More animals abandoned

More News Soldier feted at send-off A.F. to train polygrapher ISU loses nuclear engineers Schedule of fair events More animals abandoned Bush praises Gustav response U.S. announces aid to Georgia Rampage puzzles investigators Huge ice sheete breaks loose Flooding strands Haitians Man tracks wolf moves Policing fair a big job Business nominations sought Sports Kinship on the court Montana faces tough task Some rivalries worth it

REXBURG, Idaho (AP) -- Officials at the Rexburg Animal Shelter in eastern Idaho say they are concerned about the number of pets being abandoned at the shelter without food or water when it's not open.

"There's the right way and the wrong way to do it," Candice Billingsley, the shelter's animal adoption coordinator, told the Standard Journal.

She said some pets have been thrown over tall fences at the shelter, and others tied to a fence or put in boxes or carriers that aren't large enough. She said last month she found a puppy that had been thrown over the fence into the rear dog run.

"When I went to check on the puppy I found two full-grown cats that had been placed in a cat carrier," she said.

Billingsley said the cost to surrender a pet is $10 for Rexburg residents, and $65 for others. She said pets dropped off when the shelter is closed means workers don't know if the animals are strays or just being given up. Other unknowns include vaccination information and the health of the animal, which could pose a risk for whoever dropped it off.

"There are health issues involved when you're turning in a stray, so we need to know your contact information so that if a health issue crops up while the animal is in quarantine we can contact you," Billingsley said.

The shelter falls under the jurisdiction of the Rexburg Police Department, which helps with animal control. Officer Steve Buzzell said residents can call the police department to have an officer meet them at the shelter.

"That way we can make sure the animal is taken care of and given food, water and shelter," he said. "The more information we have on the animal the easier it is to find the owner or find the right home for it."

Dogs can be adopted from the shelter for an $80 fee, which includes the license fee, an identification microchip, vaccinations, spaying or neutering and 30 days of health insurance.

For cats, the fee is $65.

Current Rating: 4 of 2 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

Reader Comments

Submit a Comment

Commenting Rules

Report a Comment