‘No-Kill’ Policies Slowly Killing Animals 2021

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 2021

Las Cruces, New Mexico

KFOXTV.com reported that three of six dogs who attacked and killed a 6-year-old boy had been foster animals from a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley. All six dogs were euthanized after the attack. According to the report, a state legislator was “advocating for stricter fostering guidelines and awareness” at animal shelters in response to the boy’s death. CrimeOnline.com reported that the 6-year-old was killed “after walking into an enclosed dog cage at his grandfather’s Lac Cruces property. . . . According to police, the enclosed cage housed around six foster dogs on the property.” They reportedly also noted that, when he was found, the child had “cuts in his neck and chest.”

Pace, Florida

WEARTV.com reported that some of a woman’s 12 dogs had allegedly escaped a yard, killed a cat, and attacked a pig, whose ear was torn off. She told the outlet that before the attack, she had tried finding homes for a number of the dogs, including by taking them to an animal shelter, which turned them away because it was full. Authorities were investigating the animal attacks.

Vallejo, California

SFChronicle.com reported that a spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Ratical Rodent Rescue said the group had stopped accepting owner surrenders and was “turning people away every single day.” According to the report, “Still, people continue to reach out on social media or by phone, asking if they will take their animals. Some continue to dump their pets at shelters’ doorsteps.”

Imperial, California

KYMA.com reported that a private group with “no-kill” policies had announced that it was full and that “the situation is so bad, they have to turn pets away.” The group was partially funded with public money and was doing business as Humane Society of Imperial County.

Palmhurst, Texas

ProgressTimes.net reported that “Palmhurst City Council wants a self-styled ‘animal rescue’ organization to stop operating from a house” in the community. According to the report, “Members of the Franklin All Animal Rescue Team—an organization managed by Maria ‘Marisa’ Wade, 49, of Palmhurst and Jesus Meave, 61, of Palmhurst—keep dozens of dogs in homemade kennels near the house. The Palmhurst Police Department cited Meave in June for operating a dog kennel within 50 feet of nearby homes, but he didn’t shut down. During a meeting on Friday morning, the City Council authorized the city attorney to take legal action. . . . ‘I fought with the animal control, I fought with the code enforcement, I fought with the judge,’ Meave said. He also had problems with the McAllen Police Department, which arrested Meave on theft and gambling charges in September 2016.” Authorities in McAllen had reportedly “also received a complaint against Meave that accused him of participating in dog fighting.” It was later reported that the city of Palmhurst had sued Meave “and his landlord, Ramon Garcia,” contending that “[Franklin All Animal Rescue Team] is operating a dog kennel in violation of city ordinances.”

Sierra Vista, Arizona

KOLD.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center had announced that it was full and would “not accept owner turn-ins of dogs or cats until further notice.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in November 2021

Horn Lake, Mississippi

LocalMemphis.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Horn Lake Animal Control Services had announced that it was full and not accepting owner surrenders. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that because it was turning away animals, “people are dumping their dogs at the shelter after hours one to two times a week.” She also “said dogs are piled up in kennels, hous[ed] in the office, the restrooms, and 26 dogs have to sleep outside. … ‘We have dogs in play yards, we have dogs across the street, we have dogs in the office [and] we have a dog in the bathroom right now.’”

Fargo, North Dakota

ValleyNewsLive.com reported that a selective-admission facility doing business as Homeward Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “[W]e have to say no to quite a few animals who are needing to be re-homed by their owners because we just don’t have the space.” According to the report, “Staff have been forced to stack crates throughout the building in an effort to house more” animals and “[t]he overflow has left one dog to live in the hallway, and forced three staff members to share their office with 10 cats and counting.”

Waynesboro, Mississippi

WTOK.com reported that a judge had ordered a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Wayne County Animal Rescue to “shut down and cease operations.” The judge reportedly also charged one of the group’s owners, “Ryan Mills, with two counts of animal cruelty” and “ordered the group to disband their board of directors and forbade them from conducting any animal rescue operations.” ClarkCountyTrib.com reported that a nonprofit group alleged that Ryan Mills had “been charged with beating and shooting dogs.” He and Yvonne Mills were reportedly also ordered not to possess animals for 15 years. No additional information was available.

Smithtown, New York

Newsday.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Town of Smithtown Animal Shelter had a “waiting list to surrender cats for adoption [that] now has 20 names on it.” There was also a waiting list to surrender dogs. A spokesperson for the facility also stated “that town animal control officers are encountering stray animals that appear to have been recently abandoned …. These include a domestic rabbit, a bird and numerous cats that ‘come right up’ to the officers.” She said, “They’re looking for someone to take care of them.”

Murray, Utah

FOX13Now.com reported that a turn-away facility doing business as the Humane Society of Utah had “reported for the second time in two weeks, that large groups of cats have been abandoned in boxes at their facility, leaving the animals in potential danger.” Recently, workers had reportedly twice found “boxes of cats and kittens outside of the administrative office.” According to the report, “Attached was a note describing the desperate situation the guardian was in leading to abandoning the animals.” According to its website, the group requires appointments, charges fees to accept some animals, and refuses to accept homeless cats and many other animals. According to the report, a spokesperson for the group said that “animal abandonment appears to be on the rise locally as animal shelters, rescues and even private businesses have reported dogs, cats, rabbits, and small animals being left at their doorsteps in recent months.” 

Denver, Colorado

Denver.CBSLocal.com reported that “[s]ome Colorado pet rescue organizations have become multi-million dollar puppy importers. A CBS4 investigation found protections, for pets and people, haven’t kept up.” Nick Fisher, who oversees the enforcement of the state’s Pet Animal Care Facilities Act, reportedly said that 37,000 dogs had been imported into Colorado last year by self-professed animal “rescues” and shelters. According to the report, “some of the biggest rescues, he says, import dogs with little—if any—knowledge of the health risks they pose. . . . Fisher says interstate trafficking of dogs has led to new diseases and parasites in Colorado. . . . Fisher has just eight inspectors and investigators for 2,300 pet care facilities, and he says, they get 700 complaints a year. Through an open records request, CBS4 found reports of delayed treatment, overcrowded foster homes, disease outbreaks and poor sanitation. In one case, a rescue dog exposed as many as 25 people to rabies. The same rescue is accused of providing fosters with expired, mislabeled and unlabeled medications that an investigator said could have had ‘catastrophic results for fostered puppies.’” The report concluded, “While most rescues are nonprofits, that doesn’t mean they don’t make money. In part two of our series, CBS4 will tell you how much money they make and how far some rescues will go to get puppies.

Tampa, Florida

FOX13News.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill for space” facility doing business as the Humane Society of Tampa Bay had announced that it was “doubling up dogs in kennels and turning cats away because the shelter [was] completely full.”

Canfield, Ohio

WKBN.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for five and a half years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Charity of Ohio. According to the report, two additional dogs had also been warehoused there for five years and were being given away for free. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that animals routinely spend years at the facility. According to the report, “Some have special needs or diets and some of the dogs don’t do well with children, other dogs or cats.” 

Erie, Pennsylvania

ErieNewsNow.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as the Erie Humane Society was full and “no longer accepting any cat intakes.” Other area adoption groups were reportedly also full.

Elrose, Saskatchewan, Canada

CBC.ca reported that the owner of a self-professed “no-kill” “cat rescue” doing business as Sask Alley Cats Association had been found guilty of “animal distress.” According to the report, “In January 2019, officials … searched the 400-square foot home of Dolores LaPlante, which also operated as a non-profit rescue called Alley Cats, and found it overcrowded and in disarray. They apprehended 106 cats, two dogs and a turtle, leaving about 20 cats behind because they couldn’t catch them. In a Facebook post on Nov. 3, the animal protection service called it a ‘cautionary tale of unethical animal rescue practices.’ . . . Animal protection officers described the inside of the home as ‘filthy’ with air quality so poor it caused lingering respiratory and skin symptoms. . . . [T]he court ordered LaPlante pay a [CA]$400 fine for the animals under distress in her care and she is now restricted from owning more than two dogs and three cats, according to Animal Protection Services. ‘Having a big heart is not a defence under the Act,’ the judge wrote. ‘Having over 100 cats in a 400-square foot house is undoubtedly too many.’”

Carthage, Missouri

JoplinGlobe.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” shelter doing business as the Carthage Humane Society had “been at maximum capacity since early August” and was turning away animals. According to the report, the facility used to have a program in which “people could donate money so when good Samaritans found a litter of puppies in a cardboard box or a dumped dog on a lonely county road, they could drop off the dog at the shelter without having to pay the fee.” However, a spokesperson for the facility said the fund had “been defunct for months now.” Other facilities in the area had also reportedly seen a recent increase in the number of animals needing care. A spokesperson for a self-professed “no-kill” animal adoption group doing business as Golden Paw Animal Sanctuary and Rescue reportedly said, “We always take our animals back, but lately we have had to retrieve our abandoned animals from other shelters and animal control more times than I can count, not to mention the ones brought in by owners after only a few months. The number of animals coming in from horrible conditions keeps getting higher.”

Bristow, Oklahoma

FOX23.com reported that authorities had filed charges against Tanya Dee Stice that included “cruelty to animals, neglect, and failing to dispose a dog.” According to the report, Stice claimed to run two self-professed animal “rescue” groups doing business as Redoing Rescue and Rescued Heirlooms. Neither group was reportedly “registered with the state as a business or a non-profit.” The charges were filed after the owner of another self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as A Lab for Life Rescue left a dog in Stice’s custody in a foster arrangement. Stice reportedly later told the group’s owner that the dog had died. When the owner went to retrieve the dog’s body from Stice, she claims to have found poor conditions and videotaped “dismembered dogs tossed in a pile of trash on Stice’s property.” The video footage was apparently shared with authorities. According to the report, Stice was “due in court Nov. 19.” No additional information was available.

Anniston, Alabama

WBRC.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for six years at an animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Calhoun County Humane Society. According to a public post by the group, the dog was “fussy about other dogs and likely best as an only pet.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado

KRDO.com reported that authorities had seized 17 dogs and 30 cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as New Hope Rescue Inc. According to the report, “The Department of Agriculture began looking into complaints of neglect and cruelty at the shelter. New Hope Rescue’s previous director, Joann Roof, was charged with animal cruelty, neglect, or mistreatment on Aug. 23, 2020, and she had also been charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty in 2014. … The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region tells KRDO that five new charges of animal cruelty came to light in September. … New Hope Rescue’s license was suspended under the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA), prompting Thursday’s seizure. In total, 17 dogs and 30 cats were taken from the Colorado Springs shelter.” (See the January 2021/Colorado Springs, Colorado, entry below for more details about this group.) KRDO.com later reported that “New Hope Rescue’s Director Joann Roof and veterinarian Frederick Smith both face multiple animal cruelty charges.” Smith was facing five counts in relation to five dogs found in poor condition, including “multiple … seen with their ribs and hip bones showing. One dog had a large open wound to the right side of [the] neck, and lacerations around [the] neck consistent with something being tied around the neck either too tight or possibly for too long. A third dog was incessantly coughing.” During the recent investigation, two dogs were also found “locked inside of a shed behind the animal rescue with piles of feces throughout the animals’ living area. ‘[A dog] was laying on his side and his head was shaking involuntarily back and forth, when animal law enforcement called the animal by name, [he] did not respond,’ said animal law enforcement in the affidavit for Roof and Smith. … New Hope’s vet told animal law enforcement he did not believe in distemper tests and that he doesn’t even order them.”

Carroll County, Tennessee

WBBJTV.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as the Carroll County Humane Society was full and not accepting any animals. This was reported in a news story in which a spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that dogs and cats should not stay outside during the winter and that “it’s heartbreaking every year when she receives a call of an animal who has died due to the cold weather.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in October 2021

Palo Alto, California

AlmanacNews.com reported that authorities had charged three employees of a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Pets in Need with cruelty to animals and animal neglect after seven puppies died in a hot van that was used to transport them. The puppies had reportedly been picked up with about 20 other dogs and puppies from an open-admission animal shelter. “The van lacked air conditioning in the rear cargo area, and the employees did not provide water for the dogs during transport. The temperature in the Central Valley that afternoon was in the range of 90 to 100 degrees, police said.” When the vanload of animals arrived at Pets in Need, seven puppies were found “unresponsive.” Veterinary staff allegedly tried to resuscitate the puppies but were unsuccessful. According to the report, “The employees are Patricia Santana Valencia, 40, of East Palo Alto, Margaret C. Evans, 36, of Fremont and Ingrid Anne Hartmann, 45, of San Carlos.” Pets in Need is reportedly “Palo Alto’s contracted animal services agency.”

Columbus, North Carolina

WLOS.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Foothills Humane Society was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “Every single cage is full. We don’t have an empty cage.” She reportedly told the outlet that “the shelter is so full, it’s currently unable to accept owner surrenders. She said they get seven to eight calls per day of people asking to surrender their [animal companions], and the humane society’s waitlist has grown to more than 35 names on it.”

Lodi, California

FOX40.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Animal Friends Connection Humane Society was full and asking the public to stop leaving animals in need of care on its property. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “They’ve left them on this backdoor, they’ve left them in our driveway. … They leave them at the bottom of the walkway. … We’ve had over 90 cats and kittens dumped on us this year. … Please don’t continue to dump these animals. … We just cannot afford to care for [them] anymore. I mean, we don’t have the resources.” The group was reportedly referring people to open-admission public animal shelters.

Muskegon, Michigan

WOODTV.com reported that state authorities were seeking to remove 47 wolf-dog hybrids from a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary. The owner of the facility Brenda Pearson, had reportedly been “charged with possessing a dangerous animal causing serious injury and possessing a wolfdog without a permit. Muskegon County prosecutors are raising three main issues: safety concerns, alleged animal neglect and the sanctuary’s lack of permits to house the animals. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources raided the Howling Timbers last year after a young girl, one of Pearson’s granddaughters, sustained an injury that cost her her arm.” According to the report, “A [Michigan Department of Natural Resources] conservation officer testified to the alleged neglect of the animals, saying two of the wolfdogs were not receiving adequate medical treatment at the time of the raid last summer. ‘I observed a white wolfdog on the ground in a kennel, not moving. I had to check if [the animal] was breathing,’ Conservation Officer Anna Cullen said. ‘I could immediately smell rotting flesh.’” At the time of the report, a judgment hadn’t yet been made in the case regarding the disposition of the animals.

