• October 14th, 2010 2:04 pm ET
Editorial


I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.

I am not a thing. If I am hit - I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.

I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack - my family - my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love...I crave companionship.

I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.

I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.

When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.

I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.

Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.

I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.

If you choose to leave me at a shelter, I will be frightened and bewildered. I will watch for your return with every footfall that approaches my kennel run.

I am a dog - a living, breathing creature. If you choose to take me home, please provide me with the things that I need to keep me healthy and happy.

Provide me with good food, clean water, warm shelter and your love. Do not abandon me. Do not kick me. Do not dump me when your life gets too busy. Make a commitment to me for the entirety of my life, or do not take me home in the first place.

If you desert me, I do not have the means to care for myself. I am at the mercy of the kindness of people - if I fall into the wrong hands, my life will be ruined.

I will experience pain, fear and loneliness. If I wind up in an animal shelter, I have only my eyes to implore someone to save me, and my tail to show you that I am a friend. If that is not good enough, I will die.

I am a dog. I want to give and receive love. I want to live. I am not a thing. I am not a piece of property. Please do not discard me. Please treat me with kindness, love and respect. I promise to repay you with unconditional love for as long as I live.

Visit www.examiner.com for more wonderful articles and news from the wolrd of animals! :)


 
There I sat, alone and afraid, you got a call and came right to my aid.
You bundled me up with blankets and love.
And when I needed it the most, you gave me a hug.
I learned that the world was not all that scary and cold.
That sometimes there is someone to have and to hold.
You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend.
You loved me and healed me and became my first friend.
And just when I thought you'd done all you do, there came not one lesson, but two.
First you said, "Sweetheart you're ready to go. I've done all I can, you've learned all I know."
Then you bundled me up with a blanket and kiss.
Along came a new family, they even had kids!
They took me to their home forever to stay.
At first I thought you'd sent me away,
Then that second lesson became perfectly clear, no matter how far you will always be near.
And so Foster Mom, you know I've moved on.
I have a new home with toys and a lawn.
But I will never forget what I learned that first day,
you never really give your fosters away.
You gave me these thoughts to remember you by.
We may never meet again and now I know why.
You'll remember I lived with you for a time.
I may not be your's but you'll always be mine.

Author Unknown



 

I want to quit! My health is bad. There are days I feel so terrible that I can barely move. My phone bills are outrageous, and I could have replaced my van with the funds I have spent these last 3 years---on animals that were not my own.

I want to quit! I spend hours and hours emailing about dogs. There may be 500 messages when I start---and at 4 AM, when I finally shut down the computer, there are still 500 emails to be read..

I want to quit! Gosh, I haven't the time left to email my friends. I can't remember the last book I read, and I gave up my subscription to my local newspaper--- I used to enjoy reading it, cover to cover, but now it often ends up in the bottom of the squirrel's cage---unread.

I want to quit! I've spent days emailing what seems like everyone---trying to find a foster home, help for a dog languishing in a shelter---but his time has run out, and the shelter has had to euthanize to make room for the next sad soul.

I want to quit! I swear, I walk away from my computer to stretch my legs---let the dogs out---and come back to find another dog in desperate need. There are times I really dread checking my email. How will I find the funds, the help, to save yet another dog?

I want to quit! I save one dog, and two more take its place. Now an owner who doesn't want his dog---it won't stay in his unfenced yard. An intact male wanders... This bitch got pregnant by a stray... This
3-month-old pup killed baby chicks.. The dog got too big... This person's moving and needs to give up his pet. I ask you, friends---what town, what city, what state doesn't allow you to own a pet?

I want to quit! I just received another picture, another sad soul with tormented eyes that peer out of a malnourished body. I hear whimpering in my sleep, have nightmares for days...

I want to quit! Many of the "Breed People" don't seem to want to hear about these dogs. Breeders either don't realize, or just don't care, how many dogs of their breed are dying in shelters.

I want to quit! I just got off the phone. "Are you Pyr Rescue? We want to adopt a male to breed to our female." How many times do I have to explain? I have tried to explain about genetics, about health and
pedigrees. I explain that rescues NEUTER! I usually end up sobbing, as I explain about the vast numbers of animals dying in shelters across the country, as I describe the condition many of these animals are found in. I wonder if they really heard me...

I want to quit! It is not like I don't have enough rescues of my own to worry about---but others have placed dogs improperly and aren't there to advise the new owners.

I want to quit! There ARE some unscrupulous rescues out there---hoarders, collectors, and folks who will short change the care of the animals to make a dollar. They save them all, regardless of temperament, putting fellow rescuer's and adopters at risk by not being truthful.

I want to quit! I have trusted the wrong people--- had faith and heart broken...

I want to quit! AND THEN... My dog, Magnus, lays his head in my lap, he comforts me with his gentle presence---and the thought of his cousins suffering stirs my heart.

