DeKalb Initiative

 

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News
DeKalb promises changes at ‘chamber of horrors' animal shelter

The new Animal Services Task Force Report and Recommendations February 24, 2012 is out!
Read it here or visit the Documents page

DeKalb Initiative was founded by concerned DeKalb citizens to petition the Commissioners and CEO of DeKalb County, Georgia to fund a new animal care facility.

The DeKalb County animal "shelter" has an astounding 60% kill rate – a very high number, even in these financial times. In 2011, the CEO and Board of Commissioners put together an official task force, composed of animal rescue group representatives, county officials, law enforcement, and other concerned citizens to gather facts on current conditions and find possible solutions to get that 60% down. The final document from the Task Force has been released and it shows major flaws not only inside the facility, but with the entire management of animal control.

Below are quotes that come from the final Task Force Report already presented to the CEO and the Board of Commissioners:
  • “The DeKalb County shelter facility is a chamber of horrors.”
  • “During the summer, the kennel area is filled with fruit flies to the extent that some of the dog run walls appear black with the thick layer of insects.”
  • “While the SOP Manual dictates otherwise, dogs are frequently kept in their kennels while the kennels are hosed down, keeping the animals dripping wet.”
The long-standing apathetic treatment of the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and CEO towards its own Animal Services has historically been unacceptable. This is not just an animal welfare issue, it is a crisis for every resident of the County. We want to change the attitudes of each Commissioner and the CEO – and we feel like we are making that happen!

The CEO and Board of Commissioners have been receiving thousands of emails from many of you who have been involved with the Initiative. We have petitioned them to build a new shelter, to not cut funding for Animal Services in the 2012 budget and to add more officers. As of March, the CEO has promised to restore 10 positions to Animal Services, not cut funding, and on the local news, the CEO even said he “hoped that by the end of the year, DeKalb would break ground on a new shelter.” We MUST continue this pressure to make sure that what we have heard and what they have expressed will come to light.

Please continue to speak up and let your County Commissioners know that this is not acceptable. We need a new Animal Services facility and we need it NOW.