Helena–West Helena, Arkansas

LocalMemphis.com reported that Reta Merritt Roberts, the director of a self-professed “no-kill” facility, partially funded with public monies and doing business as Humane Society of the Delta, had been “arrested and charged with 285 counts of aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat, or horse, which is a Class D Felony” and that the facility had been shut down. According to the report, authorities “found inhumane conditions” at the facility when they responded to a call and “found several dogs in wire kennels outside in the ground, rodent holes by the kennels, and an overwhelming smell of feces and urine inside. … The next day, police said two volunteers who had worked at the shelter several times reported seeing animals mistreated, neglected, and sometimes physically abused by workers.” When they executed a search warrant, authorities reportedly “found 240 dogs and 45 cats, many malnourished and some suffering from infected open wounds. Investigators said several of the animals were in their own excrement and urine, and several rats, both alive and dead, were around the property. They said inside the mobile home where Roberts lived with her family, there was feces and urine throughout …. They said a child appeared to also have several insect bites.” WREG.com reported that authorities removed the “child from the address, living in [what] was described as ‘filth’ and notified the Department of Human Services.” According to the report, the “operation comes after months of complaints from volunteers and the public about conditions at the ‘no kill’ shelter and an extensive investigation by the city. ‘The purpose of this facility was originally set up to be the animal control for our city and our county and that has failed miserably in recent years,’ Mayor [Kevin] Smith said.”

Lebanon, Indiana

NewsandTribune.com reported that one of five dogs who fatally attacked a woman was being fostered by her son for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Lucci’s House Bully Rescue. According to the report, “all five [of the dogs] were reportedly found to have blood stains around their mouths” on the day that Loretta Moore was found dead at her son’s home. Moore bled to death, according to the county coroner. Authorities also revealed that “[p]art of her arm was missing and has never been found. … Evidence indicated she tried to escape the attack.” According to the report, “One of the dogs was a pit bull [who Moore’s son] had fostered for about a month for Lucci’s House Bully Rescue of Indianapolis. The county reached an agreement with the … group and released [the dog called] Chance to its custody last month.” The agreement included a stipulation that the dog would not be allowed back into the county. The other four dogs were returned to the son with restrictions on their care and keeping.

 Cincinnati, Ohio

Local12.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility, partially funded with public monies and doing business as Cincinnati Animal CARE, had “been over capacity since May 18.” A resident told the outlet about the difficulty he had finding a facility in the area that would accept a homeless cat and kitten. “‘[A cat and her kitten] were out there and they looked pathetic and just miserable. They needed some care,’ said Cameron Adams. Cameron and his wife Laura rescued the mother cat and her baby and kept the pair at their home because finding a safe place for them to go was nearly impossible. ‘It was hard. It was like nine different places we called, and nobody would take them,’ said Laura.” The public animal shelter eventually accepted the animals, according to the report.

Bellville, Ohio

MansfieldNewsJournal.com reported that a woman convicted of cruelty to animals for the neglect and deaths of six dogs had “received the dogs from a rescue program.” According to the report, “Cara Welty received two years of probation at her sentencing. … In August, Welty pleaded guilty to three felony counts of cruelty to companion animals. … The incident happened in July 2019.” At that time, a dog warden reportedly “found three emaciated dogs in a fenced-in yard and three dead dogs inside the residence. One of the dogs was found in the basement, one in the garage and one in the kitchen. Assistant Prosecutor Olivia Boyer said one of the dogs had tried to reach a bag of food that sat on a shelf in the garage. Three other dogs, two Great Pyrenees and a Chow-mix that were in the yard, had no food and only stagnant rainwater in a kiddie pool. The temperature was 86 degrees that day with a heat index of 91.” An earlier report revealed that “Welty began volunteering with a rescue group for Great Pyrenees in 2014. She fostered some dogs and helped transport them to new owners.”

Cordele, Georgia

CordeleDispatch.com reported that authorities had found more than 40 cats in cages “stacked haphazardly” inside a U-Haul truck. According to the report, “Once police arrived on scene it was determined that a total of forty-one cats was being held together in a total of two squirrel traps, two cat traps and four dog crates with nothing more than bungee cords keeping them from sliding and falling. According to the officers on scene, the cats had no food, limited water, no litter boxes and [were] covered in each [other’s] feces and urine to the point that the smell was overbearing. Most of the water containers had been spilled and held no water for the cats to drink. The trailer was extremely hot and stuffy due to it not having adequate air or ventilation.” The three people transporting the animals reportedly told authorities that they “were in the process of moving with the cats from Florida to Iowa” and that “they were planning on letting the cats loose on a farm due to all of the shelters being on a waiting list and not accepting them.” The animals were signed over to authorities, and the individuals were “issued several citations for the treatment and the condition the cats were in.”

Morgan Hill, California

MorganHillTimes.com reported that authorities had charged Brenda Andringa with “three counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of failing to give proper care and attention to an animal.” Andringa, the founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as South Bay Rabbit Rescue, was reportedly “forced to surrender 112 rabbits to the animal shelter following an investigation.” According to the report, an investigating officer “found numerous rabbits [at the “rescue”] suffering under the hot sun with no shade in dirty, cramped cages. ‘I observed several empty or dirty water bowls, and litter boxes full of feces and urine,’ says the animal control officer’s report found in Andringa’s criminal court file. ‘(A witness) showed me several rabbits he was concerned were near death from the heat.’ The officer gave the rabbits fresh water and noted in the report that the temperature at the time was 90 degrees. . . . Two of the current charges against Andringa are related to the illness and subsequent death of [a rabbit named] Hare-cules. A witness alerted animal control that the rabbit was ‘suffering from a maggot-infested, untreated wound,’ says the investigation report. … Hare-cules died of his wounds. . . . The charge of cruelty to animals in the DA’s July 6 complaint says that Andringa ‘subjected (Hare-cules) to needless suffering and inflicted unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, and abused the animal, and failed to provide the animal with proper food, drink and shelter and protection from the weather.’” The investigation report noted that “Andringa has also been named on a ‘no adopt’ list held by county animal control since 2017.”

Enoree, South Carolina

WNCT.com reported that after a couple rescued a dog who was found tied to railroad tracks near their home, they couldn’t find an animal shelter that would accept the animal. The couple, who reportedly already had four dogs in their care, couldn’t keep the dog, whom they said they found purposely tied to the tracks with a leash in knots after they followed the sound of his frantic barking. According to the report, “Jennifer Winkelman said she tried repetitively to surrender the dog to local animal care spots, but kept coming up short.” She then posted a plea on social media, which evidently compelled an animal adoption group to accept the dog. Authorities were investigating to try to determine who tied the dog to the tracks, but no suspects were identified.

Okeechobee County, Florida

WPTV.com reported that authorities had arrested Brian Peffer on “22 counts of cruelty to animals and one count of obstruction of justice” after animals were found neglected “at an unlicensed animal rescue operation” that he was running. According to the report, some dogs found in a fenced area had sustained injuries and “[t]hree other dogs found in a small 5×5-foot style utility shed raised suspicions. According to the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), the heat index inside that area measured 85 degrees and the heat index outside was rising to 93 degrees. No food or water source was found, nor were the dogs able to get out of the trailer to urinate or defecate as the floor was thick and saturated with feces and urine. … Investigators already knew about an additional 20×6-foot office-style building located further back on the property. Investigators questioned Peffer about the barking dogs and at first he denied having any animals in the building. However, he reluctantly took investigators to the building where they located 19 more dogs, ‘living in complete squalor without leaving the structure.’ According to OCSO the smell of urine and feces was ‘extraordinarily pungent’ and the floor was thick with feces and urine. Investigators noted that maggots were present.” Thirty-three dogs and two chickens were reportedly surrendered to authorities.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in September 2021

Lower Towamensing Township, Pennsylvania

WNEP.com reported that a cat and kittens had been “placed in a cat carrier and thrown in a dumpster at a business.” When the carrier was found, only one kitten was still alive. He or she was taken to an animal adoption group and died there. According to the report, “Carbon County Friends of Animals shelter in Jim Thorpe has upwards of 150 cats and is not taking any more. [A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that she] understands overrun shelters are almost everywhere you look these days, but dumping animals is not the way to go. ‘It’s hard right now for everyone, but it’s not the way to do it. You have to be very patient and keep trying to call shelters and rescues. Sometimes vets might be able to help you or private rescues. The thing is to have patience right now,’” she said. She also reportedly explained that kittens found outdoors are often brought to shelters in bad shape and added, “‘[D]on’t throw your cats outside. Some of the kittens, I mean, one came in with half a leg, and it’s just, it’s horrible. It’s horrible.’” The report suggested, “If you are having trouble finding a shelter to take in any animal, shelter managers ask that you keep trying.”

Camden, Delaware

DelawareOnline.com reported the following:

First State Animal Center & SPCA in Camden has faced over 300 violations from the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare this year related to the transport of 83 dogs from an animal rescue in Arkansas. The violations resulted in more than $12,000 in fines, but Director Jon Parana said they’d do it all over again if they had to. “We were told if they weren’t rescued they were going to be euthanized,” he said. “And if there’s 85 dogs that are going to die … and we’re there at the spot, we’re going to do our damndest to save them.” The dogs arrived at First State on Feb. 14, and after receiving three complaints including allegations of “improper transport, inadequate staffing and medical care provided, and disease transmission,” animal welfare officers inspected the shelter Feb. 27. They found 301 violations of Delaware’s Shelter Standards Law, to include:

• 83 counts of invalid health certificates.
• 64 counts of failure to adhere to veterinary protocol.
• 51 counts of failure to perform intake exams within three days of arrival.
• 103 counts of failure to maintain records.

A staff member at the facility reportedly said that 19 of the dogs from the Arkansas transport had died, apparently from disease.

Roseburg, Oregon

NBC16.com reported that an animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center, which has a contract to provide Douglas County with sheltering services, was “temporarily suspending intake of healthy cats and kittens.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that “in order to make sure we are able to provide proper care for the cats in the shelter and save more lives, we must temporarily close our cat/kitten intake. … [W]e do not even have any open cages available if we were able to take in more cats or kittens.”

Oak Park, Illinois

ChicagoTribune.com reported that a limited-admission facility doing business as Animal Care League was full. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “We are getting constant phone calls of people trying to return their dogs, cats and rabbits …. It’s like families who’ve had a dog for like five years, and all of a sudden, they can no longer care for [the animal] or keep [him or her].” According to the report, staff members would “begin a ‘cycle of calling’ and try to direct the animals elsewhere” when they received calls seeking help. “In severe situations (of owner surrenders) we do what we can, but if we don’t have the space, we just cannot take them,” the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for another turn-away facility in the area, doing business as South Suburban Humane Society, reportedly said that that facility was “seeing animals being returned for other reasons: namely, the economy,” according to the report, which went on to say, “Shelter workers say owners surrendering animals often say they can no longer afford to care for them.”

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

KFOR.com reported that after repeated problems with a neighbor’s dogs, a resident told the outlet that “there are 13 dogs who live in that house, and she has filed over 22 complaints just within the past three months.” She said she had visited the public animal shelter doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare, which has “no-kill” policies, and “filed charges on them and all they got was a $100 ticket …. The animal shelter does not want to take these dogs because they literally told me they’re overpacked.” An 8-year-old girl was reportedly “recovering after [the same] dogs attacked her and her grandmother … and members of the community say it’s not the first attack. The girl … is currently out of the hospital after being attacked on Monday. She had to have her ear stitched back in three places. She and her grandmother … received bites and bruises as well.” A neighbor reportedly said, “I heard screaming …. She had multiple dogs attacking her, biting her in every which direction, and the first thing I did was go straight to her.” According to the report, “Another neighbor came armed with a baseball bat, and had to use it to fend off the dogs after they came after him. … Another neighbor told KFOR that she has also been bitten by the dogs. She says she has had to create a higher fence just to protect her family. News 4 called animal control three times but could not speak to anyone in person.”

Franklin Township, Pennsylvania

TNOnline.com reported that the owners of four cats who had been kept for six days in carriers after a fire at their residence told the operator of an animal adoption group that “they called veterinarians, shelters and rescuers, but couldn’t get an appointment.” A spokesperson for the group reportedly “said the cats were in carriers, which the owners claimed to be cleaning every other day. ‘But I can tell you right now they (the cats) were in about 4 inches of urine when we got them,’ [she] added. ‘So, their legs are burned—laying in urine. It’s horrendous.’” According to the report, “One cat died over the weekend.” The group’s spokesperson reportedly said that “three out of the four cats had second- or third-degree burns. ‘There is one that was burned in the facial area,’ [she] said. ‘They’re going to need extensive hydrotherapy for weeks on their paws. … They’re getting antibiotics, IV fluids. … [T]here is going to be a lot of work involved with the hydrotherapy a couple times a day in order for them to walk,’ [she] said.” She reportedly “said she isn’t sure if charges will be filed.”

Corpus Christi, Texas

KRISTV.com reported that a spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” group doing business as Rural T.A.N.K. Rescue told the outlet that it was receiving an increase in calls for help and “we’re to the point where we’re having to turn people away.”

Saginaw County, Michigan

ABC12.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Department had announced that it was no longer accepting animals, including lost and homeless ones found in the community. According to the report, “State guidelines indicate the building should house only 90 dogs, they currently have 135 in their care right now.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that animals were being housed in offices and the lobby and that she had told “law enforcement agencies that [the shelter] can no longer take in animals.” The shelter was reportedly “overflowing for a few reasons, including a number of abused dogs and cats that are victims in criminal cases.” The spokesperson said that “some of these animals are coming in to us with urgent medical care [needs], we had a dog with a face full of cancer, we’ve had animals that have broken limbs that have healed incorrectly, they are suffering, and I don’t know what the answer is, other than someone couldn’t get them the medical care they need or were embarrassed.” She reportedly said that some dogs had been sent to self-professed animal “rescue missions” and that the facility had “an adoption sale going on.”

Alexandria, Indiana

HeraldBulletin.com reported that authorities had seized 94 animals and a child from a woman who told them “she was running an animal rescue on the property.” According to the report, Nancy L. Clemmer had “been charged with Level 6 felony neglect of a dependent, Class A misdemeanor neglect of a vertebrate animal and Class C infraction, harboring a non-immunized dog. Her 13-year-old daughter, who was described as ‘filthy and had what appeared to be animal feces on her,’ was removed from the home and placed into foster care July 29. The live animals, including three pigs, 21 dogs and 21 guinea pigs, were sent to [animal adoption groups] throughout Central Indiana. An undisclosed number of dead animals also were found around the property. Police described the home as being filthy with feces and urine, and several dead animals were found in and around piles of trash that in some places went so high that the living animals didn’t need to climb on furniture to reach countertops. The unsanitary conditions, including the odors, forced public safety officials to wear hazardous material suits. … ‘This is the worst of anything I’ve seen because there were so many live animals, but there was a fair number of dead animals,’ said [Chief Terry] Richwine, who has been in law enforcement about 45 years.” Clemmer had reportedly “previously been ordered to abate properties where she lived in Long Beach, California, and Niles, Michigan.” The Indiana property was condemned, and she was facing criminal charges of neglect.

New York City, New York

NYPost.com reported that Emily Dyson, the founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” group doing business as Waldo’s Rescue Pen, had “allegedly been fostering out seriously sick animals, and several have died on her watch, sources said. In one case, four puppies died together of the highly-contagious but treatable canine parvovirus, said Michaela Mele, a former employee and board member. … ‘[T]hey never saw a vet,’ Mele insisted.” According to the report, “Waldo’s periodically brings dogs from Southern states. . . . The taxpayer-funded Animal Care Centers of NYC no longer works with Waldo’s, said spokesman Katy Hansen, who would not explain why.”

