Chester, SC: Volunteers threatened with arrest for trespassing when they showed up to check on the shelter animals

Concerned with dogs left out in the cold, volunteers showed up at the Chester County Animal Shelter on Monday to check on the dogs under the care of the shelter. Officers with the Chester County Sheriff’s Office showed up as well. Since the Chester, South Carolina shelter was closed for the holiday, the volunteers were told to leave or they’d be placed under arrest.

Volunteers threatened with arrest by Chester County Sheriff’s Office

The volunteers weren’t allowed to go to the bottom shelter, which was described in an interview with Fox46 News as “really, really dilapidated.” They were forced to leave without helping a single dog. Instead of the dogs having a blanket or straw to attempt to keep warm in below freezing temperatures, they spent the night in the dangerous cold.

cold weather chart

Above is a chart showing how different size breeds adapt to cold weather. I would think cats would be in the same category as small breed dogs. No mention is made as to how cold the cat room(s) are kept.

Volunteer Diana Holcomb told Fox 46 News

“We weren’t allowed to go to the bottom shelter and that’s the really, really bad building that is just, I wouldn’t put cows in it. You’ve got an army of people willing to help and peoples whose fears would be calmed if they were allowed to go in and see, yes these dogs are ok.”

Please take the time to watch the video below. It’s from Facebook and may be slow to load.

https://www.facebook.com/fox46charlotte/videos/vb.202960719828035/675266092597493/?type=2&theater

How is it when an individual allows an animal to freeze it’s considered animal cruelty but when a shelter operated under the jurisdiction of a sheriff’s department is involved it’s acceptable?

photo courtesy of World Atlas

Fox 46 reporter Brett Baldeck reached out to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. His call went unanswered. A Change.org petition has been started asking county council to build a better shelter for the unwanted animals in Chester County.

13 thoughts on “Chester, SC: Volunteers threatened with arrest for trespassing when they showed up to check on the shelter animals”

  1. This article is primarily about DOGS. I guess the trolls hate dogs as well as cats. I only wrote on it because the video shows a cat sitting outside and it got me wondering whether the sheltered cats have a heated room.

  2. Why are cat haters trolling and spitting out what they think is cleverly disguised propaganda? Get lives assholes and while you are at it some normal human traits like not wanting harm to come to other living creatures at the hands of humans who were entrusted with their lives. Wish all of you were locked in a freezing barn with no way to keep warm forever. Do the planet a favor and drop dead or at least Take your misery and black demon hearts elsewhere.

  3. I couldn’t agree more Betty. What are the police doing threatening arrests? So hostile to nice helpful people. The police are assisting in animal cruelty it could be argued by preventing people who wish to help the dogs.

  4. Good point. You could argue that the police are accessories to the crime by preventing decent people to assist the dogs. And yet the police threatened to arrest them. Bizarre and illogical. But not untypical.

  5. As usual you cat haters always get it wrong. Abandoning a domestic cat is a form animal cruelty. TNR are dealing with cats who are often born ‘in the wild’ so to speak. These are true feral cats. TNR exponents are feeding these cats and vaccinating them. The difference between the former and the latter is massive. And yet you have described them as the same! Pathetic is the word that comes to mind.

  6. Betty I’ve noticed a trend on this. It’s most likely to occur when the local sheriff’s department is in charge of the local shelter. Who are you going to report it to? The police are the ones who run the shelter.

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