I want to quit! AND THEN... One of those 500 emails is from an adopter. They are thanking me for the most wonderful dog on earth---they cannot imagine life with out their friend---their life is changed, and they are so grateful.

I want to quit! AND THEN... One of my adopted Rescues has visited a nursing home. A patient that has spent the last few years unable to communicate, not connecting-- -Lifts his hand to pat the huge head in his lap, softly speaks his first words in ages--- to this gentle furchild.

I want to quit! AND THEN... A Good Samaritan has found and vetted a lost baby, "I can't keep him, but I'll take care of him until you find his forever home."

I want to quit! AND THEN... "Jamie took his first steps holding on to our Pyr." "Joan, you should see this dog nursing this hurt kitten!" "I was so sick, Joan, and he never left my side..."

I want to quit! AND THEN... I get an email from a fellow rescuer, "Haven't heard from you in a while---you OK? You know I think of you..."

I want to quit! AND THEN... A dozen rescuers step up to help, to transport, to pull, and to offer encouragement. I have friends I have never seen, but we share tears, joys, and everything in between. I am
not alone I am blessed with family of the heart, my fellow Rescuers. Just days ago it was a friend who shared her wit and wisdom, whose late night email lifted my heart. Sometimes it is friends who only have time to forward you a smile.

Often, it is my friends who forward me the notices of dogs in need. There are Rescuers who see a flailing transport and do everything they can do find folks to pull it together for you. Rescuers who'll overnight or foster your Dog while you seek transport. There are Rescuers not used to or comfortable with your breed, but who put aside their discomfort to help.

There are Rescuers whose words play the music of our hearts. Foster homes that love your Rescue, and help to make them whole again---body and spirit.

Foster homes that fit your baby in, though it may not be their breed. Rescuers whose talents and determination give us tools to help us. Rescuers we call on for help in a thousand ways, who answer us, who hear our pleas. Rescuers who are our family, our strength, our comrades in battle.

I know I cannot save every Pyr in need. I know my efforts are a mere drop in a sea. I know that if I take on just one more---those I have will suffer.

I want to quit! But I won't. When I feel overwhelmed, I'll stroke my Magnus's head while reading my fellow Rescuers emails. I'll cry with them, I'll laugh with them---and they will help me find the strength to go on.

I want to quit! But not today. There's another email, another dog needing Rescue.

This piece is dedicated, with love and gratitude, to all my fellow Rescuers.

Joan

 
Long read but worth it. As SHOCKING as MOST of these statistics are to the system (tho not suprising!) Please be encouraged that in the cases of "well known" AC's to the rescue community, you CAN see the difference! NOW we have to draw attention to the other AC's in the state where the animals DESPERATELY need our help!
Thanks and God bless! 

September 1, 2009
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare Survey of Animal Services


Introduction

Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare (GVAW) is a grassroots network of Georgia advocates for animals. The organization was founded in 2008 to support laws and lawmakers working for a safer, healthier and more humane Georgia. GVAW’s organizational structure is informal – no governing board, bylaws, website or funding source. The only requirement for membership is a commitment to use one’s voice and one’s vote to effect positive change for the voiceless in Georgia.

Statement of the Problem

Georgia has a companion animal overpopulation crisis due to uncontrolled breeding of cats and dogs in our communities. Managing the surplus of unwanted stray and abandoned animals is a formidable challenge for taxpayers and government leaders at every level. Georgia taxpayers want fewer tax dollars spent on animal control. The general public wants safe neighborhoods free of “nuisance” cats and dogs. Animal advocates want humane population control strategies that dramatically reduce shelter admissions and kill rates as well as a place at the table to help develop solutions.

Purpose of the Study

A major obstacle in resolving the overpopulation crisis is the lack of information regarding animal control services in Georgia’s counties and municipalities. Specifically, there is not a statewide collection of information or statistics, from public and private shelters, that is maintained in a comprehensive database readily available to the public.

Without reliable baseline data, progress cannot be measured. Recognizing the critical need for such a database, GVAW chose to conduct, as its first project, a statewide survey to determine what animal services were available in the 2007 calendar year. Survey findings will be used to create as accurate a database as possible, given the limitations of the study, and a “snapshot” of animal services in Georgia.

