Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Hamilton County Animal Control, based in Jasper, has come under fire online following the circulation of rumors about the status of many of the animals, including an alleged photo of a dead dog in the shelter. The original poster claimed multiple dead animals were found and that the shelter was in an abysmal state. The status of employment of the animal control officer in charge was in the air in the wake of the resident's anger. However, what really happened is a different story. Riverbend News spoke with County Coordinator Gary Godwin to get the full story about what actually went down in the shelter, and how one dog's death may have lead to the rescue of animals in need.
Godwin had only accepted the position of County Coordinator three weeks ago. He was struggling to get up to speed the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 21, he began receiving calls about issues with Animal Control. So, on Monday, Oct. 23, he made his way to the facility, where he was presented with a saddening sight. The officer, in an effort to help every animal she could, had never refused taking in any animals. However, the shelter quickly began to fill, getting to the point where animals were being held in the play area outside of kennels. This resulted in a dog fight ensuing, leading to the death of one rescue. The other dog involved in the fight was quickly sent to a rescue home where it can be cared for. Godwin also reached out to Thelma and Louise Dog Rescue, a local Hamilton County animal rescue.
By Tuesday, Oct. 24, the rescue was on-site helping to clean up the area and attempt to find homes for the remaining dogs. They even reached out to the community for help getting items needed to clean the shelter up. Thelma and Louise also reached out to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Brevard County and the Humane Society of North Central Florida to request help. Both entities responded, more than ready to help on Thursday, Oct. 26. The three rescues, along with Hamilton County, quickly went to work - this time on finding a place for the animals to go. Every single animal at the shelter was able to be sent to a nearby rescue, where they can rest and recover. The dogs will be cared for and trained to be put back in the adoption system, where they will find their fur-ever home. “They were a God send,” Godwin said about Thelma and Louise. The county was more than happy to receive all the help they did, relieved that all the animals would be well taken care of.
Not only did this incident end in hope for these animals, it also seemed to wake up many citizens throughout Hamilton County to the plight of abandoned animals. Facebook was full to the brim of those offering volunteer time and their ability to do what they could to help the animals.
For now, Hamilton County Animal Control will only be responding to emergency calls. Godwin is already hard at work with the county commissioners to discuss restructuring the animal control system. As of the writing of this article, the animal control officer has not been fired. Keep an eye out for a future edition of the Riverbend News, to find out when the shelter will be back in operation with a complete restructure.