Flagler County, Florida

WFLA.com reported that “Flagler County sheriff’s detectives said while investigating whether the operator of an animal rescue was illegally selling prescription drugs, they found dozens of animals in filthy conditions on the property, many of them very sick.” The self-professed animal “rescue” was doing business as Save A Furry Friend Animal Rescue, Inc. According to the report, “A total of 46 animals were confiscated from the rescue, though one kitten was dead at the scene, and three others have since died. Several surviving animals have no eyesight, even no eyes, due to untreated upper respiratory infections. … Officials said the rescue operator has previously been accused of adopting out sick animals and said the animals she currently had were all suffering from some kind of illness.” A detective reportedly said, “They were deplorable conditions, filthy, unfit for animals to be in.” PalmCoastObserver.com reported that Sheriff Rick Staly said, “Here’s a lady that uses innocent animals to support her drug-dealing by using them to purchase prescription medications and sell the drugs to human customers for personal use …. This is also why you should always thoroughly check out all non-profits you support to make sure they are legitimate. This was a sad situation for all the animals involved but I’m glad to see they’ve been taken to safety.”

Albuquerque, New Mexico

KOB.com reported that an employee of a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department had recently been mauled by a dog who had been deemed safe for adoption at the facility. According to the report, “Throughout the summer, past and former employees and volunteers reached out to 4 Investigates, asking KOB 4’s team to look into the situation, inside the city’s animal shelters, that is turning ordinarily non-aggressive dogs into dangerous ones. ‘My level of concern is very high. I left my job, so I can speak out for the animals of Albuquerque,’ said Deana Case, a former Animal Welfare Department employee. . . . Case believes the dog mauled this shelter employee because [he] had lived in an untenable situation for too long.” Case said that the dog “had been there for months without enough exercise, no enrichment level human contact” and that “the employee had nearly three dozen punctures, the dog nicked a vein and the employee was taken away by ambulance …. Deana Case, along with several others, told KOB 4 dogs are becoming more stressed because of two major issues: there are simply not enough people to care for all the animals and there are just too many animals.” The report went on to reveal that “[m]ore videos and photos show the shelters violate the city’s own animal laws. … [A] photo of the thermostat last winter shows the temperature inside the kennels significantly below” what the law requires.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

KRQE.com reported that “[p]eople stepping up and doing the right thing by picking up strays and taking them to Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department are being turned away. … Right now, there are more than 800 animals being housed in the city’s three shelters. Since they are so crowded, strays are being accepted by appointment only.” A resident told the outlet that when she called the facility about turning in a stray dog, she was told that it was “at 100% capacity” and that she’d have to make an appointment. She was also told that there were “twelve other appointments lined up for surrenders.”

Jacksonville, Florida

FirstCoastNews.com reported that authorities had removed 74 live cats and a dead one from the home of a man who told them “he had tried reaching out to the Jacksonville Humane Society and some other places and that he had been unable to get any help,” according to an incident report. An investigation reportedly found sick and thin cats. Some animals “had feces encrusted in their fur and others had discharge coming from their eyes.” An investigator reported that first responders “had to leave the area due to trouble breathing and irritation.” The owner of the animals reportedly had to ask “for help surrendering the animals because he said he was on a fixed income, according to the report.” The public animal shelter doing business as Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services is a self-professed “no-kill” facility that evidently requires fees to accept animals from owners who are unable—or unwilling—to care for them.

Orlando, Florida

MyNews13.com reported that 17 cats had died in a fire at a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. According to the report, 45 cats and 26 dogs survived. Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. No additional information was available.

Brunswick, Georgia

TheBrunswickNews.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Glynn County Animal Services had announced that it had “put a temporary hold on accepting owner surrender of pets and healthy stray animals because there is no room.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “The number of animals needing care at our shelter is increasing steadily, but our adoption and foster numbers are not keeping pace …. We’re also competing for transport opportunities with thousands of other shelters across the South. Everyone is overwhelmed right now.”

Revere, Massachusetts

Boston.CBSLocal.com reported that a man had pleaded not guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals after authorities alleged that he had “chained his dog to a steel rod at a Revere beach last weekend and, as State Police said, left him ‘to the mercy of the next high tide.’” The accused reportedly “told reporters after his arraignment Tuesday that he got the dog from a friend in Virginia just six months ago, but was having issues with him and couldn’t get a shelter to take him.” According to the report, “His dog ‘Killer,’ a 50-pound pit bull mix, was found chained to a rebar rod on Short Beach in Revere on Sunday. There was also a heavy rock attached to the thick metal chain to prevent him from escaping. ‘The dog was at risk of drowning in a couple of hours if he hadn’t been found,’ State Police said, noting that during certain parts of the day, that portion of the beach is completely submerged by the rising tide.” The dog survived and was reportedly scheduled to be examined by a veterinarian. Another hearing was scheduled in the case.

Los Angeles County, California

LATimes.com reported that private animal shelters and adoption groups in the community had been overwhelmed with requests for assistance since the public animal sheltering system, doing business as Los Angeles Animal Care and Control, had implemented a “managed intake” policy. A spokesperson for one of them reportedly said the group was “getting four times more emails and calls since the county implemented managed intake.” She added that “she hates turning on her computer each day and being met with emails from people who have found cats, brought them to the shelter and been turned away. ‘We’re just bombarded every day with people trying to give up animals we don’t have room for,’ she said.” A self-professed animal “rescuer” reportedly said that she and others had “witnessed people dumping house cats at feral colonies since managed intake started” at the public shelters. According to the report, “L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said constituents have been calling her with concerns about the appointment system.”

Beaumont, Texas

12NewsNow.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill rescue” doing business as the Humane Society of Southeast Texas was “at almost maximum capacity” and “had to limit taking in certain animals such as large dogs and kittens.” An employee reportedly “said the no-kill shelter has been at capacity since he started working there nine years ago” and the area was “also seeing a high number of stray animals recently.” According to the report, “The Humane Society of Southeast Texas has not been able to transport animals to other Texas shelters, due most of them being at maximum capacity.”

Shelter Island, New York

ShelterIslandReporter.TimesReview.com reported that authorities had “arrested Stephanie J. Bucalo, 64, at 6:48 p.m. on Aug. 31, charging her with 18 counts of ‘animal cruelty, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance.’” At the time of the report, Bucalo was listed on an online animal adoption site as the cofounder of a self-professed animal “rescue” group in Shelter Island doing business as Sweetest Dog Rescue. According to the report, “Police reported that the 18 dogs were ‘subjected to urine and feces … [and] severe untreated medical conditions requiring euthanasia.’ … The house has been the subject of complaints from neighbors for years about multiple dogs barking and howling at all hours of the day and night. It was shuttered by the Shelter Island Police and Building departments Aug. 27, and the 18 dogs were removed and put into shelters. The Town’s building inspector determined the residence to be unsafe on Aug. 27 for entry and put up placards saying the residence was not to be occupied. . . . Two years ago, residents packed a Town Board meeting to air complaints about hearing barking, howling, yelping, whining—constantly—for years at the North Ferry Road residence.” No additional information was available.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in August 2021

Woodsfield, Ohio

TheIntelligencer.net reported that a private animal shelter, apparently with “no-kill” policies, doing business as Crossed Paws Animal Shelter was “at full cat capacity.” According to the report, “Crossed Paws Animal Shelter fields daily calls from people wanting to drop off cats at the facility; however, the shelter is at full capacity with dozens more on a waiting list. Shelly Young, shelter coordinator, said when people call in the staff directs them to other shelters or asks if they would like to be added to the wait list, which currently has between 20 and 30 animals waiting for a space. In April, a new addition was added to the facility. The Kitty Pit Stop is designed to accommodate additional cats, but that area is also full.” Young reportedly said that the facility receives “multiple calls and messages every day” from people who are concerned about homeless cats who need help.

Hollywood, Florida

Local10.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for six years by a self-professed “animal rescue and sanctuary” doing business as Paw Patrol Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. According to the report, the dog, called Sunny, had “spent most of her life” in the group’s custody. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that Sunny had been in its custody “for about six years or so, [and] five of those years she’s been stuck at boarding .… [W]e can’t get good exposure for her in boarding because she looks so sad …. She looks as if she’s not having a good time, and people don’t want to adopt a dog that looks sad.” Sunny reportedly “prefers to be the only animal in a house,” and “there probably shouldn’t be kids in the home either.”

Perry, Georgia

41NBC.com reported that two animal shelters, apparently with “no-kill” policies, had announced that they were full. A spokesperson for one of the facilities, which is doing business as Friends of Perry Animal Shelter, reportedly said that the group had received “about 50 surrender calls this past weekend alone. ‘We just can’t take them all,’ she said. ‘We simply don’t have the manpower or the room to care for that many animals. … I know it’s very frustrating when you have an animal that you need help with, and it seems like nobody wants to help you,’ she said. ‘It’s not that we don’t want to. We would love to be able to help every single animal out there, but right now we’re doing all we can, and it feels like a very uphill battle.’”

Chattanooga, Tennessee

NewsChannel9.com reported that an animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as McKamey Animal Center, which is partially funded with public monies, had “announced … that it is at max capacity and will not be able to accept animals on a non-emergency basis.” The facility’s executive director, Inga Fricke, reportedly said, “We’ve saturated the market for homes that are available to take in either adopted pets or fostered pets.” According to the report, Fricke said that “there are some regions of the country that would actually help the shelter out and take some of their animals, but they’re experiencing the same phenomenon.”

Lowndes County, Georgia

ValdostaToday.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lowndes County Animal Shelter had “been at capacity for several months now and as a result will no longer accept owner turn in of pets through Thursday, September 30, 2021. . . . Lowndes County will reevaluate the pet owner turn in policy on October 1, 2021.”

Independence Township, Michigan

ClickOnDetroit.com reported that authorities had seized 100 animals, including 16 dead cats, from the home of a couple who told them that “they were providing ‘care’ for the cats as part of their [involvement] with a rescue organization.” According to the report, the animals included “82 cats, five dogs, eight ferrets, four rabbits and one bearded dragon. The animals were ‘living in highly unsanitary conditions and showing signs of illness,’ Animal Control officers said. Of the 82 cats, many were in distress because of high temperatures in the home, authorities said. The home lack[ed] air conditioning and air flow, so it was even hotter inside than the temperatures in the 80s outside, according to officials. Nine of the cats were dead at the scene, two died while being transported and two died overnight at the shelter, officials said. Veterinarians had to euthanize three more cats because of an infectious disease, authorities said.” Freep.com reported that the “resident and her husband told the animal control officers at the scene that they were involved with a cat rescue organization” and that “[t]his case remains under investigation.”

Volusia County, Florida

News-JournalOnline.com reported that authorities had fined a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Journey’s End Animal Sanctuary. (See the January 2020/Volusia County, Florida, entry below for more details.) “for failing to provide humane care after reportedly ignoring a volunteer’s concerns for the health of one of the facility’s cats, officials said. Mary Van Buren, a Daytona Beach resident, told officials she’d been volunteering at the sanctuary for about a month when she adopted Star, an approximately 13-year-old cat, according to the citation issued Aug. 23. In July, about a week after adopting Star, who was found to have myriad untreated health issues, Van Buren ‘decided to have her euthanized to end her misery.’ Van Buren told officials she’d expressed concerns multiple times about Star while at the sanctuary, according to the citation.” According to the report, a settlement agreement that had been reached in June 2020 between Volusia County and Journey’s End “paved the way for animal services officers to conduct semi-monthly inspections for a year, followed by quarterly inspections with the nonprofit receiving 48 hours’ notice.” The settlement “came about five months after 16 animals were removed from the property, as recommended by a veterinarian, to receive ‘medical and/or behavioral care that [was] not being provided by the facility.’ … Officers have performed 15 announced inspections since reaching the agreement, and ‘instances of non-compliance with both the agreement and the county’s animal ordinance’ were observed each time,” Gary Davidson, a county spokesperson said. “Violations have included: ‘failure to routinely provide rabies vaccinations, county licenses and adequate care for the animals located at the property.’” No additional information was available.

Tuscola County, Michigan

MichigansThumb.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies, doing business as Tuscola County Animal Shelter, was “currently not accepting surrendered cats.” According to the report, the shelter was full. “In times like these, the shelter will usually reach out to rescues and foster homes to alleviate some of the pressure on its facility. But right now, these places are also filled to the brim with felines and cannot accept any more.”

Lubbock, Texas

EverythingLubbock.com reported that an animal adoption group said that it was helping to rehome more than 40 dogs from a man who could not care for them and claimed that he’d contacted public and private animal shelters with “no-kill” policies in the area but that all of them had turned him away. According to the group, “the man attempted to reach out to Lubbock Animal Services, the Lubbock Police Department, several surrounding shelters and many other places just to be turned away. ‘He was told some of the rudest most hateful things people can say about dogs such as to just take them to the country and let them loose, tie them up so people will feel sorry for them and save them, just to leave the gate open to the property to let them go, etc.,’” a spokesperson said. Some of the dogs reportedly suffered from “hair loss due to fleas and some have possibly a little mange.” They were apparently receiving treatment. No additional information was available.

Jackson, New Jersey

Bronx.News12.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” housing mostly wolf-dog hybrids and doing business as Howling Woods Farms and its president, Michael Hodanish, had “been cited by federal regulators for violating animal welfare regulations. . . . USDA Spokesperson R. Andre Bell says, ‘A routine inspection was performed on 7/22/21 in which the facility was cited for only feeding the wolf/dog hybrids every other day instead of daily.’” According to the report, Hodanish “has now reversed his controversial feeding policy, telling staff and volunteers to feed the animals daily as the law requires.” (See the June 2021/Jackson, New Jersey, entry below for more details.)

Southington, Connecticut

WFSB.com reported that Abigale Jones, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Tenderheart Rescue, had again been arrested. (See the November 2020/Bristol, Connecticut, entry below for details on the previous case.) This time, Jones “was charged with [the] sale of an underage kitten and second-degree violation of conditions of release.” According to the report, a woman had filed a complaint after adopting a kitten who she was told was 8 weeks old and in good health. “Veterinarian paperwork, however, showed the kitten to be closer to 6 weeks old at the time. Before that was determined, the woman said she took the small kitten home on July 27 and noticed [he or she] appeared weak and had difficulty eating solid food. The kitten was found dead on Aug. 2. … Jones was arrested on Aug. 17 when she turned herself in to Southington police. She was held on a court-set bond of $50,000. Jones was arrested last November in connection with the deaths of multiple kittens [who] were in her care. . . . That case is still going through the court system.”