Methodology

The project was initiated by GVAW Co-founders, Chamblee Abernethy of Dekalb County and Hannah Tostensen of McIntosh County, and launched in May of 2008. Georgia’s 159 counties were divided into 12 regions and Open Records Act cover letters with questionnaires were mailed to every county and to 88 additional animal control departments, shelters and/or humane societies that are funded totally or partially by taxpayers. Follow-up phone calls were made afterwards in an attempt to increase the survey return rate. Abernethy and Tostensen were assisted in this phase of the project by 10 additional volunteers:

· Bonnie Klawitter in McIntosh County
· Ashley Woods in Glynn County
· Staci Hutsell, UGA DVM candidate in Athens-Clarke County
· Anna Smith, UGA DVM candidate in Oconee County
· Kathy Wright in Oglethorpe County
· Cheryl Iski in Jackson County
· Sarah Vaughn in Morgan County
· Shari Johannes in Floyd County
· Louise Stewart in Gwinnett County
· Steve Brooks in Gwinnett County

A total of 247 letters and questionnaires were mailed to each of Georgia’s 159 counties and to 88 cities, towns and humane societies indentified in the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDOA’s) 2007 roster of licensed animal control departments and/or shelters. The Year 2007 data requested included, but were not limited to, questions regarding local animal ordinances, shelter operations where applicable (i.e., shelter location, capacity, staffing, budget, holding periods, adoption and foster programs, hours open to the public, method of euthanasia and disposal of dead animals); number of animals annually admitted, reclaimed, adopted and/or agency-transferred; temperament testing; availability of low-cost sterilization; existence of breed-specific legislation; and number of abuse/neglect cases recorded.

The project was completed approximately 12 months later, in May of 2009, when attempts to collect outstanding questionnaires were exhausted. At that point Abernethy and Tostensen began to assess expenditures of time and money, analyze the data and prepare study findings for publication.

It is modestly estimated that the 12 volunteers spent an aggregate 600 hours on all phases of the study and an estimated $550 on postage, office supplies and fees charged by some municipalities for gathering the requested data. Fortunately, most of the participating counties and cities did not charge fees for supplying information. As an unincorporated organization of voters without tax-exempt status, GVAW is not permitted to raise funds or accept donations. Consequently, all study expenses were paid out-of-pocket by the volunteers.

Limitations of the Study

The primary limitation of this study is that, despite the enormous amount of time, energy and expense invested, GVAW is unable to produce a complete data set, a testament to the need for state-mandated collection of and public access to comprehensive shelter data. For example:

· 45 counties (28%) of the total 159 surveyed did not respond;
· 63 animal control units and/or shelters (32%) did not respond;
· 5 animal control units and/or shelters refused to complete the questionnaire citing
O.C.G.A. 50-18-70(e)[1]; and,
· 19 animal control units and/or shelters did not provide intake and/or euthanasia numbers.

In all, 84 animal control units and shelters either didn’t respond at all or didn’t provide intake and exit numbers as requested.

A secondary limitation of the study is that all 12 of the persons who worked on the project are unpaid volunteers, most with full-time jobs. Several are full-time students and all are deeply involved in volunteer activities and/or family responsibilities. Consequently, finding time to work on the survey project was difficult for all volunteers.

Findings

Salient findings from this study, drawn from the 162 questionnaires that were completed and returned, include:

· 50 counties (31%) have no form of animal control;
· Total number of 2007 shelter admissions reported was 245,034;
· Total number of 2007 euthanasias reported was 152,297, representing an overall 62% kill rate;
· Based on the average number of animals killed per shelter, GVAW estimates there were at least an additional 105,000 animals killed in the non-reporting shelters, for an estimated total of 260,000 animals killed in Georgia shelters in 2007[2]; and,

· Only 51 counties and cities answered the question, “How many neglect/abuse complaints did you receive, and how many of those involved dogs living tethered (chained) outdoors?” Of a total 2,345 reported complaints, an average of 50% involved chained dogs; 27% (or 14 respondents) said 100% of their neglect/abuse complaints were chained dogs, and 4 respondents said “most,” “the majority,” or “maybe all” of their neglect/abuse complaints involved chained dogs.

Conclusions

Georgia is killing more than its share of companion animals in “shelters” that are funded by taxpayers. National figures on shelter kill rates are reported as low as 4 million and as high as 11 million per year. Using 2008 Census Bureau statistics, Georgia’s human population represents 3.2% of the national population. Factoring Georgia’s estimated annual kill rate of 260,000 shelter animals into a nationwide per person equation, Georgia’s pro rata share is 128,000 animals. Using this formula, Georgia is killing twice the national average.

Using another formula, i.e., dividing the lowest estimated national kill rate of 4 million animals by 50 states yields an annual per state average of 80,000 euthanasias. At this rate, Georgia is killing 3.25 times the national per-state average, or 1/16th (6.5%) of the estimated 4 million animals her year! Computed this way, Georgia is killing its allotted share as well as the share of 2 additional states. These reported shelter kill rates do not even take into consideration the unknown number of unsheltered animals who die annually in Georgia of disease, starvation, abuse and injury, far too often chained to a tree in someone’s back yard.

Georgia can do better, but not without accurate, accessible-to-all baseline data; the enforcement of animal laws already on the books; and, a strong emphasis on humane education. Georgia can – and should – end the shameless killing of shelter animals and use tax payers’ dollars to address the causes of overpopulation rather than the symptoms!

