Residents, veterinarians and volunteers press Spalding County commissioners on animal shelter conditions

Dozens of residents, volunteers and veterinarians used the July 21 public-comment period of the Spalding County Board of Commissioners meeting to press officials for immediate changes at the county animal shelter, saying intake closures and inconsistent practices have left strays on the street and volunteers carrying the burden.

Speakers said the shelter recently refused to accept stray animals when it was full and that volunteers and local clinics have been forced to step in. Carrie Gessler, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said she believes the shelter’s euthanasia records lack required details, and asked how the county is handling severely injured animals after hours. She said, “On the sheet that animals that animals have been euthanized, there’s a space for the bottle number…that information is not on there.”

Why it matters: Speakers described repeated, recent incidents in which volunteers or private…