Information widely circulated on social media is being blamed for shutting down recruitment efforts of volunteers to help with hundreds of seized animals in Habersham County.
Habersham County Animal Care and Control Director Madi Hawkins says Facebook posts saying that stolen, chipped animals have been found at the scene simply are “not true.” The posts, circulated by various social media groups, reveal the location of the emergency shelter and encourage people to go directly to the shelter to find lost or stolen pets.
Hawkins says the misinformation has overwhelmed staff and put the animals at risk. As a result, only volunteers from the Humane Society of the United States and Habersham County Animal Care and Control will now be allowed to assist in the care of hundreds of animals recently seized from property near Clarkesville.
Here’s Hawkins statement:
“This is INCORRECT information. There have been NO stolen animals recovered from the recent seizure.
False information such as this is only HURTING the animals and the integrity of our situation and we do not condone this. It is tying up our phone lines and filling my email-preventing myself and our staff from addressing the real issue- taking care of these animals.
Encouraging people to show up at a scene which is clearly described as an “undisclosed” location is only going to hurt the situation.
False information such as this hurts the integrity of our investigation. We are dedicated to seeing this case through and greatly appreciate the respect to do so. For the safety of the animals, as well as to protect evidence and the investigation,
due to this unfortunate false information, we will now be limited to already approved volunteers within scheduled time frames only. Those not previously documented will be unable to participate.”
More than 350 animals were seized from owners in what officials describe as a large-scale animal neglect case. No charges have yet been filed.
