The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Advocates for no-kill animal shelter speak of success stories, saved lives at public meeting
'It was always told to me this wasn't possible'
--Former shelter employee

By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
CUMBERLAND, Jan. 13 -- If the job of the Allegany County Board of Commissioners is to listen to their constituents, then they know what to do next with the county-owned animal shelter.

The overwhelming majority of speakers at Thursday's public meeting stated their position that the shelter, which previously euthanized between 75 percent and 85 percent of the animals taken in there, should be converted into a no-kill shelter as soon as possible. Critics have said the conversion can not happen without a significant increase in costs. Supporters said that's not true.

It all starts with the hiring of a new shelter manager. The position has been vacant since Camille Carrico resigned in mid-December. She had come under fire for her apparent lack of willingness to work to save the lives of animals entrusted to her care.

The deadline to apply for the position of shelter manager is Jan. 14. On Thursday, many of an army of 50 or so volunteers who have dedicated and donated time, money and passion to the shelter since late November told the commissioners it's time to move the shelter in a new direction.

"Please hire a director who has a no-kill philsophy," said Cumberland resident Darlene Chaney. "I fear if you do not do that, you will repeat history."

Chaney said while a typical shelter is loud with barking dogs, now "it actually gets quiet because there's contentment in the animals. It's awesome."

Many have alleged that contentment was no where near the Furnace Street facility uner Carrico's 13-year reign as manager. Volunteers who were once turned away have spent more than 880 hours since Dec. 1 walking dogs, cleaning kennels, medicating cats and socializing both dogs and cats in an effort to make them more adoptable.

Anne Stark, of Frostburg, said opponents of a no-kill shelter simply might not have enough knowledge about what that philosophy means. Animals are still euthanized, she said, if they are dangerously aggressive or vets don't feel they can be saved medically.

The no-kill philosophy "rejects a policy to euthanize for space considerations," Stark said.

Local resident Pete Masloch, another shelter volunteer, said he understands that "change is difficult under the best of circumstances." And right now, Masloch intimated, is not the best of times.

"Self-preservation is the strongest of motivators," he said, hinting at a possible factor in detractors' opposition to the no-kill effort. "We've come too far to go back now."

Masloch might be right. Even Doug Holler, a member of the Allegany County Animal Control Board - which voted Wednesday to oppose the no-kill effort - has questioned Dick DeVore about recent statements to media outlets and actions taken at the shelter. DeVore is tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations of the shelter as the selection process for a new shelter manager runs its course.

On Thursday, DeVore did not advocate for a no-kill shelter. But he choked up with emotion and noted that only four animals - one aggressive dog and three cats - have been euthanized in the past 45 days.

"You've heard the debate: kill versus no-kill," DeVore told the commissioners. "It's not a decision for me to make. We will not save every animal. In some cases, the most humane thing we can do is provide euthanasia."

But, DeVore said, "euthanasia must be utilized as our last resort."

The commissioners did not offer comment on either side of the issue and did not signal when or if they might take a position on the matter.