services said, “This is the worst case for our investigations team of animal neglect and cruelty that we’ve ever seen. . . . The amount of death and decay and filth inside this residence that cats were living in is absolutely beyond belief.” The WSVN.com report showed graphic photos of litterboxes overflowing with waste, cats who were gravely ill, skeletal remains, and decomposing animals. Authorities believed that there were more cats in the “rescuer’s” custody and were asking the public for information that could lead to their whereabouts. She was charged with 18 counts of cruelty to animals.

Mineral Wells, Texas

MineralWellsIndex.com reported that authorities had charged a self-professed animal “rescuer” with cruelty to animals after they found the bodies of 16 cats and the remains of other animals (“described as ‘unrecognizable’”) who had apparently died of starvation at two of her properties. They also found empty food and water bowls, litterboxes overflowing with waste, and some doors fastened shut with plastic ties, according to a report. In March 2015, the “rescuer” had reportedly “received a mayoral proclamation for her efforts at the Mineral Wells Animal Shelter by fostering animals” from the facility.

Elliott County, Kentucky

Kentucky.com reported that authorities had charged the owner of a self-professed “no-kill” animal “sanctuary” doing business as The Trixie Foundation “with 179 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals and 179 counts of not vaccinating dogs against rabies.” A spokesperson for a self-professed “rescue” in the area (doing business as TLC Rescue) reportedly alleged that conditions at The Trixie Foundation were “abysmal” and that problems included “improper flea and tick control, inadequate health care and a lack of space.” She said that dogs and cats were confined to a relatively small area that she described as a “mud pit” and that animals “sometimes suffer as they are dying” because the owner won’t provide them with euthanasia under any circumstances.

Jacksonville, Florida

ActionNewsJax.com reported that Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services had been turning away animals, leading people to throw them “out of moving vehicles,” abandon them at parks, and leave them in vacant homes. The facility was reportedly only open to accept homeless and unwanted animals for 16 hours each week and had turned away two stray dogs a good Samaritan had found abandoned at a park. An ActionNewsJax.com producer, who visited the facility and told workers that she needed to drop off a dog, reported that she was told that she needed an appointment—and that there wasn’t one available for four weeks.

Millville, Utah

CacheValleyDaily.com reported that former volunteers had alleged that animals were “being mistreated,” not receiving needed veterinary care, and being kept in crowded conditions at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Four Paws Rescue, Inc. One cat had allegedly been kept confined to a crate for three years. More than 100 animals were allegedly hoarded at the homes of the “rescue’s” owner and assistant director, and animals were “relocated and hidden long enough for Animal Control to make visits, then … moved back.” HJNews.com reported that an animal control officer responding to a complaint about an excessive number of cats at the “rescue” had been denied entry into the residence and was told to come back at a later time. When he returned, he found “cat feces on the walls and ‘so much urine on the floors that the floor boards had been rotting away.’” Photographs taken by an HJNews.com reporter who visited the property showed dogs chained and penned in the snow without adequate shelter.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in February 2018

Oakland County, Michigan

MLive.com reported that a pit bull who had been adopted four months earlier from a self-professed “rescue” had been roaming outdoors without supervision when he attacked a dog on a neighbor’s property. When a responding sheriff’s deputy arrived on the scene, “he found the pit bull with his jaws locked around the other dog’s throat,” according to authorities. The deputy shot the pit bull to stop the attack, then shot him two more times, killing him. The other dog was reportedly being treated for “serious injuries.” No additional details were available.

LaRue County, Kentucky

TheNewsEnterprise.com reported that authorities had seized 100 animals, including four cats who were found dead, from a self-professed animal “rescuer.” During testimony given in court, an animal control official described finding dogs crammed into filthy crates, animal feces and urine throughout the “rescuer’s” home, a lack of adequate food and water, some animals who were underweight, and several who were missing fur and suffering from skin conditions, open sores, and flea infestations. The 32-year animal control veteran said, “[I]t was the worst home I had ever been in during my career.” The “rescuer” told the jury that she “wanted to do something good for the community by having an animal rescue .… Other shelters brought me animals to hold for adoption.” She was convicted of 100 counts of cruelty to animals.

Phoenix, Arizona

AZFamily.com reported that authorities had seized 165 animals from a boarding kennel that had “morphed into a rescue,” doing business as Planet Petopia Doggie Dude Ranch, and booked the owners “on suspicion of animal neglect, failure to provide medical care and hoarding.” Animals seized included dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and turtles. Many were “found sick, emaciated, and sleeping on concrete with no bedding.” Kennels were reportedly covered with feces, and many animals suffered from “open wounds and sores [as well as] lacerations.” Four animals died after they were seized, and a spokesperson for an animal shelter involved in the case said, “They are almost all suffering from what’s called tick fever—a blood parasite.”