Chandler, Arizona

FOX10Phoenix.com reported that at least 13 dogs had died in a fire at a home that had been “used as a dog shelter” by the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Cruz’s Crusaders. According to the report, the fire “led to the removal of dozens of animals from the home. … According to officials with Chandler Police, 40 dogs were found inside the home, and at least 13 did not survive. . . . Chandler Fire Battalion Chief Jason White said fire, along with the dogs inside, presented challenges to fire crews. ‘That just really changed the dynamics of the fire,’ said White. ‘In addition to what they found and suppressing the fire and getting control of it, we had numerous amounts of dogs running around that we had to get out and provide treatment for.’” AZFamily.com reported, “Firefighters and responding officers say they found around 40 dogs inside the home, which also operates as a shelter. The shelter, Cruz’s Crusaders, is operated by Andrea Smith, Chandler police confirmed. Police didn’t say how badly the surviving dogs were hurt. … Chandler police said the Arizona Humane Society is working with officers to investigate possible issues regarding the care of the dogs at the shelter, but the fire has made it difficult. No one has been arrested.” No additional information was available.

Baldwin, Maryland

WMAR2News.cm reported that authorities had seized an additional 44 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Don’t Be a Bully Rescue. (See the July 2021/Baldwin, Maryland, entry below for more details.) According to the report, “The majority were suffering from symptoms of canine distemper—a highly-contagious and deadly respiratory virus. Others appeared dehydrated, emaciated or underweight. A litter of the puppies in the group also tested positive for parvovirus. Unfortunately 12 of the 44 dogs have since died. . . . Back on June 28, the county recovered an additional 48 dogs from the same organization. Of those, 15 died from similar illness. In total 92 dogs have been recovered from ‘Don’t Be a Bully,’ 27 of which have died.” No additional information was available.

Laurel, Mississippi

WDAM.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Laurel Jones County Animal Rescue League was “over capacity and is currently on a no-intake restriction.”

Key Biscayne, Florida

IslanderNews.com reported that a group that sterilizes and reabandons homeless cats doing business as KB Community Cats said that it had found a home for a cat named Lion. Apparently a spokesperson for the group said, “Lion was fostered as a kitten then adopted by a resident who signed paperwork saying they’d keep him indoors and [give him] proper medical care and food. But the new owner soon after abandoned Lion, leaving the cat to fend for himself for food, drink and protection from the weather. Pleas to the adopter were ignored. Over Memorial Day weekend, Lion was badly wounded on his face and eye. Residents reported seeing teenagers in golf carts laughing, screaming, and using air guns to shoot birds, squirrels, and wandering [domestic animals], like Lion, who is friendly and would have run toward any human thinking he’d be fed. Our volunteers rushed over to find Lion badly wounded. We made arrangements to take him to a veterinary ophthalmologist. The adopter was notified and he came to claim Lion, saying he’d get the necessary medical treatment. He did not. Instead, he said he gave Lion a friend, who put [the cat] in the cage and abandoned him in Kendall. Lion has not been seen since then. It pains us to think about how much has suffered, alone, scared, in a small cage in a strange place, with such a severe wound in his face and eye. . . . . Lion is not the only cat [who] has suffered on Key Biscayne. Another cat that lived on Mashta Island was confirmed shot, paralyzed, and later died. There are two more cats missing. And, there are numerous reports of young kids in Key Biscayne spitting on cats, and kicking them.”

Edinburg, Texas

BigCountryHomepage.com reported that a public animal shelter that claims to be “on a journey to maintain ‘no-kill’ status” and is doing business as Palm Valley Animal Society was “preparing for an incoming wave of surrendered animals due to the end of the national eviction moratorium, and … asking for the public’s help in caring for the excess animals.” According to the report, residents were asked to, among other things, “leave animals that look healthy and are not in immediate danger alone. When finding a stray animal in the street, it may be best to leave [him or her] there. … Sometimes they may be used to living in that environment.”

Las Vegas, Nevada

KTNV.com reported that the CEO of a self-professed “no-kill” public animal shelter doing business as The Animal Foundation had announced her retirement “amid intensifying pressure and criticism of shelter operations.” According to the report, a petition had been posted online expressing concerns about policies at the facility, including the following:

• “The shelter, which is paid millions in tax dollars, is turning away strays and delaying or preventing owners from reclaiming their pets or adopting animals by requiring appointments, which can be backlogged for weeks.”
• “Despite getting a $1.25 million PPP loan in February, The Animal Foundation is understaffed, cages are filthy, animals are being neglected and staff are overwhelmed.”
• “Despite local laws, they are adopting out animals that have not been spayed or neutered.”

Pomona, New York

LoHud.com reported that authorities had served “a search warrant related to an ongoing investigation” at a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Hi-Tor Animal Care Center, Inc. According to the report, “Rockland County Executive Ed Day … said the county had expressed concerns about operations at the nonprofit.” The supervisor of one town in the county reportedly said, “We have wanted answers on how taxpayer money has been spent …. There are concerns that are disturbing and troubling.” According to the report, “Tension among the board, staff and volunteers have been a hallmark of the nonprofit. In 2018, many volunteers quit after a shelter manager was fired by the board for ‘abandonment.’ The manager said he had gone to the county offices to inform Day about concerns over safety and working conditions at the facility. There have been reports of ringworm outbreaks among cats and overrun trailers.” No additional information was available.

Mason City, Iowa

IowaCapitalDispatch.com reported that a facility doing business as Humane Society of North Iowa, which boasts that it’s “considered one of Iowa’s largest ‘no-kill’ shelters,” was “at capacity for certain animals and is running out of space as they continue to receive requests to take new animals.” A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “Right now, we have over 100 cats in our care, and we literally do not have any open kennels …. We have cats in every nook and cranny of our shelter and so we don’t have room for more. We have a waiting list of cats [who] are waiting to come to our shelter.”

Pittsburg, Kansas

MorningSun.net reported that Jasmine Kyle, director of a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Southeast Kansas Humane Society, had told Crawford County commissioners, “‘In March of 2020, our intakes started to skyrocket as more and more individuals lost their jobs and could no longer afford to feed their pets. In just two days we had reached our full capacity.’ Kyle said that they stayed that way for many months, meaning they could not take in any more animals, which resulted in having to turn away families and [companion animals] in need. ‘That did not stop them from dumping animals in our roads, or tying them to the property late at night,’ she said. ‘It finally came to a boiling point when 12 defenseless, adolescent dogs were thrown into the nearby river system just down the road.’”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in July 2021

Augusta, Georgia

AugustaChronicle.com reported that Willene Colvin, the owner of a self-professed animal “non kill rescue” doing business as Save the Animals Rescue Society, Inc., had been “sentenced to 10 days in jail and several dozen dogs were removed [from] her home … after an emaciated, sick dog was found in her care.” Colvin had reportedly “been on probation since April on a prior animal-related charge. One of the conditions of her probation was not to be cited again, but on July 1 she was charged with animal cruelty. Alyssa Shelton, a senior animal control officer with Augusta Animal Services, testified she found a dog named Cinnamon unable to walk, emaciated, missing fur and covered in fleas in a doghouse at Colvin’s home. The dog appeared about 20 pounds underweight, but has gained 10 back since Animal Services took her in, Shelton said. Shelton said Colvin continued to advertise puppies online and had given inspectors a runaround when they tried to check conditions at her home, another condition of her probation. Animal Services estimated some 60 or more animals are at Colvin’s property but had not been allowed to enter the home.” After Colvin was sentenced, an animal adoption group reportedly removed approximately 20 dogs from her property, and “Augusta Animal Services personnel continued to load more in city vehicles well into the afternoon.” According to the report, “Colvin had long been a … member of the Augusta Animal Control Board, which took issue with leadership at Animal Services over the years [who] pushed to reduce euthanasia rates and employ rescue groups to save the animals. She served on the panel … that rewrote the animal services ordinance in 2015.”

Lake County, Florida

FOX35Orlando.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” cat “rescue” doing business as Purrrfect Angels Cat Rescue had announced that it was “drowning in veterinary bills, which has pushed it to stop taking in cats.” According to the report, the group had an outstanding bill at a veterinary hospital totaling $44,000.

Morganton, North Carolina

WBTV.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Services Center for Burke County had announced that it was full and was turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that residents who couldn’t or wouldn’t care for their animal companions were encouraged to “keep the [animal] or find a rescue group or foster homes that can help, though, she says, those agencies are filled up as well.”

New Orleans, Louisiana

FOXNews.com reported that a spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Zeus’ Rescue said that she was “turning away 10-15 animals daily.”

Hawaii County, Hawaii

CivilBeat.org reported that county leaders were “looking for a new animal control vendor after severing ties” with a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Hawaii Rainbow Rangers (HRR). According to the report, “Complaints about HRR in the local media said that HRR’s rigid no-kill stance led to overpopulation in the three shelters, at which several hundred animals are housed.” Hawaii County Police Chief Paul Ferreira reportedly explained to county council members “that HRR simply wasn’t up to the job …. The vendor’s inability to provide the services such as timely responses were the reasons the relationship ended.” The news report revealed, “According to the county, a temporary moratorium on animal intake is now in place, and animal control services are limited to the care of animals currently in facilities.” WestHawaiiToday.com reported, “The rigid no-kill stance has ultimately led to current overpopulation in HRR’s shelters. Multiple sources confirmed that the shelters are at or over capacity …. ‘I saw cats missing half their face,’ said one worker. ‘Mary Rose [Krijgsman, the group’s president] and others refused to euthanize,’” the worker said. According to the report, “Numerous allegations were made by current and former HRR workers including misused funds, illegal independent contractor agreements, unhealthy shelter conditions and unpaid bills, among other concerns.” A council member reportedly said, “If we need to be euthanizing animals because there are too many, then it’s unfortunate. … In the photos I’ve seen and the conditions that they are in, it borders on if it’s really gracious and ethical to keep them alive.”

Miami-Dade County, Florida

ABCNews.Go.com reported that self-professed animal “rescuer” Cheryn Smilen “has been sentenced to 364 days in jail for animal cruelty after hoarding cats and allowing them to starve inside her apartment …. Smilen fed street cats nightly and began hoarding them inside the small efficiency apartment. Neighbors told investigators they would often hear the cats scratching and crying at the windows, but they never saw Smilen. A horrible smell eventually brought police to the home nearly three years ago. Once inside, investigators found some cats emaciated and malnourished, and bones littered the scene, suggesting some cats had eaten each other …. Miami-Dade police detective Judy Webb testified in August 2018 that she saw ‘dead cats over dead cats over dead cats.’” (See the March 2018/Miami-Dade County, Florida, entry below for more information.)

Shawnee, Kansas

ShawneeMissionPost.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Melissa’s Second Chances was full and had “close to 40 dogs and puppies and nearly 100 cats and kittens on the waiting list.”

Austin, Texas

AustinMonitor.com reported that a public self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Austin Animal Center (AAC) was experiencing “ongoing capacity issues” and a “lack of kennel space.” According to the report, “In an email to Council Member Ann Kitchen, [Chief Animal Services Officer Don] Bland said that AAC houses ‘behaviorally risky animals that have been declined by [transfer partner] APA! due to the nature of the animal’s bite history and past behaviors’ and that some of these animals have been at AAC for more than 600 days.”

Alma, Georgia

WJCL.com reported, “An Alma woman is facing charges for animal cruelty after officials discovered at least 100 dead cats and dogs on her property. Bacon County Sheriff Andy Batten says Terri Lynn Taylor was a foster for a local rescue but also took on strays. In all, he says, at least 60 dead cats were found and at least 40 dead dogs.” A nonprofit group that assisted with the removal of animals found alive at the property reported that four of them had been found in critical condition and that 12 required immediate veterinary treatment. WTOC.com reported that “nearly 150 animals—some alive, most dead” had been removed from the property. According to the report, “Investigators say Terri Lynn Taylor had more than 100 deceased dogs and cats on her property and several other animals in terrible health. They said Taylor had served as a foster home for animals for years and had teamed up with different animal groups.” Sherriff Batten reportedly said, “We have 20 live dogs, three of those in critical condition, two live cats. We recovered 64 cat [carcasses] and 43 dog [carcasses]. Those are preliminary numbers, they’re approximates.” Taylor was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, but authorities reportedly “anticipate bringing several more.”

Mohegan Lake, New York

NBCNewYork.com reported that authorities had arrested Lisa Marie Birdsall, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Recycled Paws Rescue, Inc., “for allegedly stealing money meant to go to the animals.” She was reportedly charged with grand larceny and accused of stealing “over $17,000 from Recycled Paws Rescue, Inc. … Birdsall allegedly spent the stolen money on her own personal purposes.” Days earlier, Bronx.News12.com reported that “[a] Mohegan Lake animal rescue accused of adopting out sick dogs five years ago faces new allegations. Kenny Chevalier says he fostered two 6-week-old litter mates from Recycled Paws Rescue in June. Both died from parvovirus, he said. News 12 first reported on Recycled Paws in 2016 when two pet owners accused the nonprofit of adopting out sick dogs, leaving them with unexpected vet bills. At the time, the Westchester SPCA said the nonprofit was under investigation and voluntarily surrendered several sick dogs. They also said the rescue had outstanding civil penalties for operating in the past without a permit. Chevalier says he first fostered Tommy, a pit bull mix. When his vet found that Tommy had parvovirus, Chevalier says the rescue told him to return Tommy. He then says he fostered Ginger, and again notified the rescue when she too became sick. This time, he says he never heard back from Recycled Paws and paid thousands of dollars in hopes of saving the puppy. ‘What am I supposed to do? Leave a dog throwing up?’” Despite veterinary care, Ginger reportedly died. (See the November 2016/Westchester County, New York, entry below for more information.)

Jeffersonville, Indiana

NewsandTribune.com published a column written by a spokesperson for a self-professed “no-kill cat shelter” doing business as Animal Protection Association (APA) who reported, “People are contacting various shelters around the metro area to get help with a cat they want to surrender or a stray mom and babies living under their front porch. They are put in a never ending loop of calls to this rescue and that rescue. Rescues are full. APA has a strict intake process like most of the rescues in this area. When we’re full … we’re full and we simply can’t take in any more cats. … As a result, people are getting desperate and literally dumping their animals. … We are also being bombarded with calls about stray cats and particularly stray mama cats with a litter of kittens.” According to the column, a cat who was recently left outside the facility had a broken hip that would require surgery. WLKY.com reported that the same spokesperson “said there are numerous phone calls and attempted drop-offs every day” at the facility. A spokesperson for another area adoption group, which was also full, reportedly said, “When you’re out of room, you’re out of room …. So unfortunately, a lot of these cats and kittens are going to find themselves either in [open-admission] shelters, or they’re going to wind up out on the street.”

Walterboro, South Carolina

ABCNews4.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Colleton County Animal Shelter had announced that it “was past capacity for care, adding that most of its normal outlets were also at capacity.” County officials reportedly said the facility had to “drastically cut back” on the number of animals it takes in. According to the report, “Residents’ requests to surrender their pets are currently delayed, and intakes are largely being limited to emergencies only. Officials added that it may be four to six weeks before new animals may be taken into the shelter.”

