Crowd gathers to discuss Surry Animal Shelter concerns - WGHP-TV 8

Posted on: 11:58 pm, August 9, 2012, by Chad Tucker, updated on: 10:36am, August 10, 2012

DOBSON, N.C. ? Animal advocates are working to lower the euthanasia rate at the Surry County Animal Shelter.

After years of conflict and little to no trust between animal advocates in Surry County and animal control, the two met with county commissioners and the N.C. director of the Humane Society of the U.S. to begin building new, stronger relationships.?

The meeting was organized to help address the county?s high euthanasia rate.? In Surry County, more than 90 percent of the animals brought into the shelter are euthanized each year.?

?I?m putting faith in them that yes, in a new light, it will be a new day, but time will tell,? said Lori Hooper, one of many animal advocates who packed the Thursday night meeting.?

In the past, animal advocates have said the shelter has not been open to them or volunteers who want to help increase adoptions.

?There has to be some healing, you have to forgive and forget, start up and go strong,? said Linda Mooney with the Surry Animal Rescue.?

The meeting did have moments of tension but ended with volunteers and some county officials offering to work together.?

?I think they are going to make changes in a positive way, we?ve been doing it for 20 years in rescue, and it?s been hard in the long run, but it takes team work,? Mooney said.

It?s unclear if Gary Brown, director of the Surry County Animal Shelter, will be on board with building new relationships.? ?No comment, I?m not going to make any comments,? said Brown when asked if he was going to be a part of the effort to move forward. ?No comment, no comment,? Brown repeated as he walked away.

Kim Alboum, state director of the Humane Society of the U.S., told the crowd to move forward with a clean slate.?

Alboum, who met with shelter staff earlier in the day, said the shelter needs volunteers to help approve more rescue groups that have lined up to help with adoptions.?

She also suggested local animal advocates continue educating the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.?

?We?ve got to keep animals from coming into the shelter and protect the ones in our system.? A lot of passion is on both sides of the issue and I think if these people work together they can really move mountains,? Alboum said.

Source: http://myfox8.com/2012/08/09/crowd-gathers-for-better-relations-with-surry-animal-shelter-unclear-if-director-is-onboard/

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