‘Slam-full’ shelter violates its own policy to euthanize woman’s pet

[Rebel Yell]

Local story, but I thought the cat lovers would find it interesting.

This shelter has a reputation for being quick to kill, and not easy to get ahold of to see what animals they have.

http://www.tiftongazette.com/local/local_story_151201605.html?start:int=15

‘Slam-full’ shelter violates its own policy to euthanize woman’s pet


By Jana Cone/reporter

TIFTON —
Ashley Stone, a teacher at Charles Spencer Elementary School, finds some kind of sad irony in the fact that the place she went to save her cat is the same place that killed her cat: The Tifton-Tift County Animal Shelter. Stone is also upset because she says the animal shelter violated their own policy in order to euthanize her pet.

 
Stone is a self-described animal lover who last December went to the animal shelter and adopted Duncan, a male long-haired tabby cat. “He had been there for three months,” Stone said of the cat she came to love. She still refers to Duncan as, “My sweet baby.”

Last Friday, when returning home from work, she noticed that Duncan was missing. Stone said it was her habit to let Duncan out when she went to work and bring him in when she got home. When Duncan did not come home Friday night, Stone said she called the animal shelter on Saturday morning. “I got a recording saying they are only open the first Saturday of every month,” she said “I left a message with the complete description of my cat, my address, and told them I wanted my cat back.” Knowing the shelter was not open on Sunday, Stone did not call that day.

On Monday, Memorial Day, she again called and left a message and described her cat and explained that he was missing.

Tuesday morning, as soon as the shelter opened, Stone called again and asked if her cat was there. “The lady told me she didn’t have time to look right now but she would call me back when she had time,” Stone said.

Stone said she waited about an hour and then called back. “I was told, ‘No, we don’t have your cat,’” she said. “I let it go at that. Then I really didn’t know where he was.”

Stone had put up fliers in her neighborhood offering a reward. The flier read: “Large male cat, last seen Friday, May 23, 2008. This cat has kidney problems and must receive medication and special food to survive. He is missed very much. Please call with information.”

Stone explained that Duncan had a kidney stone and had just been at the vet’s for a week. “I had a $300 vet bill, but that doesn’t matter,” she said.

At 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Stone got a telephone call from a neighbor, Jay Miles. Miles said he wanted to talk to her face-to-face and he went over to her house. “He said he had set a trap for some wild cats, had accidentally trapped Duncan and had taken him to the animal shelter,” Stone said. “He told me, ‘I think I caught your cat.’” Miles told Stone he had taken Duncan to the shelter on Friday. “He offered to go get him but I said I wanted to go,” Stone said.

Wednesday morning, when Stone again called the shelter, she was told a boy had brought the cat into the shelter in a trap.

“I asked, ‘Where is he?’” Stone said. “I was told he was gone. I said, ‘What do you mean gone?’ She said, ‘Put to sleep.’”

Stone said she was hysterical. “They had to have killed him the same day he was brought in,” Stone said. “I was upset.” Stone said the shelter was closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and she was told they did not have the cat on Tuesday. “I thought they had to keep them five days,” she said.

Stone said she went to the animal shelter to see for herself if Duncan was there. “There was a cat in there with one eye,” Stone said. “Not Duncan.”

Stone said she spoke with Regina Wells, animal control director, and was told, “I’m sorry, I can’t save the world.”

Stone said she felt sure the staff at the shelter could tell Duncan was not a stray because he was well cared for and had been neutered. Stone said Wells told her there was a leash law for both dogs and cats.
I’m heartbroken and I just feel like they don’t care,” Stone said.

 
The animal control policy is that the shelter is required to keep stray animals for five days before they can be euthanized. However, if an owner brings in their own cat or dog there is no waiting period.

Miles said when he brought the cat to the shelter, staff asked him if the cat in the trap was his. “I told them, ‘No,’” he said. “Before I left they said I needed to sign a paper saying I was not the owner of the cat.” Miles said he signed the card he was handed and left.

Wells told The Gazette she had the copy of the card Miles signed. She said there are boxes to check if the person completing the form is the owner or not the owner. “He didn’t check either box,” Wells said. “He just signed it.”

Wells said when Miles signed the card he signed the cat over to them and the cat was euthanized that day.

“Since the first of May we have taken in 185 cats,” Wells said. “That Friday we had gotten 22 cats.” The reality of the situation, Wells said, was that the shelter had no more room for cats. “There was no room at the inn,” she said. “We were slam full.”

[mamacags]

It really sucks to lose your cat especially that way.  I don't let my cats outside because of the large stray population around here.  People trap them and take them into our kill shelter.  The shelter always has a whole room full of kittens and some older cats.  They don't have room for them all so I suspect the older ones get gassed as soon as possible.  That is the way life goes.  Get another cat and don't let it out.