Dirty cages & injured dogs left untreated. Alarming conditions at local animal shelters
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>> LAST YEAR, AN ESTIMATED 6
AND A HALF MILLION CATS AND
DOGS WERE IN ANIMAL SHELTERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT MAKES
3 STRAIGHT YEARS OF INCREASES
OR A COMBINATION OF MORE
ANIMALS AND STAFFING SHORTAGES
IS CREATING PROBLEMS FOR
SHELTERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE RUN
WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
>> WRAL INVESTIGATES SARAH
KRUEGER SHOWS US THE ANIMALS
AREN'T THE ONLY ONES PAYING
THE PRICE.
>> IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF
YEARS FOR SHELTERS. WAKE COUNTY
STOPPED PET SURRENDERS FOR
SEVERAL WEEKS. OTHER SHELTERS
LIKE CUMBERLAND WAIVED ADOPTION
FEES TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW
ANIMALS. THEY'RE BEING
OVERWHELMED. DOCTOR PATRICIA
NORRIS, THE STATE ANIMAL
WELFARE DIRECTOR, DESCRIBES
THE CURRENT SITUATION. THEY
CAN'T AFFORD THE CARE.
>> PROVIDE THAT CARE BECAUSE
BEEN IN CARE HAS GOTTEN SO
EXPENSIVE DOG FOOD.
>> HAVE GOTTEN REALLY
EXPENSIVE. WRAL INVESTIGATES
FOUND MORE SHELTERS ARE
STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE PROPER
CARE AND THEY'RE GETTING CALLED
OUT FOR IT. IF YOU HAVE A CAT.
>> PROVIDE THE VETERINARY CARE
FOR AN ANIMAL. THEN YOU EITHER
HAVE TO EUTHANIZE IT. FORGET IT
DIDN'T CARE. THAT'S, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S WHAT YOU CANNOT ALLOW AN
ANIMAL TO SUFFER IN A SHELTER
SINCE THE START OF 2023, 13
TAXPAYER RUN. SHELTERS IN OUR
STATE HAVE BEEN FINED OR
WARNED. THAT'S MORE THAN THE
TOTAL FINES AND WARNINGS ISSUED
THE PREVIOUS 4 YEARS WHEN
COUNTIES WERE PUNISHED. 10
TIMES.
>> THE STATE AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT PROVIDED US PHOTOS
OF SEVERAL RECENT INSPECTIONS
THAT LEAD TO FINES, ROBISON
COUNTY, SOUTH OF FAYETTEVILLE
INCURRED THE BIGGEST NEARLY
$14,000. INSPECTOR TO
EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE
DIRECTOR HIMSELF EUTHANIZE MORE
THAN 1000 ANIMALS, EVEN THOUGH
THEY'RE EUTHANIZATION
CERTIFICATES WERE EXPIRED.
THE REPORT ALSO NOTES AND
EUTHANIZED 6 ANIMALS PRIOR TO
THE 72 HOUR HOLDING PERIOD WITH
NO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AS TO
WHY JUST TO THE WEST MONTGOMERY
COUNTY SHUT OR WAS FINED MORE
THAN 4 GRAND FOR FAILING TO
GET TIMELY MEDICAL CARE FOR
3 DOGS. ONE WITH A BROKEN LEG,
ONE WITH A FRACTURED OR
DISLOCATED HIP AND A 3RD KNOWN
TO HAVE A LONG-STANDING INJURY.
THE COUNTY IS APPEALING THE
FINE. IN A STATEMENT COUNTY
MANAGER, FRANK, YOU MAN IS SAID
WE HAVE PRESENTED EVIDENCE THAT
WAS NOT CONSIDERED WHEN THE
FINE WAS ADMINISTERED AND ARE
IN CONVERSATION WITH THE
DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE NEXT
STEPS. THERE ARE ITEMS IN THAT
LETTER THAT ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE
OUT WEST. IN LINCOLN COUNTY,
$1400 FINE BECAUSE THE DOG WAS
EUTHANIZED IN JUNE AFTER HER
TEMPERATURE HIT 108 DEGREES
WHILE BEING TRANSPORTED BACK TO
THE SHELTER FROM A SPAY AND
NEUTER CLINIC. FINALLY,
RUTHERFORD COUNTY WAS HIT WITH
A $6100 FINE AFTER MULTIPLE
INSPECTIONS OVER A TWO-WEEK
PERIOD WHICH INCLUDED A DEAD
DOG AND CAT FOUND IN KENNELS
AND DOGS LEFT WITHOUT WATER.
THE PHOTOS ALSO SHOW ANIMALS
IN FILTHY CAGES. WATER IS
CRITICAL FOR THE ANIMALS.
>> THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE
ACCESS TO WATER. 24 7.
>> NORRIS SAYS HER OFFICE ONLY
ISSUES FINES AS A LAST RESORT,
EITHER AFTER REPEATED
VIOLATIONS OR SOMETHING SO BAD,
IT CANNOT GO UNPUNISHED.
>> WE UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLES,
BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT
WE CANNOT ALLOW ANIMALS TO BE
SUFFERING. SHELTERS.