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.
October 2023 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Blair County, Pennsylvania
WTAJ.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Central Pennsylvania Humane Society had announced that it would “be closed for several weeks” because of an outbreak of feline panleukopenia, a highly contagious viral disease. According to the report, “a dozen cats” had died from the virus at the facility. (See the June 2023, Altoona, Pennsylvania, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Fairfield County, South Carolina
WISTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Fairfield County Animal Control had stopped accepting all dogs because of an outbreak of parvovirus.
Youngstown, Ohio
WKBN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mahoning County Dog Warden was “full” and turning away dogs. According to the report, a spokesperson for the facility said that when residents call to surrender dogs, they’re told that the facility has no space and that many of them “end up turning [the dogs] loose.” She claimed that residents could be put on a waiting list. (See the August 2023, Austintown, Ohio, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Grand Island, New York
WKBW.com reported that six weeks after entering into a contract with the city of Niagara Falls, a private group with “no-kill” policies doing business as Pit Chic had announced that it had been “over capacity” since its start. A city spokesperson reportedly said that “there is now a waitlist to surrender a dog to the city. This has led to people lying to the police saying they found the dogs when they actually are getting rid of them themselves.”
Benton County, Washington
KEPRTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Benton County Canine Shelter had claimed that it was “full,” had a waiting list to turn in animals, and was turning animals away.
Athens, Georgia
ClassicCityNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Athens-Clarke County Animal Services was refusing to accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them because of an outbreak “of canine parvovirus and space constraints.” (See the July 2023, Athens, Georgia, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Brookhaven, Pennsylvania
DelcoTimes.com reported that a dog who was adopted from a self-professed “lifesaving organization” doing business as Providence Animal Center had been strangled to death before his throat was slit by the adopter’s father. According to the report, the adopter had “signed a liability waiver indicating that [the dog] may need professional behavior services.” She reportedly called twice to schedule an appointment to surrender the dog after he “exhibited aggressive behavior, including an alleged bite.” Before the appointment date, the adopter allegedly “messaged friends on social media and via text that her father” had taken “‘matters into his own hands.’” Investigating authorities found the dog’s body buried in the backyard of the home. A necropsy reportedly “found the cause of death was strangulation with the laceration occurring after [the dog] was expired.” The suspect was charged “with cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to animals involving torture.”
Syracuse, New York
CNYHomepage.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Central New York SPCA claimed that it was “full” and was turning animals away. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that “because people can’t wait, strays are sky rocketing.” According to the report, the spokesperson said that in one case, a dog had been thrown out of a truck. He said, “A lot of places are not accepting surrenders, so I understand people, they’re frustrated.”
Skiatook, Oklahoma
NewsOn6.com reported that a group with “no-kill” policies doing business as Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue had claimed that it was “full” and would be “closed for intake through the end of the year.”
Cincinnati, Ohio
WCPO.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society was turning away all dogs because of an outbreak of an upper respiratory infection. Residents who had found lost or homeless dogs were told to try to find the animals’ owners themselves. (See the April 2023, Cincinnati, Ohio, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Las Vegas, Nevada
ReviewJournal.com reported that three dogs had died of suspected strep zoo, a serious respiratory illness, at a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as The Animal Foundation. Two additional dogs had become so ill that they had to be euthanized. According to the report, the facility’s “veterinary team has started treatment for all dogs with an antibiotic to prevent the spread of Strep Zoo.” (See the April 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Muncie, Indiana
TheStarPress.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Muncie Animal Care and Services had claimed that it was “full” and had stopped accepting animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it had “no more space to safely house dogs.” (See the November 2022, Muncie, Indiana, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Andover, Minnesota
StarTribune.com reported that authorities had seized 30 dogs from an unnamed self-professed animal “rescue” after eight dead dogs believed to have belonged to the group were found dumped approximately 50 miles away. CBSNews.com reported that Andover city authorities had deemed the “rescue uninhabitable.” Seized animals were described as “very thirsty [and] very hungry” by a spokesperson for a group that was caring for them. An investigation was reportedly ongoing.
Kalamazoo, Michigan
MLive.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement had implemented a policy of requiring appointments before it would accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. According to the report, appointments would only be “scheduled as space allows.”
Phoenix, Arizona
SanDiegoUnionTribune.com reported that 318 small homeless animals who had been transported from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) in California to a similar group in Arizona doing business as the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA), reportedly “to alleviate pressure on local shelters,” had been given to “two brothers, one of them known to sell small animals as live food for snakes.” According to the report, a spokesperson for SDHS confirmed that one of the brothers “was linked to a reptile breeder in Pheonix called the Fertile Turtle, which breeds reptiles and sells ‘feeder animals’ presumably for reptiles. The Fertile Turtle’s social media accounts have since been deleted.” Some of the animals had apparently been returned after members of the public began asking questions about their whereabouts, but 250 of them couldn’t be accounted for. SDHS and HSSA were reportedly investigating. (See the July 2019, Escondido, California, entry below for more information about SDHS.)
Cape Coral, Florida
NBC-2.com reported that a dog who had been adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” facility in Florida doing business as Cape Coral Animal Shelter had been found “a couple of years” later after he’d evidently been abandoned in Tennessee. According to the report, he’d “liv[ed] at different shelters throughout Southwest Florida” before he was adopted and was again placed up for adoption at the Florida facility. (See the March 2021, Cape Coral, Florida, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Louisville, Kentucky
SpectrumNews1.com reported that a spokesperson for a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Louisville Metro Animal Services “said the shelter has been at capacity for at least the last two years.” The facility was reportedly turning away dogs taken to it by residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them.
Griffith, Indiana
WGNTV.com reported that after he was turned away from a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Griffith Animal Control & Shelter, a man had allegedly left a dog he no longer wanted tied to a nearby fence. The facility reportedly accepted the dog after he or she was abandoned. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it wouldn’t accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them and was “near max capacity as it is.”
Hall County, Georgia
WSBTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Hall County Animal Shelter had stopped accepting all cats because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. According to the report, the facility expected to turn away cats for at least two weeks.
Newark, New Jersey
TAPInto.net reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Associated Humane Societies was turning away animals and claimed to be “full.” A public post by the facility reportedly said that there was a waiting list for residents who were unable or unwilling to care for dogs that “stretches ‘well into February 2024,’ with more than 125 families looking to surrender their dogs [and] ‘no end in sight.’”
Roanoke, Virginia
WDBJ7.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Regional Center for Animal Care & Protection was turning away dogs because of an outbreak of “an upper respiratory virus.”
Greene County, North Carolina
WCTI12.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Greene County Animal Shelter was turning away cats because of an outbreak of a contagious disease.
Bulloch County, Georgia
StatesboroHerald.com reported that authorities had removed more than 100 dogs and 30 cats from a residence where they were found hoarded in conditions described by a first responder as “beyond deplorable.” The report said that “firefighters went in with hazmat suits and oxygen tanks to clean up the area as much as possible.” Authorities then “found 80 dogs living in pens and in every room of the house. Between 30 and 40 cats were inside as well. Another 22 dogs were living outside, for a total of 102 dogs—of all sizes and breeds.” All the cats suffered from “upper respiratory issues due to the ammonia from the urine and lack of ventilation.” The county’s animal control supervisor said that “the homeowner told him that he and his late wife worked with various animal rescues and humane societies and also fostered cats and dogs.” An investigation was ongoing.
Genesee County, Michigan
WNEM.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Genesee County Animal Control had closed for more than a week because of a case of canine parvo virus. According to the report, “This is the sixth time Genesee County Animal Control has closed due to parvo since May.” (See the August 2023, Genesee County, Michigan, entry below for more information about this facility.)
New York, New York
ABC7NY.com reported that a publicly funded sheltering system operated by a company with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Care Centers of NYC claimed that it was “full” and had stopped accepting all dogs. (See the July 2023, New York, New York, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh said that an “alarming” number of animals had been abandoned outside its facility. According to the report, some had been left dangerously tied up or in boxes outside the facility, which requires appointments before accepting animals.
Wake County, North Carolina
WRAL.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Wake County Animal Center would be closed for more than a month because of an outbreak of canine influenza. The facility reportedly wouldn’t accept any animals during the closure. Three dogs had died at the facility, and “approximately 57 dogs have been diagnosed with upper respiratory infections since Sept. 15.” A county commissioner reportedly said that the facility had been “‘past capacity for well over a year’” and that “‘tons of dogs living together in one space—that’s the perfect breeding ground for viruses like this.’” MyFOX8.com later reported that “at least six dogs” had been left outside the facility, “tied to trees and abandoned in crates,” in just one week since it had stopped accepting animals.
Orange County, California
OCRegister.com reported that a spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Southern California Herpetology Association & Rescue admitted that an unspecified number of animals who had been transferred to the group from a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as OC Animal Care had been handed over to unapproved groups and organizations, including those that were not nonprofits and those that supply animals to be used as “classroom pets” and at “petting zoos.” According to the report, the group “has taken possession of more than 800 animals from Orange County Animal Care since 2022.” The spokesperson also said that the group doesn’t follow up after handing animals over to other groups. (See the January 2019, Orange County, California, entry below for more information about OC Animal Care.)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
OKCFOX.com reported that former employees of a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare said that the facility was unsafe for animals as well as workers. Concerns included crowded kennels in which dogs often fought and a recent dog attack on a worker. (See the August 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Everett, Washington
HeraldNet.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Everett Animal Shelter had “a two- to three-month waitlist” for people to turn in animals they were unable or unwilling to care for. Residents were being told to use social media to find homes for animals, instead of relying on the publicly funded animal shelter.
Roswell, New Mexico
RDRNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Roswell Animal Services had stopped accepting animals because of an outbreak of upper respiratory infections at the facility.
Yakima, Washington
NBCRightNow.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as the Yakima Humane Society (YHS) as well as other area facilities with “no-kill” policies claimed to be “full” and were turning away animals. An area resident said she found “four malnourished and dehydrated kittens. The next day, she heard a fifth cat crying for help, stuck in between the fence.” After rescuing the animals, she said that she had called area animal shelters but that none of them would accept the animals, all claiming to be “full.” According to the report, the resident had also called area veterinary providers and determined that providing needed veterinary care to the five homeless cats she’d found would cost approximately $1,000. A spokesperson for YHS reportedly said that the facility had been “at capacity for months on end” and suggested that residents use social media to find homes for animals, rather than using the services of the publicly funded animal shelter.
Indianapolis, Indiana
FOX59.com reported that two dogs had died and intake of animals had been halted at a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services because of an outbreak of “the bacteria strain ‘streptococcus equi zooepidemicus,’ or strep zoo.” (See the September 2023, Indianapolis, Indiana, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in September 2023
Austin, Texas
FOX7Austin.com reported that an audit requested by the Austin City Council had found conditions at the city’s self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Austin Animal Center to be crowded, “unsanitary,” and “unsafe.” After reviewing the audit, a council member said, “Those conditions described are nothing less than abhorrent, sickening and entirely unacceptable.” The audit also reportedly “says the shelter continues to stop taking in animals more times than not due to claims of overcrowding.” KXAN.com reported that after the audit was released, the parents of a child who had been mauled by a dog adopted from the facility but known to be dangerous were asking city leaders to consider the “human cost” of the facility’s “no-kill” policy. Their daughter sustained severe injuries, including “a concussion, a broken arm, a punctured skull and [she] had to undergo treatment for bites to the head, which included having her ‘skin literally ripped from her cranial tissue,’” a lawsuit against the city said. According to the report, “The family believes the shelter is pressured to release dangerous animals into the community to hit the City’s 95% live release rate.” (See the August 2023, Austin, Texas, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Cody, Wyoming
KTVQ.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Park County Animal Shelter was turning away animals because of an outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis, also known as “FIP.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that 22 cats had died of the disease there. (See the July 2023, Park County, Wyoming, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Haywood County, North Carolina
WLOS.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Haywood County Animal Services claimed to be “full” and was turning away animals. According to the report, the facility’s director said that if residents find lost or homeless animals, they should “plan on keeping [them] at least for a while.”
Jefferson County, Ohio
WTOV9.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Jefferson County Humane Society claimed to be “full” and was turning away dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them.
Altamonte Springs, Florida
WESH.com reported that authorities had charged the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Skys the Limit Pet Rescue LLC with five felony counts of cruelty to animals “after they discovered several malnourished dogs, along with animal remains, at her home.” According to the report, “[P]olice said they found ‘multiple emaciated dogs in cages without food or water, and birds in cages filled with feces and cockroaches.’” They said the dogs were starving and had “clearly” been denied “water for an extended period of time.” Investigators also “found two sheds in the backyard that did not have ventilation. They said they found dogs locked inside and a dog’s skeleton on the ground. They also found 15 trash bags filled with dead dogs and kittens.” The suspect, Tonya Grose, reportedly “handed over at least 26 dogs, 13 cats and two birds” to authorities and told them that the skeletal dog at her home had been given to her by an animal shelter. Of the surviving animals, authorities said that “one dog died while they were on the scene and another died in transit to the shelter.” An investigation was ongoing.
DeKalb County, Georgia
WSBTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility doing business as DeKalb County Animal Services operated through a contract with a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as LifeLine Animal Project was chronically crowded, resulting in violations of state law. According to the report, state authorities had visited the facility, usually after receiving complaints from the public, “56 times since Jan. 2022.” During inspections, they noted repeated violations, including filth that resulted in “[d]ogs lying in their own waste and contaminated food” and animals housed in damaged and “[c]ollapsible and airline crates” that were “too small.” (See the May 2023, Atlanta, Georgia, entry below for more information about this group.)
Walker County, Georgia
NewsChannel9.com reported that authorities had seized 177 animals, including 100 dogs and an unspecified number of chickens, pigs, and rabbits from a property where they were found in hoarded conditions “and without shelter.” Fifteen dead animals were also found. According to the report, Patricia and Jerry Bryant were facing two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and “numerous counts of misdemeanor [cruelty to animals], along with misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer.” A spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” in Tennessee doing business as Paws Angels Dog Rescue reportedly admitted that the group had sent five dogs to the couple “for training.” It wasn’t reported whether the animals survived.
New Castle County, Delaware
DelawareOnline.com reported that a van that was transporting 23 homeless dogs from an unspecified number of animal shelters in Louisiana “to multiple” unnamed self-professed animal rescues had been hit by another vehicle, causing it to “veer off the roadway and overturn in an embankment.” Workers at a facility in Delaware were allegedly assessing the dogs, at least one of whom required emergency veterinary care for an injured leg. No additional information was available. WTNH.com later reported that the animals were being transported by a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Dog Star Rescue.
Bowling Green, Ohio
13ABC.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Wood County Humane Society had been closed for more than a week because of an outbreak of feline panleukopenia. According to the report, the facility was expected to be “closed for at least another 10 days.”
Chandler, Arizona
LawAndCrime.com reported that authorities had seized 55 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Special Needs Animal Rescue after they were found “malnourished” and “living in squalor in a home so bad it had to be condemned, according to an arrest report.” Five dead puppies were also found in a freezer at the home. “Rescue” owner April McLaughlin was reportedly “facing 55 counts each” of cruelty to and abuse of animals, “along with one count of vulnerable [adult] abuse, a felony, after her mother also was found in the home.” During a court hearing, prosecutors reportedly “said dogs were found in their own feces, had no water and many of them will likely have to be euthanized because they were found in such poor conditions, KTVK reported. The police report also said many of the dogs had trouble vocalizing and were covered in tarps. Some were allegedly in wire crates stacked on top of each other.” KTAR.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue,” doing business in Texas as Yaqui Animal Rescue, admitted that it had “sent two disabled dogs” to the property. The report also revealed that “[u]rine and feces caked the walls, court documents said. An industrial hygienist deemed the air quality dangerous and told officials to put on self-contained breathing apparatuses. ‘The majority of the 55 dogs around the home were in need of immediate medical attention due to the various injuries,’ court document said. ‘The majority of the dogs dragged themselves to get around or shook due to neurological issues.’ None of the animals had direct access to water, court documents said.” AZFamily.com reported that another self-professed animal “rescue” doing business in Arizona as Handover Rover had also admitted that it sent a blind dog to the property. This animal’s whereabouts were unknown.
Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
CBSNews.com reported that authorities had charged Shannon Steele and Russel Steele, the operators of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Northern Lakes Rescue, with several felony counts related to tax fraud. According to the report, Shannon Steele was accused of withdrawing thousands of dollars from bank accounts connected to the “rescue” and “using those funds to buy airplane tickets, appliances, groceries, jet ski rentals, and video games.” The couple had reportedly “avoided paying more than $300,000 in taxable income.”
