Residents’ concerns about animal control dominated the Board of Commissioners' Nov. 19 meeting, with many asking the commissioners for more help finding “forever homes” for Morgan County’s furry friends.
Shannon Logan said she recently found two young indoor cats that were dumped out of a vehicle.
When Morgan County Animal Services came to pick up the cats, Logan said she was told they would be processed the next morning. When she contacted MCAS about someone interested in adopting the cats the following day, she was told they would be homed as barn cats on a woman’s farm. Later that day, Logan found out they were euthanized.
According to Logan, MCAS claimed the cats were feral and aggressive, which exempted them from the stray hold.
“They were easily grabbed, held nicely, put into a crate that went into [a] vehicle, and they were not showing aggressive tendencies,” Logan said about her experience with the cats. “Overall, I was lied to multiple times … the situation was not communicated properly, and I was lied to in regards to how they would handle these cats and how they were kind of set up to be killed.”
Bromley Metz also shared her concerns about euthanasia trends at the county’s animal shelter.
“I’m standing before you tonight because I am deeply concerned about the animals at Morgan County Animal Services,” she told the commissioners.
She said in the last five years, only 10 to 15 percent of the shelter’s animals have been adopted. She added that in the last year alone, over 50 percent of animals brought into the shelter were killed.
Metz noted a new rescue coordinator had gotten over 50 percent of the shelter’s animals to rescues this year, but the euthanasia rate remains high at about 36 percent.
Metz recommended suggestions for better animal control.
Metz said the shelter would benefit from an adoption coordinator, who could take photos and videos to help potential adopters learn more about the animals.
She also recommended off-site adoptions to get animals out in the community, which could include adoptions at community events and area pet stores.
“Getting them out in the community, allowing people to see them, [and] increasing their face time would greatly help,” explained Metz.
She also said the county should apply for grants to help animals. According to Metz, the shelter hasn’t received any grants this year. Still, it needs funds to afford community spay/neuter, rabies, and microchip clinics that are popular in other communities to combat overpopulation and protect animal health.
“I hope I’ve just shown how much more can be done and that it just takes effort for our animals to get adopted,” she told the BOC in closing.
Ellen Warren, a former commissioner, echoed previous comments, calling for more help for animal services.
“I have been involved with animal rescue for over 25 years, and it’s disheartening that with all the rescue groups, animal control [euthanasia] numbers never change — they are always high,” Warren said. “Animal services is a soul-killing job. None of us here could do it. They are to be commended. They are to be helped. Whatever this county can do to give them more funding to hire more people.
“We are taking care of the City of Madison; our numbers have doubled, and we need to support these people. Having sat where you sit, you will never know the kind of problems you are going to get when people get upset about animals. It’s going to be tough, and I would only suggest that we give [animal services] more help, give them more employees, and work with them on what they need.”
District 3 Commissioner Ben Riden said the county is addressing the concerns about euthanasia.
“I love my animals, and I think we ought to do all we can to save and adopt our animals,” Riden said.
In other news, the BOC reopened the Farmland Protection Advisory Board application window until Dec. 13 to get more applications. The BOC plans to revisit the applications at its Dec. 17 meeting.