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Kerr County resident urges action after shelter euthanized dog
Summary
During public comment at the March 2025 Kerr County commissioners court meeting, resident Susan Cruz said she has witnessed an "animal welfare crisis," described the May 2023 euthanasia of her dog Max after an adoption event, and handed county staff an article from No Kill Colorado urging more compassionate shelter practices.
Susan Cruz, a Kerr County resident in Precinct 3, told the Kerr County commissioners court during the public-input portion of the March 2025 meeting that she has witnessed an "animal welfare crisis" in the county and described the death of her dog, Max, in May 2023.
"I'm here this morning to address the animal welfare crisis that I've witnessed for the 2 and a half years I've been here in Kerr County," Cruz said, recounting that Max attended an adoption event on Thursday and was euthanized on Friday. Cruz said the dog’s owner, whom she described as drug-influenced, had threatened to break in and vandalize the animal-control facility and that, in her view, law enforcement did not address the human threat before the dog was euthanized.
Cruz told the court she gave staff member Nadine an article from No Kill Colorado highlighting the career of Doug Ray, executive director of the Humane Society of Fremont County, and urged commissioners to consider leadership and practices that prioritize animal compassion. She noted that Fremont County’s population is about 49,000 and that the city of Cañon City has roughly 17,200 residents, and she contrasted a reported median income of $58,000 in Fremont County with about $71,000 in Kerr County to argue the communities are comparable in some respects.
Cruz said she has volunteered with local humane groups and plans to relocate to the community; she encouraged the court to read the article and consider volunteer and leadership models that have guided other shelters. "It takes just one person to make a difference, to show compassion and care for those who can't," she said.
The remarks occurred during the public-input agenda item; the transcript does not record a response from commissioners or any formal action by the court on the issues Cruz raised. Cruz also referenced a recent groundbreaking for a new county animal-control facility; no details about operational policies, staffing decisions, or specific follow-up from county staff are recorded in the transcript.
No motions, votes, or directives appear in the meeting transcript related to Cruz’s comments.