Detroit, Michigan

FOX2Detroit.com reported, “When a teen called Detroit Animal Care and Control about a stray dog in her neighborhood, the animal control officer apparently asked her family to keep the dog in their backyard and did not tell them when they may be back to get [the animal].” A spokesperson for an area adoption group that was concerned about the policy reportedly said, “Apparently animal control responded and secured the dog but said they couldn’t take the dog because the shelter was full …. We don’t know the temperament of that dog – if [he or she is] scared, if [he or she] might hurt someone.” She said it wasn’t the first time that the facility had told a resident to house lost or homeless animals and that in another incident, a “stray dog that was being held at a [resident’s] house got into a fight with a resident’s dog and now one of the dogs is injured.” According to the report, “Detroit Animal Control Director Mark Kumpf said they are over capacity and find creative solutions to make room and avoid putting animals to sleep.”

West Odessa, Texas

YourBasin.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal adoption group doing business as Humane Society of Odessa was asking residents to stop leaving animals on its property. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that “people dump animals on us, every day” and that “some people are picking up dogs from the street and dropping them off, if they think the animals are sick or injured.” She acknowledged that some puppies who had been left at the facility were injured and that others “were found to be sick. Some even had Parvo.” The facility was reportedly always full.

Columbus, Ohio

Dispatch.com reported that a dog named Bruno, who had been warehoused for nearly 180 days at a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center, had been found dead in a trash receptacle just weeks after he was adopted. According to the report, “The dog’s death has sparked public outrage on social media against the adopter of the dog and the Franklin County Dog Shelter over the shelter’s background checks as part of the adoption process. One public Facebook post claimed that the adopter called the county dog shelter after the dog allegedly died of heat exhaustion from being left outside in the 90-degree-plus heat in late June. The post alleged the owner was told to either cremate the dog or dump [the] body in the dumpster.” Authorities were reportedly investigating. NBC4I.com reported that the day after Bruno left the facility with the adopter, “someone saying they were a former landlord of the person who adopted Bruno contacted the agency to warn them, alleging the adopter’s previous neglect and cruelty of a small dog. … ‘As per the Ohio Revised Code, the information supplied by the landlord was turned over to the Columbus Humane Society on March 22, 2021, the Columbus Humane Society advised they would investigate,’ said [Franklin County Animal Care & Control Director Kaye Persinger]. On June 29, a deputy warden responded to the apartment complex to retrieve Bruno’s body.” No additional information was available

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

WPDE.com reported that animal shelters in the area with self-professed “no-kill” policies were full and turning away animals. The public animal shelter doing business as the Horry County Animal Care Center had reportedly announced that it was full and “would be limiting its animal intake to only strays deemed dangerous or that are seriously ill.” A spokesperson for a nonprofit facility in the area reportedly said, “All of our kennels are full right now …. We get multiple calls every day to take in more, but unfortunately we can only do so much.”

Charles County, Maryland

SouthernMarylandChronicle.com reported that Cindy Coulter, the owner and founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as R & T Loving Paws, Inc., had “racked up over $100,000 in unpaid vet [bills] in Georgia and boarding bills across several states, according to financial records obtained from several kennels and rescue organizations.” A representative of one of the kennels reportedly said that Coulter hadn’t paid a $56,000 bill “for boarding and other unpaid fees.” Another one of the kennel’s owners said, “She’s knowingly going in and dropping dogs on you when she knows that she can’t afford to pay the bill. … Then she just took [the dogs] from us and went to other kennels.” The kennel representative said that while the facility was boarding one dog for the group, a maintenance worker was attacked, which “resulted in multiple bite wounds to the shoulder, back and arms …. However, the fact that the cane corso known as Dozer had previously injured someone before was never disclosed to the kennel. … In July 2020 Coulter sustained a severe wound to her fingers when they became lodged in the cane corso’s mouth …. Coulter endured several surgeries and a partial amputation due to the severity of her injuries. Dozer, the cane corso, has since been euthanized.” According to the report, “E-Bourdin assisted in the transport of dogs, which consisted of being sent on long road trips in an ‘airport shuttle bus’ that was in constant need of repair to collect dogs from shelters. E-Bourdin traveled to locations in Georgia and occasionally picked up 40 plus dogs at a time. … ‘You’ll see a pattern, they keep bouncing from kennel to kennel because [the rescue] doesn’t pay so [the dogs] get kicked out,’” he said. According to the report, “Several sources … have attested that Coulter might be continuing” to remove dogs from shelters in Texas.

Baldwin, Maryland

FOXBaltimore.com reported that authorities had seized 48 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Don’t Be a Bully Rescue after they were found “in areas with no air conditioning, animals without water and others who showed signs of heat distress and lack of veterinarian care. … [T]esting has confirmed the Distemper virus in at least one of the puppies. Testing of all of the dogs at this location is now underway. Charges may be filed against the owner of ‘Don’t Be a Bully.’” NottinghamMD.com later reported that 11 animals who had been seized from the property had since “died due to illness.”

Gilbert, Arizona

12News.com reported that “someone left two boxes of kittens outside the building” at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Friends for Life Animal Rescue. According to the report, “By the time the shelter’s volunteers found the boxes, two of the kittens [had] died and the rest had body temperatures exceeding 105 degrees.” The group’s website states, “Because we are a limited-intake, no-kill facility, a request for intake assistance does not a guarantee we can assist. Please pursue any other options for finding safe placement for the stray or your pet while waiting to hear back from us.”

Effingham, Illinois

FOXIllinois.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no kill animal control facility” doing business as Effingham County Animal Shelter & Control was “no longer accepting cats or kittens” because it was full. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “We have cats in every possible space of our shelter and we simply have zero space to put any new ones.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in June 2021

Austin, Texas

KUT.org reported that a public “no-kill” facility doing business as Austin Animal Center had announced that its kennels were “completely full” and its placement partners were “also facing capacity issues.” According to the report, “The center is also urging people who find stray pets or may want to give up their pets to avoid taking them to the shelter for the time being.”

Borger, Texas

NewsChannel10.com reported that 38 dogs had been removed from a man who had reportedly been “rescuing dogs and bringing them into his house. His mission went south, as the animals started multiplying and getting sick.” Four of the dogs were reportedly pregnant. A spokesperson for an animal adoption group that assisted with the removal reportedly said the animals were “in horrific shape,” suffering from health problems such flea dermatitis, sores, scratches, and worms. The executive director of another animal adoption group said, “A lot of them, we’re noticing their mouths are not quite right. We’re noticing different bumps and lumps in different places that they shouldn’t be.” Four dogs had reportedly been left at the property because local shelters and adoption groups claimed that donations were needed to rescue them. No additional information was available.

Terre Haute, Indiana

WTHITV.com reported that a self-professed “low-kill” facility doing business as Terre Haute Humane Society, Inc., had reported that in a three-day period, two dogs had been left outside its doors. The group posted on social media, “If you are one of the ones that called and we told you we have no space … we really have no space. We now have dogs where they shouldn’t be and will have to leave dogs outside.” A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “A lot of times, we have people calling saying they have a stray. We just have to, every day, check capacity is and what kennels we have open.”

Killeen, Texas

KDHNews.com reported that a woman who fosters animals was trying to regain custody of six dogs who had been seized by authorities after they were allegedly abused by a person who was working for the fosterer. That person had reportedly been charged with cruelty to animals, and the six dogs were being held at the public animal shelter in connection to the case. No additional information was available. The report was later updated to clarify that the woman who fosters animals claimed that the dogs had been in a home to which they’d been adopted when they were seized. She claimed to have “the right to legally get them back if she decided they were not taken care of.”

Davenport, Iowa

KWQC.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as King’s Harvest Pet Rescue, No Kill Shelter was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “We have people every day calling, saying they have kittens born outside and want us to take them, and we don’t have the room to do so.” Another shelter in the area was also “at capacity with animals,” according to the report.

Jackson, Tennessee

JacksonSun.com reported that a public self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Jackson Animal Care Center was full and had no place to put more animals. According to the news story, the center also had 40 animals on a waiting list. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly acknowledged, “We’re tax-payer funded. We should be providing the tax-payers the service they want. Which would mean all the animals picked up in the city should come here.” However, according to the news story, “the intake rate is just too high.” The spokesperson also said that the facility lacked air conditioning in the dog housing area.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

KJRH.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue was “backlogged on owner-surrender intakes” and had “a waiting list that is close to 100 names long.”

Chester County, Pennsylvania

News.WTTW.com reported that “a dog brought to the U.S. from Azerbaijan that ended up with a family in Chester County, Pennsylvania began acting strangely. [He or she] later tested positive for rabies and was euthanized. At least 12 people were exposed to the animal.” The dog was reportedly “one of 34 animals—33 dogs and one cat” who had been imported by a self-professed animal “rescue” group. Pittsburgh.CBSLocal.com later reported that another one of the imported dogs, who had been placed under quarantine to be observed for symptoms of rabies, had “escaped from a Bridgeville-area home” and was lost in the area. No additional information was available.

Sherman, Texas

KXII.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sherman Animal Shelter had announced that it was “beyond full, at 200% capacity.” Staff at the facility were reportedly “having to ask people with surrenders, to rehome animals themselves.” HeraldDemocrat.com reported earlier in the month that “[t]he Sherman Animal Shelter ceased accepting voluntary surrenders a few weeks ago and has not resumed them.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “[W]e are getting a lot of reasons for the owner surrenders. Some of them are that people are moving into a place that doesn’t accept animals, and then just others saying that the dog isn’t theirs.” Other area shelters were reportedly also full.

Jackson, New Jersey

Bronx.News12.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” housing mostly wolf-dog hybrids and doing business as Howling Woods Farms was accused by former workers of failing to feed and care for animals adequately. According to the news story, “Internal messages show the farm’s president, Michael Hodanish, directs the staff to only feed the wolf-dogs every other day, and sometimes not at all for days in a row. After Jackson police came to Howling Woods in February to investigate possible animal cruelty, Hodanish told the employee Facebook group that unless the whistleblower came forward, he might keep the farm ‘closed during the week indefinitely.’ Hodanish told the staff that police knew details ‘only the people in this group would be aware of,’ including ‘that I wasn’t feeding the animals every day.’” After the “rescue” was closed for a week, workers reportedly returned to find “animals they say looked very thin, some digging through the garbage. Gates were left wide open, and the animals’ water bowls water were frozen solid.” Three former employees had sued the group and Hodanish “alleging wrongful termination and other issues.” No additional information was available.

Big Spring, Texas

NewsWest9.com reported that a public animal shelter operating as a self-professed “no-kill” facility and doing business as Big Spring Animal Shelter was one of three area animal shelters that had “announced they were going to start turning away people who bring in cats or dogs because there is not enough room for them.” According to the news story, “Since [Big Spring Animal Shelter] became a no-kill shelter two years ago, there has been an influx in stray dogs.” Staff at a nonprofit self-professed “no-kill” shelter in the area doing business as Happy Day Humane Society reportedly said its facility had 200 dogs on site and “a litter of puppies is left outside the gate just about every day.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in May 2021

Harlingen, Texas

ValleyCentral.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Humane Society of Harlingen had been “finding abandoned animals outside its shelter daily.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “In the last two weeks it’s been at least 30 to 40 animals that have been abandoned outside of our shelter door.” Recently an empty box was found outside the facility with a note saying it contained kittens the owner was unable to care for. Workers reportedly searched and “found three kittens hiding in a broken down emergency generator,” but the number of kittens dropped off wasn’t known. The spokesperson for the facility said, “We want to take in all of these animals, we wish we could, but we simply have no space.”

Harlingen, Texas

ValleyCentral.com reported that a badly neglected cat had died unassisted at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Murphy’s Safe Haven. According to the report, the cat had originally been picked up by an animal control officer, who took him to a public animal shelter doing business as Palm Valley Animal Society. Even though professionals there reportedly determined that euthanasia was the most humane option, the cat was picked up by the “rescue” group, which claimed on social media that he had been “shot in the abdomen, ears stabbed, and had a huge anus ‘as if he was sodomized.’” He was treated at a veterinary hospital. According to the report, “While the cat did suffer from horrible neglect, veterinarians do not believe [he] had been sodomized or shot.” After he was released from the hospital, a spokesperson for the “rescue” group reportedly said in a social media post that she “checked on” the cat the next morning and found that he had died, alone and without veterinary care, overnight. No additional information was available.

Hart County, Kentucky

WYMT.com reported that more than 80 dogs had been removed from a property that had “first started out as a rescue operation, but the individual … became quickly overwhelmed.” A spokesperson for a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society reportedly said the shelter had removed 25 animals but was “full” and couldn’t help any more. A nonprofit group reportedly removed another 42 animals, but “[t]here were approximately 13 to 15 left that we still have to go up and get those, but it’s really hard when you’re … already a full shelter with no kennel space whatsoever,” the shelter spokesperson said. WHAS11.com reported, “More than 80 dogs were rescued and 28 of them were severely neglected,” and that criminal charges were “expected to be filed.” No additional information was available.

Sunrise, Florida

NBCMiami.com reported, “Police have recovered dozens of cats,” including dead animals, from the home of “Michelline Joy—who works with several animal rescues—[and] was hoarding the cats inside the home and starving them.” A spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Saving Sage Animal Rescue Foundation, where Joy apparently volunteered, reportedly said, “They’re in the ceiling. They’re in the walls. They’re in the ducts. They’re in closets. Every room had cats.” According to the report, “She also claimed some of the cats were cannibalizing the dead bodies of the other cats. ‘That was their only food source.’” WSVN.com reported, “The cats were either found dead or struggling to survive after, officials said, they were abandoned for weeks and possibly months. . . . As of Tuesday night, a total of 10 cats were found dead and 38 were rescued. On Wednesday, three more felines were rescued from the apartment.” A spokesperson for a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Operation PAW, where Joy apparently also volunteered, said, “No food, there was urine in the water bowls and at least one of the cats died within the last 12 hours and was eaten halfway down. I still can’t process what I saw.” WSVN.com later reported that “10 cats were found dead inside, and at least 50 others were found in desperate need of food, water and medical attention.” News.Yahoo.com reported that Joy “also ran her own rescue group called Love is Feral.” The investigation was apparently ongoing. WSVN.com later reported that Joy (who evidently also goes by the name Michelline Toulouse) had “been arrested on a theft charge that, investigators said, is related to her work as an animal rescuer.” Security footage from the office of a self-professed animal “rescue” with which she volunteered reportedly “showed Toulouse stealing nearly $300 from a cash drawer. Toulouse also faces a charge of criminal mischief.” No additional information was available about the animal neglect, starvation, and abandonment allegations.

