Animals left improperly at animal shelter
A few weeks ago, Greenville’s animal control officers found this dog improperly surrendered outside the shelter. (Photo from the Greenville Animal Shelter Facebook page)
MOLLIE S. WATERS | The Greenville Standard
Kristi Stinson Sexton, Senior Animal Control Officer at the Greenville Shelter, has often arrived at the shelter to find an animal left tied up outside or puppies and kittens abandoned there in a box.
While the shelter is more than willing to accept animals from Butler County residents, they ask that people surrendering those animals do so properly.
According to Sexton, 826 animals, including owner surrendered and strays, were brought in to the shelter last year. Many of them were abandoned outside the shelter without food or water.
Sexton asks that pets be brought in during their office hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Sometimes, the animal control officers are out on calls, Sexton says in that instance people should simply call the posted cell phone number listed on the shelter’s front door if the animal control officers are not there.
“When they call, we give a time on how long it will be before we return,” said Sexton.
Sexton added that the shelter does not turn away animals. “We aren’t allowed to turn anyone away,” said Sexton. “We just have to make room.”
Sexton went on to state that instead of surrendering animals properly, many people do not bring them to the shelter at all because they mistakenly believe that the animal will be instantly euthanized, which results in many animals being disposed of in rural areas.
Sexton stated that animals who are abandoned in this manner do not typically have good outcomes.
“They have a better chance here finding a loving home or rescue than trying to fend for themselves,” said Sexton. “A lot of people believe they are better off to turn them loose in the country, but the reality is a lot of them get killed either by vehicles or by people.”
Sexton acknowledged that there are times when some of the animals who have been surrendered at the shelter have to be euthanized. However, with the hard work the shelter does to get the animals into rescues, euthanization does not happen as frequently as it once did.
For more information about surrendering a pet at the Greenville Shelter or how to adopt one of their shelter animals, call the shelter at 334-382-7806.