Hackensack, New Jersey
NorthJersey.com reported that a woman who’d sustained life-altering injuries when she was attacked by a pit bull who was being “fostered” for a self-professed “no-kill rescue” doing business as Eleventh Hour Rescue had “reached a settlement with the nonprofit owner of the dog for $1.62 million.” According to the report, when the dog attacked the plaintiff, her thumb was severed and “could not be reattached.” It went on to reveal that “[t]he rescue pinned blame on the owner of the foster home, and it entered a counterclaim to demand that he indemnify the nonprofit and provide coverage of liability insurance. He later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, court records show, because he was uninsured.”
Orange County, Florida
WESH.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Orange County Animal Services was turning away animals because of an outbreak of canine pneumovirus. According to the report, shelter staff “want people to stop dropping animals off, including stray animals and animals you want to surrender, including cats even though cats can’t get the virus.” Residents were being asked to use social media and flyers to locate animals’ owners or to find new homes for the animals themselves.
Pierceton, Indiana
WNDU.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County routinely turns away animals when it’s “full.” According to the report, an elderly dog had been warehoused there for 147 days and “the problem of overcrowding has reached critical mass” at the facility.
Loxahatchee, Florida
CBS12.com reported that authorities had sent a notice of violation to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Big Dog Ranch Rescue after the group allegedly purchased “puppies from a puppy mill auction in the Midwest and [brought] them back to Palm Beach County.” According to the report, a county “ordinance specifically states, that no nonprofit or animal rescue can provide compensation directly or indirectly to any breeder or pet dealer in exchange for a cat or dog.” A spokesperson for the “rescue” group told the outlet that the group had “purchased around 250 dogs from a puppy mill auction in Missouri.” A spokesperson for the county explained, “If you’re putting money into [a breeder’s] bank account, you’re not solving a problem, you’re enabling a problem. There are plenty of dogs out there, you don’t need to go running around buying them.” No additional information was available.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
WDEF.com reported that a spokesperson for a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as McKamey Animal Center said it was crowded and housing animals in “pop ups” as well as offices. She said that dogs were also “doubled up in kennels that are really supposed to house one dog.” According to the report, one dog had been warehoused at the facility for 600 days. The spokesperson reportedly said that warehoused dogs were “displaying signs of kennel stress and depression” and that “at some point we are going to hit a breaking point where we just don’t have humane housing and it is actually becoming inhumane to keep animals in cages and kennels for so long.” (See the June 2023, Chattanooga, Tennessee, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Parsons, Kansas
NewsTalkKZRG.com reported that authorities had shut down a self-professed animal “rescue” that had been operating illegally. According to the report, an unspecified number of animals had been found at a home that had “no current running water … or working sewer system.” The resident “claimed to be running a ‘nonprofit animal rescue.’” The resident had reportedly been ordered “to remove all of the animals from the city.” The investigation was ongoing. No additional information was available.
Evansville, Indiana
WEVV.com reported that authorities had seized an unspecified number of dogs from a home where they were being kept “for a local no-kill shelter.” According to the report, “[O]fficials say they found the conditions were ‘deplorable’ and not suitable for people or animals to be living in. They said the smell coming from the home was ‘nearly intolerable,’ and that the floor was covered in urine and feces. Animal Control officials say that there were multiple dogs in the home that are beyond medical help and need to be euthanized.” A police report revealed “that the dogs were all pulled from different shelters in the Tri-State, and that the offender ‘should not be allowed to foster any dogs at all.’” 14News.com reported that the owner of the home, Victoria Smith, was a board member of a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Another Chance for Animals. CourierPress.com later reported that the group had been “hit with $2,800 in fines on 28 counts of failing to maintain sanitary premises occupied by an animal” after cats were also found “being kept in unsanitary conditions” by the group.
White Oak, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that after a man with a cat had been turned away from a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as White Oak Animal Safe Haven, where workers claimed the facility was “full,” he had allegedly left the cat in a carrier in some bushes outside the business. According to the report, the cat was “severely matted” and in need of care. The animal was evidently taken into the facility after he or she had been left outside.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
KRMG.com reported that after a couple with a dog had been turned away from a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Humane Society of Tulsa, where workers claimed the facility was “full,” they had allegedly “kicked the dog out of the car, and drove off.” According to the report, “An employee allegedly saw it happen and rescued the dog, [who] was extremely skinny and neglected.”
Los Angeles, California
RandomLengthsNews.com reported that the general manager of a publicly funded animal control and sheltering system with “no-kill” policies doing business Los Angeles Animal Services found that “each of L.A. Animal Services’ six shelters is well over capacity to properly care for the animals housed there, regarding both sanitation and exercise and enrichment activities. While the shelters remain overcrowded, enforcement officers out on abuse or neglect calls also face the problem of deciding to remove an animal living in poor conditions, without a guarantee of better conditions at the shelter.” She added, “‘Animals are suffering in our shelters, and so are those who care for them. … We keep animals in crates in hallways for days, weeks, or months at a time. Staff and volunteers are injured by animals subject to fear, anxiety, and stress. Our caregivers know that the animals receive substandard care.’” See the December 2022, Los Angeles, California, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Idaho Falls, Idaho
EastIdahoNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Snake River Animal Shelter claimed it was “full” and had “a waitlist to surrender roughly 120 dogs.” According to the report, publicly funded facilities with “no-kill” policies doing business as Pocatello Animal Services Department and Blackfoot Animal Shelter & Rescue also claimed to be “full” and were turning animals away. A spokesperson for the Blackfoot facility said that dogs were being housed “in travel kennels on the floor of our shelter” and that multiple cats and dogs were confined together in some kennels and cages.
Indianapolis, Indiana
FOX59.com reported that “more than a dozen current and former employees, volunteers and surrounding county humane society directors” were alleging that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) had been telling members of the public to put homeless animals they’d rescued back on the streets or lie to other facilities in an attempt to get them to accept the animals. The director of a facility in another county reportedly “told FOX59/CBS4 that after taking in more than 40 Marion County dogs last year she started driving the dogs back to IACS and leaving them at their back door.” (See the August 2023, Indianapolis, Indiana, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in August 2023
Dallas, Texas
Lakewood.AdvocateMag.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Dallas Animal Services (DAS) had been confining animals to crowded spaces and turning other animals away over the summer. According to the report, dogs were “doubled up in kennels, makeshift kennels [had been] erected in hallways,” and the facility refused to accept stray animals. A resident said that “she went to the DAS shelter in mid-July with two ‘bitty little’ kittens [who] had been abandoned near her home. She and her daughter decided to care for them after it was clear one was struggling in the summer heat. But when [the resident’s] daughter took the cats to the shelter, she says an employee did not evaluate the cats before sending her away.” By the next day, one of the kittens was “basically dying” and was taken back to the shelter, which admitted the animal for euthanasia. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that “the shelter generally encourages the public to leave kittens outside.”
Fort Worth, Texas
CBSNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Humane Society of North Texas said that it had “seen an uptick in people dumping animals outside their facilities, often when the shelter isn’t open. Eight dogs and cats were abandoned outside their shelters in the last 10 days.” According to the report, because of high temperatures in the area, animals left outside required medical treatment for heat-related illnesses and two dogs died of heatstroke. WFAA.com later reported that two more kittens had been left outside the facility, both of whom needed treatment for dehydration. In yet a later report, WFAA.com reported that a facility spokesperson “said a man threw a kitten in the shelter vestibule on Friday.” According to the facility’s website, it requires fees and appointments to accept animals and will accept them only on a “space permitted” basis.
Evesham Township, New Jersey
CBSNews.com reported that authorities had found “more than 30 dead dogs and nine injured canines” inside a New Jersey “foster home” that had been given animals by a self-professed animal “rescue” in North Carolina doing business as Tender Mercies Pet Organization and possibly others. (According to a KRDO.com report, “The rescue group had given the pair money to care for some of its dogs.”) The injured dogs were reportedly taken to an animal hospital, where one of them was found to be in such bad shape that he or she had to be euthanized. According to the report, “The scene was something [an] officer with nearly 30 years of experience said he had never seen before. ‘There’s dogs in cages, live dogs in cages, dead dogs in cages, dead animals throughout the house lying on the floor,’ he said.” Authorities also removed a 9-year-old child who had been living among the dead animals in the home. According to the report, authorities also “found about 70 more dogs in holes in the backyard covered with a tarp, possibly dead because of malnourishment. Police believe as many as 100 dogs may have died at the home.” Rebecca Halbach and Brandon Leconey were facing charges of child endangerment and cruelty to animals.
Rosenberg, Texas
KHOU.com reported that an elderly dog had been left outside a publicly funded self-described “managed intake” facility doing business as Rosenberg Animal Control and Shelter. According to the report, it was 108 degrees outside when he was left and he wasn’t found until the next day. The dog reportedly had an unregistered microchip that had been sold to an unnamed self-professed animal “rescue” group. He was expected to survive. An area resident reportedly commented on a public post about the incident, saying that it was “virtually impossible” to find an animal shelter or adoption group in the community that would accept a dog and that when she had found two stray dogs, all local facilities refused to accept them. Because of that, she said she had had to keep them.
Ridgway, Colorado
OurayNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Second Chance Humane Society was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the facility had 60 families on a waiting list to surrender animals they were unable or unwilling to care for. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that people on the waitlist “typically” had to wait for two months and that some individuals and families had “spent more than 3 1/2 months on the list.”
Lima, Ohio
WLWT.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for almost five years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals. According to the report, the dog was “almost 6 years old” and had been at the facility since 2018. Shelter workers reportedly said she’d “require multiple visits in order to gain trust in” an adopter. She would also reportedly require “a home with no small children and a fenced yard due to her flighty demeanor.”
Indianapolis, Indiana
Axios.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services had been full and turning away animals “for months.” The facility would reportedly only accept animals by appointment and was housing dogs in crates that lined the hallways, in offices that weren’t designed for that purpose, and in area “day care and boarding facilities.” (See the May 2023, Indianapolis, Indiana, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Newsweek.com reported that a 5-year-old dog had been warehoused for “the majority of his life” at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Main Line Animal Rescue.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
CBS58.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission would be turning away lost and homeless cats for at least two weeks because of an outbreak of panleukopenia. According to the report, residents who found lost or homeless cats were being told to leave them on the streets.
El Paso, Texas
KTSM.com reported that residents had protested at a city council meeting about a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as El Paso Animal Services (EPAS) that had been turning away animals. A protester told the outlet that residents were “asking City Council to stop the ‘no intake’ rule that Animal Services allegedly has in place. [He] said it’s been seven months since Animal Services had a distemper outbreak and stopped taking animals in.” He also said that “he’s been told [by workers at EPAS] to put animals back on the street.” (See the September 2022, El Paso, Texas, entry below and PETA’s action alert here for more details about this facility.)
Cheyenne, Wyoming
KGAB.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Cheyenne Animal Shelter was full and turning away cats and kittens. According to the report, the facility had publicly posted a message saying that area residents routinely “verbally abuse” workers at the facility when they refuse to accept animals from them and often “show up later with ‘stray animals’ … they found and cannot keep.” Animals were reportedly also being left outside the building. (See the January 2022, Cheyenne, Wyoming, entry for more information about this facility.)
Pasco, Washington
KEPRTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Tri-Cities Animal Shelter was full and telling residents not to take animals to it. According to the report, residents were being told to use social media to find the owners of lost animals and find homes for animals themselves.
Warrenton, Oregon
DailyAstorian.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Clatsop County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, 29 animals were on a waiting list and it could take up to five months before animals on the list would be accepted.
Florence, South Carolina
WMBFNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Florence Area Humane Society was full and turning away animals. According to the report, every day workers at the facility were “‘overwhelmed’ with the number of calls from people finding abandoned animals or people wanting to surrender [animals], the shelter says.” A news release issued by the facility reportedly said that it had “no more space” and that animals at the facility were being housed in crates and “doubled up” in kennels and cages.
Farmville, Virginia
FarmvilleHerald.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Prince Edward County Animal Control would be turning away animals for at least two weeks because of a case of “highly contagious canine respiratory infection.” According to the report, a spokesperson for the facility said that stray dogs would not be picked up and asked residents to try to find the owners of stray animals or house them themselves.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
PennRecord.com reported that a lawsuit had been filed against a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lycoming County SPCA by a woman who said a dog she had adopted from the facility had attacked and injured a cat who lived in her home. According to the report, the lawsuit alleged that the adopter had been “assured by a staff member in person that [the dog] had been tested with cats and was safe.” However, two days after the dog was brought home, he “spotted plaintiff’s cat and immediately attacked [the animal] snapping the leash, physically striking the cat repeatedly and injuring [him or her], and causing veterinary care and expenses. Plaintiff attempted to save her cat from the attack, but she was unable to pull [the dog] off, when the dog lunged back into her right leg with his full force and body weight causing a tibial plateau fracture to her right leg and injuring her right wrist.” The adopter was reportedly “seeking damages in excess of the mandatory arbitration limits of Lycoming County, together with any such other relief as the Court deems just and appropriate.”
Georgetown, Texas
FOX7Austin.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Georgetown Animal Shelter was turning away dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them because of a distemper outbreak.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
WMBFNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Grand Strand Humane Society would be turning away all cats for at least two weeks because of a case of panleukopenia.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
CBC.ca reported that authorities had charged a man “with causing unnecessary suffering to animals [and] injuring or endangering animals” for allegedly abusing a dog he was fostering for a self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Animal Rescue Foundation of Alberta. The dog was reportedly seized along with a second dog found in the man’s possession. According to the report, the dog who was being fostered “was taken to a designated forensic veterinarian for examination which found injuries on the dog believed to be consistent with abuse.” The group that gave him the dog to foster reportedly posted publicly that it had become “aware of an online post that showed a man with a dog [who] had [her] mouth tied shut and other details of abuse.” No additional information was available.
Flagstaff, Arizona
AZCentral.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Ark Cat Sanctuary had “accused a man of adopting, torturing and killing cats. Police confirmed officers are investigating the situation.” According to the report, the facility had posted on social media that the man “won’t be adopting from … us ever again. … Police are investigating.” No additional information was available.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the shelter said it has “no space for any more cats or dogs.”
Visalia, California
OurValleyVoice.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Tulare County Animal Services was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it had 150 dogs at the 50-kennel facility. She also said that there were “entire litters of puppies growing up in the shelter without human contact.” According to an animal control officer, it had “run out of space.
Lufkin, Texas
CBS19.tv reported that a publicly funded facility self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Kurth Memorial Animal Services & Adoption Center was full and turning away animals.
Washington, D.C.
DCist.com reported that “multiple volunteers” at two facilities with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) alleged that conditions were crowded, inhumane, and filthy. One longtime volunteer reportedly said, “If HRA found this somewhere out in the community, it would be a neglect case … [HRA] would be talking about it in the media, [and] they would be fundraising around it.” The report said that “multiple volunteers reported that due to overcrowding in the kennels … HRA began housing between 20–25 dogs in crates in a windowless warehouse …. Many of the dogs in the warehouse are sick with an upper respiratory infection, according to volunteers.” One alleged that “some of the dogs can’t turn around in their crates.” The report also noted that “[a]n HRA spokesperson said the dogs were first warehoused due to a crowding issue, and as a result of many dogs being kept in the same place, respiratory infections and dog flus are an unavoidable occurrence. Currently, both locations are experiencing a K9 flu outbreak. ‘We’re often over capacity, which means that we’ve had dogs living in crates, which is heartbreaking,’ the spokesperson said. ‘And so one of the big problems that happens is that disease spreads the more animals you have.’”
Asheville, North Carolina
WLOS.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Brother Wolf Animal Rescue (BWAR) had “shut down dog adoption and stray surrender services” because of “a ‘highly contagious’ outbreak of pneumonia” at the facility. According to the report, “a few dogs are in the veterinary hospital in critical condition.” A publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies in the community doing business as Asheville Humane Society (AHS) had reportedly also stopped accepting stray dogs because it was full. WLOS.com reported that a BWAR spokesperson said that after AHS stopped accepting stray dogs, BWAS had taken in a stray puppy found at an outlet mall by a woman who said that AHS refused to accept the animal. According to the report, “The Humane Society is the sole contractor for Buncombe County, responsible for managing the stray population. The county provided an additional $500,000 in funding in the most recent budget cycle, granting the nonprofit $1.7 million to run what essentially amounts to Buncombe County’s animal shelter for cats and dogs.”
