Animal Control, rescue groups fight problem of dumped pets

Editor:

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It bothered me that once again someone was criticizing Columbia County Animal Care and Control without bothering to check the facts. I did, and here's what I found about the stray dog that Animal Control was "quick to euthanize" ("Incident with stray shows county is 'mighty quick to euthanize,'" letter, Sept. 21).

The dog was picked up on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The staff at Animal Control are required to hold any strays for five business days. This gives owners the opportunity to claim their lost pets.

No one came forward to claim this dog, so she was put up for adoption. She was The News-Times' Pet of the Week on Sept. 3. She was made available to rescue groups. She was euthanized on Sept. 9. This was 14 days after she was picked up, not "less than a week later." Linda Fulmer, the manager, told me the dog was euthanized because they ran out of space.

There is a problem in Columbia County with abandoned animals. Those in the community who irresponsibly dump their animals like yesterday's garbage are the culprits. Recently, my husband found an 8-week-old puppy in our barn. He was obviously put over the pasture fence sometime during the night and made his way to our barn. Somehow, he managed to stay out of the way of the horses' hooves and the goats' horns until my husband fed the horses that morning.

Article 3 of the Columbia County Code, Section 14-101, deals with cruelty to animals. Abandonment falls within this section. Section A states that "no person shall release any domesticated animal on any public or private property with the intention of abandoning the animal."

In other words, it's against the law to abandon animals and, if you are caught, you may be prosecuted.

Our county is fortunate in having so many rescue groups that are willing to help alleviate the seemingly growing number of unwanted pets. As a member of the Animal Care and Control Board, I thank God that we have them and Animal Care and Control looking out for the welfare of animals in our community. We need to combine our efforts and work together for the good of the entire community.

Karen Gross

Grovetown