On Wednesday, WITY reporter Bill Donahue visited the Animal Control and Shelter. He met with Ryan Goodner the Director and talked about some questions people had about the Shelter. First, he indicated that the air conditioning was functional and at this time accommodating the needs of the animals there. As we walked around the Shelter, the animal areas did seem cool. While there is much work to be done, there appears to be no immediate issue as far as air conditioning goes. The animals are not in danger. Ryan Goodner believes that the air conditioning needs a more resilient action plan because right now “our climate management is a very temporary ‘band aid’ which was never intended to be used for any duration longer than a couple days.” He said he will be monitoring the situation and stay on top of it.
On the topic of euthanasia of animals, Ryan said there has been no increase in the numbers. They abide by an up-to-date policy which is nationally recognized and approved by the two local veterinarians who guide the Shelter. The Shelter continues to make their best efforts to find homes for all animals. Once the 7-day hold ends on stray animals, the animals belong to the County, and the Shelter seeks then to adopt them out. Ryan says there has been no change in that approach or policy. In fact, Director Goodner noted that if they assesses an animal as failing to meet out adoptability guidelines, we utilize behavior modification techniques to improve the animals’ adoptability first.
Director Ryan Goodner said he is committed to improving the buildings and following best practices on adoption and other issues. As there are developments on the progress of the Shelter, we shall keep you posted with on-going coverage.