Quincy, Florida
WCTV.tv reported that authorities were investigating conditions at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rest Your Paws Pet Refuge Inc. after a former volunteer alleged “neglect and mistreatment” at the group’s facility. According to the report, a woman who had adopted a dog from the group said that part of her family’s reason for adopting the animal was that they didn’t think she would have survived if she had been left at the group’s facility. After the adoption, the dog was reportedly diagnosed with “multiple health issues, including tapeworms, hookworms and Giardia.” The adopter said that she had “spent hundreds of dollars in vet fees to get her dog on the mend.”
Estherville, Iowa
Newsweek.com reported that a cat had been warehoused for nine years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Emmet County Animal Shelter. According to the report, the cat had been taken to the facility with his littermates when he was a kitten.
LaFayette, Georgia
NorthwestGeorgiaNews.com reported that authorities had seized 98 cats and three dogs from a property where they had been found in conditions described as “alarming.” According to the report, “The dogs were tied to trees outside and dozens of cats were confined in cages stacked one on top of another; one cat was dead in [a] cage,” according to a county spokesperson. Two volunteers with local animal adoption groups said that the animals’ owner, Kathryn Marie Decker, worked as an “independent,” unlicensed animal “rescuer” and “was known in animal rescue circles.” Decker was reportedly arrested “and charged with aggravated [cruelty to animals] and willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, with more charges pending.” A facility caring for the seized animals shared that veterinary examinations had “determined that about half of them were suffering from fleas, ear mites and/or upper respiratory infections.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
KTUL.com reported that seven dogs had been found in “deplorable” conditions after they’d been abandoned at a trailer in Oklahoma City, where area animal shelters with “no-kill” policies had been turning away animals. (See the July 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entry below for more information). A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department said that “at least once a week,” the department had been “rescuing dogs from this very same circumstance.” As he noted, the abandoned dogs had reportedly been “left with no air conditioning, water, or food during the hottest month of the year” and “were obviously thirsty [and] needed food …. There was no real shelter for them.” He went on to say that the publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare (OCAW) was “already overloaded …. They’ve got too many animals in there as is,” but the dogs had been taken there for care. The outlet reportedly contacted the facility “multiple times for an update on the dogs’ condition but never heard back.” OKCFOX.com later reported that OCAW had shut down “for the third time this year due to a respiratory infection outbreak.”
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
WJLA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Prince George’s County Animal Services Facility & Adoption Center had announced that it would be closed to the public for at least two weeks because of an outbreak of canine flu.
Anniston, Alabama
WVTM13.com reported that approximately 60 dogs and cats had been rescued from a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as League for Animal Welfare after it had “abruptly closed its doors,” leaving ill and injured animals without care. A spokesperson for an animal shelter that was caring for the animals said that animals found there included a dog with a broken leg and “a nursing mother” who had apparently been “hit by a car or [sustained] some sort of trauma that wasn’t addressed.” It wasn’t clear if criminal charges were being pursued. (See the April 2023, Anniston, Alabama, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Derwood, Maryland
MoCo360.media reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center was full and turning away animals. According to the report, animals were not being accepted at the facility “to help prevent euthanasia.”
Las Vegas, Nevada
KNPR.org reported that a county audit of a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as The Animal Foundation (TAF) had found that the facility had “inflated its population projections to discourage animal control officers from bringing animals to the shelter.” The facility routinely turns away animals, claiming that it’s full. According to the report, “The audit also notes TAF asserts it receives animals on an emergency basis, ‘but we could not determine how an emergency is identified.’” (See the May 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Huntington, West Virginia
WSAZ.com reported that authorities had seized 31 dogs and cats from a couple after they were found stacked in cages in a filthy house. According to the report, a spokesperson for a publicly funded animal shelter in the area “says the husband and wife who live in the home had gotten [dog and cat] food from the shelter before, and the couple considered themselves rescuers.” She said that “12 dogs and 19 cats were taken from the home to the shelter, which was already at maximum capacity,” and that many of the animals suffered from “various stages of mange” and some had “horrible skin problems.” An animal control officer reportedly said that 31 cruelty-to-animals “charges will be filed, and code enforcement will be notified about conditions of the home, since it’s not considered safe for anyone to be living there.”
Fort Mill, South Carolina
WCNC.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for nearly six years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Humane Society of York County. According to the report, the dog, who had been taken to the facility in 2017, was “unsure of people.”
Genesee County, Michigan
WNEM.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Genesee County Animal Control would be turning away animals because of a case of parvovirus at the facility. According to the report, the shelter claimed that it was “already at capacity” and “[t]his makes the third closure in 2023 for a parvo outbreak at Genesee County Animal Control.” (See the August 2013, Genesee County, Michigan, entry for more information about this facility.)
Portage, Wisconsin
WKOW.com reported that authorities had arrested a man “on multiple counts of mistreatment of animals—causing death” after finding six decomposing rabbits buried in his yard. According to the report, the animals had all been “adopted from different animal rescue centers in southern Wisconsin.” Authorities had reportedly been contacted by a self-professed animal “rescue” that alleged that the suspect “was trying to adopt more rabbits after others had died in his care.” A court date was set in the case.
Shelby, North Carolina
ShelbyStar.com reported that residents who attended a meeting of the county commission had expressed concerns about animals being turned away from a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Cleveland County Animal Services. According to the report, the director of the facility said that it was full and has a “managed intake” policy.
Austintown, Ohio
WKBN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s Office was full and would no longer accept dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. (See the 2018, Boardman, Ohio, entry for more information about this facility.)
Tipton, Iowa
OurQuadCities.com reported that authorities had seized 39 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Just Dogs Rescue and charged its owner, Linda Boots, with “31 counts of animal neglect.” The animals had been “found in filthy, hot conditions where they fought for food, according to arrest affidavits.” According to the affidavits, “Multiple dogs had injuries from fighting and injuries sustained from the poor living conditions.” They also alleged that Boots had “informed officials that multiple dogs have been killed as a result of being attacked by other dogs. Multiple dogs had fur matted with feces from the environment they were forced to live in. Overall, the facility created an unsafe environment for the dogs and was endangering their health and well-being.” A veterinary examination of one of the dogs reportedly found that his fur was matted with feces, one of his corneas was clouded and oozing discharge, and his feet were raw and red. Affidavits reportedly said, “A veterinarian believed a majority of the dogs’ health concerns originate from fighting and lack of basic sanitation. He also believes it is evident that some of the dogs are competing for resources.”
Omaha, Nebraska
KETV.com reported that a woman who was fostering a dog for a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Nebraska Humane Society had sustained serious injuries after she was attacked by the animal. According to the report, the victim’s fiancé called 911 to report the attack. “When officers arrived, they said the dog, an American Bulldog was still attacking [the victim]. An officer shot and killed the ‘dangerous animal,’ according to Omaha police.” A spokesperson for the facility said the dog “was always well behaved.” (See the November 2022/Omaha, Nebraska, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Austin, Texas
FOX7Austin.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Austin Animal Center had announced that there had been “an increase in canines entering the shelter with distemper.” According to the report, “Since mid-July, the Center says it has seen six confirmed and several presumptive distemper cases” and “because it consistently operates above capacity, creating additional space for isolation has become increasingly difficult, says the Center.” (See the June 2023, Austin, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Plaquemine, Louisiana
WAFB.com reported that after he was turned away from a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Iberville Parish Animal Control Shelter, a man was accused of abandoning a dog inside a crate behind a levee. “According to Chief Criminal Deputy Ronnie Hebert, a man tried to surrender his Rottweiler over the weekend at the Iberville Parish Animal Control.” He was reportedly turned away because the facility was “already overcrowded” and he allegedly didn’t live in the parish. According to the report, children playing behind a levee found a dog who was believed to be the same one “inside a small crate in the high heat. The dog died after being transported to the Animal Control center.” A warrant was issued for the arrest of the person believed to be the owner, and authorities reportedly “plan to charge him with aggravated cruelty to animals.”
Las Vegas, Nevada
NevadaCurrent.com reported that a dog had been run over in the parking lot of a publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as The Animal Foundation (TAF) after he or she had been turned away with two other dogs. The animal had evidently sustained fatal injuries. According to the report, a witness saw a couple arguing with employees of the facility while they were being turned away with three allegedly stray dogs. The witness said that the couple “eventually” left, leaving the dogs in two crates in the parking lot. The door fell off one of the crates, and the witness saw two dogs chase the couple’s car, which ran over one of them when it backed out. The report revealed that the animal “was later euthanized by TAF, according to records from City of Las Vegas Animal Control, which is investigating the incident.” (See the May 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Lubbock, Texas
KCBD.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lubbock Animal Services had “halted all intakes and adoptions due to an outbreak among the animals.” According to a facility spokesperson, three dogs who had been warehoused at the facility “anywhere from three to six months” had been found dead in kennels and an adopted dog had also died. According to the report, the spokesperson “stated the outbreak is only affecting dogs at this time; 14 have died at Lubbock Animal Shelter so far. The shelter will remain closed until further notice.” LubbockOnline.com later reported that the disease had been identified as distemper.
Charleston, West Virginia
WCHSTV.com reported that Stacia Aab, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rascals Rescue Inc. was “facing more than two dozen charges after humane officers said dead, injured and starving animals were found at her Kanawha County home.” According to the report, “Investigators believe power to the home had been disconnected in mid-June. Humane officers said they found two dead dogs in a basement freezer, a severely emaciated dog [who] was living in a crate filled with feces and urine and a mother cat with a broken spine along with two dehydrated kittens.” Surviving animals didn’t have access to food or water, according to authorities. Aab was “arrested on 26 pending counts of cruelty to animals.” No additional information was available.
Warrenton, Oregon
JAMN1075.iHeart.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Clatsop County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the facility had a waiting list with approximately 29 animals on it.
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
TheNewsEnterprise.com reported that three employees of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Always Faithful Animal Rescue had been charged with 91 counts of cruelty to animals after authorities found conditions at the property “unsanitary” and “neglectful.” The three were also reportedly “charged with 34 counts of not vaccinating the animals against rabies and 31 counts of not licensing the dogs in the county.” Amy Marie Smith, Kevin Eugene Smith, and Jessica Renae Wagner were scheduled to appear in court. According to the report, “Amy Smith is listed as president of the organization on its website but is named as an employee of the rescue on the citation. Kevin Smith is listed as the president of organization on the rescue’s Secretary of State nonprofit filing and the citation. Wagner is listed as the secretary of the nonprofit on the state filing but as a volunteer and adopter on the website.” No additional information was available.
Phoenix, Arizona
PhoenixNewTimes.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Maricopa County Animal Care & Control was crowding dogs in dangerous conditions. Dogs were reportedly doubled up in kennels at the facility so that one was “on the inside portion of the kennel” and the other was trapped outdoors at all times. According to the report, “July in Phoenix was the hottest month on record for any U.S. city, according to the Arizona State Climatologist and Arizona State Climate Office, helped by 30 days of temperatures at or above 110 degrees.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said about dogs being housed outdoors in the heat, “It’s not ideal by any means when it’s 110-plus outside.” (See the October 2022/Phoenix, Arizona, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Colusa County, California
FOX40.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Colusa County Animal Control had announced that it would no longer accept cats who were found by residents after they’d been abandoned or become separated from their families. According to the report, calls about injured and ill cats would possibly be “assessed” by the agency. A news release issued by the agency reportedly stated that caring for these animals “takes away valuable time and resources that could otherwise be used finding homes for adoptable cats and dogs.”
Brookings, South Dakota
BrookingsRegister.com reported that a man had been arrested and charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly adopting cats from area animal shelters and killing them by choking them to death. According to the report, he had adopted two of the cats from a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Brookings Regional Humane Society (BRHS) and two others apparently from another facility “with the intent of killing them.” When adopting cats, he allegedly “gave different reasons for why the previous cat had died, including saying one cat was run over by a car.” In 2022, a spokesperson for BRHS reportedly said in an interview with SDSUCollegian.com, “Our adoption process is fairly quick and painless …. It’s conversation based, like ‘what are you looking for?’” No additional information was available.
Danville, Kentucky
AMNews.com reported that several residents had spoken at a Fiscal Court meeting to express concern that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Boyle County Animal Control and the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society, which reportedly operates out of the same building (the shelter), had been turning away animals. According to the report, “The Humane Society went through major operational changes around 2019, which in turn affected Animal Control operations.” The changes were made after an outside organization visited as “consultants” to reduce euthanasia rates at the facilities. One resident said she’d taken a badly injured cat to the shelter who’d been found on a road and was turned away. (The resident reportedly then took the cat to a veterinary hospital.) She said she’d also found a cat at a ballfield who was “limping with a leg injury, and appeared malnourished and matted.” When she called animal control, she said she was “given the option” of taking the cat “home or leaving [him or her] at the ballfield.” She took the cat home, and he or she was later diagnosed with feline leukemia. Another resident said that she’d found multiple neglected cats at a property where the homeowner said they weren’t his. She said the animals “were living outside in filth, drinking water with a ton of roaches floating in it, starving.” She also said that “one employee of the Humane Society told me they would have ‘a fine life if after they were spayed and neutered they were returned to those living conditions.’” The resident rescued and found homes for all the cats herself.
Atlanta, Georgia
11Alive.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Lifeline Animal Project had announced that 12 dogs had died in a hot truck in which they were allegedly being transported “to an out-of-state adoption event.” According to the report, a social media post by the group said that 11 dogs had been found dead on the truck and that two who had been found in bad shape had reportedly been taken to an emergency veterinary hospital, where one of them died and the other was receiving treatment. The truck was reportedly carrying 22 other dogs who had survived. (See the May 2023, Atlanta, Georgia, entry below and PETA’s action alert here for more information about this facility.)
July 2023 Reports Showing That ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Madison Township, Ohio
CNN.com reported that authorities had seized more than 90 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Helping Hands for Furry Paws Inc., after they were found in “what deputies and investigators said were ‘the most horrible conditions they have ever seen.’” According to the report, investigators also “found approximately 30 dead dogs and puppies, in various stages of decomposition, stuffed into fridges and freezers,” some of which were reportedly not working. In a garage at one of two properties searched, authorities found “more than 25 caged canines and an indoor temperature of 89 degrees. ‘Numerous animals’ were kept in cages together that were ‘filled with urine, fecal matter, and no food or water,’” according to authorities. A news release issued by the county sheriff’s office said that “Deputy Dog Wardens described the conditions of the house as unlivable. The odor was strong enough to burn their eyes and take away their breath. Conditions were so horrendous that Deputy Dog Wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath.” The owner of the “rescue,” Rhonda Murphy, faces “dozens of charges of neglect and cruelty to companion animals, both felony and misdemeanor,” according to the release.
Fayetteville, Arkansas
NWAHomepage.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Fayetteville Animal Services was full and turning away dogs found as roaming strays or needing to be surrendered by residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them.
Red House, West Virginia
Herald-Dispatch.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Putnam County Animal Shelter would be refusing to accept animals for at least two weeks because of an outbreak of parvovirus. A later post on the facility’s Facebook page said that it would not accept any animals “until further notice” because the facility was full.
Menands, New York
CBS6Albany.com reported that a spokesperson for a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Mohawk Hudson Humane Society said that there had been “a shocking spike” in cases of cruelty to and neglect of animals. “We’re seeing a massive spike. A 156 percent increase year over year,” he said. According to the report, despite the increase, the facility was turning away animals from people who were unable or unwilling to care for them. “We just don’t have enough room,” the spokesperson said. (See the May 2022/Albany, New York, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Akron, Ohio
BeaconJournal.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as County of Summit Division of Animal Control was often full and turned away animals. According to the report, because of frequent closures at the facility, “[d]ogs are being left high and dry, ending up in Summit County Animal Control for months or longer, on the streets of Akron or in the hands of local volunteer … groups” and “[a]nimal wardens, police departments and [private] groups are stuck in the middle” with no place to take animals in need of refuge. A private organization was often called for help “in addition to officers taking dogs home, trying to find places for them to stay temporarily like a local animal hospital, or even keeping them in their cruisers during a shift when the weather is particularly bad during the winter.” An Akron city spokesperson said, “[W]e have had to even overlook certain issues within the community because there has just been nowhere to take the animal.” City council members said they’d been receiving complaints, including one who said that she had “received numerous calls from residents about dogs running loose and the city’s animal wardens not responding.”
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Patch.com reported that after a dog had been adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Brandywine Valley SPCA, he had attacked humans and other dogs on at least three separate occasions in a matter of weeks. According to the report, the dog first attacked another dog, who required surgery to repair the injuries and wounds that he or she had sustained. In another incident, the adopted dog “attacked a woman’s arm.” The next month, he “attacked a woman and her husband who were walking their dogs.” According to the report, a good Samaritan who saw that attack and stopped to help was also bitten. After the attacks, the dog was evidently returned to the facility and euthanized.