This study clearly demonstrates how unreasonable, if not impossible, it is for one or more private citizens to annually gather data, via Open Records Act requests to 159 counties and 88 additional shelters, in order to compile a statewide, comprehensive database. Technically, all 197 animal control departments and/or shelters could have refused to participate in the survey, citing O.C.G.A.50-18-70(e) as their reason for not participating, which would have required the volunteers to travel to all 197 counties and cities to review thousands of pages of raw data in order to compile the requested information. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Georgia’s Legislators to ensure this task is completed annually by the GDOA or another designated state agency.

Recommendations

In order of priority, GVAW recommends:

· A requirement that all public and private shelters in Georgia submit accurate entry and exit statistics, separating cats and dogs, to the GDOA upon annual renewal of their licenses; and that the GDOA, or another designated state agency, be responsible for maintaining a comprehensive and current database of these statistics that is easily accessible to the public;
· Enforcement of animal-related laws already in the Georgia Code, including but not limited to, 1984 Spay/Neuter (O.C.G.A. 4-14-3); 1990 Humane Euthanasia Act (O.C.G.A.4-11-5.1); 2000 Felony Cruelty Bill (O.C.G.A. 16-12-4); Rabies (O.C.G.A. 31-19); GA Animal Protection Act (4-11-1 thru 4-11-18);
· Dramatic improvements to the Georgia Dog and Cat Sterilization Program so that funds are increased and targeted to pet owners who need it most; and,
· Consideration of a statewide anti-tethering law.

Contact Us

For more information about GVAW or detailed and/or specific information regarding the study, please contact GVAW Co-Founders. GVAW does not yet have a website.


Chamblee Abernethy Hannah deSoto Tostensen
[email protected][email protected]
(678) 640-1177 (912) 437-6169 (Home)
(912) 617-6564 (Cell)


Report published September 1, 2009 © Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare 2009. All rights reserved.
Counties, Cities, Towns and Humane Societies Surveyed

GEORGIA COUNTIES (159) ADDITIONAL SHELTERS SURVEYED (88)