Portland, Oregon

OregonLive.com reported that the operators of a facility described in court documents “as a training, boarding, rescue and daycare” for animals and doing business as Woofin Palooza, LLC, had been charged with more than 150 counts of animal neglect. (See the August 2020/Portland, Oregon, entry below for more details.) According to the report, “Tori Head and Samantha Miller both face 157 counts of second-degree animal neglect, 13 counts of identity theft and 15 counts of second-degree forgery … The charges come several months after Multnomah County Animal Services seized nearly 120 cats and dogs from Woofin Palooza. Investigators found unsanitary and overcrowded conditions in the facility, as well as evidence that the owners gave false documentation of animals’ vaccines, according to court documents. Many animals from the facility also got sick and died, court documents said.” A complaint was reportedly filed “after a customer adopted a dog on June 20 and had to take the animal to a veterinary hospital the next day because she had distemper. The dog was euthanized a few days later, and the customer reported the disease and death to the county animal services department. The department received six other complaints about Woofin Palooza during the month of July.” In August, authorities “executed a search warrant at Woofin Palooza, seizing 65 cats and 52 dogs. A veterinarian who helped search the facility noted that cats were housed in cramped kennels or spaces, and dogs were in overcrowded areas without spaces to use the bathroom away from their bedding or food, according to court documents. The veterinarian said many animal enclosures had urine and feces on the floor, and soiled kennels were stacked on top of one another, allowing urine and feces to run into other kennels. The veterinarian also noted that young animals with immature immune systems were housed with adult animals, raising the risk of spreading infectious diseases and unwanted pregnancies, according to court documents. … Investigators also allege that vaccine records Head and Miller provided for adopted animals were fraudulent, bearing the signatures or names of various veterinarians. Head and Miller are scheduled to appear in court July 16.”

Inverness, Florida

ChronicleOnline.com reported that workers and volunteers at a public animal shelter had been attacked on three separate occasions by three dogs who had been seized from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Out of the Box Animal Rescue Inc. (See the March 2021/Floral City, Florida, entry below for more details.) A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that the “rescue” was “known for” taking dogs from animal shelters after they had been deemed by professionals to be too dangerous for adoption. According to the report, “The attacking dogs were later euthanized after a judge agreed to the county’s request to award it custody of 43 dogs, a pig and three chickens seized in January from Out of the Box, a Floral City rescue run by Robert Schweickert Jr. Schweickert’s attorney is appealing the ruling.” A hearing date was set for that appeal.

Rogersville, Tennessee

TimesNews.net reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Hawkins County Humane Society had been warehousing dogs and turning away animals when the shelter was full. The facility, which is partially funded with public monies, reported that several dogs had been there for extended periods. A 2-year-old dog called Lucia had been at the facility for more than half of her life. She was reportedly “showing more jealousy and aggression, especially to strangers.” Another two-year-old dog, called Jack, had also been warehoused there for more than half of his life. An elderly dog called Champ was described as “very food aggressive.” A 2-year-old dog called Will reportedly exhibits “some aggression to strangers and some other dogs.” Other dogs were described as “anxious.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “A citizen may not be allowed to leave an animal at the shelter when it is full.”

Michigan City, Indiana

WhatsNewLaPorte.com reported that 21 cats had been left in four cages overnight at a limited-admission facility doing business as Michiana Humane Society. According to the report, “The person who surrendered the cats left a note saying that they had run out of options due to failing health and loss of their home.” According to the facility’s website, it does “not always have a cage or kennel available” and “may need to put your pet on a waiting list.” It also has a suggested surrender fee of $35 per animal.

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in April 2021

Church View, Virginia

WYDaily.com reported that approximately 12 dogs had died in a fire at a home being used as a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” doing business as Pit Road K9 Rescue and Sanctuary. According to the report, “Only three of the around fifteen dogs sheltered through Pit Road K9 Rescue and Sanctuary dogs survived, with two currently at the vet receiving treatment for smoke inhalation.” The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Whitney, Texas

KCENTV.com reported that authorities had found more than 50 dogs and puppies at a home described by investigators as “dilapidated, trash-filled and feces-covered.” According to the report, “Investigators had to wear hazmat suits and respirators due to the high levels of ammonia” at the residence, where dogs were found “spread throughout the home and in crates outside.” Homeowner Linda Kennemore reportedly “said she [had previously] tried contacting animal control for help, but to no avail … the initial conversation took place in January 2020 when she had 22 dogs on her property, five of them were her own, the rest the product of being dumped.” A spokesperson for the community’s animal shelter, doing business as the Humane Society of North Texas, which apparently recently removed some animals but allegedly left approximately 50 dogs at the residence, “said the reason they left some dogs behind had more to do with capacity at their facility …. ‘[W]e pulled what we had the capacity to pull with the understanding that we would be coming back,’” she said. The facility had reportedly “worked with numerous local rescues in Hill County [and] gave them permission to pull as many cute dogs as possible.” Authorities reportedly said that dogs at the property were “infested with fleas and suffered from varying skin issues and hair loss due to the unsanitary living conditions. The dogs also were afflicted with numerous types of intestinal parasites including hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Many of the females were pregnant or had recently given birth. The moms and babies, the youngsters and the aged were all covered in feces with nowhere to escape this torment of living in deplorable conditions–parts of which included approximately 3 feet of compacted urine and fecal matter.” A spokesperson for the community’s animal shelter reportedly “said they will continue to work with Kennemore and to pick up the rest of the dogs when capacity allows.” A nonprofit animal adoption group was reportedly trying to “raise money for vetting 50 dogs and to help Kennemore get back inside her home.” A spokesperson for the group reportedly said authorities had “made things worse” by leaving animals at the residence. “This is not your normal hoarding situation because this is someone willing to hand over the dogs because she’s overrun by stray dogs that have bred multiple times,” she said. No additional information was available.

McCracken County, Kentucky

WPSDLocal6.com reported that authorities had seized more than 100 neglected animals at the home of self-professed animal “rescuer” David Howery. According to the report, “McCracken County Detective Sgt. Benny Kauffman said the animals were sent to Howery’s home over time to be adopted out to other people, but that never happened. Howery also had an outstanding bench warrant from a previous animal cruelty conviction in Adair County, Kentucky. … The animals include 65 to 70 dogs, 26 goats, 12 chickens, eight turtles, two horses, two pigs, and one pony. Animal control personnel discovered cats on the property Thursday. Several of them were alive, but several others were dead.” Howery was reportedly facing 25 counts of cruelty to animals. A spokesperson for a nonprofit group that assisted authorities with the seizure reportedly “described the scene as terrible. ‘We have broken limbs, we have respiratory issues, eye issues, several that are so emaciated that there’s no muscle tone left,’ [he said]. ‘They’re having a hard time walking, standing, just from being starved.’” According to the report, “Flies and feces were everywhere on the property. Detectives and rescue group members said conditions were worse inside and behind the home. Crates were filled with clumps of sawdust and feces and dogs.” A volunteer who was helping care for the seized animals reportedly said that most of the female dogs were pregnant and that “[s]ome of the dogs have some bite marks on their faces where they’ve been in fights and stuff, so it’s pretty sad.”

Spring Brook, Wisconsin

WEAU.com reported that 15 cats and kittens had been found shot to death. A spokesperson for the area animal shelter reportedly said that “it appeared someone had abandoned the 33 cats on the side of the road with a pile of cat food, then someone shot at them.” Eighteen cats and kittens who were found alive were taken to the facility, which is a self-professed “no-kill” shelter with restrictive intake policies that states on its website, “All owner surrenders are approached on a case-by-case basis. Many factors impact our ability to help, including: the space available at our shelter; the care needed for the animal(s) you are looking to surrender; and the adoptability of the animal(s). Being a no-kill shelter, space is sometimes an issue and given limited resources, we are not always able to help.” Authorities were investigating the shootings, but no suspects were identified. It was later reported that the bodies of two more dead kittens had been found in the same area. Six more live cats were also found and taken to the shelter, and two additional live cats were seen but couldn’t be captured.

Scott County, Mississippi

FOX17.com reported that a nonprofit Tennessee group had removed nearly 50 dogs from what was described as “a makeshift rescue in Mississippi,” where an elderly woman had reportedly “been taking in strays and homeless dogs for years.”   According to the group, many of the animals “were kept in outdoor enclosures and some had been tethered to chains.” Some animals reportedly “had skin and eye conditions, as well as other health problems like external parasites.” No additional information was available.

Walnut Hill, Florida

WKRG.com reported that authorities and nonprofit groups were “stepping in” after more than 80 dogs were found hoarded by Patty Gentry, who was described as a “foster.” According to the report, the animals were “living in deplorable conditions. The photos show floors covered in feces and several dogs in cages.” A county spokesperson reportedly said that “animal control is working on the animal wellness case but could not comment further.” No additional information was available. WEARTV.com reported, “While the investigation in Escambia County continues, the dogs remain on the property.”

California City, California

TurnTo23.com reported that a dog who had been transferred from an animal shelter to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Ace of Hearts, Inc., had been seriously injured in an attack at a residence where he was being fostered. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that the dog had been left alone in the side yard of a “tiny home,” and when the foster caregiver returned, she found that he had sustained “a knife wound all the way down his spine … along with a broken leg and hip.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment, where he was reportedly “fighting for his life [and] vets say that … chances are likely that he may never walk again.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

Jeffersonville, Kentucky

WTVQ.com reported that authorities had seized more than 200 dogs and cats from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Caring About Treasured Strays after they were found in conditions described as “horrible.” The owners of the “rescue,” Renee Ann and William Brian Zaharie, were both “charged with second degree cruelty to animals.” WKYT.com reported, “Hundreds of dogs and cats were found stuffed in small cages in tiny trailers with no heat or air conditioning.” A spokesperson for a nonprofit group that assisted authorities with the seizure reportedly said, “The amount of feces, urine, ammonia begins to build up very quickly, so we have several animals that are deathly ill. … They’re finding issues with lungs, improper spay and neuters. We have some at the vet at this moment, because they were improperly spayed and neutered, they lost a lot of blood.” He said cases like this one had been on the rise over the past year. “People trusted these people to take care of these animals, get them the proper care they deserve and ultimately find them new homes. Then the story breaks that they’ve been doing the opposite of this,” he said. WAVE3.com reported that 100 dogs and 150 cats had been seized from the property. A spokesperson for a nonprofit group that assisted in the seizure reportedly said the conditions were “terrible” and that they found “[f]eces everywhere, animals with urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and they were rampant. It was a critical situation.” Also found were “deceased animals stored in freezers full of human food as well. … They were making money off the backs of animals that were being harmed,” he said.

Capon Bridge, West Virginia

Times-News.com reported that authorities had seized 102 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Love Shack Rescue. According to the report, “The action was taken following a several month investigation into the living conditions that Sheriff Nathan J. Sions said was not suitable for the dogs at Love Shack Rescue. He said the rescue failed to comply with directions to comply with state laws and county ordinances pertaining to its operation. … At least three decomposed dog carcasses were reportedly located on the property. Sions said the rescue consisted of multiple makeshift kennels set up in a wooded area, dogs being kept in cages inside outbuildings, in two separate houses and some in vehicles. … Sions also said the investigation and criminal charges will be sought. ‘Throughout all of this, a very disturbing fact is many of these dogs were being shipped to the Love Shack from several rescues located in more southern states,’ said Sions. The dogs were reportedly being shipped without any type of reference checks and on-site visits.” WVMetroNews.com later reported that the owner of the “rescue,” Sabrina Droescher, had been charged with 103 counts of cruelty to animals. According to the report, “Police said [a] search of the property led to the discovery of a total of 21 dead dogs in various stages of decay, most dumped on the property in trash bags. Droescher told deputies she was burying dogs under concrete on the property and there were makeshift concrete pads located on the property.”

Union County, North Carolina

My FOX8.com reported that before a pit bull “violently attacked a carriage horse and driver over Easter weekend,” he had been adopted from a public shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control. According to the report, “The attack was caught on video and posted to YouTube. It shows a dog repeatedly attacking a carriage horse at Cane Creek Park as kids screamed in the background. The carriage driver suffered serious injuries and will need to have surgery. The dog broke loose from [his or her] leash, the horse’s owner said, and [the dog ultimately] had to be put down,” evidently because of injuries sustained when the horse kicked frantically during the attack. The dog had reportedly been adopted in 2019 at an adoption event at a mall. No additional information was available.

Piedmont, West Virginia

AMP.NewsTribune.info reported, “Two area individuals who allegedly run an animal rescue have come under fire recently due to accusations of ‘flipping’ animals for profit and neglecting the animals in their care. Corallum Louk and Rodney Louk operate Louk Bully Daze Animal Assist and Rehoming, a group that has apparently changed its name multiple times and regularly started new Facebook pages.” Posts on social media reportedly “showed Corallum Louk stating that puppies in their care had died of heart attacks and one had been attacked by a neighboring dog. Another conversation shows her saying that a beagle who had cherry eye, a condition that requires medical treatment, was normal and okay. There were also pictures of animals in the Louks’ possession that appeared to be in desperate need of veterinary care, and a post where the Louks seemed to be breeding and selling animals. … Mineral County Animal Control warden Missy Kidwell confirmed to the News Tribune that she had visited the site and observed the animals. Kidwell noted that [a dog named] Loki was in bad shape and had no evidence that he had been seen by a vet. She said the Louks had been trying to treat the animal at home and it simply was not working, Loki was missing his hair and had severe skin irritation. Kidwell said the Louks had Loki for a month and he was not getting any better. She gave the Louks 24 hours to get the dog to a vet for care.” Another self-professed animal “rescue” reportedly purchased seven dogs in order to get them needed medical attention, including Loki. Other dogs the group purchased were “Layla, [a] white pit bull with several large tumors on her body; tumors so big they were causing major discomfort and pain for her. … Layla also had severely long nails that were causing her to have trouble walking. … [A dog named] Jordan was positive for giardia, had pretty nasty ear infections and super inflamed skin … [and] an older dog named Durwood, who had ear infections, parasites and has tested positive for anaplasmosis.” A local resident who had allegedly worked with the Louks said, “She isn’t rehoming animals in need; they are flipping for money. They are also breeding dogs.” She claimed the Louks “had a litter of pit bulls they sold for $300 and that most of the puppies died from Parvo after they were sold.” No additional information was available.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

KTUL.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for years by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Animal Aid of Tulsa, Inc. According to a spokesperson for the group, the dog was “a bit fearful of men” and had been “living in boarding” for the past four years. She reportedly said she worried that the dog “may start to become institutionalized. ‘They get used to living in crates and kennels and find that to be their life.’”

Batavia, Ohio

ABC6OnYourSide.com reported that a 10-year-old large-breed dog had been warehoused for seven years at a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as League for Animal Welfare. According to the group, the dog, who had been at the facility since November 2014, had “learned to be wary of humans he doesn’t know.” He also reportedly “has good days and bad—and sometimes, on those bad days … he just needs time alone” and would “need to go to a home without children.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in March 2021

Rowe, New Mexico

KRQE.com reported that the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office had confirmed that it was investigating allegations of animal hoarding at a self-professed wolf “sanctuary” where “[a]t least 50 dogs are kept in cages.” According to the report, a local woman “says the owners claim to be a wolf sanctuary, ‘They’re not wild wolves …. You can tell by looking at them, they’re like husky, border collie, [heeler] mixes,’ [she] said. She says they even solicit donations online to help take care of them. Court records show the owner has been slapped with at least 91 citations for failing to vaccinate the dogs, and improper care and maintenance. [The accuser] says once, while on the property she found a dog with a broken leg, and reported it to Las Vegas Animal Control. The report says the dog owner didn’t believe he needed to take him to the vet, because he performed an alternative medicine technique, and the dog was healed, but animal control insisted he gets the dog checked.” No additional information was available.

