The Charlotte animal shelter is limiting the number of days a pet owner has to appeal a decision once a pet it taken away due to neglect or abuse. | Adobe Stock
The Charlotte animal shelter is limiting the number of days a pet owner has to appeal a decision once a pet it taken away due to neglect or abuse. | Adobe Stock
Charlotte is looking for a way to free up space in its animal shelter by reducing the number of days a person has to appeal a decision when their pets are taken away because of neglect or abuse.
Pet owners used to have 30 days to appeal such a decision; now it will be 10.
“If somebody is going to appeal, we’re going to know they’re going to appeal and they’re going to be moving forward with that process within 10 days,” Joshua Fisher, director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Animal Care and Control unit, told WBTV recently. “If they’re not going to appeal, then why are we waiting a full month? Why are we having this animal languish in a kennel for a full month? And now, we’re not.”
The City Council approved the change during a meeting last week.
Fisher said the change will help free up space in the shelter—which has been at or near capacity for a long time—which will allow for a better quality of care.
Of course, it could also result in more animals being euthanized at the shelter where, traditionally, 20% of animals brought in are put to death.
Fisher said only a small number of animals—approximately 2% of those being kenneled there—will be affected, but overall it should improve the mental health of the pets and staff.
Fisher mentioned that more changes are being considered since the shelter is full so much of the time. One possibility is an expansion that would allow the unit to house more animals, but that is only being talked about right now.
The CMPD shelter is an agency that is committed to protecting the safety of citizens and animals within the community.
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