“This shouldn’t have happened. You have nothing to do with this,” Jeff Bass said. “The shelter is operated by the county. If you receive more complaints, hand them over to us at the shelter or to Bill Smith, the county Department of Health director.”
The shelter is under attack by animal advocates from across the country who are using e-mail and Facebook to charge animal abuse by shelter workers. Because the shelter is located adjacent to the county landfill in St. Pauls, many of the e-mails have been directed to the mayor and town commissioners from activists who believe St. Pauls officials run the shelter.
The commissioners questioned Bass about shelter operations, including allegations that animals are mistreated, unsanitary conditions exist, and animals are euthanized by use of a heart stick without first being sedated.
Bass defended shelter operations, describing the cause of the recent attack by animal rights activists as disgruntled out-of-state animal rescue workers who visited the shelter on Feb. 25 and were denied adoption of certain animals that had not been kept at the shelter the minimum number of hours required by county before adoption.
“I put my foot down and told them they had to follow our rules. Since then problems have been growing ... I made some people angry. They are going to do whatever they can to see me gone and get someone else in my place,” Bass said.
Bass told the commissioners that the shelter operates in compliance with regulations set by the state Department of Agriculture, which regulates North Carolina animal shelters.
“We have to follow all of the rules and keep records of everything we do,” he said. “We never know when they will come in and make an inspection.”
“I put my foot down and told them they had to follow our rules. Since then problems have been growing ... I made some people angry. They are going to do whatever they can to see me gone and get someone else in my place,” Bass said.
Bass told the commissioners that the shelter operates in compliance with regulations set by the state Department of Agriculture, which regulates North Carolina animal shelters.
“We have to follow all of the rules and keep records of everything we do,” he said. “We never know when they will come in and make an inspection.”
Bass added that state officials on Tuesday and Thursday inspected the shelter and found it to be operating according to regulations. On Thursday, he said, Dr. Lee Hunter, director of the Animal Welfare Section of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, made the inspection himself and said there were no violations.
“The only thing he found was one puppy bowl that has to be replaced because it had been chewed and some cracks in the floor that need to be filled,” Bass said.
Bass strongly denied allegations that any animals are being euthanized by heart stick without being sedated.
“Charges that we are killing animals without sedation are absolutely untrue,” he said.
“I hate to see animals put down,” Bass told the board. “But what these people don’t understand is that our shelter was built with the main purpose of animal control. It was not built to keep animals for long periods of time. We are not the SPCA, the Humane Society, or an adoption center.”
Commissioner David Ayers, who like other commissioners appeared satisfied with the manager’s explanation of how the shelter operates, questioned Bass on his feelings about animals.
“Are you an animal lover?” he asked.
“Yes,” Bass replied, noting that he has a boxer as a pet.
“Well, continue to do what you have to do,” Ayers said.
