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Politics & Government

Thin Dogs, Thinning Nerves, and the Department of Agriculture

Criticism of the Cobb County Animal Control shelter this week helps lead to fresh water, full bellies, clean cages, and soft pillows for the animals.

What a week at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter. I’m not even sure how to begin.

In a circulated email, accusations have been made that the shelter is starving dogs. I’m not sure if they mean all the dogs or just some of them. I’ve seen the photos, read the blog, spoken with volunteers that work with the dogs, and even spoken with a staff member or two. There is obviously some credence to the allegation because the Department of Agriculture was there on Wednesday to investigate.

It seems many of the volunteers (who aren't animal control advisory board members) think they are. They tell me they have been trying for years to get something done about the feeding and care of the dogs. Some of their complaints are that the dogs aren’t being fed enough, the water is hard to replenish, and that the volunteers aren’t given access to the necessary items to clean up any “mess” in the dogs’ cages. So, after walking the dogs, they must bring them back and put them in a soiled cage – if it is soiled. The dogs then must remain in a dirty cage until someone comes to clean it.

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As for thin dogs, I have seen photos of thin dogs available for adoption posted on Petfinder. I have even photographed a couple and I commented on the fact that they needed to be fattened up. I can’t say why they are thin because I am not in the dog runs for any length of time. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been there when the dogs were being fed or even seen food in their bowls.

I can say that sometimes the cats have needed food and/or water when I was there (I'm there one day a week), but I generally just give it to them. I can also say that their cages have been quite dirty on occasion; so often of late, that I complained last week to the supervisor. She said she would take care of it. Did she? Well the cages looked fabulous on Wednesday and all the cats had food, water, newspaper lining and soft pillows or towels. In fact, the whole placed looked great and smelled great. I’m afraid it wasn’t my complaining that did it. It was that the lady coming from the Department of Agriculture. She was there on Wednesday too.

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The staff is not getting the help it once got from community service volunteers; a portion of them are now being overseen by property management and can no longer decide where they want to do their community service. I can only surmise that this happened due to budget cuts. I’ve been told there aren’t as many prisoners there to help either. Once again, I figure budget cuts have siphoned these potential workers off to other ‘more pressing’ duties…like hedge trimming and grass cutting…that’s just a guess. 

Are the dogs being starved? That’s not for me to decide. Can the shelter do better? The answer is most assuredly yes. And they proved it by how good it looked and smelled on Wednesday when the Department of Ag was there. Would it be easy to maintain the facility up to the standard it was on Wednesday? Probably, they proved that it can be done.

I can’t stress enough how important and necessary it is for more people to come regularly to the shelter. Step up and volunteer. Help the animals there; they are ‘our’ animals, and we are all responsible for them. Does the staff want more people there? Sometimes yes and sometimes no; but I know the animals would love it and that’s what matters.

Now for our Pets of the Week. These two animals – Frannie and Dixie - both enjoy the affection of anyone coming into the shelter; but it wasn’t always so.

Frannie came in to the shelter on July 28. Her owner dropped her off without even saying goodbye. For several weeks, Frannie would just lay in the back of her cage, scared and saddened by what had happened to her. Wonders never cease; one day she just came out of her shell. Now, she lets her personality shine, and what a personable little kitty she is. She simply adores being petted, so she rubs back and forth along her cage door hoping someone will come and oblige her. Frannie is the favorite of one of the animal control specialists. How could she not be a favorite? With a sweet temperament, gorgeous markings, and lovely eyes, she’s just a precious 3-year-old girl. Don’t you have room in your heart and home for Frannie? ID No. 533900.

Dixie, a Shepherd/Labrador/Retriever mix, was also very sad when her family up and left her at the shelter. She has been there since August 3 and now enjoys her time with the volunteers, but not so much her kennel. The volunteers are so hoping that she will find a home soon. Dixie is a well-behaved girl, with a calm and quiet disposition. She enjoys a good game of ball and would love to have a kid to play with once again. She is leash trained, house trained, heartworm negative, spayed, and up to date on all her shots. If you’re looking for a good family dog…then look no further, Dixie is the girl for you. ID No. 534125.

If you can…adopt an animal; but if you can’t…perhaps you can help by giving your time volunteering or by sponsoring an animal to be rescued.

Two additional ways to help the animals at the shelter:

Donate kitten food – FANCY FEAST KITTEN food - this is the only brand of kitten food used. Please don’t bring other brands. There are so many newly born kittens on the back dock; the shelter can hardly keep up with the food demand.

Donate a Kuranda bed. They can be purchased and donated to the shelter - allowing every dog and cat to have its own bed to sleep on - order them online and they will be sent directly to the shelter. All donations are tax deductable.

For more animals available for adoption at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter check out these sites:

www.facebook.com/FOSACobb

www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA50.html

And my blog: A cat in a dog’s world - www.willowwrites.wordpress.com

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