Gallatin, Tennessee
MainStreetMediaTN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sumner County Animal Control was turning away dogs because of an outbreak of a likely respiratory virus. A spokesperson for the facility said that staff noticed that some dogs “appeared to be ill and coughing.” According to a later report, “Sumner County Animal Control (SCAC) has closed for intake multiple times this year and previous years, including the past couple weeks.” A spokesperson for an animal adoption group in the area reportedly said that the closure was putting “an additional burden,” including a financial one, on area nonprofits. She said that people who were being turned away by SCAC were being referred to her nonprofit.
Dickson, Tennessee
WSMV.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Humane Society of Dickson County was full and turning away animals. According to the report, some kennels at the facility “hold three of four animals each.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it was also housing dogs in crates in a conference room, “because we have no more room.”
Clewiston, Florida
NBC-2.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Clewiston Animal Services was full and turning away all animals. According to the report, the facility was also asking residents to leave homeless, lost, and at-risk animals on the street unless they had “a plan for where [the animal] will be taken first.”
Vero Beach, Florida
WPTV.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that there had been a heat advisory in effect in the area that posed a danger to animals and that the facility’s turn-away policy was “a major concern.” “It’s been brutally hot these past few days. … We’re a little bit worried about it,” she said.
Kingsport, Tennessee
WJHL.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Petworks Animal Services had announced that it would be turning away animals for at least two weeks because of an outbreak of parvovirus.
New York, New York
FOX5NY.com reported that several facilities with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Animal Care Centers of NYC were full and would no longer accept any cats. According to the report, at least one of the facilities had cages of cats lining its hallways. (See the May 2022/Staten Island, New York, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Corinth, Mississippi
DailyCorinthian.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Corinth-Alcorn Animal Rescue was evidently operating in breach of a contract with the city of Corinth by turning away animals picked up by animal control officers. According to the report, “The city has a contract for services with the shelter to handle the city’s animals. Early this month, [Mayor Ralph Dance] said the shelter, which operates with a no-kill policy, informed the city it would not be accepting any more dogs. This was after the city delivered six abandoned puppies to the shelter.” The city attorney had reportedly sent a letter notifying the organization that it was in breach of contract.
Menifee, California
NBCLosAngeles.com reported that authorities were searching for “Philipp Durand, who refers to himself as a ‘world renowned dog rescuer,’” co-owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Wonder Earth Rescue Inc., after they found more than a dozen dogs confined in “deplorable conditions” at a property rented by him and his partner, Sandrine Casterra. According to the report, “The dogs were found stuffed in a single-room shed inside of a building” and some of them “were chained to the walls of the shed with no ventilation and only a couple of small fans to cool them off.” The animals were seized by animal control officials. Casterra had reportedly been arrested, and authorities were searching for Durand along with three horses who were missing from the property.
Dayton, Ohio
DaytonDailyNews.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (MCARC) was full and turning away animals. Private animal adoption groups in the area reportedly said that “abandoned and stray dogs are a big problem in the community right now partly because people are struggling to find places that will take them in.” A spokesperson for one of the groups said that “community members who find dumped and stray dogs regularly encounter wait lists when they reach out to shelters or animal rescue organizations looking for a place to take the animals.” He went on to say that when no facility will accept animals found by concerned residents, “I feel like we’re training [the public] to turn a blind eye.” A spokesperson for MCARC said that the facility “has been full every day in 2023.” (See the April 2019/Dayton, Ohio, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Jacksonville, Florida
WOKV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) was full and turning away animals. When a man who’d recently found a dog at his job site took the animal to ACPS, he said the facility refused to accept the dog. According to the report, “ACPS is a no-kill shelter, and it’s filled to capacity. About 50 of the kennels are housing two dogs instead of one.” (See the September 2021/Jacksonville, Florida, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Fremont, Nebraska
FremontTribune.com reported that authorities had arrested Rachel “Rae” R. Tuff, the operator of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fremont Pets Alive and Grant’s Wishes Rescue, “on allegations related to illegally running an animal shelter operation or rescue and suspicion of theft of services.” According to the report, “Among the allegations was a report from the Fremont Police Department, which stated that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture had revoked Tuff’s state animal rescue operation license in September 2022.” Tuff had reportedly violated an order prohibiting her from owning or possessing any animals. No additional information was available.
Newton, Mississippi
StarHerald.net reported that authorities had seized “71 dogs … found living in deplorable conditions on two properties” owned by the operators of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Second Paw Dog Rescue. A spokesperson for a nonprofit group that assisted with the seizure said, “This is a very grim situation here. Scattered bones litter the property …. These animals have endured tremendous suffering.” According to the report, “Responders found dozens of dogs chained outdoors to trees, trapped in outdoor cages and camping tents, and several more running loose around the nine-acre, trash-strewn property. The dogs had been without access to food, clean water, or necessary veterinary care. On a separate property, over 40 dogs were found running loose and inside a trailer. Over a dozen dead and decomposing carcasses were found in cages and scattered around the 9-acre property. Two emaciated dogs had to be immediately euthanized due to untreated medical conditions that were too advanced to be treated.” The operators of the “rescue,” Natalie Fancher Patten, and her husband, William Patten, were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, including felonies.
Park County, Wyoming
MyBigHornBasin.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility partially funded with public monies and doing business as Park County Animal Shelter had “closed to the public due to an outbreak of feline parvo that killed one of their kittens.” According to the report, the facility was severely crowded, with 167 animals crammed into a space designed to house 85. (See the June 2023, Park County, Wyoming, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Wichita, Kansas
KWCH.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Kansas Humane Society had stopped accepting cats because of an outbreak of “a contagious virus called panleukopenia.” A spokesperson for the facility said that there was also an outbreak of “CIRDC, which is the Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease, aka, kennel cough, in the dogs.” He said that the facility was full and that “the health of stray animals has been on the decline, which is expected when facing these kinds of capacity issues.” (See the August 2021/Pittsburg, Kansas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Hutchinson, Minnesota
CrowRiverMedia.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Heart of Minnesota Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the facility “serves as the sole shelter in McLeod County” and had a waitlist to accept animals in need of refuge.
El Paso, Texas
KVIA.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Animal Rescue League of El Paso was “asking El Pasoans to stop dumping animals on their doorstep, especially in sealed boxes.” A spokesperson for the facility said that it had a waiting list to take in animals and that animals, including puppies and kittens who had died after they were left in containers that were taped shut, were being left on the property in dangerous conditions. (See the August 2022/El Paso, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Napoleonville, Louisiana
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for 11 years at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Villalobos Rescue Center. According to the report, the elderly dog had been surrendered to the group when she was a puppy.
Rochester, New York
13WHAM.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Rochester Animal Services had stopped accepting animals after nearly half of the dogs at the facility had exhibited symptoms of a contagious gastrointestinal disease. Two dogs had reportedly died from the illness. No additional information was available. (See the March 2023, Rochester, New York, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Ukiah, California
UkiahDailyJournal.com reported that a publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mendocino County Animal Shelter had announced that it had been full “for many months” and claimed that “this is the new norm.” According to the report, officials accused some residents of “embellish[ing], l[ying] or deceiv[ing]” them in an attempt to get animals picked up. The facility said, “As an example, we had a couple come to the animal shelter this past week and state they found a ‘stray dog,’ (but) when animal shelter staff scanned the dog for a microchip, it came back registered to the couple.” According to the report, “County officials asked residents who find a stray dog to ‘please be prepared to hold the dog for several days if the animal shelter is full with dogs.’” Residents who found and rescued lost or homeless animals would allegedly be called in the future if the shelter would accept them. (See the January 2023/Ukiah, California, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Branford, Connecticut
CTInsider.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter had a “new, 6,000-square foot” building that was “already … nearly overwhelmed” with animals, according to a facility spokesperson. She reportedly said, “The shelter can hardly keep up with the phone calls about unwanted [animals], one day fielding as many as 50 calls” and that it was “trying to put people on a waiting list.” (See the January 2022/Branford, Connecticut, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Evangeline Parish, Louisiana
KATC.com reported that authorities had arrested Mary Shaw, the head of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Every Paw Animal Rescue, on charges of “felony theft and issuing worthless checks.” According to the report, during an investigation detectives found that Shaw, who was “the primary account holder” for the group, had made “several ATM withdrawals” from the group’s account at a casino and other places in the area, totaling approximately $10,000. She had reportedly been “booked into the parish jail, with bond set at $25,600.” No additional information was available.
Escanaba, Michigan
DailyPress.net reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Delta Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals.
Berks County, Pennsylvania
ReadingEagle.com reported that 19 dogs at a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Animal Rescue League of Berks County had become so ill from a contagious disease outbreak that they had to be euthanized. Another dog had apparently been found dead at the facility. According to a spokesperson for the facility, testing revealed that “one of the dogs was positive for two bacteria—Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus and a Mycoplasma species. The bacteria can cause hemorrhagic pneumonia.” There was also an outbreak of calicivirus in the cat population at the facility. In another report, the spokesperson said that “dogs and older cats are having longer stays at the shelter, which mixed with the stress caused by living in a kennel surrounded by other animals, smells, noise, etc. make them susceptible to infections and behavioral decline.”
McAllen, Texas
KRGV.com reported that the city of McAllen had essentially stopped providing animal control services to residents. According to the report, “The city will no longer pick up stray dogs and cats, unless the animal has given birth or attacked a human.” According to a spokesperson for the city, the changes were “meant to ease the intake levels” at a facility in the area with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Palm Valley Animal Society, which had been full “for the last several months.” (See the August 2021/Edinburg, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Sherwood, Arkansas
THV11.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sherwood Humane Animal Services Department had closed for at least 10 days after two puppies at the facility tested positive for parvovirus. They had reportedly been left outside the building by an unknown person along with four others, where at least one of them had been run over by a vehicle and had sustained “a broken hip and fractured pelvis, and the surgery has to be postponed because of the virus,” according to a spokesperson for the facility. Authorities were reportedly “looking for the person who abandoned the dogs and the person who hit them and kept driving.”
Taylor, Michigan
FOX2Detroit.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Taylor Animal Shelter had “closed after a dog tested positive for parvovirus.” According to the report, the facility would be closed for at least two weeks, during which time all animals would be turned away.
White Settlement, Texas
WFAA.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as P.A.W.S. Animal Center was “closing its doors to the public” because of several cases of canine distemper. According to the report, the facility had “decided to shut down the shelter until the disease can be mitigated.”
Deming, New Mexico
DemingHeadlight.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as Deming-Luna County Humane Society had been closed for three weeks because of an outbreak of canine distemper. After it reopened, animals taken to the facility by residents were being “tested for the paramyxovirus, which causes distemper” and turned away if they tested positive. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that so far, “15 dogs [had] tested positive for distemper, all of whom were turned away.” According to the report, “Until recently, the shelter was considered one of a kind in the state due to its policy of not turning away animals [who] arrive at its doors. Since the epidemic, the shelter and the City of Deming have come to a ‘verbal agreement’ to turn away infected animals indefinitely, according to [the facility spokesperson].” Residents had reportedly been leaving animals on and around the facility property, including “one man [who] tried to drop off a family of pit bulls and accidentally ran one over when he tried to flee and the dogs chased after him. [The facility spokesperson] said that a female Chihuahua was also thrown over the shelter’s fence along with her puppies, who were stuffed in a bucket.”
Athens, Georgia
WUGA.org reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Athens-Clarke County Animal Services had stopped accepting dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them through at least July 24. The turn-away policy was reportedly “because of a confirmed case of canine parvovirus and space constraints.” Because of a case of feline panleukopenia, cats taken to the facility by residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them were also being turned away. WGAURadio.com later reported that the facility had announced that it would continue to turn away dogs from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them until at least August 1 “due to space constraints.”
Abilene, Texas
BigCountryHomepage.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies partially funded with public monies and doing business as All Kind Animal Initiative had “announced that as of July 6, all wings at the shelter will be closed until further notice” because of cases of parvovirus at the facility. In February, it was reported that since the group had taken over management of the city’s animal shelter in January, it had evidently been unprepared to care for the number of animals who require sheltering services in the community. According to the report, “In the first month, the shelter was closed for 12 days due to illness containment and weather.”
Kennewick, Washington
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been warehoused at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Benton-Franklin Humane Society for 650 days. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that he’d been “diagnosed with Cushing’s disease just over a year ago and has problems with his vision, hearing, weight and skin.”
Austin. Texas
FOX7Austin.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Austin Animal Center was full and continued to turn away animals. Those who were accepted were being kept in crowded, overheated conditions. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “I would definitely say these conditions are inhumane, dogs sitting in crates for 23.5 hours a day, smushed together as much as we can fit crates. They’re lining our hallways. They are lined in that storage area.” (See the June 2023, Austin, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
ABC27.com reported that authorities had executed a search warrant and seized more than 40 animals, including 29 dogs and 11 cats, from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as RocKKers Rescue after they were “found living in unsanitary and ‘hoarding’ conditions.” An unspecified number of additional animals were seized in a second search, according to the report. Medical records reportedly showed that seized animals suffered from conditions, including “respiratory infections, malnourishment, gastrointestinal issues, ear mites, fleas, ticks, and worms” as well as the need for tooth extractions and other dental care. According to the report, “rescue” operators Susan Kuhn and Richard Gress “face over 100 charges each” after the animals “were taken from their home that was filled with feces, trash, and barely any proper food, according to State Police out of Carlisle.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
OKCFOX.com reported that after several publicly funded facilities with “no-kill” policies in the area had shut down because of crowding and disease outbreaks (see the April 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entry below for more details), a spokesperson for a private animal adoption group said that there had been an increase in animal abandonment and cruelty cases in the community. “I will say it’s much worse now that the shelters are closed, [as residents] don’t feel like they have any resources, [and private groups] are overwhelmed,” she said. The group had recently been called by a good Samaritan who had found eight puppies abandoned “in a bin that was full of water after being outside in the heavy rain” at a construction site. Two had already drowned by the time they were found, and another was reportedly suffering from severe pneumonia, which required oxygen treatment. The survivors were receiving veterinary treatment.
Ontario, Canada
Newsweek.com reported that a dog had been warehoused at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary for more than six years. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that before she’d arrived, the family who’d surrendered her said that the animal had previously “been passed around to multiple homes.” The dog reportedly had “some behavioral issues,” would require “an experienced home,” and could not be around other animals or children. According to information on the group’s website, the dog had been “rehomed several times due to biting” before she’d been surrendered to the group and she “should be muzzled for any interactions with other dogs.” While warehoused at the facility, she had also sustained a serious injury and was reportedly scheduled to undergo surgery.
Fort Bend, Texas
KHOU.com reported that “[a] man in Fort Bend County says he was left not knowing where to turn after he took in a neighborhood dog” who had escaped from his home while the owners were out of town. According to the report, “[H]e reached out to several animal shelters who turned him away for various reasons. ‘I want to do the right thing and I, I can’t knowingly put the dog back out there. What if [he] dies?’” he said. A spokesperson for the county’s publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Fort Bend County Animal Services said that it “can’t keep up” but had eventually agreed to accept the dog, whom the finder said “[d]idn’t look as though he’d been fed in a while, [was] thirsty, [and] his coat [was] ungroomed.”
Lockhart, Texas
FOX7Austin.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lockhart Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the facility had “104 animals including 64 dogs and 40 cats, but they only have kennels for 51 dogs and 18 cats.” It had reportedly stopped accepting animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
iBerkshires.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Berkshire Humane Society was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that it had a weeks-long waiting list for people to turn in animals and that “[s]ome people are so desperate that they’ve abandoned their [animals] at our door, as was the recent case for a young hound and box of guinea pigs.”
Youngstown, Ohio
WFMJ.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Charity of Ohio Inc. “was unable to take 15 cats from a deplorable home” because it was full. According to the report, officers with the “Youngstown Police Department and Animal Charity responded to the home after receiving a tip about a hoarding situation.” They found the cats at the home, which was “filled with feces, trash and urine soaked carpets.” The animals were reportedly left there while the group was “rearranging animals, cages and … moving furniture and equipment outside” in an attempt to house them.
Waterbury, Connecticut
WFSB.com reported that a dog had been warehoused at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Brass City Rescue Alliance for three years. The 4-year-old dog had reportedly been imported from North Carolina and had been adopted and returned numerous times.