Appling County – City of Baxley Animal Control: 452 intakes, 175 euthanized (39%)
Athens-Clarke County: 1907 intakes, 472 euthanized (25%)
Athens Area Humane Society: 1155 intakes, 507 euthanized (44%)
Atkinson County: no animal control
Bacon County: no animal control
City of Alma Animal Shelter: no response
Baker County: all animals transferred to Albany Humane Society (see Dougherty County)
Baldwin County: 1485 intakes, 1015 euthanized (68%)
Banks County: no response
Barrow County: 3121 intakes, 2056 euthanized (66%)
Bartow County - Cartersville Animal Control: 7600 intakes, 5207 euthanized (69%)
Ben Hill County – Fitzgerald Animal Shelter: 955 intakes, euthanasia numbers not provided
Berrien County: 923 intakes, 760 euthanized (82%)
City of Nashville Dog Pound: 485 intakes, 393 euthanized (81%)
Bibb County: no response
Macon Police Animal Control: no response
Bleckley County – City of Cochran Animal Shelter: 90 intakes, 75 euthanized (83%)
Brantley County: no animal control
Brooks County: no response
City of Quitman Animal Shelter: no response
Bryan County: no response
Bulloch County: 3213 intakes, 1858 euthanized (58%)
Burke County: no animal control
City of Sardis: no records of euthanasia in 2007
City of Waynesboro Animal Shelter: 23 intakes, 20 euthanized (87%)
Butts County: 1335 intakes, 907 euthanized (68%)
Calhoun County: no animal control
Camden County: all animals transferred to Humane Society of Camden County
City of Kingsland: all animals transferred to Humane Society of Camden County
Humane Society of Camden County: 4037 intakes, 2838 euthanized (70%)
Candler County - City of Metter Animal Shelter: 515 intakes, 291 euthanized (57%)
Carroll County: 8443 intakes, 5900 euthanized (70%)
Catoosa County: no response
Charlton County: no response, no animal control[3]
Chatham County: 4948 intakes, 3537 euthanized (71%)
City of Tybee Island: all animals transferred to county shelter
Chattahoochee County: no response, no animal control
City of Cusseta: 238 intakes, 231 euthanized (97%)
Chattooga County: 2500 intakes, 700 euthanized (28%)
Cherokee County: 7784 intakes, 3069 euthanized (40%)
Clay County: no animal control
Clayton County: refused to complete questionnaire pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-70(d)
Clinch County: no response, no animal control
Cobb County: 13,820 intakes, 6058 euthanized (44%)
Coffee County: all animals transferred to Douglas-Coffee County Humane Society
City of Douglas: all animals transferred to Douglas-Coffee County Humane Society
Douglas-Coffee County Humane Society: 8681 intakes, 7213 euthanized (83%)
Colquitt County: all animals transferred to Moultrie-Colquitt Humane Society
Moultrie - Colquitt Humane Society: 5316 intakes, 4780 euthanized (90%)
Columbia County: 6059 intakes, 2544 euthanized (42%)
Cook County: no response, no animal control
City of Adel: intake numbers not provided, 363 euthanized
City of Sparks Animal Shelter: 102 intakes, 99 euthanized (97%)
Coweta County: 3911 intakes, 1475 euthanized (38%)
City of Grantville Animal Shelter: refused to complete questionnaire pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-70
City of Newnan: all animals transferred to county shelter
City of Senoia: all animals transferred to county shelter
Crawford County: no animal control
Crisp County: no response
City of Cordele Animal Shelter: no response
Dade County: no animal control
City of Trenton Animal Shelter: no response
Dawson County: all animals transferred to Hall County Humane Society [Dawson Humane opened 4/2008]
Decatur County: all animals transferred to Bainbridge-Decatur County Humane Society
Bainbridge - Decatur County Humane Society: 2500 intakes, 1400 euthanized (56%)
Dekalb County: 5673 intakes, 3828 euthanized (67%)
City of Chamblee Animal Control: all animals transferred to county shelter
City of Decatur: all animals transferred to county shelter
Doraville Animal Control: all animals transferred to county shelter
Dodge County: no animal control
City of Eastman: no response
Dooly County: stated it doesn’t have an animal shelter
City of Unadilla: stated all animals transferred to “Dooly County Animal Shelter”
City of Vienna Animal Shelter: no response
Doughtery County: all animals transferred to Albany Humane Society
Albany Police Animal Control: all animals transferred to Albany Humane Society
Albany Humane Society: 4785 intakes, 3966 euthanized (83%)
Douglas County: 4400 intakes, 1922 euthanized (44%)
Early County: no animal control
City of Blakely Animal Control: 175 intakes, 173 euthanized (99%)
Echols County: no response, no animal control
Effingham County: no response
Elbert County: questionnaire not completed due to volunteer’s inability to pay requested amount of $31.79
City of Elberton Police Department: no response
Emanuel County: all animals transferred to Emanuel County Humane Society
Swainsboro Police Department: all animals transferred to Emanuel County Humane Society
Emanuel County Humane Society: 1051 intakes, 663 euthanized (63%)
Evans County: 94 intakes, 81 euthanized (86%)
Fannin County: no response
Fayette County: 1466 intakes, 570 euthanized (39%)
Floyd County: 6474 intakes, 4234 euthanized (65%)
Forsyth County: 4040 intakes, 2158 euthanized (53%)
Franklin County: 3333 intakes, 1875 euthanized (56%)
City of Lavonia Animal Control: no response
City of Royston: no response
Fulton County: 7978 intakes, 3072 euthanized (39%)
City of College Park Public Works Department: all animals transferred to county shelter
Gilmer County: no response
Glascock County: no animal control
Glynn County: 3574 intakes, 2384 euthanized (67%)
Gordon County: 4399 intakes, 3376 euthanized (77%)
City of Calhoun: questionnaire not completed due to volunteer’s inability to pay $150.00
Grady County: 2513 intakes, 1508 euthanized (60%)
Greene County: 953 intakes, 655 euthanized (69%)
City of Greensboro: no response
Gwinnett County: 8953 intakes, 5590 euthanized (62%)
Habersham County: no response
Town of Alto: no response
Town of Mount Airy: no response
Hall County: all animals transferred to Humane Society of Hall County
Humane Society of Hall County: 13,062 intakes, 8818 euthanized (68%)
Hancock County: no animal control
Haralson County: no response
Harris County: 439 intakes, 183 euthanized (42%)
Hart County: no response
City of Hartwell: no response
Heard County: 1142 intakes, 157 euthanized (14%)
Henry County: 6028 intakes, 3226 euthanized (54%)
