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Residents tell Spalding County commissioners the animal shelter is failing dogs and adopters
Summary
Multiple residents told the Spalding County Board of Commissioners that county shelter practices are causing severe kennel stress and that animals are leaving with communicable illnesses. Speakers asked for better medical care, intake transparency and faster responses from animal control.
At the Dec. 1 meeting of the Spalding County Board of Commissioners, multiple residents testified that the county animal shelter’s practices are harming dogs and failing adopters.
Heather Go forth, a resident who identified her address in Jackson, described a dog named Rhett who she said arrived at the shelter in August 2023 and “turned into a different dog” after prolonged kennel confinement. “Once a dog then enjoyed walks and affection, he turned into a dog that had to be carried and forced outside,” she said, adding that the shelter later marketed Rhett as calm when, she alleged, he remained severely stressed.
Carrie Gibler of Griffin questioned the shelter’s public statements and inspection record, saying the county’s shelter occupies only a tiny fraction of county land but nonetheless must provide veterinary care when it holds animals. Gibler asserted the county takes in far fewer dogs per capita than neighboring counties and accused animal control of failing to respond to reports of strays; she also said open-records requests have gone unanswered.
Several speakers raised specific medical concerns. Go forth said recent adoptees tested positive after leaving the shelter for giardia, hookworms, urinary tract infections and heartworms, and blamed alleged breakdowns in sanitation, vaccination and deworming protocols. “The shelter made an adoption seeking post on him recently describing him as a dog exuding calmness,” she said of one case; “they were not truthful about how severe his anxiety was.”
Michael Renew, another resident, urged policy solutions rather than short-term intake surges. “Killing your way out of the stray situation is not gonna solve the stray situation,” he said, advocating for spay-and-neuter programs and stiffer court fines while noting the county’s limited personnel and budget.
Speakers asked the board to increase transparency, improve veterinary care and clarify intake and holding policies so animals are not maintained in kennels for extended periods without appropriate treatment. Several residents said they have repeatedly found animals on the street or at commercial properties that they said the shelter had not retrieved.
The board did not take formal action during the citizen-comment period. Commissioners encouraged speakers to remain after the meeting to speak with staff for follow-up and directed staff to note the concerns raised.
What happens next: residents requested records and faster responses; the board did not announce a specific follow-up timeline at the meeting.
