In recent weeks there has been discussion regarding the conduct of the former Animal Control Officer, the operation of Morgan County’s dog facility, and the way county animal control functions are being conducted.   In these discussions there have also been a few references made to the Humane Society of Morgan County.  In any responsible discussion it must be understood that The Humane Society of Morgan County (HSMC) is a private and separate organization and should not be confused with the county facility or any county animal control functions.  There needs to be a broader and more comprehensive discussion regarding the county’s approach to staffing, funding, and carrying out state-mandated responsibilities of animal control duties, including enforcement of state laws regarding animal cruelty.  Its hoped that this article will serve as a catalyst for those discussions.

I will state at the outset that I am currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of Morgan County.  My comments here however, only reflect my own views and experience and do not necessarily reflect any formal position or opinion of the HSMC.  My own funds have been used to pay for this article.

For a brief period, ending in 2003, HSMC had an agreement with the county commissioners for HSMC to perform the functions of animal control including law enforcement, housing county dogs at their shelter, and most unfortunately, euthanizing dogs.  In return for performing these duties, HSMC received payment from the county.  After a brief period it became very apparent that this was not serving the best interests of the HSMC, and the agreement was subsequently cancelled.

That past agreement with the county violated the principles, charter, and independence of a private non-profit charitable organization.  HSMC is not in any way a part of the local county government.  The shelter is located on private property.  The staff is paid with private funds.  All the costs of operating the shelter are paid with private donations and grants, aside from a small county allotment received specifically for spaying and neutering feral and free-roaming cats. HSMC receives no government funding for normal operations.  Over 95% of HSMC funds come from private contributions, adoption donations, private grants, and fundraisers.

 Many of our local citizens are under the incorrect impression that the Humane Society is “required” to take all animals that anyone brings to the shelter and “must” provide “free service” to anyone seeking it.  This is not true, either. The Humane Society does its best within the constraints of limited resources to help every animal it can. But there are never enough resources to do everything that is needed.  Most citizens of Morgan County are unaware of the time that the small group of paid staff, board members, dedicated volunteers, and generous donors contribute so that Morgan County has a viable and caring animal shelter in the community. If HSMC ever had to close, the residents would not have another similar type of facility to turn to and there would be many more stray and abandoned animals throughout the county.

Under the past operating agreement with the county it cost HSMC more to provide the stipulated services than what the county was paying HSMC. That situation could not continue indefinitely.  The shelter would have soon run out of money.   Furthermore, it was not appropriate for a private non-profit organization, primarily consisting of volunteers, to be engaged in law-enforcement responsibilities, animal impounding duties, writing citations, appearing in court, and testifying against alleged animal-abuse violators.  These are all responsibilities of local government officials and not those of a private organization.  HSMC policy is not to fund or participate in euthanizing healthy and adoptable animals.  Contrary to the firmly-held, but totally erroneous belief of some local residents, not a single healthy and adoptable animal has been euthanized by the Humane Society in over five years. 

In addition to conflicts with HSMC’s charter, there is presently not enough adequate staffing, funding, or space available to carry out animal control duties at the Humane Society.  This is not to say that in the future some mutually agreeable kennel boarding arrangement could not be worked out with the county, as long as costs where adequately reimbursed and as long as the Humane Society would never again have to be in the business of routinely euthanizing animals.

            In some recent articles appearing in this paper the term "selling animals" was used in connection with the former animal control officer, who was ostensibly doing “the same thing” as the Humane Society.  It is important to understand that the HSMC does NOT “sell animals” anymore than a legal and reputable child adoption agency “sells children”.  When an adoption application for a shelter animal is completed and approved, an adoption donation is requested from the new pet owner.  That donation helps defray the cost of food, spay/neutering, other medical care, medicines, and shelter operating costs for that animal.  Only about 20% of HSMC funds come from adoption fees, the rest is primarily donated by supporters. 

The unique strength and expertise of the HSMC lies in its ability to rescue, care for and find good homes for stray and abandoned animals in the community. HSMC does not enforce laws and is not responsible for picking up and holding stray and unclaimed dogs for legal proceedings and disposition. The HSMC charter limits the organization to caring for animals, operating a private rescue shelter, educating the public and finding good homes for the animals in its care.  In order for HSMC to fulfill its charter, animals taken into the shelter must be in generally good health, not have severe behavioral issues, and must have a good potential for future adoptability. 

The Humane Society shelter simply cannot take in every stray animal and it has no legal or ethical responsibility to do so.  Despite this fact, a small number of local residents continue to complain that the shelter is not taking every animal.  This private shelter cannot realistically be expected to take in every unwanted animal in the community. There are simply too many.  There’s not enough clean and adequate space to humanely house every animal and there’s not enough donated funding or staff to provide for all the additional care that would be needed.  As stated above, euthanizing for space will not be done by this organization.

If the citizens of the county don't want the high number of stray and unwanted animals to keep growing in Morgan County, then the ultimate solution has to be with each owner spaying and neutering their own animals. That's the only viable, economical, and humane long-term solution to this problem.  People simply cannot drop off animals at the Humane Society shelter without prior approval. Tying them to a tree in the middle of the night or leaving a box of kittens on the doorstep when no one is there is immoral and unacceptable. Dropping them off in the Food Lion parking lot or elsewhere is illegal.  It is hoped and expected that there will be more aggressive prosecutions of these offenses in the future.

HSMC has recently offered to sit down with the commissioners and sheriff to explore ways that HSMC and the county might work together to solve some of the problems in carrying out the county's animal control responsibilities.  These same issues that have recently come to light are not new problems.  These problems have been going on and largely ignored for many years.  The lack of proper funding, equipment, a large enough and sanitary county dog facility, plus inadequate staffing, supervision and accountability are all serious problems that the county has long-needed to address. 

Perhaps our community has finally reached a "tipping point" where all the concerned parties can have a reasoned and sensible discussion with regard to establishing a humane and well-funded approach to animal control.  The Commissioners can’t do it without adequate resources coming in.  The sheriff can’t do it without adequate manpower.  The citizens won’t get these services unless they’re willing to make it a priority and be willing to pay for it through their taxes.  A solution must start with an admission and realization on the part of the citizens that the county does not currently have the necessary funding to staff and operate an effective and well-run animal control operation.  Perhaps there are enough responsible and concerned taxpayers in the county who are finally willing to impose a modest special tax levy on themselves to create an “animal welfare and control fund.”  Perhaps a $5-10 per year tax would make a good start to adequately staff, train and equip a modern animal control facility.  Real improvements can only happen when and if the majority of citizens finally decide that something positive needs to be done to correct the long-term animal control issues we have in Morgan County. 

Respectfully, Kelvin C. Langley