Houston County: 1686 intakes, 1278 euthanized (76%)
City of Centerville Animal Control: no response
Perry Animal Shelter: 671 intakes, 182 euthanized (27%)
Warner Robins Animal Shelter: 2668 intakes, 1852 euthanized (69%)
Irwin County: no response, no animal control
Jackson County: 925 intakes, 220 euthanized (24%)
City of Commerce: numbers included in county numbers
Jefferson Police Department: no response
Jasper County: refused to complete questionnaire pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-70(e)
Jeff Davis County: no animal control
City of Hazlehurst Animal Shelter: 189 intakes, 176 euthanized (93%)
Jefferson County: no animal control
City of Wadley: no response
City of Wrens: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Jenkins County - City of Millen Animal Shelter: 252 intakes, 252 euthanized (100%)
Johnson County: no animal control
Town of Kite: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Jones County: 1581 intakes, 1334 euthanized (84%) [only April-December numbers provided]
Lamar County - City of Barnesville Animal Shelter: 922 intakes, 897 euthanized (97%)
Lanier County: no response, no animal control until 6/2008
Lakeland Animal Shelter: no response
Laurens County: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Lee County: 1471 intakes, 60 euthanized [%NA, majority of animals transferred to Albany Humane Society]
Liberty County: 1923 intakes, 949 euthanized (49%)
Lincoln County: no response, no animal control
City of Lincolnton: no response
Long County: no animal control
Lowndes County: no response
Lumpkin County: no response
Macon County: no animal control
City of Montezuma: no response
Madison County: 2541 intakes, 1198 euthanized (47%)
Madison-Oglethorpe Animal Shelter: no response
Marion County: refused to complete questionnaire pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-70(e)
City of Buena Vista: 30 intakes, 23 euthanized (77%)
McDuffie County – Thomson Animal Shelter: no response
McIntosh County: no response
Meriwether County: 693 intakes, 199 euthanized (29%)
Manchester Animal Shelter: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Miller County: no response, no animal control
City of Colquitt: 70 intakes, 62 euthanized (89%)
Mitchell County: 1584 intakes, 1336 euthanized (84%)
Monroe County: no response
Montgomery County: no response, no animal control
Morgan County: 956 intakes, 756 euthanized (79%)
City of Madison Animal Shelter: no response
Murray County: no response
Muscogee County - Columbus Animal Control Center: 7783 intakes, 6093 euthanized (78%)
PAWS Columbus – Muscogee County Humane Society: no response
Newton County: 5206 intakes, 4149 euthanized (80%)
Oconee County: 1631 intakes, 785 euthanized (48%)
Oglethorpe County: no animal control
Paulding County: 6181 intakes, 2372 euthanized (38%)
Peach County: no animal control
City of Byron Animal Shelter: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Fort Valley Police Department: 281 intakes, 281 euthanized (100%)
Pickens County: no response
Pierce County: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Blackshear Animal Control: no response
Pike County: no animal control
Polk County: 3573 intakes, 2959 euthanized (83%)
Pulaski County: no response, no animal control
City of Hawkinsville: no response
Putnam County: 805 intakes, 584 euthanized (73%)
City of Eatonton: no response
Quitman County: no animal control
Rabun County: no animal control until 2008
Randolph County: no animal control
City of Cuthbert: no response
Richmond County: no response
Augusta Animal Services: no response
Rockdale County: 2975 intakes, 1607 euthanized (54%)
Schley County: no animal control
City of Ellaville: 100 intakes, 95 euthanized (95%)
Screven County: no response
Seminole County: no response, no animal control
Spalding County: 3716 intakes, 1294 euthanized (35%)
Griffin Police Department: all animals transferred to county shelter
Stephens County: no response
Stewart County: no animal control
Sumter County: all animals transferred to Sumter County Humane Society
City of Americus: no response
City of Andersonville: no response
City of Plains: no response
Sumter County Humane Society: 2335 intakes, 1798 euthanized (77%)
Talbot County: no response
Talifero County: no animal control
Tatnall County: 473 intakes, 417 euthanized (88%)
Taylor County: no animal control
Telfair County: no response, no animal control
City of McRae: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Terrell County: no response
Thomas County: no response
Tift County: 3943 intakes, 3361 euthanized (85%)
Toombs County: no response, no animal control
Lyons Animal Shelter: no response
Vidalia Police Animal Control: no response
Towns County: no response, no animal control
Treutlen County: no animal control
City of Soperton Animal Control: all animals transferred to Dublin-Laurens Humane Society
Troup County: all animals transferred to LaGrange-Troup Humane Society
City of LaGrange Animal Control Center: 2346 intakes, 1705 euthanized (73%)
City of Hogansville: no response
LaGrange-Troup Humane Society: volunteer failed to send Open Records Act request
Turner County: no animal control
City of Ashburn: 240 intakes, 200 euthanized (83%)
Twiggs County: no animal control
Union County: no response
Upson County - Thomaston Animal Shelter: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Walker County: no response
Walton County: 3457 intakes, 2870 euthanized (83%)
Ware County: all animals transferred to Okefenokee Humane Society
Okefenokee Humane Society: 3248 intakes, 3047 euthanized (94%)
Warren County: no response, no animal control
City of Warrenton Animal Control: no response
Washington County - Sandersville Animal Services: 2117 intakes, 1647 euthanized (78%)
Wayne County: no response, no animal control
City of Jesup: no response
Webster County: no animal control
Wheeler County: no response, no animal control
White County: no response
Whitfield County: 3901 intakes, 3572 euthanized (92%)
Wilcox County: no animal control
Wilkes County: 1023 intakes, 305 euthanized (30%)
Town of Tignall: all animals transferred to county shelter
City of Washington: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
Wilkinson County: no animal control
Worth County: intake and euthanasia numbers not provided
City of Sylvester Dog Pound: refused to complete questionnaire pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-70
City of Warwick: all animals transferred to county shelter

