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SPCA investigating Commerce Animal Shelter

Audio Transcript:

Haslett: The City of Commerce released a statement today defending its practices at the municipally operated Commerce Animal Shelter. Today’s media release followed a contentious week in Commerce. At Tuesday evening’s city council meeting, over 50 people turned out to express their frustration with city policy concerning the shelter. That frustration intensified after Commerce Mayor John Ballotti refused to allow a public commentary period during Tuesday’s meeting. That decision was an apparent violation of the Commerce city charter. Yesterday, KETR learned that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas is conducting an investigation of the Commerce Animal Shelter. Maura Davis is vice president of communications for the SPCA of Texas.

Davis: Yes, well the SPCA of Texas does have an open case regarding the city of Commerce’s municipal animal shelter, and that generally happens when we have received a complaint of suspected animal cruelty or abuse, either from the general public or from law enforcement. For situations where there is a municipal animal shelter is involved, it is usually an individual that reports a situation like this.

Haslett: Davis couldn’t provide any specifics about the investigation. The identity of the party making the complaint, the date of the complaint, whether it was one complaint or more than one, the nature of the complaint – none of that information is available. Davis explained that in order for any investigation to work, that details must remain confidential until the investigation’s conclusion.

Davis: We can confirm, when someone asks, that we do have an open investigation, but in order to preserve the integrity of the case for both civil and then any potential criminal cases down the line. We want to make sure we can assist law enforcement and help them hold people who break the law accountable to the fullest extent of the law, so keeping the details of the case confidential helps to insure that if the animal owner is cruelly treating the animals, that the case isn’t getting blown before it even gets started.

Haslett: The SPCA of Texas has had a busy few months in Hunt County, in July, the Frank Barchard Memorial Animal Shelter, a privately operated facility, was closed and its animals confiscated as a result of an SPCA of Texas investigation. Local law enforcement assisted with the removal of the dogs and cats to a shelter in McKinney. A Hunt County judge mandated that the shelter’s proprietors pay over 61 thousand dollars in restitution to the SPCA. Then in September, Jody McIntier and Joel McIntier of Wolfe City faced animal cruelty charges as a result of their operation of the shelter. Their cases remain unresolved and trials are pending. Today, the city’s news release mentioned that episode in its discussion of the municipal shelter. The city said “Due to the horrific allegations and criminal violations which came to light regarding the Barchard Animal Shelter, the City of Commerce was compelled to restrict its policies in dealing with certain persons affiliated with removing animals from the Commerce Animal Shelter to the Barchard Shelter.” That was an apparent reference to the recent move by the city to end an informal agreement between the city and volunteers from the group No Kill Hunt County. Meanwhile, the SPCA has no timeline for the resolution of the investigation into the city-operated shelter. Davis said that her agency handles many investigations annually and that the cases can be resolved either quickly or slowly.

Davis: The SPCA of Texas’s Rescue Investigations Department has a group of 5-6 humane investigators who respond to more than about 4,000 cases of suspected animal cruelty a year in 8 counties. Those counties that we serve are Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Greyson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, and Van Zandt. However we also respond to puppy-mill cases outside of those counties. So we go in, investigate those calls of suspected animal cruelty or abuse. 

City of Commerce media release from Oct. 24:

PRESS RELEASE, Marty Cunningham, City Secretary, Public Information Officer

In light of the recent wave of accusations regarding the Commerce Animal Shelter, the City of Commerce would like to state that operations of the Animal Shelter follow proper protocol, rules, regulations and statutes set forth by the City and the State. It is an unfortunate fact, but a fact nonetheless, that certain animals arrive to our city’s shelter in a deplorable condition. Many of these animals enter our shelters after having been abused, neglected, malnourished, and exposed to disease by their owners. Animal Control is necessary to remove animals running loose in the City, as such animals pose concerns of property damage, injury to citizens, nuisance and potential disease.  It is the policy of the Commerce Animal Shelter to accept all animals delivered to the shelter regardless of their condition or illness. In these instances, protocol is observed for the safety of all the animals involved and appropriate care is rendered.

It should also be noted that the Commerce Animal Shelter, like every animal shelter in the State of Texas, is subject to state inspection. At the most recent inspection, the State Inspector informed the City of Commerce that the Commerce Animal Shelter was in compliance with the regulations of the State of Texas. Furthermore, the Commerce Animal Shelter has never been cited for any infractions by the State of Texas. The City takes recent criticism very seriously, and it is the position of the City, at this time, that the Commerce Animal Shelter’s actions have been performed with good intentions and are legally and ethically sound.

Due to the horrific allegations and criminal violations which came to light regarding the Barchard Animal Shelter, the City of Commerce was compelled to restrict its policies in dealing with certain persons affiliated with removing animals from the Commerce Animal Shelter to the Barchard Shelter, where they were subjected to operations which were described in the press as amounting to butchery.  These restrictions were to safeguard the animals in the care of the Commerce Animal Shelter. 

Animals at the Commerce Animal Shelter are held to be claimed by owners, and if not claimed, they are available for adoption.  The City encourages adoption and any group or individual may do so.  While the City of Commerce would rather that all animals coming into its possession be adopted, such option has not played out.  It is a sad fact that the failure of animal owners to spay and neuter their pets causes most of the problem.  Across the United States, some six to eight million animals are admitted to shelters annually, and approximately half of the animals are euthanized due to no one adopting the animals.    Sometimes, unfortunately, euthanizing these animals is the most humane thing to do for the animal, as many animals are unadoptable due to rejection by society, aggression, or severe illness that puts them at death’s door. For example of the magnitude of the problem, one need only look to the experience of the PETA organization.  Even PETA finds that it has to euthanize animals in its care and states that doing so does not mean shelters are not trying to help animals.  Despite its anti-animal-cruelty advocacy, PETA killed nearly 90 percent of all the cats and dogs dropped off at one of its shelters in 2012.  In an interview with USA Today, PETA spokeswoman Jane Dollinger acknowledged that most shelters euthanize about 39 percent of their animals. The method of euthanasia used by the City of Commerce is a quick, effective, safe and humane solution for handling the difficult situation when animals are not adopted.  No one with the City of Commerce takes any pleasure in the putting-down of these animals, but when it comes to that unpleasant task, using a humane and effective method is followed.  It would be wonderful, indeed, if we never had to deal with this problem, but the fact is, we do.  

Mark Haslett has served at KETR since 2013. Since then, the station's news operation has enjoyed an increase in listener engagement and audience metrics, as well recognition in the Texas AP Broadcasters awards.