Waco, Texas

FOX47News.com reported that a 2-year-old dog had been warehoused at an animal shelter with “no-kill” policies for half of his life. His owners had reportedly surrendered the dog, named Rusty, when he was a puppy. According to the report, “Rusty was placed in a foster home for two months and then was sent to a rescue in Idaho. Two months later, the rescue sent him back to Waco because he was not dog-friendly and they weren’t able to place him in a home. Over the next couple of months, Rusty became depressed and frustrated, which caused him to act out in his kennel and towards other dogs. In November 2020, Rusty was adopted, but a month later he was surrendered back to the shelter for being destructive.” Most recently, Rusty was again adopted after spending 419 days at the shelter. He was returned a day later by the adopters, who reported that he had bitten them. KXXV.com later reported that the dog had been moved to yet another shelter.

North Smithfield, Rhode Island

ValleyBreeze.com reported that a 13-year-old blind pit bull named Sully had been warehoused at a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies for more than half of his life. A woman who had worked with a self-professed animal “rescue” that had tried to find a home for the dog reportedly said that “volunteers at the shelter tried to find Sully a home, but attempts to adopt him out repeatedly fell through.” A city animal control officer reportedly said, “‘All I know is that he was adopted out a couple of times, and it didn’t work out. He was brought back, one time it was because he attacked another dog. Even as a blind dog he attacked another dog, and another time it was because [they] were moving and the people couldn’t take him.’ … [A] few months ago she tried to adopt Sully into a home, but those plans didn’t work out. Another plan to place him with one of the shelter’s volunteers also fell through, she said. Since then, she said, Sully has begun to show signs of his age and is losing his remaining senses. Sully, she said, is ‘failing fast,’ prompting the shelter to schedule a vet appointment last week to see what’s best for him.”

Burlington, North Carolina

CharlotteObserver.com reported that an 8-year-old dog named Jake had been through the revolving door of a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies four times in three months. He was first found locked in a crate at a residence where he had reportedly been “trapped in a home for days with his dead owner.” A spokesperson for the shelter reportedly said that “Jake was quickly adopted, but came back a few weeks later, after the family lost their home …. He was later taken in and returned by two foster homes … because Jake ‘does not care for cats and they had cats.’” Jake was put back up for adoption.

Sinton, Texas

KRISTV.com reported that 14 dogs had died in a fire at a home being used as a self-professed animal “rescue.” According to the report, “at least one dozen other animals were taken to other shelters and the local veterinary clinic.” KIIITV.com reported that at least nine dogs had “burned inside of … cages inside of the home,” and FOXSanAntonio.com reported that “animals were burned inside cages outside and inside the house.” KRISTV.com later reported that an unspecified number of dogs had escaped the home and were roaming the area, including some who were reportedly extremely fearful of humans. No additional information was available.

Branford, Connecticut

Patch.com reported that a cat and four kittens had been found unconscious in a sealed plastic container on the side of a road. According to the report, “Good Samaritans resuscitated the animals” and an animal adoption group was called. The group reportedly said that upon intake, one of the kittens had already “died and the mother was thought to be blinded due to a lack of oxygen.” The mother cat reportedly later regained her sight. A spokesperson for the community’s public animal shelter said that the facility “cannot take in every animal.” No additional information was available.

Oxford, Mississippi

MississippiFreePress.org reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Mississippi Critterz Animal Rescue, partially funded by public monies, had temporarily shut down after former employees alleged chronic “animal abuse and neglect.” According to the report, “The complaints included widespread medical neglect by the operator of the shelter, Jenn Petermann.” One former employee said “that Petermann would routinely deny sick animals the opportunity to be treated by a local veterinarian due to the cost of treatment. As a result, [the employee said], many animals were given subpar medical treatment at the shelter and would often suffer long and miserable deaths.” Another said “that she once begged management to treat a dog that had begun to deteriorate at the shelter despite having entered in a reasonably healthy state,” but her request was denied. She reportedly “also recalled an instance when a kitten was denied the emergency care [the animal] needed for a ruptured eyeball. The former employee of Critterz alleged that Petermann reprimanded a volunteer who had taken the ailing feline to a veterinarian in secret. Once ordered [to], the volunteer returned with the untreated animal, where [the former employee] says [the animal] died days later. ‘I’d call it a kill shelter in a different way,’ said [the former employee], who started at Mississippi Critterz in August 2020. ‘We didn’t euthanize for time and space, but we also didn’t provide medical care, so [animals] died on their own.’” At one point, Petermann reportedly started to hide sick animals, including a cat, who was later found dead in a closet. According to the report, a former employee said she “opened [a storage] closet, and I just about threw up because I was hit in the face with not only the smell of dead cat, but cooking dead cat.” The cat was reportedly found dead “in a crate on a heating pad. ‘Turned on. And he was left there to die in a closet,’” she said. One of the former employees described “stacks and stacks of cat cages in the building. Full of sick cats.” A veterinarian who visited the facility said she was “shocked to see the conditions and lack of order at the shelter. … ‘Every run had too many dogs in it. Poop smeared everywhere. All of their water was contaminated with feces.’” According to the report, “With the shelter closed for the foreseeable future, it is unclear what steps local leaders will take to care for unhoused animals currently living in Oxford and Lafayette County.”

Lake Odessa, Michigan

WZZM13.com reported that two dogs had been warehoused for eight years at a self-professed “no-kill” animal “sanctuary” doing business as Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary. One of the dogs was 9 years old and suffered from arthritis. The other was 10 and reportedly had allergies. Both had reportedly “been shown multiple times during adoption visits, but other dogs are usually chosen or it’s not a good fit with the adopters’ other [animals in the household].”

Cape Coral, Florida

ABC-7.com reported that five cats had been left in carriers outside a publicly funded turn-away facility doing business as Cape Coral Animal Shelter. According to a public post by the facility, “those on our waiting list … will now have to wait a bit longer.” On its website, the facility states that animals won’t be accepted unless they meet certain criteria. They must pass behavior tests, test negative for certain common diseases, and more. It also charges fees to accept animals: $50 per cat and $100 per dog.

Floral City, Florida

ChronicleOnline.com reported that Robert Schweickert, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Out of the Box Animal Rescue Inc., “and the nonprofit itself are barred from owning any animals, were ordered by the court to hand over what animals they had, and were denied from getting back the abused and neglected animals county sheriff’s animal control officers rescued in January.” (See the January 2021/Floral City, Florida, entry below for more details). In the order, Judge Bruce Carney reportedly cited the following:

• “The sheriff’s office animal control unit supervisor testifying that dogs had no water, food, and had eaten the drywall and insulation out of the walls.
• “A sheriff’s office animal control officer testified that some dogs kept indoors had no lights, no power, and no ventilation.
• “The county’s animal services chief veterinarian testified that 20 dogs were underweight, 10 dogs were emaciated, and two dogs suffered from painful infected wounds caused by shocking bark collars, two dogs suffered from painful, untreated ear infections, 18 dogs had heartworms which is life threatening if not treated, one dog needed hospitalization, dozens of dogs had dirty hair coats, feces in their fur, and smelled bad because of inappropriate care.”

According to the report, “The veterinarian also testified 13 dogs had orthopedic disease, nine were dehydrated and needed IV fluid, and eight dogs had viral and bacterial upper respiratory ailments because of their living conditions and poor air quality. In the county’s request of Carney, the county described horrific scenes at Out of the Box including cage floors soaked in urine and feces and cages far too small for the animals. The county also described a mobile home in which dogs were locked, with floors covered in urine and feces and one dog locked in a bathroom with no windows and kept dark. Investigators also noted there were no food and water dishes in the mobile home and that the stench of urine was so strong animal control officers had to rescue the animals and exit the structure as quickly as possible. One dog was found in a walk-in freezer storage unit with no light [or] ventilated air, and the room was littered with feces and urine, according to the county request for an order against Schweickert.” The criminal prosecution of Schweickert would reportedly move forward and included “25 counts [of] animal cruelty and two counts of aggravated animal cruelty. He was also charged with dozens of counts of torment, deprive, cruelty to animals.”

Aztec, New Mexico

KOB.com reported that two dogs and two cats had died in an apparent electrical fire at a home where animals were kept by a self-professed animal “rescue” reportedly doing business as Critter Rehoming Sanctuary. According to the report, the “rescue” owner said that an unspecified number of cats were missing: “She said a neighbor opened a window to let some of them out, but she doesn’t know how many made it.” No additional information was available.

Tampa, Florida

TheNonprofitTimes.com reported that Albert Adams had again been charged with fraud. According to the report, “In 2018, Adams pled guilty to five felony counts in Hillsborough Circuit Court. The charges stemmed from his work as CEO of the nonprofit Soaring Paws, which provided airplane transport for abused dogs. . . . According to the Tampa Bay Times, a bank account set up for Soaring Paws showed payments for alcohol, fast food, flowers, furniture, haircuts, spas, veterinary bills and yard work. The account also showed $10,000 in Amazon payments and $24,000 transferred to a Capital One account. By pleading guilty in 2018, Adams had two charges against him stemming from registration and record keeping dropped. He was sentenced to a ten-year probation period and 50 hours of community service.” He was also ordered to pay restitution to two animal adoption groups. The latest felony fraud charges involved an alleged animal insurance scheme in which Adams filed “claims that netted him nearly $13,000 in reimbursement for medical procedures for two dogs that allegedly were not performed.” That case was apparently ongoing.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Saltwire.com reported that four days after a woman took in a dog named Muffin Man to foster him for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fly With Me Animal Rescue, the animal fatally attacked a small dog and injured three people who tried to stop the attack. According to the report, the 73-year-old foster caregiver “had just patted her newly acquired rescue dog and turned to walk away when [he] bit Oliver, the small bichon frise, in the midsection and refused to let go. [The foster caregiver] fought, struggled and screamed for help. But she couldn’t rescue Oliver from Muffin Man. ‘I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t save him from himself, and in the end, I was left on the ground, broken and bleeding, holding on tight to a cold-blooded killer.’ One witness told police she was alerted to the attack by a woman in crisis, and when she came upon the scene she saw ‘what looks like a pit bull … holding down a small white dog. [The small dog] was ripped open and the brown dog wouldn’t let go.’” The small dog had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries he sustained. During the attack, the small dog’s owner was bitten “to the bone” on his hand. Another neighbor sustained two broken ribs and bites described in a police report as “‘with flesh peeled back’ on her upper thigh and what appeared to be a ‘full mouth bite’ on her left breast.” Muffin Man had reportedly been imported with 41 other dogs from a public shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta. According to the foster caregiver, she obtained records that she read after the attack. “‘It was his intake history from the shelter in Georgia and in there it did say that he was returned because he injured another dog in the home.’ The Oct. 5, 2020 report from LifeLine Animal Project of Fulton County, Georgia, notes Muffin Man ‘fixated on other dogs in kennels’ when he walked past, and was returned last July “for fighting with other dogs — injured other dogs in home.’” The foster caregiver said that no warning was given to her about the dog’s dangerous propensities when she agreed to foster him. A spokesperson for the city reportedly confirmed that Muffin Man had since been euthanized as part of a plea bargain agreement. The foster caregiver said that the last she had “heard from Fly Away Animal Rescue was when they threatened to sue her for breach of contract for allowing authorities to take Muffin Man after the attack.”

Long Beach, New York

LIHerald.com reported that a woman had been arrested “after Long Beach police discovered a whimpering dog inside her van in freezing weather. . . . The temperature was approximately 29 degrees that night. … The dog was transported to a local shelter where [he or she] was in ‘obvious need’ of medical attention and subsequently transported to an animal hospital, police said. The operator of the van Luisa Montalvo of San Juan, TX., arrived at the scene and was arrested for a violation of New York State Agriculture and Markets Law section 353D, a violation for leaving an animal in a vehicle in extreme temperatures. Detectives executed a search warrant on the van and recovered evidence that the van was used in connection with transporting animals for a local animal rescue facility.” Montalvo was released on her own recognizance, and a court date was set. No additional information was available.

Middleburg, Florida

AJC.com reported that a dog adopted from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Georgia Animal Rescue & Defence, Inc. (GARD), had allegedly been handed over to the adopter in terrible condition. The adopter reportedly said, “Belle smelled awful. Her fur and claws were matted with feces. She had not been microchipped.” The adopter said she was told the dog was heartworm positive, but a veterinary examination also found that Belle had “an ear infection, a permanent eye infection which requires daily cleaning and medication, and the vet told [the adopter that] the dog was closer to 8 years old than 4 years old [as the group had advertised].” A spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Agriculture reportedly said “[w]hile the Companion Animal division does not have any open complaints against GARD … the Inspector General’s investigation of the rescue is ongoing with several steps to complete before the investigation is closed.” According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic had increased “awareness of the problems in the dog rescue and breeding industry.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in February 2021

Darnestown, Maryland

WUSA9.com reported that two dogs had died in a fire at the home of a self-professed animal “rescuer,” who had also died. Four dogs who survived were reportedly “found in steel cages in the basement of the home.” According to the report, first responders “said ‘excessive storage’ and clutter in the home made their search [for survivors] difficult, and the house did not have a functioning fire alarm.” Friends reportedly said the homeowner “had operated NoVa Rottweiler Rescue League Incorporated” out of the residence. An electrical fault was found to be the cause of the fire. No additional information was available.

Newcastle, California

ABC17News.com reported that 40 animals had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as The Enchanted Forest Exotic Animal Sanctuary, Inc. Twenty-five animals reportedly survived, and authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. Sacramento.CBSLocal.com reported, “Geese, ducks, and tortoises were among the animals that could not escape.” No additional information was available.

