Apathy
Bartow County has a proven track record in Apathy when it comes to the animals of their County
Why so many kills of healthy, adoptable animals in a county located in a thriving animal loving area known as Metro Atlanta?
The Cartersville-Bartow Chamber of Commerce advertises this county as “a unique blend of country charm and international sophistication.”
But, the county’s Animal Control operates with neither a country charm nor an international sophistication. In fact, Bartow County Animal Control and the contracted organization to assist them specifically – shows apathy instead – a total lack of interest, enthusiasm and concern for the animals unfortunate enough to find themselves either without a home or picked up while not at home in this part of Metro Atlanta.
How did Bartow County find themselves in this position of apathy toward the animals in their charge?
It begins with the way the county has set up The Process of dealing with unwanted, stray and/or lost animals.
The County entered into a contract with a single rescue group – Etowah Valley Humane Society. A lot of responsibility – a whole county’s worth – for one single small rescue.
The language of the contract states “ it is in the best interest of the County and it’s citizen that programs and services for the humane treatment of animals within Bartow County be available”.
They got off on the right foot.
They even got specific in terms of what Etowah Valley Humane Society would be responsible for:
Effective programs aimed toward encouraging adoption and proper care of domestic animals and that such programs and services…be expanded and improved to meet the growing demand for such services by the citizens of the county.
If these numbers are not disturbing enough…
The numbers are now expected to rapidly
Owner surrendered cats to Bartow Animal Control are now given only 48 hours from the time of intake to be picked up by a local rescue.
Let’s See How That Played Out for Bartow County and the Animals in their care…
It Didn’t Go Well
What Went Wrong?
Well, Etowah Valley Humane Society is not equipped to handle the amount of unwanted animals in Bartow County.
It’s a small rescue with country charm but it lacks sophistication – international or otherwise.
And, because it lacks this sophistication it hasn’t implemented any effective programs aimed toward encouraging adoption.
Sure it pulls a small number of dogs and cats each week from Bartow County Animal Control and offers them to the public for adoption through their small facility located two doors down from Animal Control, but what do they do for the rest of the animals left at Bartow County Animal Control?
Well, there’s a Rescue at Etowah Valley Humane Facebook Page. In the about section of this page it states:
This page has been created solely for the purpose of networking animals in urgent status at our county intake facility. (Not at EVHS)
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
All animals that were not pulled for adoption from Bartow County Animal Control by Etowah Valley Humane Society – THE ONLY ONES WHO CONTRACTUALLY CAN PULL – which appears to be the vast majority of the animals in the care of Bartow County Animal Control, are listed as “urgent status”.
This does not sound good for the vast majority of the animals of Bartow County in the custody of Bartow Animal Control.
What does this “urgent status” mean?
According to this post:
ALL ANIMALS IN THIS ALBUM MUST HAVE RESCUE COMMITMENT BEFORE 3:00 PM on MONDAY, August 22nd, 2016.
So “urgent status” means a rescue, because that’s the only way Bartow County allows an animal out once it’s in the Bartow County Animal Control system, must work with Etowah Valley Humane Society – and pull ALL animals in the the care of Bartow County Animal Control within 7 days. The only exception if your pet was lost, you can claim him or her if you know they are there. (Neither Bartow County Animal Control or Etowah Valley Humane Society has a policy in place to advertise Who They Have…They Keep it a Secret…Another Bartow County Dirty Little Secret.)
What happens if a rescue doesn’t commit to an animal?
It’s estimated that over 1,000 animals weren’t committed to last year alone. Euthanized.
These numbers will rise dramatically with the addition of the Second Urgent Cat Album for owner surrenders.
This certainly doesn’t appear to be an…
“Effective program aimed toward encouraging adoption and proper care of domestic animals.”
Instead, it’s a policy that places the burden of “the humane treatment of animals within Bartow County” onto rescues. And, the cost is high, it is very high – for the animals and the other rescues.
As a rescue watching this on Facebook, knowing if you don’t pull this animal, these animals, they will die is tough to do week in and week out. Even as an avid animal lover I can’t watch. But for those true animal advocates who do watch and try to help some of these unfortunate animals…knowing all the animals in the care of Bartow County Animal Control don’t even make this album…it is heartbreaking.
Because they could do so much more within a system that worked – a system that cared.
Bartow County must take seriously…
The responsibility to manage and care for the animals in their charge appropriately – something they have not done in the past nor are doing in the present.
Bartow County is no longer a frontier land that does away with nuisance animals appearing on their landscape. According to their Chamber of Commerce they are a “vibrant community” with an “unmatched quality of life” – one that they advertise is “one of the most likeable places to live among the metro counties” according to a poll conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It’s time to bring that “country charm” and “international sophistication” to the animals of this county as well.
How can they bring that “country charm” and “international sophistication”?
There’s lots of ways to make this system better. But, it starts with losing that apathy that Bartow County has lived in for so many years. Once that’s done the rest is easy.
There’s a plethora of successful shelter management programs throughout the country. And, as the rescues have proved, there’s lots of help out there – lots of folks that want to aid the animals of this county.
Look at what DeKalb County did when it decided it was time to change.
Dekalb County had a similar problem to that Bartow County is now experiencing. High kill rates, low adoptions, record number animal surrenders…same issues.
What did DeKalb County do to solve this problem?
They brought in an organization that was capable of designing and implementing:
Effective programs aimed toward encouraging adoption and proper care of domestic animals.
Such programs and services…be expanded and improved to meet the growing demand for such services by the citizens of the county.
The Same Thing Etowah Valley Humane Society Has Been Contracted To Do BUT ISN’T.
This Organization: LifeLine Animal Project.
“The Animal Services Division of DeKalb County is managed by LifeLine Animal Project and encompasses all operations at DeKalb County’s animal shelter. LifeLine provides humane care for the animals at the DeKalb shelter, veterinary care including spay/neuters, pet adoptions, animal reclaims, volunteer opportunities, foster opportunities and rescue group coordination.
The DeKalb shelter is an open admission shelter with an average intake of 30 new animals each day. We welcome adopters and rescue groups to our facility to support our efforts.
LifeLine also offers resources and programs to keep pets in their owner’s care and reduce overpopulation. LifeLine has trained personnel at DeKalb to help struggling owners find alternatives to surrendering their pets. Programs like our Spay Neuter Impact Program (SNIP) DeKalb help prevent unwanted litters through free and reduced-cost spay/neuter services offered at the LifeLine Spay & Neuter Clinics. Much of this work is largely funded by donations from our generous supporters.”
LifeLine was founded with the single purpose…
To end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in metro Atlanta shelters.
And, Lifeline has been wildly successful – saving nearly 40,000 animals in the last three years of managing DeKalb and Fulton County Animal Services.
Now, We’re not saying Bartow County needs…
To bring LifeLine to Bartow County. But, What we are saying is that The Animals of Bartow County Need a Life Line. They need a system in place that will responsibly manage animal welfare in Bartow County.
They need a system that will build:
Effective programs aimed toward encouraging adoption and proper care of domestic animals.
Such programs and services…be expanded and improved to meet the growing demand for such services by the citizens of the county.
Euthanizing is not the solution. Managing is.
Either make Etowah Valley Humane Society meet the demands of the contract or get an organization that will.
Bartow County, just so you know…