08/07/2018
An update from the founder of Care-4-Cats Athens, KC Day
I was at ACC AC yesterday. They aren't accepting any cats. AAHS hardly ever accepts directly, they mainly pull from ACC AC.
The cat side of AC is currently full. What this means in a practical manner is people who find cats and refuse to keep will probably abandon them, usually unsterilized, which aggrevates an already existing problem.
I was one of the first people to volunteer at AC back when they took over cat caretaking from AAHS. I had previously worked for AAHS as an adoption counselor.
I started this volunteer group, Care-4-Cats Athens and we volunteered at the cat shelter every week. At that time, Athenspets didn't publish cats, so C4C went in and we took photos and did bios, posting them here in FB. When AP started to ad the cats, we were the ones furnishing the information.
After a short time volunteering, I realized AC staff had little experience with actual cat care and behavior. FIV positive cats ( as well as FeLV Pos) were automatically euthanized, even young kittens who may have been false positive. Ferals were euthanized immediately upon intake, or the next day at best. Bottle babies were euthanized upon intake. Scared cats were labeled feral and euthanized. As a result, one week 52 cats were killed.
Care 4 Cats also published weekly intake and disposition statuses including numbers and reason for euthanizing. . AC publishes only the number of cats rescued, reclaimed,or adopted,not the number euthanized. Top management got wind of our list and our access to those numbers stopped.
Since then, there have been many positive changes. Cats were given more cage space Some staff are more cat knowledgeable. Campus Cats has been able to help some ferals, thus saving their lives. And of course, the move to the space at the current AC was an improvement.
But , our AC has not kept up with the latest methods of cat shelter care. The recent inspection by the Dept of AG concerns me, as I believe it reflects on the AC culture that cats are not as important as the dogs. That culture was created by top management and trickles down to other staff. Some of the regulations regarding cats need to be rexamined, especially in regards to trapping cats.
I would like us, as citizens of Clarke County to hold the AC management staff accountable, and I believe the best way is by creating a public advisory committee, made up of Representatives of all stakeholders. I think with the new incoming progressive commissioners and mayor, we have a real chance to make lasting positive and innovative changes. There is a great opportunity come January.
If you are a Clarke County resident and would like to be part of such a group, please Let me know. I would like to revive Care-4-Cats as an advisory/action group, focusing on giving the Commissioners up to date best practices information, with the hope they will approve the necessary funding and staffing needed, with us acting as advisors to staff and as direct shelter volunteers when helpful. I believe with effort, and our Commissioner's involvement, our AC can become one the cat advocates in the community is proud of 365 days a year.
