Kentwood’s animal control maybe handled by TPAC, the Hammond Shelter
WDSU New Report: Inspection Leads To Closure Of Kentwood Animal Shelter
KENTWOOD, La. — The town of Kentwood has decided to shut down its animal shelter after an inspection by the Humane Society of Louisiana found dirty and unsafe conditions there, the group said in a news release… http://www.wdsu.com/news/17958072/detail.html or http://snipurl.com/5e40r
WWL News: Group wants Kentwood shelter closed due to filth, waste; 12:44 PM CST on Tuesday, November 11, 2008; Chad Bower / Eyewitness News
The Town of Kentwood animal shelter is under fire from The Humane Society of Louisiana after the group found no sewerage system, a pile of waste that had built up for years and several dogs that were too weak to stand.
The Humane Society detailed all of that in a report that also called for the parish to close the shelter or take it over. They are seeking to sign an agreement with Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control to take over services… http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl111108cbshelter.1a13c59ab.htm or http://snipurl.com/5c54s
(Please leave a comment under this news report to show that you care about the animals of Tangi Parish)
—-
News Release: For immediate use
Contacts: Jeff Dorson, Executive Director (901-268-4432), Dawn Taylor-Church, Shelter Inspector (435-899-0985)
TOWN OF KENTWOOD PREPARED TO CLOSE ANIMAL SHELTER INSPECTION REVEALS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND VIOLATIONS
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Humane Society of Louisiana recently conducted an inspection of the Town of Kentwood Dog Shelter as part of its comprehensive review of all animal sheltering facilities throughout the state and found multiple violations of city and state laws that govern animal shelters. The society also found the facility to be in general non-compliance with national shelter standards. The shelter report, which was submitted to Kentwood Mayor Harold Smith late last week, was discussed at the most recent town council meeting and led, it can be assumed, to the decision to suspend operations at the shelter. The administration is seeking to sign an agreement with the parish animal control department to take over services.
The inspection report detailed serious structural problems with the small cinderblock building that has housed stray dogs for many decades. The shelter was never designed to house animals. The city never installed a drainage system nor a septic tank, so waste has simply accumulated for years, heaped off to one side of the kennel runs. Since there is no way to adequately remove the waste, the building has been a fertile breeding ground for harmful bacteria, disease, and parasites. The building is poorly ventilated, damp, and poorly lighted, providing the dogs will little fresh air or light. “These conditions combine to make for a ‘perfect storm’ to spread disease and infection,” says Jeff Dorson, Executive Director of the group. “There is no way to humanely house animals under these primitive conditions,” adds Dorson.
The report also revealed non-compliance with the state adoption law, which requires adopting agencies to only release animals under a contractual basis. Under the state pet adoption law, which was passed almost a decade ago, every animal must be sterilized within 30 days from the date of its adoption. This law was never applied in Kentwood, and no adequate adoption process was ever developed. Dogs were simply given away or passed around to family and acquaintances of the Shelter Manager, Mr. David Sellers, according to his own statements. Mayor Harold Smith maintained that the city was required to accept a payment of $75 per dog, of which $50 was refunded when proof of a rabies certificate was presented. This arrangement, whenever it was enforced, however, also failed to satisfy the state adoption law.
Two puppies that were rescued on October 30th from the Kentwood were barely alive when shelter inspectors revisited the facility and gained custody of them. The Catahoula puppies were too weak to stand and were full of parasites and mites and were suffering from acute malnutrition. The puppies were not given proper puppy food and were ravenous by the time they were given a proper diet. “We suspect that these puppies would have died over the weekend at this shelter, and we are delighted that they were brought out, given medical care, a proper diet, and are now thriving. We hope that they will be the last dogs to be impounded at the Kentwood shelter,” Dorson concludes.
The group has been monitoring and inspecting private and public animal sheltering facilities since its inception in 1988. However, in light of the problems that have surfaced at the Jefferson Parish Shelter in 2007, when more than a dozen dogs were accidentally poisoned, and the Tangipahoa Shelter, the site of mass euthanasia of animals two months ago, the group has accelerated its inspection process and is conducting many more inspections. Just recently, the group has inspected shelters at Mamou, Jennings, Oberlin, Napoleonville, and Lake Arthur. Copies of these inspection reports are also available for review. Media representatives may also contact the group’s principle shelter inspector, Ms. Dawn Taylor-Church, by calling 435-899-0985. A copy of the shelter inspection report, photos taken at the shelter, and Mr. Dorson’s letter to Mayor Smith are attached.
The Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest animal protection and advocacy organizations in the state with more than 10,000 members. For more information, please visit their website at www.humanela.org
###
Dog Pound Photos
-
- Kentwood Dog Pound side view
-
- Dog in Kentwod Pound
-
- Kentwood Pound
-
- Dogs and their waste
PDF files…
Humane Society letter to Kentwood Mayor
Humane Society report
or you can read the letter to the Kentwood Mayor online here: Starving Dogs found in Kentwood pound again
Posted by tangiadoptarescue 
Posted by tangiadoptarescue 
