Some animal welfare advocates in Prince George's County say they are wary of county officials' recent promise of a "new day" for animal care at the state-of-the-art animal shelter opened in Upper Marlboro in July, citing understaffing and an animal euthanasia rate of higher than 50 percent.
Announcing a "new philosophy" guiding how the county cares for animals, Department of Environmental Resources Director Charles Wilson released a statement in December pledging to increase adoptions, intensify efforts to reunite lost pets with owners and improve the transparency of agency operations.
The shelter previously was managed by the nonprofit Animal Protection League at a Forestville facility until June 30, when the county took control, coinciding with opening the Upper Marlboro facility July 4.
Rodney Taylor, who heads the county's Animal Management Group, said his agency is already carrying out most of Wilson's directives.
"I wouldn't call it a ‘new philosophy' — we're trying to enhance what we're doing," Taylor said, adding that he hopes to increase adoptions by organizing more drives at local pet stores and working with community-based organizations.
Pete Lorenzano, an Upper Marlboro resident and regular volunteer at the shelter, said he was pleased with Wilson's announcement, which he also heard Wilson deliver at a volunteer appreciation event in November.
"He's got his ears open — I believe that he's sincere," Lorenzano said.
However, Lorenzano added that he remains disturbed about what he said he has observed at the shelter since it opened, from animals going without water and not being walked for days at a time to cages covered in animal excrement. He believes understaffing at the shelter is mostly to blame.
"People don't want to adopt a dog that's laying in his own filth," he said.
There are 19 animal caretakers and about a dozen other staff members — veterinary technicians, groomers and administrative staff — in addition to about 40 volunteers at the shelter, Taylor said. He said he'd like at least six more caretakers and several other full-time staff, but the county's budget constraints have meant a freeze on most hiring.
Sylvia Lowry, an Upper Marlboro resident who has volunteered since July, said she has not observed any mistreatment of the animals but agreed the shelter could use more full-time caretakers.
"Its overwhelming for just the employees that are there," Lowry said, adding that volunteers and staff sometimes pay for items like blankets and animal shampoo out-of-pocket.
Staffing is not at ideal levels, Taylor said, but he believes most reports of poor care stem from false information. The shelter is spacious — it houses about 150 animals at any given time — clean and staffed by people who "love the animals," he said.
"You can walk in any day and there is water in every cage, animals are being walked every day and cared for," Taylor said. "They may be concerned because they may not know the numbers."
Between July and December, the shelter took in slightly more than 4,000 cats and dogs. In that time, about 300 more cats and dogs were adopted from the shelter when compared to the same period in 2008 and about 600 fewer animals were euthanized, according to statistics provided by the agency.
However, the county euthanized more than half of the cats and dogs it took in, a percentage that has angered some animal welfare advocates. Taylor said he is working to bring the euthanasia rate down to about 10 percent.
Kendra Ganobsik, a former volunteer who lives in Alexandria, Va., said that she appreciated Wilson's speech but is worried about implementation. She said she has kept track of "highly adoptable" cats euthanized since the county took over this summer.
"The major issues are care of the animals, including making sure that dogs get walked, the animals get water and that any medical needs are attended to as opposed to ... killing it without attending to it," said Ganobsik, whose position as a volunteer was terminated in November. Taylor confirmed the termination, saying she "was not part of the team."
Tim Saffell, of the animal welfare advocacy group Prince Georges Feral Friends, said his organization is also alarmed at the shelter's euthanasia rate.
"We should be saving at least 90 percent of the animals that come in," he said.
E-mail Zoe Tillman at ztillman@gazette.net.
