LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- An outbreak of contagious diseases at a shelter where officials admit they kept animals for too long without destroying them has forced the killing of about 1,000 dogs and cats, officials said.
Visiting inspectors from The Humane Society of the United States discovered the outbreak of the diseases -- distemper and Parvovirus in dogs and panleukopenia in cats -- Lied Animal Shelter spokesman Mark Fierro said.
"We caused the animals pain, and that is something we are committed will never happen in our shelter again," said Janie Greenspun Gale, board chairwoman for the Animal Foundation, which operates the Lied Animal Shelter, according to KTNV News in Las Vegas.
During a Thursday news conference, a tearful Greenspun Gale acknowledged that the shelter hadn't followed Humane Society policies, and though the animals were immunized, "we were using the wrong immunizations," KTNV reported.
The shelter staff didn't want to euthanize the animals simply because they'd been there too long or because the shelter needed more space, Greenspun Gale said, but the misguided effort backfired. Humane Society officials said as much when they visited the shelter.
"Instead of congratulating us for trying to save lives, instead of telling us how wonderful we were that we didn't want to put animals down for time and space, they told us we were causing animals to suffer," Greenspun Gale said, according to KTNV.
The mass culling, which began February 9, is believed to be the largest in the city's history and has prompted shelter officials to change their methods of caring for animals.
Animal rights activists said they were outraged by the killings.
"It's unforgivable in light of the fact that it was absolutely preventable," said Holly Stoberski, legal counsel for Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, a group that has worked with Lied to find homes for impounded animals.
"They were not properly vaccinating the dogs and cats in a timely manner."
Shelter officials vowed to adopt new policies when it reopens Friday, including euthanizing animals after 72 hours at the shelter -- as the Humane Society recommends -- and improving conditions for the animals, including vaccinating them when they arrive.
Not all of the 1,000 animals were infected. Some were put down because they had gone unadopted for more than 120 days and were contributing to overcrowding that Humane Society officials said helped spread the diseases.
Lied Animal Shelter officials have said they did not realize animals were infected until the Humane Society team noticed animals with intestinal and respiratory problems.
The foundation contracts with Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas to handle abandoned, neglected and stray animals at Lied. The shelter annually adopts more than 7,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs and other animals. (CNN)
It it just the worst thing to me that this situation was preventable. I can't even go through the process of thinking this all the way through because it hurts me too much. I am heartbroken...
5 comments:
That is horrible! Although I think the 72-hour policy is a bit too stringent, too.
I am surrounded by no-kill or modified no-kill (euthanize for terminal illness only) shelters. This is all just so awful to me. I don't know how to solve the problems or how to prevent them in the first place. So frustrating...
It's disturbing from any which way; vaccination is important, without it an animal will suffer if it contracts a disease, and the reasons why animals end up in shelters (many and various) is shocking as well.
Each year, here where I am, the RSPCA always has a deluge of animals after Christmas, and because they can't find homes for the animals they euthanize them because of a lack of funds to house each animal indefinitely. The post Christmas rush to dump animals as presents (one example) is shocking. I can't understand why people would buy dogs or cats, or any animal as a surprise present or a gift, without thinking it out.
It's heartbreaking. The shelter here euthanizes an average of 1,000 each MONTH, due to lack of space. I don't think euthanizing after 72 hours is the answer, though. There are several groups here who try to get as many animals out into foster homes as they can, which helps, but the problem will continue until people start being responsible.
I simply cannot believe that they're going to be allowed to reopen without a whole new staff -- from management on down -- in place.
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