Local Website Matches Stray Animals With Responsible Owners

by Gabriella Klaes
11/26/2007

A local website makes a plea for students at the University of Georgia to rescue dogs in need of homes at a local shelter.

According to AthensPets.net, a site run solely by concerned citizens, there is an overabundance of stray dogs at the Athens Clarke-County Animal Control, forcing them to double and triple up in cages.

The webpage displays dogs in need of a rescue, listing their age, breed and behavior, as well as a description of where they were found. When first arriving to the Athens-based website, one sees Goldie, a year-old Labrador mix, with a description depicting the dog as somewhat fearful when you reach out to pet her, but relieved to get a gentle pat instead of something else.

For $25 after the first round of administered shots, an individual can adopt a dog within a couple of days. First-time dog owner Lindsay LeGates, 20, rescuer of a Labrador-Husky mix, lives with her new pet Savannah and could not be happier.

“I walked in and was immediately helped by the staff and as soon as I saw Savannah,” LeGates said, “I knew she was the one I wanted to rescue. Just having the space to walk around seems to make Savannah immensely happy.”

She spoke of the emotional scene when walking around the shelter. “It was heartbreaking to see that many dogs like Savannah and Goldie do not have a home or even anyone who cares,” she said. “These dogs were left on the streets to starve.”

The dogs within the center are rescued from the streets of the local Athens community as well as at the university everyday. The citizen-run website recommends interested individuals not to hesitate if interested because the dogs only remain at the shelter for five days, and any day after that could be possibly be their last.

Euthanasia, the common process of putting dogs to death, occurs on an everyday basis at the control center, not just one particular day.
Workers at the animal control center stressed the need to adopt only if you are willing to take the responsibility because they do not want to see the same dogs circulate through the shelter again.

For more information on how to help dogs like Goldie, the Athens-Clarke County Animal Control, 45 Beaverdam Road, is open everyday except Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shelter is also in desperate need of volunteers to play with and walk the dogs. First time volunteers should come by the center Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

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The article written by Gabriella Klaes is well done except for a couple of inaccuracies which could have been avoided if the writer had simply called for an interview. In the article, Ms. Klaes states "Euthanasia, the common process of putting dogs to death, occurs on an everyday basis at the control center... ." This is simply not true. In actuality, we euthanize less than ten percent of the dogs available for adoption. However, I think the confusion might be that we do have to euthanize seriously sick and injured animals whenever we come across them, and we cannot predict when that might be. So, we could perform euthanasia on any given day, but it is, thankfully, not a common event. Of course, we work very hard to reduce the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable dogs as much as possible, and this article may help us do that!

Earlier in the article, Ms. Klaes writes "For $25 after the first round of administered shots, an individual can adopt a dog within a couple of days." In fact the adoption fee is $50 with $25 being refunded to the adopter after the dog is neutered (so the net cost to the owner is $25 plus the cost of the neuter). We do provide a 5CVL or DHLPP-C shot and a microchip as part of the adoption. When we pick up or receive a dog, we must hold the dog for five days, not including the day it was picked up or received and not including days we are closed, to give the owner an opportunity to reclaim it (unless the dog has been surrended by the owner, in which case we can adopt the dog immediately). We accept applications for adoption during this time, and we schedule adoption appointments as soon as the dog is available to be adopted. This is typically about a week. Again, the article was generally good, and we are greatful for Ms. Klaes' effort. I would be very happy to speak with anyone wishing to write any future articles relating to Athens-Clarke County Animal Control. Patrick Rives Animal Control Superintendent Athens-Clarke County Animal Control Division

Posted By:

Patrick Rives

11/28/2007

09:30 AM

more athens

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