{"id":19760,"date":"2013-06-13T09:48:13","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T13:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/raleighpublicrecord.org\/?p=19760"},"modified":"2013-06-12T09:52:51","modified_gmt":"2013-06-12T13:52:51","slug":"wake-animal-shelter-changes-will-improve-relations-with-area-rescue-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/news\/2013\/06\/13\/wake-animal-shelter-changes-will-improve-relations-with-area-rescue-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Wake Animal Shelter: Changes Will Improve Relations with Area Rescue Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part story.<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite the recent complaints from Heidi Miller at HEART<\/a>, a dog rescue group, Wake County Animal Shelter<\/a> Director Jennifer Frederico said she aims to work more with rescue partners in an effort to decrease euthanasia rates.<\/p>\n

She’s begun working with animal shelters and rescues in other states, especially in the northeast, where strict spay-neuter policies keep populations low.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more we can transfer out, the less we’re euthanizing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Despite that sentiment, other shelter groups echo Miller’s concerns.<\/p>\n

In 2009, Sound Pet Animal Rescue<\/a> rescued more dogs from the Wake County shelter than any other rescue group \u2014 113 or 114, according to Peyton Gaudiosi, the group’s development director.<\/p>\n

Of those, 82 percent were injured, ill or ugly, the rescue group’s specialty.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen there was a change in the shelter. Now we, like last year, we were only able to pull 40 from Wake county,\u201d she said. \u201cOut of that only three were injured, ill or ugly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Shelter Rooms<\/strong>
\nThe Wake County Animal shelter is 24,653 square feet.<\/p>\n

Dogs<\/strong>
\nTwo rooms of 52 kennels
\nOne room of 26 kennels
\nOne room of 25 kennels
\nTwo rooms containing 12 kennels each
\nA quarantine room with 30 kennels for sick animals
\nAnother non-public room of 52 kennels
\nOne medical room of nine kennels<\/p>\n

Cats<\/strong>
\nTwo rooms with 18 kennels each
\nTwo rooms with 30 kennels each
\nOne room of 18 kennels for those with upper respiratory infections.
\nOne quarantine room with 16 kennels
\nOne room for feral cats<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Gaudiosi said one could theorize that \u201call of the sudden there are just no more hit by car dogs\u201d or those breaking legs or those that are ugly and unwanted. But in truth, it seems those dogs are likely still showing up at the shelter, along with dogs accused of biting, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never see them anymore,\u201d she said. \u201cOr if we do see them and we try to take it, they say no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudiosi said Sound Pet carries more than $1 million in insurance to cover any possible scenario. Her foster homes want to take the injured, the sick and the unwanted dogs, rehabilitate them and find them good homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore 2010, every week we were getting emails of this dog \u2026 and we’d rush down there and pick him up. We would be right there,\u201d she said. \u201cI don’t know what is going on, but we never get those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudiosi said earlier this year, area rescue groups received an email from the shelter asking for dogs to be picked up so they could avoid euthanizing to make room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went out there, the shelter was half empty,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you’re full, the shelter should have 10 cages maybe available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Changes at the shelter the past year have led her foster families to avoid it. Now, they drive to Cumberland County and Chatham County to rescue animals.<\/p>\n

\"rescue_placement10-12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As of April 2013, they had not rescued one dog from Wake County. However, in May Guadiosi said she received a few phone calls to pick up dogs.<\/p>\n

Gaudiosi said it boils down to a communication and cooperation. Sound Pet wants to help dogs, but shelter employees were often telling them no. It’s like a slap in the face, Gaudiosi said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to just be a partnership, but it’s not,\u201d she said. \u201cOur foster homes have been dismissed and spoken down to and they don’t want to go there anymore. When you walk into [Chatham or Cumberland County shelters] they’re so happy to see you. Where there are times you walk into Wake County and you feel like you’re irritating them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudiosi said she doesn’t want to criticize some of the wonderful people who work hard at the shelter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t want to seem like we’re bitter,\u201d she said. \u201cI know it’s a very difficult job. But I think the new leadership is struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guadiosi told the Record in April she felt a lack of communication. Under prior leadership, rescue groups met yearly with shelter staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of that, it all just worked. We wanted a dog, we got a dog. We fixed a dog and adopted it out,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we want a dog, they tell us no. We ask why, they tell us ‘we can’t tell you.’ And somebody walks out of the shelter mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"wake<\/a>

Jennifer Wig \/ Raleigh Public Record<\/p>

<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt almost feels like they would rather just euthanize and move on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Change is Coming<\/strong>
\nFrom creating a cat colony outside to buying a dental machine, change is coming, Frederico said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s huge; you have no idea,\u201d she said, adding that small dogs often have terrible teeth problems. \u201cAnd we would make them ‘rescue only’ because we can’t screen people to say ‘are you going to leave here and get $700 worth of dental cleaning done and teeth pulled?’\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all the changes are animal related. The shelter now has an accountant assigned to help look for ways to lower costs, too.<\/p>\n

For example, the shelter purchases thousands of leashes each year for people to use when they take a dog home. The leashes used to have stitching on them reading \u201cWake County Animal Shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leashes with stitching cost double the price, and most people threw them away, Frederico said, so new leashes don’t have stitching.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve had positive change,\u201d Frederico said. \u201cIt was exciting to take a division that was up in arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, more changes will occur after the consultant delivers her report. Frederico expects that final report to be more than 100 pages long.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to give us a lot of information not only on what has gone on in the past, but we can do in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day as long as we’re benefiting the animals and getting them out, that’s what our goal is.\u201d<\/p>\n

That’s exactly what Miller, with HEART, wants to hear, but she’s skeptical. But she said many things have improved since the start of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey really are doing a lot more since January trying to get the word out to rescue, getting volunteers involved and getting dogs out either to rescue or adoption,\u201d Miller said. \u201cSo 80 percent of what they’ve got going, that I can see, is working well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller said one shelter employee in particular has made efforts to make sure dogs have a chance at rescue before euthanasia.<\/p>\n

\"wake<\/a>

Jennifer Wig \/ Raleigh Public Record<\/p>

<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThere are just a few more areas where they could improve the outcome for dogs that enter their facility,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n

She said the shelter invited rescue partners to visit the facility at the start of June, which might be a positive sign.<\/p>\n

Guadiosi remains skeptical. She said while she’s heard Miller has experienced improvements, she has not. Although they have received a few calls since May for dogs, it has not been easy to get them and some shelter employees display disdain for animals in general or certain breeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI truly think some of the employees care and really care, but some just want the animals out, either through the front door or back,\u201d Guadiosi told the Record in an email. \u201cIt really doesn’t matter to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

In some cases, Miller agrees. She recently picked up a Chihuahua that was described as \u201ca mean, nasty, vicious dog.\u201d That dog turned out to be just fine, Miller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s great if they make some changes,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we’re acknowledging that rehab is possible and at least worth a try, that we can work with those rescue groups that are willing and able to rehab \u2026 So yes, I’d love to see changes. I just have no way of knowing whether those are going to be positive change or changes that are going to set them back another 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this second part of a two-part story, the Record continues looking at the changes taking place at the Wake County Animal Shelter. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24025,"featured_media":19780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[1282],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19760"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24025"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}