The Asheville Humane Society and Buncombe County government have completed a comprehensive review of Buncombe County Animal Shelter services, resulting in a lifting of a transfer moratorium in place on the shelter since July 16, according to a press release sent out by the county.
The moratorium was put in place in response to the July 7 death of six year old Joshua Phillip Strother, a resident of Henderson County, who was attacked by his neighbor’s recently adopted pitbull after Strother climbed a fence into the neighbor’s yard.
Subsequent investigations identified that the pitbull was adopted out by Asheville Humane Society three weeks prior to Strother’s death.
While the Humane Society had assessed the animal prior to adoption and and found that the dog displayed no aggressive tendencies, the moratorium was put in place by the county on all pit bull and pit bull type dog transfers from the Buncombe County shelter, which Asheville Humane Society is contracted to operate, pending a review of transfer policies and procedures, according to Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services Performance Manager Jim Holland.
The review, conducted using American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) standards, measured “sheltering protocols in place” at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter compared to “community best practices and industry standards nationwide,” according to the press release. Asheville Humane Society was found to “meet or exceed industry best practice standards for an open admission shelter.”
This included a review of the intake and transfer processes for animals between the shelter, adoption agencies, and the eventual adoptive owners, as well as a look at the community education components implemented to assure the health of animals and residents when placing shelter animals in an adoptive home.
“We found that Asheville Humane follows the national standards for the operation of an open admission shelter,” says Holland.
Asheville Humane Society’s Clary Pickering adds that Asheville Humane Society conducts medical and behavioral assessments on all dogs who enter the shelter, using the ASPCA’s national Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming (SAFER) model and that all of its staff members conducting the assessment are trained and certified in using SAFER to evaluate animals.
SAFER measures the liklihood that a dog will act aggressively towards humans and other animals, based on a checklist evaluating a dogs reaction to restraint, food, and other common stimuli. SAFER also provides recommendations for further behavioral training based on a dog’s performance during the assessment.
While the Buncombe County shelter was found to meet national standards, county officials and the Humane Society have agreed to enhance current standards in regards to the way information is compiled on animals entering and leaving the shelter and improve education outreach into the community concerning safe practices in dealing with animals.
Asheville Humane Society will also increase efforts to reduce the overall number of animals entering shelter services and expand existing spay and neuter services by 211 percent, according to the August 6 press release.
Community safety program expenditures will also be increased by 556 percent, with the county and Asheville Humane Society partnering to “engage the community in reducing the need for sheltering services and to assure the public health of the community through the proper care of animals.”
The press release goes on to state that “the relationship between Buncombe County and Asheville Humane Society continues to be strong and both are committed to promoting the compassionate treatment of animals in our community through education, sheltering and adoption.”
For more information on the Asheville Humane Society and the Buncombe County Animal Shelter, please visit ashevillehumane.org. To learn more about the SAFER Aggression Assessment, check out aspcapro.org/safer. For more info on the review of the Buncombe County Animal Shelter, see the attached press release below.
Press Release:
Animal Sheltering Review Complete
Asheville Humane Society (AHS) and Buncombe County Government have completed a comprehensive review of animal sheltering services at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter resulting in the lifting of the transfer moratorium imposed on July 16. The County, in partnership with the Asheville Humane Society, reviewed the sheltering protocols in place as well as community best practices and industry standards nationwide.The analysis revealed that the sheltering practices of Asheville Humane Society meet or exceed industry best practice standards for an open admission shelter.
Both parties agreed to enhance current standards by:
* Developing a structured process for the owner surrender of animals. This process will emphasize working with owners to assure the best outcome for their pet with the goal of reducing the number of animals unnecessarily entering the shelter.
* Assuring that all adoption agencies provide complete information gathered on the adoptive animal through the sheltering process to all adoptive owners.
* Engaging in a community-wide education campaign to inform citizens about safe practices when dealing with animals and for understanding the options available to pet owners who may need additional supports in order to keep their pet safely in their home.
* Working together to engage the community in reducing the need for sheltering services and to assure the public health of the community through the proper care of animals.
Additionally, Asheville Humane Society will increase investment in community outreach initiatives to solve animal welfare problems at their source, in the community, to reduce shelter intake and keep more Buncombe County animals with their families. AHS will increase expenditures on spay/neuter services by 211% and safety net community programs by 556%.
The relationship between Buncombe County and Asheville Humane Society continues to be strong and both are committed to promoting the compassionate treatment of animals in our community through education, sheltering and adoption.
Thnkas for taking the time to post. It’s lifted the level of debate