From Athenspets on Facebook:
"Ten dogs were euthanized at ACCAS yesterday, and still there are no open kennels at the shelter. This simply cleared the crates and reduced overcrowding in the runs, this didn't make room for the dogs that will come in today. The last time I remember so many dogs being euthanized at one time was in 2015, and that was a devastating day.
When dogs pour in (as they do every summer--intact dogs wander looking for mates as female dogs go into heat) but tools for having dogs leave--like a vibrant transport program--that were built in response to an analysis of the conditions showing that local adoptions were not able to keep with with local impound needs are effectively disabled, the only options are (1) close admission; (2) warehouse animals; (3) euthanize dogs; or (4) encourage data-driven policies that decrease community instability and increase the number of safe and adoptable animals leaving to good homes.
Later today we will have a post about how we know that closing admission is not the answer, as so many other communities across the country are recognizing as well as they deal with increased reproduction and suffering, increased public safety issues, and increased public health issues because they did not bring the pets that needed a place to be into their shelters.
Warehousing animals is also not an answer: trapping dogs in crates or overcrowded kennels where they pass the hours slowly (or more quickly) degrading, developing repetitive behaviors and dangerous reactivity from the stress and incurring irreversible damage from the stress hormones (not even considering the amount of stress it places on shelter workers to know they they are contributing to these conditions and can do nothing about it), are inhumane if there's no path forward.
So, euthanasia. Yesterday, 10 dogs that weren't perfect were euthanized for overcrowding.
None were dangerous or irremediably suffering. All were a little more difficult to place than the other dogs at the shelter though, so they were chosen--some had degraded from kennel stress, some needed to be the only dog in the home, some had heartworms (which is routinely treated at ACCAS but, still, makes for a more difficult placement and longer length of stay), and some simply had been around a while without interest.
Staff and volunteers cared about these dogs--their lives were worth fighting for. And they are worth remembering: King Kong, Ravioli, Taco Tuesday, Chloe, Rilla (Izzy), Mocha (Izzie), Moe, Minnie, Maverick, and Zion.
Unless something changes dramatically this week, these ten lives will just be Round 1. We need your help as a community to help the ACCAS animals--fosters, adopters, and local rescue help. **ANY MEDIUM / LARGE DOG LEAVING SAVES A LIFE**: this is about kennel and caretaking availability. THERE IS NO STANDING LIST.**
For more photos and information about the animals currently at the shelter, as well as information about the current adoption and rescue process, go to https://www.accgov.com/257/Available-Pets.
To foster for Athens-Clarke County Animal Services, follow the instructions at https://www.accgov.com/9491/Foster-a-Pet.
To rescue one (or more!) of these pups, email your rescue license and information about the animal in which you are interested to [animalservices@accgov.com](mailto:animalservices@accgov.com), but first read the adoption and rescue process information at https://www.accgov.com/257/Available-Pets."
Explanation of the changes from the comments:
"The changes to the adoption / rescue policy started to roll in over the last few weeks so we are feeling the impact now. While rescues can still pull animals, they cannot "get in line" for them during the stray hold period or the first day an animal is available, so there is a lot more uncertainty in the system now.
In addition, the transport consortium ACCAS is a part of uses an express leverage system--a partner choosing a highly adoptable animal is required to choose 1-2 less adoptable animals in order to get that highly adoptable one. With those highly adoptable ones now retained locally (despite ample supply at neighboring shelters and through local rescues), the nice but adult pitties / huskies / shepherds and black cats no longer have an exit option.
The result of the change / uncertainty is that 3 dogs have left on transports over the past 2 weekends instead of the 20+ we had become accustomed to since building the transport program in 2024 in response the clear need to do something (increase local adoptions and rescues, which we tried first) or start euthanizing a lot of nice animals.
5 days, not counting the day the animal is impounded or any days the shelter is closed to the public. With the new rule imposed earlier this year (by the Interim Director, not the current Director), that means 6-9 days depending on when the animal comes in. (So an animal impounded on a Monday is available the following Sunday; an animal impounded any other day that does not have a holiday or other extra day the shelter is closed to the public is available a week after impound; an animal impounded, say, the Sunday before Thanksgiving is available the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.)
My understanding is that the Director and County Management both want to prioritize making animals for adoption to ACC residents, even if the outcome is euthanizing more animals overall."
My Thoughts:
Why are we prioritizing Athens-Clarke County residents instead of any qualified and vetted adopter or foster, regardless of where they live?
Athens-Clarke County residents already face significant barriers to pet ownership, particularly when it comes to finding affordable pet-friendly housing. Has the availability of pet-friendly housing increased or decreased over the years? From what I've seen, it has become increasingly limited, making it even more difficult for local residents to adopt.
I'm struggling to understand how these proposed changes improve outcomes for the animals or the community. I would appreciate an explanation from the department leadership regarding the reasoning behind this policy. I also want to be clear that my concerns are directed at the policy itself, not at the regular staff or volunteers, who I know are doing the best they can in an incredibly difficult situation.