Albuquerque, New Mexico

KOB.com reported that Deb Brinkley, the associate director of Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department, had been placed “on administrative leave amid an investigation into the department.” Records revealed that 28 dogs had been transferred to Brinkley’s Colorado animal “rescue” doing business as DMK Rehoming, while it was under investigation by Colorado state authorities for operating without a license. She was also named in a lawsuit alleging “gross mismanagement, waste of funds and abuse of authority” at the department. The lawsuit was filed by employees who also allege that she and other managers released dangerous dogs to the public.

Fresno, California

YourCentralValley.com reported that authorities had seized between 65 and 90 animals, including cats, dogs, and horses, from the home of a self-professed animal “rescuer” after they were found hoarded on a small property, some in need of immediate medical care. Authorities had reportedly previously visited the property “after receiving tips about a Fresno County rescue group taking in way too many animals.” It wasn’t reported whether charges were being considered.

Wetzel County, West Virginia

WOWKTV.com reported that authorities had seized 37 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Hope Valley Rescue after they were found emaciated, wounded, and/or suffering from the highly contagious parvovirus. Officials planned to pursue criminal charges in connection with the case.

Pittsylvania County, Virginia

GoDanRiver.com reported that Pittsylvania County had formed an agreement with a group doing business as the Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS), which uses limited-admission policies, to operate the county’s animal shelter, the Pittsylvania Pet Center (PPC). Since then, nearly 500 animals from the county had been taken in by an area open-admission animal shelter. “Many have said that they don’t want to be put on a waiting list, with the cats especially,” said the executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society. PPC reportedly doesn’t accept homeless cats and has a waiting list to accept animals from residents who can no longer care for them. The LHS admitted that nine residents wanting to turn in dogs and cats had been placed on a waiting list over an eight-week period. Recent records reportedly showed that 11 dogs and 18 cats had died at the turn-away facility and 23 dogs had gone missing. The LHS’ executive director, Makena Yarbrough, was quoted as saying, “There are times where you bring in a litter of kittens, and some go out to foster care, but you don’t know where they end up .… [Y]ou can end up double recording them because you counted one twice. Sometimes when volunteers walk dogs … they’ll escape.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in January 2018

Daleville, Alabama

DothanEagle.com reported that approximately 20 dogs and “an undetermined number of cats and ducks” had died in a fire at the home of the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as All Breeds Rescue and Adoption. The owner was also killed in the incident, the cause of which was being investigated. WTVY.com reported that nearly 100 dogs had been hoarded at the home and 48 survived, one of whom was diagnosed with a “severe” heartworm infection. DothanFirst.com reported that some of the surviving dogs and cats had sustained burns and suffered from smoke inhalation. They were apparently receiving treatment.

Citrus County, Florida

ChronicleOnline.com reported that a dog had been found dead at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Out of the Box Animal Rescue, after she’d apparently been strangled by a tangled tether that was used to confine her indoors. She had reportedly been handed over to the facility by the county animal shelter because she was aggressive around food. A woman reportedly left a recorded phone message at the sheriff’s department that alleged that the “dog died after being tethered to the wall inside the house” and that the “rescue” was “trying to hide what happened.” Authorities investigated but didn’t pursue criminal charges in the case.

Maryville, Tennessee

13WMAZ.com reported that authorities had seized seven dogs, two cats, and a python from the home of a self-professed animal “rescuer” who had abandoned them. Six dead dogs and three dead cats were also removed, some of whom were found trapped in cages. The “rescuer” allegedly admitted to abandoning the animals two weeks before they were found. Authorities said that they were evidently neglected before they were abandoned. A sheriff’s department spokesperson said, “Representatives with Blount County Animal Control said this is the worst case of animal cruelty they’ve seen.” The “rescuer” was charged with 21 counts of cruelty to animals.

Jefferson County, Tennessee

StandardBanner.com reported that animals were being turned away from the Humane Society of Jefferson County, despite its contract with the county to provide animal-sheltering services. After a meeting of the county commission’s animal control board, two former shelter employees reported that several animals had been turned away from the facility after its board had decided to accept animals only “as space allows.” Six animals had reportedly been turned away on December 27, 2017, and possibly three more after that. Both of the employees resigned on December 28, and one of them said that she later learned that one of the dogs who had been turned away was then abandoned by his owner. The former president of the humane society said that the shelter was “no longer functioning as a compassionate resource for all animals in need and for the first time is no longer an open admissions shelter.” Commissioners were considering cutting or freezing county funding to the humane society unless it agreed to accept all animals.

Frankfort, Illinois

ChicagoTribune.com reported that a lawsuit had been filed against a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Cache Creek Animal Rescue. The lawsuit alleged that a dog housed there had attacked and bitten a worker without provocation, and it sought more than $50,000 in damages. The dog’s status wasn’t reported.

