Jurors urge county commission to act, saying, “now would be an excellent time to move forward.”
The Habersham County Grand Jury is recommending the county build a larger animal shelter and hire more employees for the Department of Animal Care and Control.
Members of the Grand Jury toured the John B. Gesbocker Animal Shelter in June. In their report they cite a number of problems they found, including:
- overcrowding
- lack of storage space
- poor ventilation
- cramped office space with no privacy
- not enough staff
Inadequate facility
The shelter was built in 1998. Jurors say it’s outdated and too small to meet the county’s current needs. The shelter’s intake volume increases every year. During the month of June when jurors toured the facility, the Habersham County Animal Shelter took in 200 animals. “The concern over disease and need for cleanliness is exacerbated by the cramped quarters and the lack of space for washing bedding, feeding tools, and general hygiene,” the report states.
The small facility not only poses a problem for animals, it also impacts the staff and public.
Jurors describe Habersham County Animal Care and Control’s office as “cramped” and “not conducive to productive work.” They also address privacy concerns. “In such a small space, any visitor is privy to phone conversations that are none of their concern. The openness of the visitor/office area would raise a concern over confidentiality.”
Click here to read Grand Jury Report
Understaffed
The Grand Jury says more staff is needed to deal with the growing demands on the department. “With only three full-time employees on call, current staff must work additional hours to handle emergencies.”
Habersham County Animal Care and Control (HCACC) currently employs a full-time director, three full-time animal control employees, three part-time kennel technicians and an administrative assistant. They provide animal control 24/7 for a county with an estimated population of 44,246 (U.S. Census Bureau 2016 update).
There’s no licensed veterinarian on staff at the shelter, but many of the county’s vets volunteer their time to check animals and recommend treatment. They also supervise the shelter director in completing euthanasia.
Shelter volunteers help augment the staff. They exercise dogs, clean cages, feed animals, and perform other tasks as needed. Animal advocacy groups, individuals and retail companies round out the community partnerships that keep the shelter afloat by donating food and bedding. “Without these valuable contributions from community partners the shelter’s budget would be inadequate to meet the minimal needs of the shelter’s operation,” jurors say.
One person is singled out in the report.
“Special commendation must be given to Director Madi Hawkins. She goes above and beyond in her job. She gives of her personal time and cares deeply about the animals.” The Grand Jury also praises shelter employees for going “above-and-beyond” during the county’s recent “puppy mill” case in which over 400 animals were rescued from a couples’ property near Clarkesville.
Grand Jury recommendations
Based on its findings, the Grand Jury recommends the Habersham County Commission hire more staff to care for the animals in the shelter and to perform other duties such as stray animal pickup, records management, and code enforcement. Jurors point out that, “Having more employees would free Director Hawkins to pursue additional support and provide education to the community at large.”
The Grand Jury also recommends that Habersham County Commissioners “pursue other options for a building large enough to accommodate the large population of animals being served by the Department of Animal Care and Control.” That space, jurors say, should include separate office space with updated technology and an animal bay for community members to drop off animals.
“Increasing the budget to accommodate additional personnel and needed training for all employees would bring this department into a place of prominence,” the report concludes. “With all the current publicity around the court case mentioned earlier, now would be an excellent time to move forward.”
Editor’s Note: The Grand Jury Report was filed with the Habersham County Clerk of Court on August 14, more than one month after the county’s new budget went into effect. While that budget does not include funds for a new shelter, commissioners did increase HCACC’s operating budget by $77,237 for the current fiscal year. The increase is to cover the cost of veterinary services, maintenance and a new staff position that was created last year when HCACC assumed animal control services for the cities of Cornelia and Baldwin.
Air conditioning also has been installed in the shelter office and cat rooms since jurors visited in June.
(file photo/Johnny Bailey)