Morgan Hill, California

MorganHillTimes.com reported that Ava Geddes, “who has been active in local volunteer animal fostering and rescue efforts over the years is charged with felony animal cruelty after police found more than a dozen dead or neglected cats in her home last summer, according to authorities.” Geddes was reportedly “fac[ing] two felony counts and one misdemeanor in relation to the feline corpses and unhealthy animals allegedly found in a June 2020 search of her home.” According to the report, a police officer responding to a call for a welfare check on Geddes “discovered a wasteland of cat carcasses, flies swarming throughout the residence and a pungent odor of cat urine and feces that could be smelled from outside.” After obtaining “a search warrant to conduct further investigation and seize the animals,” authorities entered the residence and “found more cages with cat corpses in various stages of decay, as well as feces, urine, fur and other debris on the floor, furniture and countertops throughout the home, the police report describes. Some living cats encountered inside the home appeared to be malnourished and scared of the officers. Many of the kennels did not appear to have receptacles for food or water for the animals. . . . Inside the home, officers observed ‘indescribable’ living conditions …. ‘Every single inch of the floor was covered in layers of feces, litter, trash, cats in different stages of decomposition.’… On their way upstairs, the officers ‘yielded in (their) tracks by a hill of feces’ on a stairway landing, [an officer’s] report continues. An upstairs bathtub was allegedly filled with dead cats. Some carcasses in a guest bedroom were so decayed that only skeletons remained.” Seven live cats were seized and transported to an animal shelter. Authorities were reportedly continuing to investigate “claims that Geddes has attempted to rescue or acquire more cats since she was charged with the animal abuse allegations in June. Geddes has been known in Morgan Hill as a supporter of stray animal care, and is a former board member of a nonprofit that supports the San Martin Animal Shelter and the county’s adoption programs. She has spoken at city council meetings in favor of more funding for the animal shelter’s spay/neuter efforts, and made a presence on social media in recent years as a rescuer of stray cats.” The prosecutor said he would “ask the judge to prohibit [Geddes] from owning or caring for cats as part of her sentence” if convicted.

Laurel Hill, Florida

NWFDailyNews.com reported that authorities had seized 77 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fyre Branch Rescue, including 47 birds, 14 pigs, 11 horses, three dogs, and two cats. According to the report, “animal control officers arrived at the Fyre Branch Rescue to find dead piglets and chickens in various states of decomposition and hogs standing in three feet of their own waste ‘feeding on the dead.’ [Authorities] described emaciated horses with open sores that had no clean water available and said horse skulls, jaw bones and cow horns were ‘scattered across the filthy property.’ . . . The owner of Fyre Branch Rescue goes by different aliases but is known in Okaloosa County jail and court records as Shandi LeBron.” She “has a lot of bad background in Texas and Louisiana,” according to a spokesperson for an adoption group that assisted with the seizure. LeBron was reportedly “adjudicated guilty in 2016 of cruelty to livestock” when she “managed a nonprofit that accepted wild horses rounded up by the federal government on property managed by the Department of Defense and U.S. Forestry Service. The horses were then either sold for a profit or sent to ‘kill pens’ for slaughter,” according to another nonprofit group’s spokesperson, who reportedly said in a news release, “She claims she is a ‘rescue’ and even peddles for donations, when her animals are living in squalor.” Authorities were reportedly “pursuing neglect charges and continuing [an] investigation to find out if the Fyre Branch Rescue owner is involved in horse flipping.”

Giles County, Tennessee

WHNT.com reported that a private animal adoption group had “been called multiple times to ‘cat hoarding’ situations,” in the area. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that animal shelters in the community “don’t take cats,” and a recent hoarding case that it had handled involved an elderly couple that “did reach out for help, but because help is not readily available in the area they didn’t receive the help that they asked for.” No additional information was available.

Candler County, Georgia

MetterAdvertiser.com reported that self-professed animal “rescuer” Vicki Buck “faces 74 arrest warrants for animal cruelty.” A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office reportedly said, “74 warrants were taken because of the 74 animals in ‘very unsanitary conditions. We saw violations with just about every animal on the property.’” The animals were reportedly voluntarily surrendered to an animal adoption group. According to the report, in 2019, Buck had been denied a permit to keep more than 20 animals at the property, and “[w]hen Buck applied for the permit in 2019, she reported having 63 dogs and cats, but then said she had rabies certifications for over 80 animals. Buck reported that most of the animals were rescues and many were senior pets. At the time, she reported that the dogs were housed in a 110’x60’ concrete block building and the cats were kept in a utility building with a kennel enclosure and roof on a concrete slab. When Sheriff’s Investigator Melvin Ivey went to inspect the premises as protocol for the permit application, he cited Buck with four citations because ‘he was alarmed by the conditions he saw …,’ according to County Attorney Kendall Gross. In that 2019 meeting, Gross said that Ivey ‘was unrestrained of his criticism in the way the animals were being cared for.’ … [T]he animals were reportedly standing in urine/fluid in the bottom of the pens.” MetterAdvertiser.com reported in 2019 that Buck had told county commissioners that she did “not have a definite count on the number of animals” at the property and was “affiliated with several rescues.” The investigation was ongoing.

Chappell, Nebraska

KearneyHub.com reported that more than 40 cats and eight kittens had died in a fire at a residence where they were hoarded by a founding member of a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” group doing business as Nebraska Loves Cats. According to the report, the fire broke out at the home of “Michelle Tynan, one of three co-founders” of the group. As the home burned, Tynan said she “could hear the [trapped] cats crying.” Two surviving cats sustained burns and were taken to an animal hospital for treatment. Others reportedly escaped the blaze and “remain on the loose.” Tynan reportedly “said a number of the cats living at the residence had special needs, including a dozen that were blind.” According to the report, “The fire comes in the midst of a legal battle that Tynan is having with the city of Chappell. After a bench trial in December, Deuel County Judge Randin Roland found her guilty of a misdemeanor count of violating a city ordinance by harboring more than five cats over 4 months old in a residential zone.” A hearing date was set for the case.

Kokomo, Indiana

FOX59.com reported that authorities had preliminarily  charged a 16-year-old with cruelty to an animal and carrying a handgun without a license after he was suspected of shooting a dog to death and leaving the animal’s body in a crate on the side of a road. According to the report, the dog’s owner was a family member, who told authorities that the dog had “attacked her face.” The 16-year-old and another relative reportedly told investigators “that they picked [the dog] up from the owner’s house at her request. They then attempted to contact several agencies to take [the dog] in but all refused because of his aggressive behavior, the suspects stated. The suspects then decided to take [the dog] into the county and release him to run wild. But when they attempted this, [the animal] became extremely aggressive, and the suspects feared he would hurt them or someone else if released …. So, the 16-year-old retrieved a handgun from the vehicle and quickly shot [the dog] while in [the] cage multiple times until he believed him to be dead. Both suspects left [the animal] in [the] kennel on the side of the road.” The investigation was apparently ongoing.

Tewksbury, Massachusetts

LowellSun.com reported that “Nicole Hutcheon, who was arrested on animal cruelty charges last year after two dogs died in her care, will avoid jail time but be forbidden from owning any pets for three years while she is on probation.” According to the report, “Hutcheon was charged last year after an agency that fosters dogs in the area asked Tewksbury Animal Control to do a well-being check on a German shepherd Hutcheon was fostering for the agency, according to a press release. The agency requested that check on April 5, after Hutcheon stopped providing updates on that dog. According to a press release issued at the time of her arrest, an investigation determined two German shepherds died while in Hutcheon’s care, including the one she was fostering for the agency. That dog died of starvation, and Hutcheon did not report [the] death, according to a press release. Another German shepherd she had adopted also died in her care, according to a press release, and she tried to hide the remains of that dog. A third dog, a German shepherd puppy, was found in Hutcheon’s house and appeared to be underweight, according to a press release.”

Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in January 2021

Amherst County, Virginia

WSET.com reported that 20 animals, including cats, parrots, and a dog, had died in a house fire at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Sanctuary Farm Everlasting Care. According to the report, “sanctuary” owner Jody Bart “shares her home and the land around it with hundreds of rescued animals” and “hopes to rebuild.” No additional information was available.

Godfrey, Illinois

KSDK.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for 11 years at a self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Alton Area Animal Aid Association. The dog had reportedly been surrendered to the facility when she was 3 years old. According to the report, she developed a tumor in 2016, which is currently “the size of a cantaloupe,” she can’t be around “small children” or “other animals,” and she “will sometimes get sores on her body, which they believe is part of her allergy issues, and she tends to chew on them until they get infected.”

Bryan, Texas

KBTX.com reported that authorities had charged a woman with cruelty to animals after she allegedly abandoned a dog she’d repeatedly tried to surrender to the community’s publicly funded animal shelter, which refused to accept the animal. According to the report, staff at the facility doing business as Bryan Animal Center “had an encounter with [the woman] before when [she] said she would just ‘dump the dog,’ since they wouldn’t take the dog in. . . . Staff at Bryan Animal Center were further interviewed and it was found that [the woman] had called Bryan Animal Center and … called in her dog as a stray and left the dog with them. When the microchip was scanned, staff found the contact number was the same as the caller. Staff called [the woman] back but she would not answer, a text was then sent to her phone advising her to pick up her dog. [The woman] told them she was at work and not able to get the dog. She said she could not care for the dog and asked Bryan Animal Center to keep the dog. Staff said the [center] could not keep the dog but gave her rehoming options. They then told [her] she would be cited if she didn’t pick the dog up and for lying about the dog being a stray. [The woman] came in to pick up the dog but told the staff she would [go] to Houston and dump the dog.” The dog was later found roaming on a resident’s property and was apparently admitted to the facility. It wasn’t reported why this public facility refused to help the resident and prevent the animal’s abandonment.

Thacker, West Virginia

WSAZ.com reported that more than 75 dogs had been removed from a property after a woman who had been hoarding them died. According to a spokesperson for an animal adoption group that removed the animals with the help of authorities, “All dogs were located outside, 80 percent of these dogs were chained up.” According to the report, “The homeowner decided to care for the dogs that she came across, or were dropped off at her home, because she wanted to help the local shelter. ‘In this situation, the lady was concerned about the shelter not having the resources,’” the spokesperson said. Dogs were reportedly found “chained to trees and sticks and some roaming in a flood plain unable to escape the elements.” A veterinarian who examined the animals reportedly found that “some of them have issues with their hearts, several have been [overbred], several have tumors, large tumors,” according to the group.

Cape Coral, Florida

NBC-2.com reported that a resident had been “attacked two times by two of his neighbor’s dogs” on the same day. His daughter told the outlet that “the dogs were left outside for two days with no sign of their owners. She said … dog attacks [are] becoming more common in her area.” The publicly funded animal shelter doing business as Cape Coral Animal Shelter is a self-professed “no-kill” facility. A spokesperson said it uses appointments and waiting lists before it will accept animals from residents who can’t or won’t care for them, common “no-kill” policies designed to keep animals out of shelters and exclude them from intake and outcome statistics. She said more dogs were roaming at large in the community and that “some people come in expecting to leave their dog at the shelter and go. [She] said to re-home your [animal companion] with the Cape Coral shelter, there is a process that could take more than a week. ‘We may not get back to you right away. It may take a few weeks,’” she said. No additional information was available.

Floral City, Florida

ABCActionNews.com reported that authorities had seized 43 dogs, three hens, and a pig from the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Out of the Box Animal Rescue Inc., after they were found in conditions described as “deplorable” and “disturbing.” Sheriff Mike Prendergast reportedly said, “Under the guise of a rescue, these precious animals suffered in deplorable conditions because of one man’s refusal to provide the basic, minimum requirements of care.” According to the report, “Officials entered the property and inspected the living conditions of these animals. They discovered numerous violations, both civil and criminal, regarding housing and care of the animals on the premises. Violations on scene included: the failure to meet county ordinance regarding kennel space of 80 sq. ft. per dog required, several kennels left outside in the elements with no coverage while other small kennels were found with corrugated roofs and tarps wrapped around the entire kennel – drastically restricting the airflow to the animal, and kennels with wood or particleboard floors that were urine saturated, rotten, with large holes gaping open. Several dogs need medical care and were infested with fleas.” Officials reportedly said, “Some of the most disturbing conditions discovered included dogs locked inside bathrooms with no windows or lights, with urine covered floors. Sadly, one dog was found living in an old walk-in freezer type unit that doubled as a storage room. The unit was similar to the box of a moving van – completely metal, no windows, no electricity, and no ventilation. The door to the unit was closed and locked with the poor animal inside.” The county Fire Rescue Services’ Hazardous Materials Team reportedly also “responded to take air quality readings which will be forwarded for case evidence. The firefighter who took the readings attempted to enter without protective gear but had to come back out and put on Tyvek and full breathing gear due to the levels of ammonia in the buildings.” The group’s owner, Robert Allan Schweickert Jr., was arrested and charged with “25 counts of cruelty to animals with additional charges pending.” (See the June 2019/Citrus County, Florida, entry below for additional information about the “rescue.”)

Colorado Springs, Colorado

KRDO.com reported that state authorities were investigating a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as New Hope Rescue, Inc., after receiving “complaints of neglect and cruelty.” According to the report, the “rescue’s” owner, Joann Roof, “was charged with animal cruelty in August 2020. . . . Roof was originally charged with three felony counts of animal cruelty after law enforcement said she failed to get three dogs proper medical care. Court records show two of the puppies related to the charges died days after their adoption. [Roof] was charged with the felonies because it was her second offense. … ‘The animals that are in her care are being transferred there by other organizations that are in desperate need of somewhere. They’re just overrun with animals,’ Animal Law Enforcement Director Jamie Norris said. ‘She’s taking these animals under the provision that they’re going to be well cared for and rescued out. And I don’t think that all of the other organizations are really aware of what’s going on.’” The investigation was ongoing. According to an earlier report, “Court affidavits reveal Roof is accused of failing to get two puppies the medical care they need before she adopting them out, resulting in their deaths. Kaiser, an Australian Cattle Dog/German Shepherd mix is one of those puppies adopted out to a Colorado Springs family in July 2020. The day he was adopted, Kaiser vomited, but New Hope Rescue staffers told the family he was fine, according to court records. Two days later, the family said they took him to the vet. The vet suspected he was in the early stages of Parvo and [quoted] them thousands of dollars in medical bills for treatment, according to the court records. The family decided to take Kaiser back to New Hope Rescue for treatment, but animal law enforcement investigators said Kaiser never received proper vet care and ended up dying just four days after his adoption. . . . Animal law enforcement said Roof previously lost her license but was able to get it back after paying fines and serving six months of unsupervised probation for the 2014 charges. Investigators say they are hopeful she won’t get that license back again.”

Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania

WNEP.com reported that a dog who was in need of care and safety had been found tied to a parking sign outside a private facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Griffin Pond Animal Shelter. A worker found the animal by chance in freezing temperatures. The facility’s executive director reportedly said, “It was dark by that time. It was very, very cold. It was 24 degrees by that time, so we were very lucky that he stumbled upon him.” The dog was also suffering from “a skin condition that’s caused him to lose a lot of his fur, and the fur he does have was infested with lice.” According to the facility’s website, appointments are required to surrender an animal and there is a $100 fee to surrender a dog, more if the animal “is not fixed” or “needs to be taken in on the spot.” (See the October 2020/Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, entry below for more information about this facility)

Burlington, North Dakota

KXNet.com reported that an elderly dog had been found after he’d evidently been abandoned. He was taken to a turn-away facility doing business as Souris Valley Animal Shelter, where a spokesperson said that a search of the facility’s system showed that the dog had been turned away the day before. She said the dog had evidently later been left “in freezing temperatures on the side of the road.” No additional information was available.

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