The shame of Hawkins County, Tennessee

Big Fluffy Dog Rescue takes a lot of dogs from a lot of different places across the eastern half of the United States. Some of the shelters are obviously better than others which is directly related to the funds provided for the care of the animals. We are very sympathetic to the limitations placed on shelters by local governments strapped for cash and we do understand the hopeless task they have. That said, there are some things in this world that are absolutely unacceptable no matter what the circumstances. The shelter at Hawkins County, Tennessee, is completely and absolutely unacceptable and we are calling out the county to explain why they have allowed this situation to continue when it has been brought to their attention before.

This is the Hawkins County, Tennessee, shelter building:

The Hawkins County TN shelter building

It is a small shelter and we’ve seen much worse. However, this building has some serious and not so obvious flaws. First, the building has no ventilation and no windows for the dogs. In a shelter environment, a well-ventilated building is exceptionally important to keep disease at bay. Th lack of appropriate ventilation is bad, but the real problem is the massive sanitation issue. Hawkins County has drains at the back of each kennel run into which the animal feces and urine are washed. This waste from the kennels is flushed down drains running along the back of each kennel into an open pit on the side of the building. Puppies, in particular, who rest and play near the drainage system, are exposed to disease from all this fecal matter. Too many animals, pups and even adult dogs are dying at this shelter due to exposure to disease from poor basic sanitation and the backup of all that filth in the drainage system into the kennels. A shelter is supposed to provide care for the animals, not expose them to disease and leaving them to die miserable deaths in a concrete pen.

This is where all the dog excrement goes:

This is the box where all the dog excrement washes into

This little box on the outside of the building open up to reveal a disgusting and gag-inducing stew:

Disgusting

Unbelievably, there is a person whose job it is to use the little dustpan leaning against the building to slop all that dog waste into a trash bin. When volunteers contacted the Health Department who should know better, nothing was done to correct an obvious and serious public health threat. When this little chamber of animal excrement backs up, guess where all the feces and urine goes? Right back in to the runs where the animals are held. Unsurprisingly, the animals are dying in droves.

All of these puppies died from disease at the Hawkins County, Tennessee, shelter:

This puppy is dead.

This puppy died from disease too

This puppy died

This sweet face died from disease at the shelter

Dead.

All of these puppies and so many others are dead because of the conditions in the shelter. This is not acceptable and it must end. Complaining endlessly and forwarding this post with shocked notes attached is not enough. We ask that everyone who sees this post contact the Mayor of Hawkins County, Tennessee, and politely tell him that this is not acceptable and that changes must be made. We would ask that the Mayor meet with local volunteers to discuss ways to improve the facility which the county relies on to care for unwanted animals. Simply closing it down is not an option as there will still be animals in need and the way we care for animals and children reflects directly on us as a society. Does the Mayor want to explain to the young children of the school where he used to be a teacher why all the puppies have died? Hawkins County, Tennessee, has been made aware of the serious problems with the lack of sanitation at this facility and has ducked the issue. The time for action is now. The Mayor of Hawkins County, Tennessee, does not have a listed email address, so faxes and phone calls and letters it must be with the following contact information provided:

Mayor Melville Bailey
Hawkins Count Mayor’s Office
150 East Washington Street, Suite 2
Rogersville, TN 37857
Phone: (423) 272-7359
Fax: (423) 272-1867

We are hopeful that some positive change can come from this and we hope that Hawkins County, Tennessee, will listen to its shelter volunteers and make changes to prevent future outbreaks of disease.

February 27, 2012 | Categories: animals in need, Off Topic, puppies in need | Tags: disease, dogs, Hawkins County, shelter, Tennessee | 29 Comments »