[1] O.C.G.A.50-18-70(e) states, “No public officer or agency shall be required to prepare reports, summaries or compilations not in existence at the time of the response.”
[2] Intake and euthanasia numbers reported include wildlife, but the numbers of those animals are negligible compared to the numbers of cats and dogs.

[3] Counties that did not respond and are not included on GDOA’s 2007 list of licensed animal control units are identified herein as “no response, no animal control.

I am

12/17/2010

0 Comments

 
I am the one who sees the beauty in the lives you so carelessly disgard
I am the one who soothes the wounds and heals the hearts
I am the one that cries for the lives so senselessly lost
I am the one that will save another regardless of the personal cost
I am the one who will spend my last dime to make sure one more is safe
The one who reposts, who transports, who saves, who rants, who raves!
I am the sleepless nights, the comforter, the protector, the friend,
I am the animal rescuer, loyal to the end!!!
 
 I could hurt you but I don't even try. When you beat me I just cower and cry.
What he did to me hurt me, a little girl, less than a year, but you and your friends just laughed and cheered. Now I'm stuck on the end of this chain, trying to protect 10 babies from the cold and the rain. I don't have enouch food to keep myself alive, still I give my babies all I have inside. One by one you come and take them away, until alone again my world goes grey. I try not to bark because it makes you mad but sometimes I just get so hungry and sad! I think if I tell you you'll listen to me, that maybe if I wiggle, kiss and dance, maybe, maybe you'll give me a chance! I want to be a good girl, I really do! I'd do anything, anything just to please you! But here I am, pregnant agian and this time you say "Those babies ain't from him." You put me in the car and take me away, telling your friends "I can't sell no strays!".
Now I sit in this noisy place, watching the people look at me with a grim face. "Pit Bull and she's pregnant to? We'll never find a home for you!" Now they lead me down a hall to a back room, I'm so scared! It smells of death, smells of gloom! Now outside, am I finally free?? There's other dogs waiting that look like me! WAIT! I don't want to go in that box! It's too small and I can smell the rot! No! No! Don't close the lid! We want to live!!We want to live!! Helpless to stop what's about to come, no where to hide, no where to run. I cry and scream along with my friends and this is how my life ends!!
by Naomi (Nomie) Carlson
 
Dogs are a dime a dozen. Hey! Some even cheaper! Look! Look over there, that one looks like a keeper!
One year later and she’s pregnant again? Off to the shelter, time for a new “friend”!
How many times do I have to tell you not to pee in the house? I was here 8 hours ago and let you out!
Into the yard you have to go, I’ll chain you to this tree, here’s a blanket for the snow.
Hungry again? Damn do you have WORMS? I told you to make it last but you just don’t learn!
I just bought you a collar and you’ve already outgrown it? It grew into your neck, stupid dog! I should’ve known it! I can’t afford to keep dumping money into you, I have a wife you know, and 3 kids too! You’re nothing but trouble,
I don’t want to deal with it anymore, so out of my yard and out the door! To the shelter with you too, I just don’t know what else to do! You’ll find a good home, I know you will, someone else to deal with you and pay the bill.
That’s what I’ll tell myself when you pop in my head." You’re too cute to wind up dead!"
I will never see the reality, all the lives lost because of me, and my irresponsibility.
 
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"--but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub. My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together.

I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcome her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obey her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch-- because your touch was now so infrequent-- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answer "yes" and change the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said " I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempts to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream…or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounding in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The "prisoner of love" had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?" Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life to continue you to show you so much loyalty.


A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters.

Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for any non-commercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for an animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop killing, and encourage all spay and neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals

~~ Jim Willis

 




If I Didn't Have Dogs...





I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.




When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.




I would have money ....and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.




The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.




My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.




I would no longer have to Spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.




I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading "mud" season.




I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many animals?" from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.




How EMPTY my life would be!



Doggie !

**** FACTS OF EUTHANSIA IN THE U.S.****




10 Million Plus Animals Are Euthanized Annually In The United States.

American Humane: Newsroom: Fact Sheets: Euthanasia
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nr_fact_sheets_animal_euthanasia

Animal Shelter Euthanasia

National euthanasia statistics are difficult to pinpoint because animal care and control agencies are not uniformly required to keep statistics on the number of animals taken in, adopted, euthanized, or reclaimed. While many shelters know the value of keeping statistics, no national reporting structure exists to make compiling national statistics on these figures possible.

However, American Humane is one of the founding members of the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. The mission of the National Council is to gather and ana lyze reliable data that further characterize the number, origin, and disposition of pets (dogs and cats) in the United States; to promote responsible stewardship of these companion animals; and based on the data gathered, to recommend programs to reduce the number of surplus/unwanted pets in the United States. The most recent statistics that the Council has published are from 1997, however only 1,000 shelters replied to the survey.

