Judy Havercamp wonders:
If you have an employee who is abusing animals, why do you not fire that person?She indicates urgency:
Things need to be changed now.
Here’s the video:
Why do you not fire that person? —Judy Havercamp
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq
This speaker talked about when her mother took her to volunteer at
the old shelter, and how bad it was,
then about how the current shelter started.
When I moved back to Valdosta five years ago, I couldn’t believe the change. A real shelter and animal control officers that had compassion. I personally know some current and former animal control officers. They are caring compassionate people with a deep love of their jobs.So she looked into it, requesting the files from the Dept. of Agriculture.When I read about the cruelty and neglect allegations in the paper, I couldn’t believe we had reverted back 25 years.
What I received was a slap in the face. The Valdosta Daily Times was kind in their reporting….You can listen to her yourself. Continue reading
If taxpayer money isn’t being used to defend the defenseless,
what should it be used for?
Cheryl Hatcher said she has been involved with Humane Society for a long time (which the Chairman vouched for) and was among those who actually helped build the shelter.
There have been many discussions and conversations about things not being done properly at the shelter. And I really urge that you investigate what’s going on in the shelter. I applaud you for putting cameras in the tack room, although I think it’s been way too long to do that, but I applaud you for doing that.I think that if it’s necessary to put cameras in the tack room there are bigger problems that need to be taken care of at higher levels.I really think that it is not a waste of taxpayers’ money when you’re investigating to make sure that animals will be taken care of properly. If we can’t take care of animals and children, then the world is going to suffer.
Here’s the video:
If we can’t take care of animals and children…. — Cheryl Hatcher
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq
The animal shelter story isn’t just about animals.
It’s also about mismanagement.
It’s even about prison labor competing with local labor.
After Susan Leavins read from her statement to the Department of Agriculture about a starving horse, pigs castrated without pain relievers or antibiotics, and maggots in wounds, Chairman Paulk advised her she had one minute left. Then she got to her main point: Continue reading
Lowndes County Commission Chairman said he was the first member
of the local Humane Society
and he promised:
Whatever problems there are, they’re going to be resolved.For background, see County Animal Shelter Issues.
And remember, last year Ashley Paulk said he is code enforcement.
Here’s the video:
You’re looking at an animal lover —Ashley Paulk @ LCC 24 May 2011
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 May 2011.
Videos by Johh S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq
This comment from Jane Osborn came in last night on
County Animal Shelter Issues. A good place to ask such questions of
public officials might be at
this evening’s County Commission meeting,
5:30 PM, 327 N. Ashley Street.
Sheriff Chris Prine is often in attendance.
-jsq
Abuse of an animal is a criminal offense. The GA Dept. of Agricultureis a regulatory agency able only to issue fines, not pursue criminal investigations. Why are these reports not on the desk of the sheriff of Lowndes County for criminal investigation? Dismissing the allegations because the people whose testimony was taken might be biased does no service to the current or future animals that will pass through the shelter.
Presumably the issues reported by David Rodock in the 15 May 2011 Valdosta Daily Times Animal shelter probed Use of drugs investigated; employees speak out and by Gabrielle Sarann for WCTV on 19 May 2011 Lowndes County Animal Shelter Probed: The Georgia Department of Agriculture is keeping an eye on an area animal shelter and has cited it for several violationsIssues that I think you’ve heard about… animal shelter.
“I’ve seen a lot of the animals come in the shelter and not got vet care and sometimes that comes in the form of euthanasia,” says Susan Leavens, an animal control officer for Lowndes County.This led several Lowndes County Animal Shelter employees to file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
It launched an investigation citing the facility for not providing humane care.
Joe Pritchard continued in his report:
August of 2010 the Department of Agriculture called me and asked for a meeting about issues of concern. They expressed those issues centered around maintenance of records … what was classified as humane treatment.
Mr. Pritchard referred to “specific castration of a pot-bellied pig”.
He didn’t say whether he considered that inhumane treatment;
he merely discussed it after referring to things “classified as humane treatment”.
He continued: Continue reading
If you have concerns about anything that happened, or anything else related to the county government, there’s a regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Videos are interspersed among the agenda items:
Continue reading
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor