Category Archives: on the snout

On the Snout : Lost Dogs of South Carolina

Lost Dogs of South Carolina: Here we go again

I was very happily typing away about microchips and what to do if you find a lost dog and then this happened.

I saw a newscast about Tri County going to Georgia and picking dogs that were misplaced in the storm and I thought how could that be? We fixed this.

This http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/boca-raton-animal-shelter-helping-rescue-dogs-from-south-carolina-floods

After Katrina there was something put in place called NIMS
https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system
I have been through a lot of this training as a member of our local medical reserve corp. When we are needed we are deployed. We don’t get into our cars and drive somewhere willy nilly.
In Florida we have FLSARC
I’ve written about them before because I got to spend a wonderful day with them at our statewide Black Pearl Radiologic Exercise.
https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/07/volunteerism-medical-reserve-corp-here-when-you-need-us/
So when I saw all this I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was going on and I asked a friend from FLSARC what the story was.
I was told this:
“Trained responders NEVER self deploy. And Tri-county was trained by AHA in 2013 so they “should” be complying.”
I was also told.
 “They are responding to an HSUS request. It is part of the “placement partnership”. The NARSC national coalition  is on the ground and assisting at the request of the local agencies. These dogs were already in the shelter system and up for adoption. These are not displaced disaster victims that have not had a chance to reunite yet. The protocol is to clear the shelter of their existing “adoptables” to free up the resources for local flood victims. The placement partner signs paperwork and agrees that they can “handle” the influx without euthanizing any of their current population to make space.”
But the title of the news cast was “Boca Raton Animal Shelter helping rescue dogs from Floods.” Which is really not true.
Then yesterday I saw this.

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boca-raton/boca-raton-animal-shelter-helping-rescue-dogs-from-south-carolina-floods

“Tri-County workers couldn’t make their way into South Carolina because of all the flooding, so they met with other rescue teams halfway, in Georgia. They picked up 26 large-breed dogs that had been in shelters in the Charleston and Columbia areas.

“They went through a lot,” said Kim Spencer, who led the humane society’s rescue. “I can’t even tell you what they were really through. I can’t even imagine. I don’t even want to know, to be honest, because it’s very upsetting.”

Some of the dogs were brought back with red paws and missing fur due to rash from the standing water.

“with all the flooding and getting shifted from here to there and being misplaced in the first place, they’re very, very sad,” Spencer said.

The dogs are currently being treated for their wounds and will be ready for adoption by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, with so many new dogs brought in, there’s hardly any room in the shelter. Dogs that were already there are now in pins in the lobby and cages out back, just to make space.

“We need to clear out our shelter,” Spencer said. “We need get our new arrivals out and into new homes as quickly as possible.”

Which is fine sort of. I understand that. These are dogs that suppose to be in the system. There is no hope of returning them home.
Then someone else told me this:
“They’re picking up animals that have been in the shelters BEFORE the flood. Animals who will be euthanized due to space because of the increase in numbers due the flood. Pawmetto Lifeline in Columbia arranged this and went through the shelters tagging the animals to be pulled. “
This shelter was never flooded.
Then I find this out from a friend and person who has been rescuing goldens since 1984.
“Here are the facts since that you stated Pawmetto Lifelone. 1) Colmbia Shelter Is NOT a high kill shelter. It is state of the art. Adoption Center. Spay Neuter Center. Richland County uses that shelter as we don’t have enough strays to justify another shelter in the area.
Pawmetto Lifeline is an animal rights group. It is a millionaires wife’s pet hobby. It raises millions each year. It talked Richland, Lexington counties with the city of Columbia to donate 1.2 million each to build a no kill shelter. It built fancy building, spay neuter clinic.“
So I’m very confused at this point. If these are dogs as reported by the news that were displaced by the storm why are they not following NIMS protocol? WHy are people saying the shelters were flooded out when they were not? Where did these dogs come from? Why are we importing dogs into an area with a very high euthanasia rate?
 Why in the world are they sending dogs to South Florida where we have so many needy dogs and cats that need home? The last time this happened Palm Beach County promised it would never happen again.
I can’t find any recent statistics but in 2011 this is the amount of animals that were euthanized and this was a 19 percent drop.

Dogs: 3,336

Cats: 5,257

This is just one place in Palm Beach County.

In Broward County they made some headway

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-06-10/news/fl-no-kill-killings-20130609_1_county-shelter-shelter-animals-broward-animal-care

In the 14 months since Broward County embraced a “no-kill” goal for its animal shelter, 11,900 dogs and cats have been euthanized there. That’s 28 animals a day.

I’m not criticizing you Broward. At least you are cognizant and working on the issues.

I can’t even find the numbers for Miami. I will go back later and see if I can find them.

Who is allowing this? I have no earthy idea.
stay tuned!
I feel terrible for the dogs at the shelter. I feel really terrible if these are dogs that were in a shelter waiting to be euthanized  with all the injuries they seem to have. Why if they were in a shelter are they so injured? Why were sent here with these horrible injuries? and how in the world are they going to get better by Tuesday so they can empty the shelter and go get more? These dogs have wounds.
on the snout
Something doesn’t smell right and remember what John Stewart said.
If you smell something
say something
So I’m just sayin!
Today is Oct 22 and someone sent me this message on facebook.
Almost three weeks post flood, and almost two weeks post the second coming of rain which reflooded areas of SC already devastated. We are officially in recovery. Roads and bridges are being repaired/restored, but getting around in Columbia still presents a challenge… Don’t believe the HSUS propaganda about their help in moving flood displaced pets. The counties they’re patting their backs about were not FEMA designated disaster counties, and the pets they are selling to shelters further north are not flood victims. All of our emergency shelters accepted pets. Displaced pets are being reunited daily with their families thanks to the efforts of rescue groups like Chasing Tails Pet Patrol…