Fulton County, Georgia

Law.com reported that the mother of a 6-year-old boy who was killed on his way to school by roaming dogs had filed a lawsuit against a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Lifeline Animal Project, Inc., which contracts with Fulton County for animal control services. The lawsuit alleged “negligence; vicarious liability; negligent hiring, training and supervision; nuisance and breach of contract” and said that the group had “failed to act on repeated reports that a pack of ‘dangerous and vicious dogs’ was running free in the southwest Atlanta neighborhood where 6-year-old Logan Braatz was killed and a 5-year-old schoolmate, Syrai Sanders, was mauled as they and other children walked to school last January.” Sanders was critically injured when the dogs tore off an ear and part of her scalp, and AJC.com later reported that her family had filed a similar lawsuit against the group.

Limon, Colorado

Denver.CBSLocal.com reported that authorities had seized more than 44 dogs, five birds, a pot-bellied pig, and an unspecified number of horses from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Happy Acres Rescue after they were found “in filthy conditions without enough food to eat.” Dead animals were also found at the property. Dogs were found “living among trash heaps in a series of cages, trailers and sheds.” A buildup of feces in a birdcage appeared “to be several months to years old.” Puppies were found lying in feces, and a dog was discovered with a tumor “the size of a baseball” on his or her neck. Five of the animals seized were in such bad shape that they died or had to be euthanized, and conditions at the facility were so hazardous that first responders had to wear protective suits. Investigators said that it had been breeding dogs without a license and selling them on the internet, and its operators had pleaded guilty to a cruelty-to-animals charge in 2007. Denver.CBSLocal.com later reported that one of the “rescue” operators had been convicted of 43 counts of cruelty to animals in the recent case and that a second was scheduled to stand trial.

Vinton, Iowa

KCRG.com reported that authorities had seized approximately 1,000 animals found hoarded at the home of the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rocket Ministries. Hundreds of animals—including a python, birds, chinchillas, fish, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, mice, rabbits, rats, and turtles—were found inside the home and a detached garage. Several dead animals were also found “scattered through the residence in various states of decomposition.” A veterinarian who examined the surviving animals said that many “were malnourished, dehydrated, and living in overcrowded conditions heavily contaminated with excessive amounts of fecal matter.” The operator was also accused of performing “do-it-yourself” spay and neuter surgeries on animals. KWWL.com reported that the homeowner said that she was running a “guinea pig rescue program” and that the state Department of Human Services was also investigating because four children had been living in the home. Authorities hadn’t yet determined whether criminal charges would be pursued. KCRG.com later reported that the number of animals involved in the seizure had climbed to near 1,200 because many of them had been pregnant when seized and gave birth at an animal shelter. A shelter representative also said, “We’ve seen a number of long-term injuries including injuries that have been around quite a while .… In one case there was a chinchilla [who] had a broken leg for so long that it started to heal improperly and the chinchilla start[ed] to chew the leg off.”

Vernon, Connecticut

Patch.com reported that state and local authorities were investigating a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Freedom Paws, LLC, after a dog adopted from the facility had been diagnosed with distemper and had to be euthanized. Local authorities were reportedly investigating possible zoning, public health, and animal control ordinance violations. Documents revealed that it had been issued a notice of violation in 2016 after 17 dogs were found at the property, only five of whom were licensed. The property wasn’t zoned for kennels. FOX61.com reported that after the adopter had filed a complaint, the state Department of Agriculture determined that the “rescue” wasn’t a legally registered charity, didn’t have a license to operate a shelter, and couldn’t provide a health certificate for the dog, who had been acquired from North Carolina. A summons was issued requiring the operator to appear in court to face charges of operating a facility without a license, failing to provide dogs with medical exams, and importing dogs without a health certificate.

Blairsville, Indiana

IndianaGazette.com reported that authorities had seized two horses from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Heart Felt Equine Rescue and charged its owner with 12 counts of neglect. According to the complaint, animals seized were “determined to be in eminent [sic] danger of dying within days to a week” and were found suffering from dehydration, rain rot (“a fungal infection due to not having access to shelter in wet weather”), malnourishment, and hoof neglect. Previously, two dead horses—a newborn and his or her mother—had been found in a field at the facility. Authorities had reportedly visited the property repeatedly in response to complaints and found no food, drinkable water, or shelter as well as other neglectful conditions.

Ingham County, Michigan

WILX.com reported that approximately 30 animals had died in a fire while trapped in a single-family home with 10 to 15 others, hoarded by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as TJ’s Rescued Angels. Some animals had been so badly burned that authorities couldn’t immediately identify their species. A cat who was on fire was seen by a neighbor running from the home. It was thought that some animals may have survived because they’d been confined to a garage on the property. Authorities said that it was too early to determine whether criminal charges would be filed.

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