Using the National Council's numbers from 1997 and estimating the number of operating shelters in the United States to be 3,500 (the exact number of animal shelters operating in the United States does not exist), here are the statistics:

* Of the 1,000 shelters that replied to the National Council's survey, 4.3 million animals were handled.
* In 1997 roughly 64% of the total number of animals that entered shelters were euthanized -- approximately 2.7 million animals in just these 1,000 shelters.The se animals may have been put down due to overcrowding, but may have been sick, aggressive, injured, or suffered something else.
* 56% of dogs and 71% of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. More cats are euthanized than dogs because they are more likely to enter a shelter without any owner identification.
* Only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their owners.
* 25% of dogs and 24% of cats that enter animal shelters are adopted.

It is from these numbers that we estimated what is occurring nationwide. It is widely accepted that 9.6 million animals are euthanized annually in the United States.

For more information on the studies done by the National Council, please visit www.petpopulation.org
National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy
http://www.petpopulation.org/
No Kill Advocacy Home Page
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/
Quentin
http://www.strayrescue.org/quentin.html
Dog given second chance at life after surviving euthanization bid

08/06/2003

AP

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Cast into a city gas chamber to be euthanized with other unwanted or unclaimed dogs, it appeared the roughly year-old Basenji mix had simply run out of luck -- and time.

But this canine had other ideas.
When the death chamber's door swung open Monday, the dog now dubbed Quentin -- for California's forbidding San Quentin State Prison -- stood very much alive, his tail and tongue wagging amid the carcasses of a half-dozen other dogs.

Posted: Wednesday December 12, 2007, 5:51 pm

My Blog
10 million of homeless animals are killed in the US shelters every year, because shelters are overwhelmed with homeless animals and don't have enough rooms for them.

Euthanasia methods


Some will be killed by cruel methods, such as gunshot by municipal officials. Bullets are often not placed precisely in the struggling animal's head or are deflected, and some animals survive the first shot only to be shot again and again.

Many shelters still use gas chambers to kill animals who aren't adopted or reclaimed. Even the "best" gas boxes can cause conscious animals the horror of watching others suffer from convulsions and muscular spasms as they slowly die. Old, young, and sick animals are particularly susceptible to gas-related trauma and will thus die slow and highly stressful deaths.

And as hard as it is to believe, there are still facilities in the United States that kill animals using painful electrocution or in cruel decompression chambers, where the gases in animals' sinuses, middle ears, and intestines expand quickly, causing considerable discomfort to severe pain. Some animals survive the first go-round in decompression chambers and are recompressed because of malfunctioning equipment or the operator's mistake or because animals get trapped in air pockets. They are then put through the painful procedure all over again.


And our taxes are used for killing those innocent victims. The victims of the irresponsible, ignorant and heartless pet owners and breeders.

Please spay/neuter your pets to reduce the overpopulation of homeless cats/ dogs and adopt from a shelter never buy.





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"I think our society needs a huge "Wake-up" call. ...As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all...a view from the inside if you will. First off, all of you people who have ever surrendered a pet to a shelter or humane society should be made to work in the "back" o...f an animal shelter for just ... See Moreone day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would stop flagging the ads on craigslist and help these animals find homes. That puppy you just bought will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore. Just so you know there's a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it's dumped at? Purebred or not! About 25% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays", that come into a shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses: "We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving too that doesn't allow pets? Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She's tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog".

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted. It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are.

If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because the shelter gets paid a fee to euthanize each animal and making money is better than spending money to take this animal to the vet.

Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down". First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to "The Room", every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 shelter workers depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a shelter worker who we call a euthanasia tech (not a vet) find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves. You see shelters are trying to make money to pay employee pay checks and don't forget the board of directors needs to be paid too, so we don't spend our funds to tranquilize the animal before injecting them with the lethal drug, we just put the burning lethal drug in the vein and let them suffer until dead. If it were not a "making money issue" and we had to have a licensed vet do this procedure, the animal would be sedated or tranquilized and then euthanized, but to do this procedure correctly would cost more money so we do not follow what is right for the animal, we just follow what is the fastest way we can make a dollar. Shelters do not have to have a vet perform their euthanasia's so even if it takes our employee 50 pokes with a needle and 3 hours to get the vein that is what we do. Making money is the issue here not loosing money.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? Or used for the schools to dissect and experiment on? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right!

I hope that those of you who still have a beating heart and have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head, I deal with this everyday. I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and start educating the public. Do research, do your homework, and know exactly what you are getting into before getting a pet. These shelters and humane societies exist because people just do not care about animals anymore. Animals were not intended to be disposable but somehow that is what they are these days. Animal shelters are an easy way out when you get tired of your dog (or cat), and breeders are the ones blamed for this. Animal shelters and rescue organizations are making a hefty profit by keeping this misconception going.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you - as a pet owner can stop it. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about taking their dog to a shelter, a humane society, or buying a dog without researching. For those of you that care--- please repost this to at least one other craiglist in another city/state. Let's see if we can get this all around the US and have an impact.

PROMISE A FUTURE - and DON'T FAIL THEM! PETS ARE FOR A LIFETIME!!!