PLEASE CROSS POST WIDELY
General Information Update:
In a message dated 8/6/2007 5:06:56 P.M. Eastern
Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Patti,
Here is the brief statement I put out yesterday. I
just got off the phone with Channel 4 and they are
calling the station in West Virginia to get a copy of
the video shot Saturday while we were there. They are
trying to get it on the news tonight.
A group of us went to Mason yesterday to see what was
going on and to get some of the dogs. Michelle,
Stacey and Debbie from Parkersburg along with myself
and Carmen arrived at the Mason shelter around 1:30pm
yesterday and could not believe what we found. There
were dogs everywhere. Outside chained to the fence
and in kennels with disgusting green water to drink
and poop (old and new) everywhere. The chained dogs
had about 4-6' of chain to move around on. All of
them were baking in the sun with barely any shade.
Inside there were dogs in kennels and crates. All
were filthy and begging for attention. Alot of the
dogs have sarcoptic mange, kennel cough and diarrhea
(probably giardia). Some are extremely thin (even
emaciated) and dehydrated. There were about 5
volunteers including Angie working on cleaning,
feeding and watering over 150 dogs. The sewer water
was about 1-2" deep in some areas for the back up
early in the day. There are no cats at the shelter.
The back kennel had one, two or three dogs per run
with about 4 dogs chained in the isles. The feces was
everywhere and had been there for awhile. The fans in
the back kennel were not helping with air circulation
at all. It was hot and stinky. There were 4 pups
from a cruelty case that were in severe condition and
if not helped would be dead in another day or so. We
dewormed them and gave them Sub Q fluids to help. We
fed them canned food which they scarfed down like they
hadn't eaten in weeks. They were just so loveable it
was sad. We were able to take with us 4 moms with
young pups (2-3 weeks old), 2 pregnant dogs and one
older pup that was so malnourished her joints can
barely hold her up. 3 of the moms and the older pup
have sarcoptic mange. 2 of the moms were missing hair
over about two thirds of their bodies. There is one
little black lab we had to leave at the shelter who is
missing hair over about 90% of its body. We worked
until about 5pm loaded up 31 wonderful dogs/pups and
left to go back to Parkersburg. All of us were
filthy, hot and tired but could not stop thinking
about all the animals living in the disgusting mess at
the shelter. Yes part of this was due to the sewer
back up but the majority is due to lack of help to
clean, feed, water and get vet care for that many
animals. Most of them are very sweet and friendly.
Some are very aggressive and were trying to attack
others. Several had injuries due to dog fights. We
left yesterday at 4am and arrived back home this
morning around 5am. All we kept thinking is about all
those we could not take with us. Something needs to
be done now. Mason needs volunteers to feed, clean
and properly care for the animals. They need rescues
to take the non aggressive ones now. Rescues must
understand that they will be getting dogs with
sarcoptic mange, bad kennel cough and probably giardia
but it is worth it to help these poor babies. Action
must be taken now to save these lives.
On August 15th the county will be taking over the
shelter. There will not be a mass euthanasia. There
will be an assessment team to start going thru all the
remaining animals to see what dogs are placeable,
which need vet care and which are not adoptable. Yes
some will be euthanized. They will be coming up with a
plan to clean up the shelter, repair what needs to be
done, put in place proper cleaning and care guidelines
and develop an overall plan for the shelter to
function with. The county does want to continue
working with rescues but understand that they must
have the right staff and guidelines in place and
provide the support they need. Right now Mason should
be considered a hoarding situation and truly is in
crisis. Please if you can help by taking a couple of
dogs please do. They need to be moved before 8/15. If
you can drive down to the shelter and help clean and
care for the animals please do. I am begging everyone
to get involved. Do not wait. The animals are in
need now and can truly not live like this any longer.
Do not send money. If you are paying for vetting
animals please pay the vet directly. Please cross
post.
Thanks
Karen Grinder
A Forever Home Rescue
Original email below
*****************************************************
Urgent alert regarding the Mason County Animal Shelter
which is facing a massive euthanasia of unwanted yet
healthy dogs.
Please call all the media in the area, and if you are
local and vote, please make sure these commissioners
are not re-elected.
Please mail:
Commissioner Miles Epling, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Commissioner Rick Handley, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
County clerk Diana Cromley, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Circuit clerk Bill Withers,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Please call the commissioners, during office hours,
at: 304-675-1110
Please also contact all print and broadcast media in
the area and demand that the mass murder of the
animals be televised and reported on. Contact the
below correspondents and Im sure theyll provide you
with a media list.
Here is the original email asking for help:
Dear Rescues/Volunteers:
Panic is beginning to set in. We are now looking at 18
days to move 200 dogs, or the county will regain
control of the Mason County Animal Shelter and
euthanize all but 50. So many of you have worked
relentlessly all summer trying to help us place as
many dogs and puppies as you could, and we are very
grateful. Others of you have helped in the past and
have faced difficulties of your own as many volunteers
are on vacation during the summer while at the same
time it seems to be the peak season for pet
abandonment.
Our story is no different than countless other
shelters who face overcrowding and the pressure to
make the choice to kill perfectly healthy or at the
very least, easily treatable, dogs and puppies for the
sheer sake of numbers. Knowing that, I am still going
to beg you to think of everyone you know in the rescue
business. Please, please, put out every plea you can
to assist us. We are willing to transport van loads
wherever needed. These animals are our friends and
family and have trusted us to give them a chance for a
better life. If I sound desperate, its because we
are. We have had to fight with everything we had to
even get the summer months to try to get them out to
safety.
As the deadline grows closer, the county vultures
are starting to swarm, visiting the shelter to count
how many remain. The bad part is that not everyone is
even listed on our Petfinder site. I assure you if you
can help in anyway, any request for information about
a particular breed or size or temperament of dog will
not go unanswered. We do have a tremendous number of
black dogs: labs, setters, hounds, terriers. Until the
past several months, I never realized that color had
its prejudices in animals, too.
Our suddenlink accounts are not reliable as of late.
Many e-mails have not gotten through some cyber
glitch. Please use this address. Again, if its only
one or two you could find space for, thats more lives
saved.
God Bless, and thank you.
Angela
Mason County Animal Shelter
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