Boca Raton, Florida
Local10.com reported that a dog had been warehoused at a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” doing business as Tri-County Animal Rescue for nearly three years. The 4-year-old dog had reportedly been imported from Puerto Rico, required sedatives during thunderstorms, and could not be adopted to a home with other dogs, cats, or children. The manager of the self-professed “rescue” reportedly said that the group wanted him to go to a home with someone who would “be strong with discipline.”
Houston. Texas
HoustonChronicle.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions had announced that it would not accept any animals for the entire month of July. According to the report, “The city’s shelter for years has used ‘managed intake,’ requiring appointments for drop-offs from residents,” which was “controversial among residents and some advocates, who argue it makes it more likely that an owner who cannot get an appointment will simply dump their dog or cat on the street. There, they could be vulnerable to harsher outcomes than euthanasia.” The report revealed that the facility’s “managed intake means a higher share of their animals are strays, who generally come in worse condition and are more difficult to adopt out. … Several of the dogs recently received at the shelter showed medical issues from their lives on the streets: They were emaciated, or had mangled hair.”
Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in June 2023
Brownsville, Texas
ValleyCentral.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Brownsville Animal Regulation & Care Center had announced that it would not accept “any dogs for up to six weeks” because of cases of distemper and parvovirus at the facility. According to the report, the city’s public health and wellness veterinarian said that the increase in diseases at the facility was because animals were being warehoused for long periods and that “longer stays for the dogs allow for more time for diseases to incubate.” It was later reported that a spokesperson for an animal adoption group in the community said that the group was being overwhelmed with requests for assistance because of the facility’s closure. The spokesperson said that the public facility had also shared home addresses of local adoption groups with members of the public who had visited the facility with animals who needed refuge: “I wouldn’t have known except a man came with kittens to dump them at my house,” she said. A resident who wanted to remain anonymous said, “[W]e’re going to have more stray animals in our neighborhood. We don’t need that[, and] our neighbors don’t need that.”
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
PostAndCourier.com reported that a publicly funded, self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Berkeley County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals “until further notice.” (See the December 2022/Moncks Corner, South Carolina, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Moore County, North Carolina
ThePilot.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Moore County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services was full and turning away animals. According to the report, residents who were unable or unwilling to care for animals in their custody were being told to call the facility to be put on a waiting list.
Tucson, Arizona
TucsonSentinel.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Pima Animal Care Center would be turning away animals because of a distemper outbreak at the facility. According to the report, several dogs there had to be treated for “pneumovirus, an infection that allows severe diseases such as Strep zoo and distemper to manifest.” It had also turned away animals “in January, and announced a temporary closure shortly after as officials worked to stem the contagious respiratory disease strep zoo.” (See the July 2022/Tucson, Arizona, entry below for more information about this facility.)
San Jose, California
KTVU.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as San Jose Animal Care & Services was full and turning away animals. Animals at the facility were reportedly being confined to “rooms that are not normally used for housing animals,” and in just one day, the facility reportedly refused to accept “several cats.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
KFOR.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare had “closed its doors for a second time in a matter of weeks due to an outbreak of upper respiratory infection, spreading throughout the facility.” A spokesperson for the facility said that veterinarians “were concerned when they saw several dogs with coughing and runny nose.” By the next day, 40 dogs were showing similar symptoms, and a day later, 60 more were sick. He said the facility could be “shut down” for at least 21 days. (See the April 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entry below for more information.)
Orange County, Florida
WFTV.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Orange County Animal Services was housing numerous dogs together in cages, resulting in deadly dogfights and attacks on workers. According to the report, photographs were “too gruesome to show without a blur of an Orange County Animal Services employee’s leg torn open after they tried to break up a dog fight in May. The two dogs involved were co-kenneled due to space.” The dog who had injured the worker was euthanized after the attack. The facility had reportedly “been on notice for at least 10 months about the dangers of co-kenneling, after a senior dog named Art was mauled by two younger dogs in their shared kennel overnight last August. By the time he was found, he had multiple puncture wounds, significant swelling, and his entire coat was stained red with blood.” Art didn’t survive. The outlet reported that it had “obtained records showing dozens of dogs being involved in fights, and on a visit in early June, we saw almost every kennel doubled up.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that “cohousing is necessary and saves lives.”
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Axios.com reported that a publicly funded, self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Miami-Dade Animal Services was full and turning away animals. According to the report, “Last year, the shelter got so full that its staff set up portable kennels in conference rooms and turned away police officers who found stray dogs in the street.” The facility’s director, Bronwyn Stanford, reportedly “faced criticism from animal activists for limiting animal intake at the shelter and failing to properly address overpopulation issues through sterilization, the Miami Herald reports.” (See the January 2023/Miami-Dade County, Florida, entry below for more information.)
Lyon County, Nevada
2News.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lyon County Animal Services was full and turning away animals. According to the report, residents had to be put on a two-month waiting list to surrender animals they were unable or unwilling to care for.
Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that two months after being adopted, a pit bull mix released by a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Beaver County Humane Society had mauled and seriously injured two 11-year-old children. The father of one of the children said, “Her leg looks like someone took a knife [to it] …. It’s horrendous.” He said that when the girl’s friend tried to stop the attack, “The dog just went after him, bit both of his arms.” A couple in the neighborhood who had adopted the dog reportedly planned to return him.
Harris County, Texas
HoustonChronicle.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Harris County Pets was full and turning away animals. According to the report, the facility was “housing 767 animals, which means it’s over capacity by nearly 300,” and would no longer accept any animals, including strays. It was also giving away animals for free. (See the October 2022/Houston, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Henrico County, Virginia
WRIC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Henrico County Police Animal Shelter had stopped accepting animals because of an outbreak of canine flu. According to the report, the facility would not accept any animals, including strays, for an unspecified amount of time. Any appointments already scheduled would also be canceled. The facility would reportedly provide residents who had found lost or homeless animals in need of refuge with cages and food “on a limited basis.”
Mantua, Ohio
WKYC.com reported that when authorities executed a search warrant at the home of Barbara Wible, the president of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Canine Lifeline Inc., they found 146 dead dogs “in various stages of decay” and no live animals. Many of the animals had reportedly been found trapped in crates. Cleveland.com reported that authorities had visited a home belonging to Wible in the nearby town of Parma earlier in the month and “found a dozen more dead dogs at her home in that city.” According to the report, when authorities searched that home, they “found 36 dogs; 12 of them were dead, police said. Three of the 24 dogs found alive were taken to an emergency veterinary clinic where two had to be euthanized, police said. The surviving 22 dogs are all recovering, police said.” Wible was reportedly charged with cruelty to animals, “a fifth-degree felony, according to Parma municipal court records.” FOX8.com later reported that a Portage County grand jury had indicted her “on 146 fifth-degree felony counts of cruelty to companion animals, court records show.” According to the report, “As a condition of her bond, neither Wible nor Canine Lifeline Inc. will be allowed to own, possess or care for animals, Portage County Municipal Court Judge Kevin Poland ruled.”
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
CapitalGazette.com reported that former employees of a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control said that “cats and dogs they witnessed and documented as being vicious were overmedicated and then adopted by unsuspecting members of the public. Some of the animals were later returned for scratching or biting their owners.” According to the report, such incidents were increasing, “as leadership has sought to maintain high adoption rates and suppress euthanasia rates, according to five former employees who spoke to The Capital.” One of them said, “It became about numbers …. People are getting bit and the animals are going home with these people and they’re not being told the truth. It got bad. I couldn’t do it.”
Park County, Wyoming
MyBigHornBasin.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility, partially funded with public monies, doing business as Park County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, a public post by representatives of the facility said that it had 194 animals in its custody and stated, “We cannot intake any more animal surrenders or even public stays.”
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Radio.WPSU.org reported that a self-described “life-saving” facility doing business as Central Pennsylvania Humane Society was full and turning away animals. According to the report, it was also housing some dogs outdoors. A spokesperson for the facility said that it had stopped accepting “stray cats and dogs or [animals] surrendered by their owners.”
Savannah, Georgia
FOXNews.com reported that a dog who was being fostered for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as One Love Animal Rescue Inc. had been found shot to death “in a driveway a few blocks away” after he’d allegedly “dug a hole and crawled under the fence” at the foster home. Authorities were called, and a responding officer reportedly “filed an incident report that says the dog was killed by a .22-caliber bullet.” No suspects were identified.
Edmond, Oklahoma
KFOR.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Edmond Animal Services had announced that it was closing “indefinitely” to the public because of “a potential dog flu outbreak.” During the closure, the facility wouldn’t accept any animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them and officials were “asking the public not to pick up strays.” OKCFOX.com later reported that dispatchers with the city’s 911 system had needed to care for three kittens who had been abandoned in a box on the street because the animal shelter was refusing to accept animals. One of the dispatchers reportedly said that she’d “never taken care of a cat before,” and one of the terrified animals had hidden behind a stove while at the office. According to the report, “It took the dispatchers four different boxes to find one the kittens would stay in.” The dispatcher was quoted as saying, “‘So, we’re taping lids with air holes, and they’re knocking things over. That was a little bit wild.’”
Hot Springs, Arkansas
HotSR.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Hot Springs Animal Services had refused to accept dangerous animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that “many times people want to surrender [an animal] or bring in a stray [who] is attacking other people or animals, and Animal Services will not take those.” She added, “People keep pouring in and wanting to surrender animals …. [I]f your animal is vicious and [he or she is] attacking people or other animals, we can’t adopt that animal. We won’t take animals just to euthanize them.”
Richmond, Virginia
NBC12.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Richmond Animal Care & Control was “closing its doors” for at least two weeks after a dog tested positive for “canine flu and many others … [were] symptomatic.” According to the report, stray dogs would not be picked up during the closure and residents who found lost or homeless dogs were being “asked to try to find the owner or provide shelter” for the animals themselves.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
NewsChannel9.com reported that a spokesperson for a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as McKamey Animal Center, which is partially funded with public monies, said it was “operating at over 200% capacity” and had “a waitlist of over 500 people who are trying to drop off” animals. (See the August 2021/Chattanooga, Tennessee, entry below for more information about this facility.)
New York, New York
QChron.com reported that authorities had arrested Farhana Haq, the president and founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Cats of Meow York after more than 40 cats were found hoarded in her home. A city council member who represented the area had reportedly alerted authorities after receiving “a report of about 45 cats ‘clinging to life’” at the home. The cats were evidently seized, and Haq was charged with crimes, including “44 counts of Agricultural Markets Law torture/injure/not feed animal, and 44 counts of Agricultural Markets Law neglect of an impounded animal.”
Tacoma, Washington
KIRO7.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, which is partially funded with public monies, had announced that “it was around 70 dogs over capacity.” A spokesperson for the facility said that there had been an increase in the number of animals suffering from upper respiratory illnesses at the facility and that it was so crowded that there was little space in which to quarantine sick animals.
Kingman, Arizona
AZCentral.com reported that a restricted-admission, publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mohave County Animal Shelter had announced that it had stopped accepting cats at all because of an “outbreak of Feline Parvovirus.” According to the report, the facility would be refusing to accept any cats at least until July 1. At the time of the report, the facility’s website said that residents had to be put on a three- to six-month waiting list in order to surrender animals they were unable or unwilling to care for.
Arnold, Pennsylvania
TribLive.com reported that just weeks after he’d been adopted from a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” doing business as Orphans of the Storm, a dog had allegedly been shot to death by the adopter. According to the report, authorities had been contacted by a friend of the adopter who said she’d told him that she’d killed the dog. When officers investigated, they reportedly “found the dog in a trash bag with a clearly visible gunshot wound to the shoulder and neck.” The adopter was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. A statement released by the “rescue” group reportedly said that the dog had been warehoused at its facility for approximately four months before he’d been adopted and killed.
Austin, Texas
KVUE.com reported that after an Austin City Council member had visited the city’s self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Austin Animal Center, she said that she left with a stomachache and stated, “I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to be treated in that condition.” The council member said that she’d witnessed stressed and frustrated dogs warehoused “at the truck port behind the center” in the heat, imprisoned in tiny wire crates to which they were reportedly confined “for more than 23 hours a day” and that “[t]he community at large is deeply concerned about the welfare of the animals under the center’s care.” (See the April 2023, Austin, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Cantonment, Florida
PNJ.com reported that authorities had received a call from an owner of a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as In Loving Swineness Sanctuary Inc., who said, “I can’t do this anymore.” According to the report, responding “animal control officers spent three-and-a-half days” removing 608 pigs from a property owned by Patrick Larrabee, where they had evidently been hoarded by “sanctuary” operators Christal and Francis Ellard. A spokesperson for the animal control agency said that officers were unable to capture some animals and that those who had been removed had been transported “to farms or other locations in the region.” According to the report, “The Florida Department of Agriculture has also investigated the Larrabee property and In Loving Swineness Sanctuary. Efforts to obtain documentation of the state agency findings and/or actions have been unsuccessful.” The property owner had reportedly been ordered by a court to “clean up his property and catch another 15 or so hogs.”
Washington, North Carolina
WITN.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Beaufort County Animal Control had announced that it was full and had stopped accepting animals.
Stanislaus County, California
News.Yahoo.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Stanislaus Animal Services Agency was requiring residents who had found lost or homeless animals in need of refuge to make appointments to be able to take to them to the shelter. At the time of the report, the facility’s website said that assistance would be provided only if space were available.
Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in May 2023
Blackfoot, Idaho
LocalNews8.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Blackfoot Animal Shelter & Rescue had announced that it was full and was turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that it had “a wait list of 35 dogs.” According to the report, “[S]ome of the dogs are returning to the shelter, after going to a home,” and the spokesperson revealed that “every time we’ve had a few dogs [who] come back, they’re on their third or their fourth time.”
Hinesville, Georgia
TheGeorgiaGazette.com reported that a couple had been arrested after leaving a sick dog at a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Liberty County Animal Services. According to the report, the couple “admitted to officers before their arrest that they left the dog at animal control because they couldn’t afford treatment for the sick dog.” One of them reportedly “told officers she tried to help the Chihuahua for several days before attempting to surrender [the dog].” According to an incident report, employees told the couple that “Liberty County Animal Control does not accept owner surrenders” and suggested other “resources.” However, those resources were far away and the couple “did not have the gas money to transport the dog” elsewhere. One of the owners told officers that “she attempted to help the dog for several days and [his or her] health kept declining.” Both individuals were charged with “abandonment of a domesticated animal.”
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
999KTDY.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as St. Landry Parish Animal Control was full and turning away cats. According to the report, the government-run facility was also asking residents to leave stray dogs on the streets “to see if the [animal] is able to find [their] way home” on their own.
Madison County, North Carolina
WLOS.com reported that a pubic animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Madison County Animal Shelter had announced that it was full and turning away animals. The facility was also telling residents to leave stray animals on the streets and publicly posted the following: “If you find an animal and cannot keep [him or her], please do not pick [the animal] up.”
Sumter, South Carolina
WACH.com reported that authorities had seized 27 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Carolina Helping Paws Rescue after they were found “living in terrible conditions.” According to the report, authorities found the animals in October 2022 without “food, water, or adequate care” at a residence being used as a “rescue” that was covered with animal waste. The dogs were reportedly found both inside and outside the home. Four of them were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. Janet Derrick, who reportedly operates the “rescue,” and Diane Bochette, who was also at the property, were both arrested on cruelty-to-animals charges.
Pendleton, South Carolina
FOXCarolina.com reported that an elderly, sick dog had gone missing after an animal control officer left her at a “foster home” because the county’s animal sheltering facility, which has “no-kill” policies and does business as Anderson County PAWS “was not accepting dogs.” According to the report, she “was taken to a private citizen to foster … until [she] could be taken to PAWS or the owner located” but “escaped” from the resident’s property, according to animal control authorities. Her owner “said the dog’s name is Minnie. She is elderly and emaciated-looking due to her age. She also has kidney failure.”
Rockford, Illinois
MyStateline.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as PAWS Humane Society was “fed up” with people leaving ill and unwanted animals “on their doorstep.” A spokesperson for the group said it turns away animals and has a months-long waiting list. She reportedly said that a dog, who was in very bad shape, had been left chained to the building’s fence and died before being found.
Niagara County, New York
Niagara-Gazette.com reported that animal sheltering facilities with “no-kill” policies in the community had been turning away animals who were brought to them by people who were unable or unwilling to care for them. A spokesperson for a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Niagara SPCA said, “We had a family that experienced just the worst financial hardship recently. It was so bad that (one family member) walked 6 miles to the shelter to surrender their two dogs.” Even so, the facility was full and refused to accept them. According to the report, another county resident had been “charged with second-degree offering a false instrument for filing and abandonment of an animal. The woman reported finding a tan pit bull without a collar wandering outside.” However, authorities undertook an investigation that revealed that the dog had belonged to her.
