Gavyn Lett, 4, plugs his ears against dogs’ barking as he heads back to find his mother Michelle at the Cleveland Animal Control Division’s shelter.CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Owner-surrendered animals at Cleveland’s city animal shelter now will get at least 72 hours to live, just like the strays.
The change in policy was approved by the Cleveland City Council on Monday in reaction to what Councilman Richard Banks called “bad press,” especially on Facebook.
Advocacy groups such as Dixie Pet Underground Railroad was posting animals turned in to the local shelter on their Facebook pages.
“An example would be last week when we posted a nursing momma cat and five kittens,” said Beth Foster, a city Animal Shelter Advisory Board member and also a member of Dixie Pet, on Tuesday. “The next morning we had to post they were killed before we had time to arrange an adoption.”
There will still be exceptions to the 72-hour policy for vicious, injured or diseased animals, when owners request euthanasia for a sick pet or when the director deems the facility is overcrowded.