UPDATE September 19, 2017 Greenville County Animal Care now has an album containing 27 photos (14 cats and 13 dogs) of Hurricane Irma dogs and cats available for rescue or adoption. There’s no fee for approved rescues.
UPDATE September 17, 2017 5:30 p.m. An explanation by someone on the photos has come in by Charleston Animal Society as to why the crates were tossed around.
This was our transport! One of 6 we did in the last 12 days!The trailer was loaded with the maximum number of crates before leaving Charleston. We only loaded 40 dogs which is less than the max capacity. Smaller dogs are loaded and secured on shelves farther into the trailer since they are smaller and more likely to fall over.
The larger dogs are in larger crates are strategically loaded to prevent shifting of crates during the drive. The trailer can humanely fit close to 80 dogs, so with 40 we were only half loaded. The back half of the trailer was mostly empty. We loaded mostly large dogs and so were left with a lot of empty smaller crates. After all the dog was were loaded the remainder of the empty crates were stacked.
One dog was put in last. This dog had been held back because it bit it’s lip when going into the crate and was bleeding. We asked that it be cleared by a veterinarian before being loaded and so was loaded last. He was surrounded by empty crates but as you can see his crate did not shift.
Our priority when loaded is making sure crates with animals are loaded in a secure way to minimize any shifting whatsoever. The dogs were checked on 3 times during the 5.5 hour trip to assure nothing had shifted in a way that would pose a danger and that the climate was comfortable for the dogs.
The smaller crates loaded at the back shifted because they were empty and they were not loaded in the same way we load crates with animals in them. They are not a hazard to the animals when they shift. And in all reality we would put a smaller empty crate in any configuration we deem necessary if it helps block or secures a crate containing an animal.
Some of the crates were used in this way. The trailer has two air conditioners that are powered by a generator on the back of the truck. Climate is checked and adjusted as necessary throughout the trip.
The picture circulating was taken at Greenville County Animal Care Saturday, September 17th around 4 pm. It was taken by media that we invited. They were given the same explanation when they initially expressed concern. Once they saw the trailer unloaded it all made sense. Helps when you are actually there.
The original article started here…..
Photos of dogs and cats rescued from Jacksonville, Florida following Hurrican Irma have many animal advocates extremely upset. This will be a short article, as the pictures tell the story best.
Fox Carolina News posted a video (video has been deleted by Fox Carolina) on their Instagram page stating
“About 140 homeless cats and dogs from the Jacksonville Humane Society were brought to Greenville County Animal Care (GCAC) in Greenville, South Carolina today to be evaluated and put into adoption programs in VA and NC. The animals were displaced from the shelter in Jacksonville to make more room for pets whose owners were evacuated.”
The 140 animals that were placed into a transport vehicle were ones who were past their due out date in Jacksonville. Moving them to Greenville would clear space for lost pets to have a place to stay in Jacksonville until an owner could come forward or they could be adopted out.
This wouldn’t even be a concern except the empty carriers were thrown around to give the impression the animals were thrown in. Their arrival at Greenville County Animal Care Services, a kill shelter, has those who follow the shelter very worried.
Fox Carolina News reported Saturday that these animals are being checked out in South Carolina and will be moving to groups in Virginia and North Carolina. They will be transported on up the coast to rescue groups in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
It was only a few weeks back the shelter was asking people to adopt because they were short on space. The shelter says they’re trying to help, but if you look at the statistics available for euthanasia their number one reason for killing cats and dogs is temperament and behavioral issues. Is there actually space available for a short stay at the shelter?
I wonder how many dogs and cats at the shelter will be put down for space and not given time to adjust before being sent out of state. How many cats and dogs won’t be nice and friendly after a 5 hour plus ride?
Hopefully, these animals will find a new forever home without Greenville/Spartanburg strays and owner surrenders being killed. Good luck to all the dogs and cats at the shelter. They’re supposed to go into adoption programs.
Our thanks go out to the Greenville shelter for stepping up to save so many lives and to Charleston Animal Society for making multiple rescues in hurricane-ravaged areas over the past few weeks.
Charleston Animal Society is offering free adoptions of adult dogs through the weekend. Check out their Facebook page for more information.
Anyone with more information is welcome to post in the comment section.
Elisa
P.S. from Michael. Below is a lighter version of one of these photos to look into the shadows and I believe I see a dog but it is difficult to lighten the photos sufficiently as the shadows lack detail. Note: I have just seen the extra comments added and see that the crates are deliberately stacked like this. See the FB comments.
Comment on Fox page:
kaitlyn_w7: Yea somebody figure out why the heck these animals look like they are carelessly thrown in there upside down and sideways and then FIX THAT. Ridiculous!!!
I just got the updated email from the shelter. 14 cats and 13 dogs are currently in the care of the shelter. I was under the impression they all had a plan to go up north. Of the 14 cats, 7 have upper respiratory infections already. Fees are waived for rescue groups to pull them. I just got the email on the transported animals brought to Greenville County Animal Care, a kill shelter in SC by Charleston Animal Society. This album shows 14 cats and 13 dogs. SEVEN of the cats already have an upper respiratory infection. Fees waived for rescue groups who save these cats and dogs. I thought they all had rescue plans to go up north. It worries me if these are being housed at the Greenville shelter. PLEASE RESCUE OR ADOPT! https://www.facebook.com/pg/gcpetrescue/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1438817652863159
Yes, Greenville does a lot to help the animals but I don’t approve of their TNR program concerning kittens being spayed at 2 pounds then dropped off near busy places a day or two after surgery. And yes I worry about some of the animals being put down to make space for 140 new ones. I’ve kept Pinterest boards since 2014 and keep up with the animals that aren’t adopted/rescued. A lot of HW positive dogs “disappear.” We know what that means.
Don’t worry about this article. People will have forgotten about it in a few days.
Thank you for updating the article Elisa! I worked for a paid transport for two years, and I’ve worked with both Greenville and Spartanburg shelters along with several others in neighboring states, transporting thousands of dogs to rescues up North. I know how hard some of the Rescue Coordinators work to get dogs into rescue and to meet transport. And I also know how much drama comes with rescue. I found that your article was adding fuel to the drama.
I’ve seen your article posted and shared numerous times. Out of hundreds of replies, angered rescue workers and animal advocates are posting their outrage and/or wanting to know who the transporter was. Not one reply asking if help is needed or how they can help. 100s of keyboard warriors, and not one of them stepping up to help the shelters.
The sad reality, even after the hurricanes are gone, the shelters are still going to be overcrowded and animals are still going to die because their time is up And nobody stepped up to help them. And this article will still remain causing outrage, bad mouthing a shelter that at least tried. Greenville is a strict shelter, but some do make it out into rescue.
I’ve updated the article with the explanation of the crates so please reshare. Many are wondering about the crates and this will ease their mind.
The titled described the photos. The photos were disturbing. I’m sorry you feel you wasted your time Tina. People are very sensitive anytime animals are transferred to a kill shelter. Especially when local shelter dogs lost their lives during the Charleston/Columbia flood awhile back to make space for incoming refugees.