Indianapolis, Indiana
WFYI.org reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services had announced that it was full and turning away animals. The facility had reportedly “suspended surrenders for at least six weeks.” A spokesperson for the facility said, “We have no more room, and there are more dogs that need our help.” Residents who found animals in need of aid were being asked “to find the owners through social media or see if they have a microchip.” (See the November 2022/Indianapolis, Indiana, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Round Hill, Virginia
LoudounTimes.com reported that in February, authorities had seized 102 animals who were found in hoarded conditions at the homes of the operators of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Luck of the Irish Animal Rescue Inc. The animals reportedly included 70 dogs, 28 cats, two parakeets, and two rabbits. According to the report, the group had taken “animals from rescue groups or shelters in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.” WUSA9.com later reported that authorities said that “more than a dozen criminal charges” had been filed against the operators of the “rescue” after animals had been found “living in squalor” in the group’s custody. According to the report, Nicole Metz had been charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals, “two counts of failure to acquire a certification of veterinary inspection, one count of allowing an animal with a contagious disease to roam, and one count of obstructing justice. Metz reportedly served as the executive director of the Luck of the Irish Animal Rescue, which was formally known as Paw & Hoof Animal Rescue. Kimberly Hall, 51, was also arrested and charged with eight counts of [cruelty to animals] and two counts of failure to acquire a certificate of veterinary inspection. Alex Hall, 22, is charged with eight counts of [cruelty to animals]. [Kimberly] Hall served as the organization’s director of operations and Alex Hall was formerly the organization’s director of marketing. When officials searched [Kimberly] Hall’s home, they found all of the floors covered with feces and urine. [Authorities] say most of the animals were confined to crates, some of which were stacked on top of each other. Many of the animals needed veterinary care.” A court date in the case had been set.
Hudson, Illinois
WGLT.org reported that authorities had charged Erika F. Horton, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Top Paw Rescue, “with three counts of failure to perform an owner’s duties.” According to the report, “Horton had a ‘large number’ of dogs and ‘failed to provide each of her companion animals humane care and treatment as required,’ prosecutors said in their charges. The animals were kept ‘in a severely overcrowded environment’ and Horton ‘displayed an inability to recognize or understand the nature of conditions under which the companion animals were living and the deleterious impact they had on the companion animals’ and owner’s health and well-being,’ the charges said. Horton was also accused of not providing ‘sufficient quantity of good quality, wholesome food and water’ for a dog, and [accused of failing] to provide ‘humane care and treatment’ [to] a cat.” A court date was set in the case. (See the March 2023, Hudson, Illinois, entry below for more details.)
Denton, Texas
DentonRC.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Linda McNatt Animal Care & Adoption Center was full and turning away large dogs. The facility had reportedly announced that it had “more than 100 people on a waiting list to surrender” large dogs for whom they were unable or unwilling to care. A staff report submitted to city officials by the facility reportedly said that some animals had been warehoused there “for several months.”
Pu‘unēnē, Hawaii
MauiNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies, partially funded with public monies and doing business as Maui Humane Society, had “more than 130 dogs” crowded into “40 kennels.” There was reportedly a waiting list to surrender animals for whom residents were unable or unwilling to care.
Globe, Arizona
FOX10Phoenix.com reported that a selective-admission facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as High Desert Humane Society had announced that animals were routinely being left on its property. According to the report, “Instead of coming when they’re open, many [people] are dropping off cats outside and leaving in a hurry, worried they’ll be turned away from the only cat shelter in town.” Animals left outside the facility included a litter of kittens who were so sick that their eyes were matted shut, a kitten who had a foxtail embedded in his or her eye, and a litter of kittens who’d been left outside the facility the previous winter who froze to death before they were found.
Lake County, Ohio
WKYC.com reported that a 6-year-old dog had been warehoused for five years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Lake Humane Society.
Las Vegas, Nevada
8NewsNow.com reported that residents in a mountainous area near Las Vegas said that numerous abandoned dogs had recently been found. The publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as The Animal Foundation had been turning away animals for months. (See the December 2022/Las Vegas, Nevada, entry below for more information.) According to the report, “Hikers who encounter the animals say they’re forced to decide whether to leave them alone or to take them in amidst a changing county animal shelter system.” The media outlet reported that it had “tried scheduling a drop-off appointment for a stray dog” but was told that “the next available appointment was for one month away.”
Gwinnett County, Georgia
AJC.com reported that a public selective-admission facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Gwinnett County Animal Welfare & Enforcement had announced that it had stopped accepting most dogs because of “a canine viral infection” at the facility. FOX5Atlanta reported in April that the facility had been warehousing animals, including a dog who had been confined there “since March 2022.” According to the report, “[T]he shelter ha[d] 15 animals [who had] been there for more than 200 days and another 40 [who had] been there for more than 100 days.” GwinnettDailyPost.com reported in January that the facility had stopped dog adoptions and intakes at that time, also because of an outbreak of “a canine viral infection.”
Gainesville, Florida
WCJB.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Union County Animal Control was full and had stopped accepting animals.
Greenville, North Carolina
WITN.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Humane Society of Eastern Carolina was full and had stopped accepting animals. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said, “We don’t have room for animals being born or the animals that are already here.” It was expected that the facility would be closed to intakes throughout the entire summer.
Houghton, Michigan
UpperMichiganSource.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Copper Country Humane Society was full and had stopped accepting dogs.
Fairfield, Connecticut
Connecticut.News12.com reported that authorities had seized nearly 50 animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Super Paws Rescue Inc. after they’d been found hoarded in conditions deemed “uninhabitable.” The group’s owner, Glorianne Lagnese, was reportedly charged with 48 counts of cruelty to animals. According to the report, an arrest warrant said, “The animal rescue and basement level of the home were covered in feces and urine, and the ammonia smell made it very difficult to breathe. All the animals’ cages had fecal matter and urine inside, forcing the animals to walk and lay in it. The food and water bowls were either empty or contained what appeared to be old food and were also covered in fecal matter …. The animals were all removed except for what the warrant said were feral cats in the walls and ceiling.” Three of the seized dogs required immediate veterinary treatment. A report submitted by the treating veterinarian reportedly “indicated the animals showed prolonged exposure to urine and feces with staining and matted coats. Many had overgrown nails preventing them from walking properly. One dog was having syncope episodes from untreated cardiac disease, and another had significant scarring throughout [his or her] body from skin lesions.” After being provided with food and water for 24 hours, the other seized animals “were still showing signs of dehydration and starvation,” according to the warrant. A court date had been set.
Bay Minette, Alabama
WKRG.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as North Baldwin Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility said, “We are completely out of space,” and added, “Yesterday alone I turned down over 20 cats and kittens and that was probably just in a 6–7 hour period.” (See the March 2022/Bay Minette, Alabama, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Woodford County, Kentucky
FOX34.com reported that a 5-year-old dog had been warehoused for four years at a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Woodford Humane Society. The facility reportedly said that the dog couldn’t be around other animals. (See the October 2022/Versailles, Kentucky, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Portland, Oregon
OregonLive.com reported that it was revealed during a sentencing hearing for Samantha J. Miller, the cofounder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Woofin Palooza who was “convicted of beating a dog and neglecting numerous other animals” at the “rescue,” that video footage showed her “hitting a dog using a leash with a metal clasp and stomping on [his or her] head with her sandal-clad foot.” According to the report, Miller made a plea “deal with prosecutors that banned her from owning any pets for 15 years.” The deal reportedly would “not affect any potential punishment in the federal trial tentatively set for June, which [the prosecutor] said will zero in on allegations that Miller committed wire fraud and dispensed animal prescriptions without proper labeling.” Miller’s business partner at the “rescue,” Torrance Head, had reportedly been “caught on surveillance video beating a dog with a broomstick alongside Miller.” According to the report, “Head, 57, was sentenced to five years of probation in January and has also pleaded guilty to federal charges. Head is expected to serve six months in a halfway house after the conclusion of Miller’s federal trial.” (See the March 2022/Portland, Oregon, entry below for more details about this case.)
Citrus County, Florida
WFLA.com reported that authorities had seized 35 cats and seven dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Critterville Inc. and charged its owner, Lisa Bennett, with 39 counts of cruelty to animals and four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. According to authorities, the animals had been found in “several dirty sheds and enclosures” that had “urine-soaked floors, overflowing litterboxes and fecal matter scattered across nearly every surface.” According to the report, “Investigators said several cats were extremely sick and covered in fleas with urine and feces matted into their fur. When animal control officers opened a cage, they said they found a cat [who] was assumed to have been dead for several days inside.” The bodies of additional animals who had not survived had also been found. Authorities reported that most of the surviving animals “were sick with numerous other medical issues.”
Tiverton, Rhode Island
TurnTo10.com reported that authorities had seized approximately 30 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as One Dog at a Time Rescue, where they “were found living in hazardous conditions.” The home was deemed “hazardous and uninhabitable” for humans and other animals. According to the report, the group’s state license to operate a nonprofit had been revoked in 2021. ProvidenceJournal.com reported that authorities had “found more than 30 dogs, many of them with matted fur, overgrown nails caked with feces, [and] skin burns from lying in urine.” A senior special agent for the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reportedly “said he spoke with two agencies in Texas that acknowledged sending the dogs to Rhode Island.” No additional information was available.
Sugar Land, Texas
HoustonChronicle.com reported that a public animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sugar Land Animal Services had announced that it was full and would likely “close the entire shelter to all animals.” A spokesperson for the facility said that dogs were doubled up in kennels, “which means one dog is inside and another dog is outside all the time.” She also revealed that animals were being housed in “mobile enclosures” that lined the hallways and filled the lobby. (See the April 2023, Sugar Land, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Atlanta, Georgia
11Alive.com reported that Fulton County Animal Services had announced that the county’s animal shelters, operated by a nonprofit, self-professed “no-kill” group doing business as Lifeline Animal Project, were severely crowded and that “dogs are dying due to the canine flu.” The agency reportedly released a statement that said, “The animals that have been exposed to the flu are getting worse and are not responding to treatment quickly, and, tragically, some dogs have passed away due to this illness.” According to the report, “In its latest update, Animal Services officials said it doesn’t have space to isolate sick animals, making recovery in crowded shelters during a flu outbreak challenging.” Residents were told to leave stray animals on the streets and look for possible owners themselves instead of using the taxpayer-funded animal shelter. (See PETA’s action alert here for more information about this facility.)
Salt Lake City, Utah
FOX13Now.com reported that a spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Outreach Pawsabilities said that area animal shelters were full and turning away animals. She said that people had threatened to abandon animals if facilities won’t take them. About one caller, she said, “They were going to dump them in the mountains because the shelter wouldn’t take them …. They were just going to take them in the mountains and dump them there.” No additional information was available.
Rogersville, Tennessee
TheRogersvilleReview.com reported that a woman had been charged with cruelty to animals after leaving a litter of puppies in crates in the parking lot of a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Hawkins County Humane Society after shelter staff refused to accept them, claiming that the facility was full. According to the report, the woman had been evicted and “became angry and belligerent toward shelter staff” after they refused to accept the animals. A dog was also found abandoned on the property from which she’d been evicted. No additional information was available.
Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in April 2023
Cedar Creek Township, Michigan
CadillacNews.com reported that a couple was “being investigated for allegedly running an illegal animal shelter, resulting in the removal of more than 40 animals from the residence.” Authorities reportedly “said the investigation was initiated after a complaint was logged from a person who indicated they purchased a dog from the couple. The complaint claimed the purchased animal was emaciated and filthy.” According to the report, the couple could face felony charges of cruelty to animals or animal abandonment. No additional information was available.
Weld County, Colorado
9News.com reported that authorities had removed 95 dogs from a hoarder’s home. The Colorado Department of Agriculture reportedly “issued a cease and desist order for the owner of the house for operating an animal shelter or sanctuary at the house without a valid license.” An investigation was ongoing. No additional information was available.
Austin, Texas
AustinMonthly.com reported that a public self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter doing business as Austin Animal Center (AAC) had been full and turning away animals for months. According to the report, in January a resident had picked up an abandoned dog and transported the animal to AAC, where she was told that the facility was full. She said that she “was escorted to her car by a security officer after being given an appointment to return a month later. ‘I was treated like a criminal, and I was just trying to help,’ she says. Wiping away tears and feeling helpless, [the resident] reluctantly took the 50-pound dog back to her one-bedroom apartment, joining many concerned residents who have found themselves in similar situations.” She reportedly eventually found a new home for the animal. (See the March 2023, Austin, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Marion County, South Carolina
WPDE.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Marion County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. A social media post by the facility reportedly said, “The shelter is not accepting intakes of any kind because … there is nowhere to put more animals” and that there were puppies at the facility who had been warehoused there “for several weeks.”
Forsyth County, North Carolina
MyFOX8.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Forsyth County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, “[B]oth the shelter and the humane society are only taking animal surrenders from a waitlist.”
Las Vegas, Nevada
8NewsNow.com reported that during a public meeting, Clark County commissioners said that they had been receiving complaints about the county’s animal shelter, which has “no-kill” policies and does business as The Animal Foundation. One commissioner said that a common complaint was that “good [S]amaritans [were] having trouble turning in animals at the shelter.” According to the report, “8 News Now’s Victoria Saha looked online at The Animal Foundation’s website after the meeting and found that Wednesday would be the earliest day for adoption returns. The next available appointment to drop off a stray animal was next month.” A spokesperson for a local animal adoption group said, “You leave these animals out on the street and they are dead, they die terrible deaths.” The county was reportedly “in contract with The Animal Foundation until 2025. The county has requested an audit of the shelter.” (See the December 2022/Las Vegas, Nevada, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CBSNews.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies that was partially funded with public monies and doing business as ACCT Philly was “in crisis mode” because of an outbreak of the contagious canine influenza virus. The facility’s website at the time of the report stated that it was full and that “ACCT Philly is NOT scheduling any owner surrender appointments for dogs. Any walk-in owner surrender appointments will NOT be accepted.”
Columbus, Ohio
ABC6OnYourSide.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center was full and turning away animals. According to the report, residents who find dogs roaming and in need of rescue were being asked “to keep them or find them a home” themselves, rather than using the services of the public dog shelter. Residents were also being advised not to approach stray dogs “unless [they are] friendly” and told not to turn their backs to roaming dogs. (See the July 2021/Columbus, Ohio, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Cincinnati, Ohio
FOX19.com reported that 25 dogs at a public self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Cincinnati Animal CARE Shelter and Resources Center had to be euthanized after exhibiting “advanced symptoms of Canine Distemper Virus.” According to a spokesperson for the facility, new dogs taken in were being housed in a “makeshift facility,” where they were “living in wire crates the vast majority of the day.” Residents were being asked to keep stray dogs “as long as possible,” instead of taking them to the public facility meant to house them. WCPO.com reported that the facility had also “restricted all dog intakes” for an unspecified period of time. According to the report, “Stray dogs found in the county will have to go through the Hamilton County Dog Warden office and will be housed at an off-site facility.” According to the report, the Hamilton County facility would not accept animals from people who were unable or unwilling to care for them. (See the June 2022/Cincinnati, Ohio, entry below for more details about this facility.)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
KFOR.com reported that nearly 300 dogs at a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare had exhibited symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, 130 had tested positive for disease, and five had died at the facility. According to the report, “Samples of the infection were sent to a lab for testing and came back positive for both canine flu and strep zoo.” The facility was expected to be closed “for about a month” to address the outbreak. It was later reported that the following four public facilities, evidently also with “no-kill” policies, had also stopped accepting dogs because of disease outbreaks: Midwest City Animal Welfare, Yukon Animal Control Facility, El Reno Animal Shelter, and Moore Animal Shelter. (See the March 2023, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and June 2022/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entries below for more information about Oklahoma City Animal Welfare.)
Golden Valley, Minnesota
KARE11.com reported that nearly 200 dogs at facilities with “no-kill” policies operated by Animal Humane Society were “receiving medication and supportive care” after testing confirmed that they’d contracted the highly contagious canine flu virus (also called canine influenza). StarTribune.com reported that the group had “closed all three of its Twin Cities shelters” because of the “outbreak of canine influenza—a highly contagious virus that’s rarely been reported before in Minnesota.” According to the report, it was the largest outbreak of the disease in the state’s history. The report went on to reveal that “[a] dog transported from Oklahoma had been exposed to the virus [on] March 23. Since then, all of the approximately 200 dogs at the Humane Society’s shelters in Golden Valley, Woodbury and Coon Rapids have contracted respiratory infections.” Five dogs had to be euthanized because of the illness. The facilities would reportedly not be accepting any dogs during a 42-day quarantine period suggested by state authorities.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
TheAdvocate.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies that was partially funded with public monies and doing business as Companion Animal Alliance was “overcrowded” and had “60 dogs living in metal pop-up crates.” According to the report, 259 dogs were confined to 177 kennels at the facility.
Midland, Texas
YourBasin.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Midland Animal Services had announced that it would “be closed to the public until further notice” because of an outbreak of a “highly contagious disease” in dogs at the facility. No additional information was available.
Muskogee, Oklahoma
FOX23.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Muskogee Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the facility said that dogs were doubled up in kennels and that the facility receives calls every day from residents, “asking [that we] take their animals and we just can’t take them. We don’t have room.”
Bay City, Michigan
WNEM.com reported that “at least a dozen cats” and a dog had died in a fire at a residence being used as a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Furfest Rockin’ the Rescues. The cause of the fire was reportedly under investigation.
La Pine, Oregon
BendBulletin.com reported that authorities had seized 17 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Pibblesnchis Inc. and charged its owner, Lisa Sorensen, with “17 felony counts of second-degree animal neglect in connection with the operation at her home.” According to the report, “Some of the dogs were so malnourished and injured that they required care from a veterinarian, and the conditions they lived in were ‘not acceptable,’ said Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason Wall.” Seven dogs were left in Sorensen’s custody. CentralOregonDaily.com reported that a spokesperson for a facility that was caring for the seized animals said that “most of the dogs evaluated were underweight [and] [o]ne dog needed immediate care for a large wound.” KTVZ.com reported that Sgt. Wall said, “There were animal feces on the floors inside the kennels …. The dogs had animal feces caked within their fur. They all smelled of urine and fecal matter.”
Richland Center, Wisconsin
WOWT.com reported that a cat had been warehoused for eight years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Ocooch Mountain Humane Society. A spokesperson for the facility described him as “shy” and said that he had been housed there “with other fearful cats.”
Sugar Land, Texas
Click2Houston.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sugar Land Animal Services had announced that it would “be closed for the next four to six weeks” after a dog tested positive for distemper. According to a post on the facility’s website, it had stopped accepting dogs the previous January because it was full.
La Mesa, California
WTOC.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for nearly 800 days at a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” doing business as The Animal Pad. According to the group, he wasn’t comfortable walking on a leash and would “do best in a home as the only [animal].”
North East, Maryland
Yahoo.com reported that a cat had been warehoused for more than 2,800 days at a self-professed “no kill feline rescue” doing business as Chesapeake Feline Association.
Anniston, Alabama
WVTM13.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as League for Animal Welfare had been “accused of animal abuse and misusing funds” by the director of a self-professed animal rescue group. According to the report, “He says he has pictures that show animals in cages filled with feces and food bowls filled with mold.” In an interview, he said that the facility had “taken a lot of animals off of the streets in Anniston. But, they’re not getting vetted. … They’re just … living their lives in cages. The dogs are living in cages. They’re living in feces. A lot of them are heartworm positive. One just had to be euthanized.” He said that he’d removed 20 cats and five dogs from the facility and that “several of the cats” were “sick with contagious illnesses.” According to the report, the “district attorney says he has received a complaint of animal abuse and financial issues and he’s looking into them to see if any charges should be filed.” No additional information was available.
Paintsville, Kentucky
PaintsvilleHerald.com reported that a public facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Johnson County Animal Shelter that was operated by Whiskers or Wags Inc. (WOW) had been accused of warehousing animals in poor conditions. According to the report, representatives of a self-professed animal “rescue” in Pennsylvania said that they’d arrived at the Kentucky facility “to pick up all of the dogs currently sheltered there” and had found “that some of the dogs had been at the shelter for multiple years and weren’t being properly cared for.” The group removed 27 dogs from the facility and alleged that there were “also a good many cats living in dog crates for years” there. It was later reported that “[a]mid public outcry about living conditions and vetting” at the facility, WOW had announced that it would terminate its contract to operate the county facility. WKLW.com published a Johnson County Fiscal Court statement confirming that the contract with WOW had been terminated.
Kochville Township, Michigan
MLive.com reported that in March, authorities had seized 28 “severely sick cats in need of urgent veterinary care” from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Amazing Grace Animal Rescue. According to the report, “Deputies and Saginaw County Animal Care & Control personnel found 237 cats and 16 dogs at the facility.” MLive.com obtained records of complaints against the “rescue” that included troubling reports about adopted animals who had been diagnosed with serious and fatal diseases as well as sick animals confined at the facility. A veterinarian reportedly filed a complaint describing a family who went to pick up an adopted kitten named Marty and found him “unresponsive” at the facility. The family was allegedly told to return the next day, and when they arrived, “They found Marty face down in his litter box and he died about 10 minutes later in the arms of his new owner, the veterinarian said.” According to complaints from other veterinarians and adopters, adopted cats and kittens had been found to have upper respiratory infections, roundworms, severe flea infestations, eye infections, feline herpes, feline infectious peritonitis, and other issues. A veterinarian who had filed numerous complaints with the state reportedly wrote that they were frustrated with its lack of action and called the facility a “slow kill shelter.” According to the report, “Of the 28 cats seized by authorities on March 6 and 7, all were diagnosed with upper respiratory infections, some had ringworm, one had FIV, and one had FeLV, analogous to leukemia. One of the cats died of bacterial pneumonia suspected to have been from an untreated respiratory infection.” Investigators’ findings had reportedly been sent to the prosecutor’s office, but it wasn’t clear if charges would be pursued.
Inhumane, Dangerous Results of ‘No-Kill’ Policies That Made Headlines in March 2023
Rochester, New York
WXXINews.org reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Rochester Animal Services had suspended a canine foster program “after an unspecified incident between a foster dog and another dog.” No additional information was available. (See the July 2022/Rochester, New York, entry below for more information about this facility.)
North East, Maryland
Yahoo.com reported that a homeless cat had been adopted and returned “numerous times” to a self-professed “no kill feline rescue” doing business as Chesapeake Feline Association. Most recently, she had reportedly been warehoused by the group for 446 days. The group reported that she had “litter box issues.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
KFOR.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Oklahoma City Animal Welfare had stopped accepting animals “for at least a week” because of the spread of a contagious respiratory disease that had infected 150 dogs, “leaving at least four dead.” A spokesperson for the facility said that it had nearly 400 dogs in a space designed to hold 300 and that 500 dogs had been crammed into it the previous week.
Hudson, Illinois
WGLT.org reported that authorities had seized animals from and were investigating a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Top Paw Rescue. According to the report, “Animal Control’s seizure notice … cites allegations of animal hoarding and ‘humane care and treatment violations.’” It was not reported how many animals had been seized. The report revealed that an animal shelter in another county had “said on its Facebook page that three puppies [had been] found abandoned in a crate in Rockford. The shelter said the dogs had been traced back to Top Paw, calling Top Paw’s actions ‘frustrating, infuriating and expensive.’” No additional information was available.
Chester County, Pennsylvania
DailyLocal.com reported that Holly Erin Schiller, the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” that had done business as Babushka Animal Rescue, had pleaded guilty to seven counts of cruelty to animals. According to the report, for each count, she had been sentenced to “two years of court-supervised probation that bars her from owning animals or living in a home with pets, or operating any animal shelter, for a total of 14 years.” The charges were filed after authorities found “21 emaciated and dehydrated dogs and puppies” as well as “four dead rabbits, three dead puppies, and two dead snakes” at Schiller’s home. According to the report, an investigator said that he had “found a house that was saturated in animal urine and feces, and filled with small dogs [who] had obviously been malnourished and neglected. Their coats were matted and covered in fecal matter, and they were skinny and crying. Bones were protruding from under their skin, and they showed visual signs of dehydration.” At least one dead puppy reportedly appeared to have been partially eaten by starving littermates at the “rescue.”
Austin, Texas
KXAN.com reported that residents were concerned about an apparent increase in the number of abandoned and homeless animals in the Austin area. One resident said that he “and others who find a lost or stray animal used to be able to bring them to the Austin Animal Center, but the center halted intakes last fall due to capacity problems.” According to the report, calls to the city’s 311 system about roaming dogs had “increased each year, from more than 7,400 in 2020 to more than 8,500 in 2022.” The outlet’s “city government reporter, Grace Reader, found that—even before the shelter closed its doors to intakes—the number of dogs coming into the shelter was lower in 2022 than in years prior. She spoke to advocates who worry this is a red flag.” A member of the Austin Animal Commission reportedly said that many animals were being turned away from the city’s self-professed “no-kill” facility. (See the November 2022/Austin, Texas, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Tupelo, Mississippi
DJournal.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility that was partially funded with public monies doing business as Tupelo-Lee Humane Society was full and turning away animals. According to the report, an animal control officer said that “removing animals from harmful situations has become an increasingly complicated endeavor” because the facility was accepting “fewer dogs and cats, while the number of calls for animal control has been rising.” According to the report, calls reporting possible cruelty to animals had increased, but the city’s police chief said “the bigger issue facing the city regarding its animal population isn’t an increase in cruelty, it’s a decrease in space,” because of severe crowding and turn-away policies at the facility. A spokesperson said that it “was more than 200%” over capacity at the time of the report and that “overcrowding has resulted in a parvo outbreak among the shelter’s puppy population.” He said there were dogs housed “in every office” and that the facility had “no room for strays.”
Atlanta, Georgia
CNN.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as PAWS Atlanta was full and turning away animals. According to the report, “Practically the entirety of the daily call volume consists of requests to rehome pets. The shelter’s ‘surrender queue’ is full.” In addition, 166 animals had been found left at the facility’s front gate during the previous year. A spokesperson said that many of the animals left at the gate were suffering from “serious medical issues” and that these animals were “putting a strain on [its] resources.”
Knoxville, Tennessee
WVLT.tv reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Young-Williams Animal Center (YWAC) had revealed that it had adopted 15 animals to a woman from whom authorities had seized 40 animals. When authorities raided Haylee (also reported as Hailee) Morris’ home earlier in March, they reportedly found many neglected animals, “including several [who] had died and were decomposing in the home.” A spokesperson for YWAC reportedly said that “Morris came highly recommended to the animal center … and was ‘well-regarded’ by the community and other animal organizations.” The outlet reported earlier that during one of several visits to the home by sheriff’s deputies, they had obtained “a list of animals Hailee had fostered from Young-Williams Animal Center. One of those animals, a dog, reportedly died after less than 24 hours in Hailee’s care. … On top of the dog [who] died, Hailee told the officers she had adopted eight rabbits, two dogs, two hamsters, two birds and a cat, all of [whom] had died.” She along with three family members were “charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals as a class E felony, two counts of cruelty to animals as a class [A] misdemeanor and two counts of violation of rabies laws as a class C misdemeanor.” According to the report, “In total, at least 29 animals were found living at the house with six found dead. Many of the [sheriff’s department incident] reports stated that ‘several’ animals were found in various rooms.” In addition, “another 25 animals were reported dead either during or shortly after being in the custody of Morris.” (See the January 2023/Knoxville, Tennessee, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Detroit, Michigan
Freep.com reported that a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Detroit Community Cat Rescue was shutting down after a protest, resignations, and “allegations of negligence against former board members.” A former shelter manager reportedly posted publicly that “some kittens allegedly were never tested for worms or FIV and died after being adopted. She also accused the shelter of giving kittens to the highest bidders rather than [placing them] in the most appropriate homes.” No additional information was available.
Burlington, North Carolina
ElonNewsNetwork.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Burlington Animal Services was full and turning away animals. A volunteer at the facility reportedly said that “because there are so many animals, the shelter has had to double up on kennels for some dogs. ‘Seeing multiple dogs kind of crammed in a kennel … is hard,’” she said. Dogs and puppies were being given away for free.
Grafton, West Virginia
UpperMichigansSource.com reported that authorities had seized more than 100 cats and 20 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as The Spirit of Animals Rescue Corporation. According to the report, “A number of cats were hiding within the walls, preventing animal control officers from removing them.” The operators of the “rescue,” Kelly Rhoads and Nicole McLaughlin, were reportedly “charged with 128 counts of animal neglect and one count of neglect of an incapacitated adult.” Two homes where the animals had been hoarded were condemned by authorities. According to the report, in one of them, authorities “found one dog, six puppies and over 100 cats, with urine and feces covering the floor in each room and ‘stacked up in corners and closets.’ None of the cats had food, water or clean litter, and many of them were being kept in cages, the complaint alleges. It also says a majority of the cats had matted eyes.” In a second home, authorities reportedly found “four adults, 16 dogs and five cats.” A woman, one of whose legs had previously been amputated, was found at the home and reportedly “taken to the hospital for health screenings.”
February 2023 Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Endanger Animals
Pontiac, Michigan
MacombDaily.com reported that Karmen Schooly, founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as TriCounty Dog Rescue, said that authorities had repeatedly visited her home. According to the report, records revealed that “animal control officers have visited Schooly’s home seven times between 2020 and 2022. Earlier visits related to two puppies with parvo. Another involved a dispute over one of two foster dogs returned by a volunteer. A third happened after a dog escaped a foster home and gave birth in the wild. And another happened after a dog bit a visitor to the dog’s foster home. Pontiac code enforcement officials visited Schooly’s home three times last year, related to complaints of her having too many animals onsite.”
Putnam County, Florida
News4JAX.com reported that a State Attorney’s Office memo explained that a man whose five dogs had mauled a mail carrier to death would not face charges because he’d tried twice to surrender the animals—including once 10 days before the fatal attack—to the county’s publicly funded and self-professed “no-kill” animal shelter, doing business as Putnam County Animal Control, but had been turned away. The first time he called the facility, he reportedly “left a message saying he needed to surrender some dogs because he could no longer care for them. Animal Control staff told investigators no one ever returned his call or followed up with him.” The memo reportedly explained that he had “tried to surrender the dogs to Animal Control for a second time, but the request was declined, ‘based on Putnam County Animal Control’s assessment of the situation.’” After the fatal attack on a mail carrier, authorities evidently impounded and euthanized the dogs.
Shelby, North Carolina
ShelbyStar.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Cleveland County Animal Services was full and turning away dogs. The facility’s director reportedly said that animals were being turned away because “[n]one of us want to do any euthanasia.” A spokesperson for a self-professed animal “rescue” group said that it had recently taken two pregnant dogs from the facility and “transported them to a rescue partner up north.” She also said that the group had met a resident in the public facility’s “parking lot and took two dogs that he wanted to surrender” but that “with the shelter closed for intake, we got a call from the shelter and we went and grabbed them.”
Yakima, Washington
NBCRightNow.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Yakima Humane Society was full and had stopped accepting animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them.
West Valley City, Utah
KSL.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as West Valley City Animal Services was full and had stopped accepting animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said that it was “doubling up dogs in kennels … even though the kennels are meant for just one dog.” She said that residents who needed to surrender animals should “use social media” instead of the public animal shelter.
St. Stephen, South Carolina
Live5News.com reported that authorities had seized 49 live and 23 dead cats found hoarded at a self-professed animal “sanctuary” doing business as Suzie’s Zoo Sanctuary for Special Needs Kitties. According to the report, the owner, Suzanne Marie Melton, “was cited with 20 counts of inhumane treatment of animals, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.” Surviving cats were reportedly in “poor health,” and 10 were in such bad shape that they had to be euthanized. CountOn2.com reported that the home at the property had been condemned by authorities. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department reportedly said, “The 23 [who] were dead, there were 17 cats [who] were dead inside of carriers. Where apparently, they weren’t able to escape and fend for themselves. Just deplorable conditions. I’ve never seen anything like it.” (See the February 2020/Berkeley, South Carolina, entry below for more information about this “sanctuary.”)
Napa, California
NapaValleyRegister.com reported that a van belonging to a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Whiskers, Tails & Ferals had been stolen from in front of the home of the group’s president. According to the report, 10 cats were being stored in traps inside the van overnight, when temperatures were reportedly in the low 40s. A relative allegedly noticed that the van was missing “just before midnight.” Surveillance footage showed an unknown man break into the van and drive off with the cats inside. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified. MSN.com later reported that the van had been found. According to the report, “The cats survived almost a week without food and water. One cat’s eye is almost swollen shut.” No arrests had been made.
