NC shelter euthanized animals too early, didn’t care properly for others, state says
A North Carolina animal shelter unlawfully put more than a dozen animals to death and was not taking proper care of other animals under its watch, state officials say.
The Veterinary Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued Sampson County a $4,800 civil penalty and warning for violating state statutes. The fine followed a Feb. 23 inspection at the Sampson County Animal Shelter.
The March 12 notice, signed by Animal Welfare Section Director Patricia Norris, accuses the shelter of premature euthanization of 15 animals, and inadequate feeding, lighting and veterinary care for animals.
The Animal Welfare Section also claims the shelter didn't give 24 animals proper access to toys, human and same-species interaction, and space other than their primary enclosures.
Sampson County was given 60 days to either pay the civil penalty or file a petition to appeal the case.
On Thursday, Sampson County Manager Ed Causey told The Sampson Independent he was surprised by the notice, because it “was inconsistent with what I would’ve expected to be my ongoing operations at the animal shelter.”
“We are still evaluating the proposed penalty and evaluating what we might do,” Causey told the local newspaper. “Certainly a significant portion of the fine we have determined we probably agree with.”
During the Feb. 23 inspection, shelter records indicated seven dogs and eight cats had been euthanized before a required holding period of 72 hours ended. Some of the animals were put to death within an hour of intake, according to the notice.
The report mentions a Doberman-mix dog named Griffin that was discovered “to be in extremely thin body condition and to have large open sores on both front legs.”
When the inspector asked to move the dog to another room because of insufficient lighting in the kennel area, the dog broke away from shelter staff “to rapidly consume food that had been left out for another dog,” the report said.
The shelter director told the inspector that shelter staff had not noticed the dog’s emaciated body condition or large sores on its legs that needed surgery, according to the notice.
The dog was put down on Feb. 27, the report said.
The report also noted a Feb. 27 complaint made against the shelter alleging improper care of another dog, a Great Dane.
The Great Dane was said to be severely emaciated, at just 56 pounds, according to the report, and had intestinal parasites at the time of an exam on Feb. 15.
During the Feb. 23 inspection, the shelter director used the same dog as an example of one that was taken to a veterinary clinic for treatment (for large sores on its front legs), but the dog’s veterinary records at that time didn’t reflect the treatment it received, the notice said.
The fine includes $100 per violation of the 72-hour minimum holding period; $1,000 for failing to adequately feed the Doberman and Great Dane; another $2,000 for failing to provide veterinary care to the two dogs; and $300 for failure to provide care to the Doberman as directed by a veterinarian.
This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 3:42 PM with the headline "NC shelter euthanized animals too early, didn’t care properly for others, state says."