Dumped dogs not coming from his county, Taylor County Animal Shelter director says

From The Central Kentucky News Journal

Many dogs have been picked up near the Taylor/Marion county line recently by Marion County animal control officials, but John Harris, director of the Taylor County Animal Shelter, says he doesn't believe those dogs are coming from Taylor County.

"We had 96 dogs brought to our shelter in November, and 54 in December. In January, we had 102, and that's just the dogs brought in from Taylor County," Harris said. "The numbers are why I don't believe they are Taylor County dogs."

Harris said he understands from a report on WHAS 11 that the dogs being dropped off in Marion County are actually being dropped two or three miles into the county, and not right at the county line.

Regardless of the drop-off point, Marion County officials say they are seeing overcrowded conditions at their shelter.

"We're up to almost 40 dogs that we've picked up in the past six and a half weeks," animal control official Kay Turpin told the Marion County Fiscal Court last week. "We are overwhelmed with Taylor County animals."

Last week, Marion County's shelter reportedly had 82 dogs, and another 20 were picked up at the Taylor/Marion line by Marion County animal control officials, according to a story in The Lebanon Enterprise.

Sara Gribbins, Marion County's other animal control official, said she has never seen so many dogs in one area.

"It just keeps on and on and on," Gribbins said. "Riding down Campbellsville Highway, they're talking about dogs being hit. They were also shot."

Marion County has an agreement to accept dogs from Washington County, but the shelter said they are not supposed to accept dogs from outside of those two counties.

Nevertheless, Taylor County residents have continued to try to bring dogs to the shelter.

Turpin said they try to check the license plates of the vehicles that come to the shelter to see where they are from, although they don't always catch it. Earlier that day, a woman from Campbellsville delivered a dog to the shelter, but the staff didn't realize that until it was too late.

Gribbins said she called the woman later and told her she would be billed for the Marion County shelter housing her dog.

"That's the only way I know to maybe even try to stop it is to bill 'em for boarding," Gribbins said.

Gribbins said some people never get out of the car. They just let the dog out and drive off.

Harris said he wants to see Taylor County residents, as well as residents of Casey, Green and LaRue counties, take advantage of the services the shelter has to offer.

In November, an inmate who worked at the Taylor County Animal Shelter sent a letter to the Central Kentucky News-Journal claiming that animals had been buried alive at that shelter. Harris and Taylor County Judge/Executive Eddie Rogers have denied the claims.

The Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners launched an investigation into the allegations. The Taylor County shelter remains open and operating.

Harris said the main goal of the Taylor County Animal Shelter, like any shelter, is to care for animals.

"When animals are dropped off, they need food and water and shelter. When an animal is abandoned, they don't get food and water or the health care they need."

He said abandoned animals can also be a danger to the public. He said they can cause crashes if hit by a car or they can damage property.

Dumping animals is a crime, according to Harris, who cited Kentucky law that includes abandonment in its definition of second-degree cruelty to animals. The offense is a misdemeanor.

"People need to bring their animals to a shelter, whether they live in Marion County or Taylor County or wherever, for the health of the animal," Harris said.

Editor's note: Stephen Lega, news editor of The Lebanon Enterprise in Marion County, contributed to this story.