Dorton, Kentucky
WYMT.com reported that an unspecified number of animals had died in a July 2022 flood at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as 3-Mile Creek Farms. Owner Rob Elkins reportedly said that the “rescue” was still taking in animals and had “taken in nearly 40 … in the past month alone.” No additional information was available.
Milton, Georgia
FOX5Atlanta.com reported that authorities had seized “56 dogs, two horses, two cats and five chickens” from the home of the founder of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Georgia Poodle Rescue after the animals were found hoarded in poor conditions. According to the report, officials said that all the animals had “serious medical issues resulting from the neglect.” The group’s founder, Deborah Blatchley, was reportedly arrested and charged with cruelty to animals as well as “fleeing and eluding.”
Motley, Minnesota
CBSNews.com reported that authorities had seized 56 dogs, cats, and other animals from a self-professed animal “rescue” after they were found “crammed inside a filthy home.” According to the report, “Some of the animals suffered from severe respiratory illness, skin conditions and dehydration.” A search warrant related to the case reportedly “says an investigator ‘noted a strong smell of feces and urine coming from inside the home,’ and heard a ‘large number of dogs barking.’ It goes on to say they observed ‘multiple kennels stacked upon other kennels,’ and some of the ‘cages were stacked to the ceiling.’” No additional information was available.
Jackson County, North Carolina
WLOS.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for seven years at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society.
Norton Shores, Michigan
FOX17Online.com reported that authorities had seized 78 dogs from a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Cober’s Canine Rescue LLC, after they were found hoarded in a single-family home. The group’s owner, Lisa Marie Cober, had reportedly been charged with felony cruelty to animals. A spokesperson for a group that was caring for some of the seized animals said, “Some of the animals were in crates so small, they could barely turn around … just sitting in their own feces and urine.” According to the report, she “described the dogs as showing behaviors indicating they had little to no human interaction. The dogs are suffering from scarring, bite wounds, skin conditions, kennel cough, and urine scalding on their paws.” Authorities deemed the home unfit for occupancy.
McDowell County, North Carolina
WLOS.com reported that a dog and 11 puppies had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rusty’s Legacy. According to the report, “The rescue said according to an electrician, it appears a wire shorted out and caught a tarp on fire, which then engulfed the entire kennel in flames.”
Fargo, North Dakota
InForum.com reported that a spokesperson for the Fargo Police Department said that a “man had intended to surrender [two] cats to the [city’s] pound but became ‘agitated’ when he was told there was a fee he had to pay to give up the animals.” According to the spokesperson, he left the office and went to his car: “The suspect took them (the cats) out of a carrier and threw them into the parking lot separately …. They were thrown out the driver’s side door.” According to the report, a public post by the department said that he then “ran over one of the cats before driving away …. The cat [who] was run over did not survive.” The second cat was reportedly uninjured and had evidently been taken to an animal adoption group. Authorities were seeking information about the man’s identity.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
SantaFeNewMexican.com reported that a publicly funded self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society had “been operating at well above 200% capacity for the last two and a half years.” According to the report, the facility would no longer accept animals from residents who were unable or unwilling to care for them without an appointment and “[i]n cases where someone may have found a lost pet or a stray in need of help, shelter workers still try to do everything they can to keep them out of the facility.”
Sevierville, Tennessee
WATE.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Sevier Animal Care Center was full and housing some dogs in wire crates in hallways. According to the report, the facility posted publicly that it “cannot help anymore [animals] in need,” because there was no room at the facility.
Mission, Kansas
FOX4KC.com reported that state authorities had “initiated administrative proceedings to revoke” the license of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Unleashed Pet Rescue, according to a spokesperson at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The outlet reported that it had recently aired an investigative report “prompted by numerous complaints from former employees, volunteers and foster families concerned about Unleashed Pet Rescue. Many of them provided photos and videos showing dog bowls full of cockroaches, injured or sick animals and a behind-the-scenes look at the employee-only sections of the building, one of those areas being where they house the dogs.” A former manager at the facility reportedly said that during her employment, there had been “too many dogs” and that “some of them only got out [of cages or kennels] 15 minutes total of the day.”
Reports Showing How ‘No-Kill’ Policies Harmed Animals in January, 2023
Boone County, Missouri
ABC17News.com reported that 30 dogs had died in a fire at a home being used as a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Little Rays of Sunshine Animal Rescue. A spokesperson for the county fire department said, “Unfortunately, by the time we got here, the fire had been burning for quite some time and all the dogs perished in the fire. The homeowner (Jordan Alexander, according to the report) estimated about 30.” The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Kansas City, Kansas
FOX4KC.com reported that the following facilities with “no-kill” policies were full and had stopped accepting “voluntary admissions of large dogs.” The facilities, which were reportedly doing business as “Great Plains SPCA, KCK Animal Services (a publicly funded facility), Melissa’s Second Chances and Humane Society of Greater Kansas City,” reportedly revealed that they had received “430 requests from the public to surrender large dogs over the past two weeks.” It wasn’t reported whether those animals had received needed care.
Las Cruces, New Mexico
KFOXTV.com reported that four kittens had died in a vehicle in which they were being transported from a publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley to an unnamed self-professed animal “rescue” in Colorado. The executive director of the facility, Clinton Thacker, reportedly said that animals were transported “every week across the state of New Mexico and other states. ‘We’re sending them so animals can leave our center alive,’” he said. According to the report, the heater had been on during the trip and “[i]t was not until they reached their destination that [the driver] saw four kittens were dead. Upon return Thacker said they noticed all vents were closed except for two back kennels that the four kittens were in. Meaning, all that hot air flow was directed at them.”
Richland Center, Wisconsin
Channel3000.com reported that more than 20 animals had died in a fire at the home of the owner of a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Richland Area Rescue. No additional information was available.
Michigan City, Indiana
FOX59.com reported that authorities were investigating allegations of “neglect and abuse” at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Fur Ever Family Animal Rescue. According to the report, “The Michigan City police said numerous evidentiary items have been collected as part of their investigation and stated ‘no rescue dogs remain at the business.’” Authorities reported that the group was owned by John Naughton. A publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) reportedly began working with the group “in September and has sent 17 dogs to be cared for by Fur Ever, an IACS spokesperson confirmed. The last dog sent by IACS to Fur Ever was on Dec. 18. ‘We know that Mr. Naughton was fostering dogs for other rescue groups before opening his own rescue, so there is a chance he had other IACS dogs that were pulled by a different rescue,’ a spokesperson for IACS said.” A spokesperson for the facility reportedly said it would no longer work with Naughton’s group. WRTV.com later reported that Naughton had been charged with 11 counts of cruelty to animals. The report revealed that court documents alleged that four dogs—named Gunner, Mommies, Napoleon, and Steve—seized in the case had come from IACS and that “nearly all” of them “were malnourished with noticeable signs of weight loss, signs of injury and/or had been crated for so long their fur was discolored from laying in urine.” According to the report, “Naughton is due in court on March 6.”
Knoxville, Tennessee
WBIR.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Young-Williams Animal Center (YWAC) had been requiring appointments to turn in animals, which were often scheduled months in advance. According to the report, after a resident had been attacked by one or more of nine dogs in his possession in December, he told authorities that he’d tried “for months” to surrender the animals to YWAC but was told that the facility wouldn’t take them until February 28, 2023. Another family told the outlet that a dog they had adopted from YWAC attacked their mother twice, and they, too, were reportedly told that YWAC wouldn’t accept the dog—whom the family was understandably afraid of—for months. According to another WBIR.com report, authorities had expressed concerns about YWAC adopting out dangerous animals. According to the report, animal control officers had written in e-mails “about a dog named Baxter, who was surrendered to Young-Williams after ‘4 bites to children’ in June 2021. Later that month, another family adopted Baxter, but returned him in July 2021, the emails showed.” Baxter had again been adopted out, “and in September animal control was called to the new owner’s home for a ‘vicious dog attack,’ animal control officers said in the email. They said the owner needed 40 stitches from the attack. Animal control asked for a court order to euthanize the dog, and he was euthanized.”
Billings, Montana
KTVQ.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Help for Homeless Pets was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “We’ve had a waiting list for quite a while for people that want to surrender, need to surrender. … It’s harder in the wintertime. We have less housing here because we can’t keep the dogs outside.’” She said that animals are often left at the facility’s door, “leaving them no option but to bring them inside.” She added, “Drop offs include tying them to the front door before we open, shoving kittens through the door before hours, [and] leaving them out in boxes.”
Johnson City, Tennessee
JohnsonCityPress.com reported that a publicly funded facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Washington County Johnson City Animal Shelter was full and turning away dogs. According to the report, residents who were unable or unwilling to care for dogs and cats in their custody were required to make an appointment to relinquish their animals.
Sunbright, Tennessee
WATE.com reported that a “man admitted to police that he threw six puppies off a bridge onto a frozen lake in Sunbright last week, claiming he did so because animal shelters wouldn’t take them. Five of the puppies were ‘smashed and killed on impact,’ according to the arrest affidavit. One survived.” The man was charged with six counts of cruelty to animals. According to the arrest warrant, he “told investigators, ‘he had attempted to take the dogs to several local animal shelters all of which told him that they could not take the puppies.’” An animal adoption group agreed to admit the surviving puppy.
Wichita, Kansas
KWCH.com reported that a dog had been warehoused for more than 10 years by a self-professed “no-kill” animal “rescue” group doing business as Lifeline Animal Placement and Protection Inc. at a boarding kennel owned by the group’s owner.
Waxhaw, North Carolina
WBTV.com reported that four dogs, a goat, and an unspecified number of chickens had died in a fire at a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Rover’s Rescue and Retreat. According to the report, the group’s owners said they had been told by authorities that heat lamps might have caught straw in a barn where the animals had been confined on fire.
Charlottesville, Virginia
DailyProgress.com reported that “[n]early 60 current and former employees and volunteers” at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Charlottesville-Albemarle Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had “signed a letter to the board detailing allegations that CEO Angie Gunter’s treatment of animals was ‘deeply concerning.’” According to the report, “The group said that Gunter’s desire to maintain a high adoption and live release rate means that animals with behavioral or health issues get adopted out to inexperienced adopters or suffer in the shelter.” The facility’s former director of operations reportedly said in the letter, “Dogs are being warehoused with no resources and no behavior modification plans, while they continue to bite each other and humans.” In the letter, a former adoption coordinator reportedly “cited a dog named Jenny who could barely walk as an example. Jenny ‘would lay in her own urine for hours each day because she was unable to properly urinate. Veterinary staff recommended euthanasia but Angie dismissed their recommendations. We had to watch Jenny suffer for months before Angie finally conceded.’” The group of former workers was asking for changes. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating.
Marked Tree, Arkansas
FOX16.com reported that five cats and two dogs had died in a fire at the home of a volunteer for a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Marked Tree Animal Rescue. Sixteen cats were reportedly “unaccounted for.” KAIT8.com reported that approximately 20 dogs and cats from the home had been taken to a veterinary hospital, where a spokesperson said that they had been “wrapped and [given] antibiotics and pain meds.” Three cats were so badly injured that they required “being dry wrapped on their face and feet for burns” and had to be placed in “oxygen boxes.” One cat evidently died at the hospital despite treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating.
Wise, Virginia
JohnsonCityPress.com reported that a publicly funded animal shelter, apparently with “no-kill” policies, doing business as Wise County Animal Shelter was full and turning away animals. According to the report, “A sign on the county animal shelter’s door said the building was full and not accepting any more animals for now. Inside, the kennels were filled with dogs and the cat area also was at capacity.”
Hamilton, Montana
BitterrootStar.com reported that a facility with “no-kill” policies doing business as Bitter Root Humane Association had announced that it had stopped accepting cats. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said, “We’re going to change the way we’re handling animals … and we’re going to start with cats.” According to the report, if the facility starts accepting cats again, people will be required to make an appointment. Because of “no-kill” policies, the spokesperson said that the facility was “already full” two years after it had been expanded and that animals were often warehoused there “for years.”
Silverton, Oregon
KPTV.com reported that 30 cats had died in a fire at a single-family home being used as a self-professed animal “rescue” doing business as Silverton Cat Rescue. According to the business’s owner, seven cats had reportedly been retrieved alive and “others may be scattered around the neighborhood. She said two of those seven [surviving] cats are at the vet.” According to the report, the fire “took more than 30 responding firefighters to handle. An investigation ultimately led to evidence pointing at the cause being electrical.”
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
WYMT.com reported that 10 dogs had died in a fire at the home of a self-professed animal “rescuer.” According to the report, the homeowner had fostered animals for an unnamed animal “rescue” group in Canada. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating the cause of the fire.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
NBCMiami.com reported that authorities had seized 33 cats and two dogs from self-professed animal “rescuer” Laura Marcela Child after they were found hoarded at her home. A police report reportedly revealed that “multiple animal cages, some stacked two high,” had been found and that “[s]ome cages were packed with as many as four cats, including some with injuries including small abrasions and missing patches of hair …. Another five dogs were found roaming freely in a gated off room that was ‘filled with animal feces and trash,’ the report said. Some of the dogs had matted fur that was caked with filth. ‘Most of the residence’s interior was coated with animal fecal matter, urine, refuse, and other filth which created an environment unfit for human and-or animal habitation,’ the report said. ‘The residence stunk of ammonia due to the buildup of cat urine and there were cockroaches and flies seen in and around the various piles of excrement.’” Child was reportedly facing cruelty-to-animals charges and “42 counts of unlawful confinement or abandonment of animals.” WSVN.com reported that after posting bond, Child said, “I have a bunch of rescuers who are gonna testify for me.”
Manistee, Michigan
ManisteeNews.com reported that a staff member at a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Homeward Bound Animal Shelter had been “seriously injured” when she was attacked by a pit bull mix who had evidently been up for adoption. According to the report, an animal control officer and “several” sheriff’s deputies responded to the facility, where a tourniquet had to be applied “to the victim which was able to stop the uncontrolled blood loss that she was experiencing.” After the attack, the dog was euthanized.
Miami-Dade County, Florida
WSVN.com reported that a public self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) was full and refusing to accept lost and homeless animals. According to the report, residents in one area were alarmed at “seeing a surge in stray dogs, and some of those dogs have gone on the attack.” A couple said that two stray dogs had mauled a pony to death on their property. Later, they reportedly saw a homeless dog outside their gate, who was described as “emaciated and hungry.” Another resident said, “It’s come to crisis levels. Dogs are killing people’s cats. They’re getting hit in the streets. Samaritans are being required to take on dogs that they’re not comfortable with.” A spokesperson for MDAS reportedly said that the facility was full and that it had “temporarily suspended the collection of stray dogs.” (See the February 2022/Miami, Florida, entry below for more information about this facility.)
Ottumwa, Iowa
KTVO.com reported that a self-professed “no-kill” facility doing business as Heartland Humane Society was full and turning away animals. A spokesperson for the group reportedly said that people who contact the facility and explain that they need to bring in stray and homeless animals are being asked to house the animals themselves.
Troutdale, Oregon
OregonLive.com reported that a publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Multnomah County Animal Services was full and turning away animals. Residents who found stray animals were reportedly being told to keep them at their own homes and to try to find the animals’ owners themselves.
Ukiah, California
MendoVoice.com reported that a publicly funded animal shelter with “no-kill” policies doing business as Mendocino County Animal Care Services was full and turning away animals. According to the report, a news release issued by the facility advised residents who “find themselves with a stray dog … that we might not be able to assist you and request that you hold the stray dog for a bit.”
Calhoun, Georgia
FOX5Atlanta.com reported that authorities had seized 21 dogs and three cats after they were found in horrific conditions in the home of a man who acted as a foster home for self-professed animal “rescue” groups. According to authorities, most of the animals had been found “in individual cages stacked on top of each other. ‘We actually had one dog [who] was soaking wet,’ said police chief Tony Pyle. ‘And we realized that the only way that could have happened was if another animal had urinated and it just dropped down on top of him.” Conditions in the home were so bad that a hazmat team was required to assist with the seizure. According to the report, one dog had to be euthanized, five animals were taken to a public animal shelter, and the remaining animals were “returned to the rescue groups that originally vouched for” foster “caregiver” David Edwards. He was charged with 24 counts of cruelty to animals. According to the report, the arrest “raises questions about whether some are more focused on the rescue and less on where those dogs wind up.” Authorities reportedly said that “three of the seized dogs belonged to Ginny Millner Rescue in Atlanta” and that the home where the animals had been hoarded was “owned by Susan Bostick Fassnacht, another active animal rescuer.” In 2017, Edwards had reportedly been indicted on cruelty-to-animals charges in another county after authorities found 16 dogs in similarly deplorable conditions.
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