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PETA investigates Anson shelter
More Big Country ANSON -- An animal rights group has contacted the city of Anson because of reported concerns about the city's animal shelter.
City officials have declined to comment on the issue.
An official from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Anson-area residents notified the group about questionable policies and procedures at the Anson animal shelter. Some claim to be eyewitnesses to a recent incident in which a dog at the shelter allegedly was fatally shot, said Teresa Lynn Chagrin, PETA animal care and control specialist with the cruelty investigations department.
The shooting allegedly occurred Sept. 28 at the shelter, according to a witness who wrote PETA about the incident. The witness, who declined to be named, said she "saw a man holding a large gun that was pointed at a brown dog. By the time I brought my mother's attention to what was going on, it was too late; the man had shot the dog."
Chagrin said she called Anson Police Chief Patrick Hawthorne and City Manager Dowell Matthews about the matter, but both refused to speak with her.
"I have been doing animal protection work for decades, and I have never been treated so unprofessionally by public officials," she wrote to Anson city officials. "There is no excuse for these officials' behavior -- especially if they have nothing to hide. The suspicious behavior of the town officials who oversee the Anson Animal Shelter suggests that there might be substance to the claims that a friendly dog -- who was not posing an imminent danger to anyone and whose tail was reportedly wagging -- was violently shot to death."
Matthews has not responded to e-mailed questions or phone calls from local media. Mayor Vance Boyd declined to talk about the city shelter.
When asked about PETA's concerns, Hawthorne would only say in an e-mail: "I consider PETA a terrorist organization. I don't deal with terrorists."
PETA said it has received complaints about a puppy that allegedly died at the animal shelter Sept. 17. According to complainants, the puppy's body was left in the kennel for two days.
There also have been complaints filed with PETA stating that animals in the shelter are denied access to drinking water, food and clean, healthy housing.
PETA also received complaints regarding a puppy that was run over Friday.
"The animal control officer refused to even tell if the puppy had been picked up or not," Chagrin said.
This complaint, along with the letter sent to the city by PETA, was posted on the organization's Web site, www.peta.org. The group is urging people to contact the mayor.
Chagrin said PETA wants to assist city officials in examining its policies and procedures at the animal shelter. Anson has about 2,500 residents.
Last month, PETA sent a letter to Rising Star city officials after complaints were raised about conditions at its animal shelter, including dogs confined in dilapidated and fly-infested outdoor pens without access to clean drinking water.
The city's mayor defended the shelter, saying it might not be the best, but animals are given fresh food and water daily.
Posted by Steppenwolfe on October 14, 2008 at 11:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People
Eating
Tasty
Animals
Posted by lillian5 on October 15, 2008 at 7:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember some cowboys from Anson telling me about picking up local dogs at their homes and turning them in for the rewards for drinking money,and then going back to the pound later, breaking them out of jail, and returning them to their own homes. The dogs supposedly would come get in their cars when they stopped and opened the door...
Posted by onesmallvoice on October 15, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WAY TO GO HAWTHORNE!!! PETA causes so much trouble over nothing. The city offices have no obligation to respond to PETA. So now they are harassing them, seems to me. These animal rights activists are so full of it.
Posted by Bluethunder on October 15, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When asked about PETA's concerns, Hawthorne would only say in an e-mail: "I consider PETA a terrorist organization. I don't deal with terrorists."
That comment made me laugh... Cant believe the peta rep cant believe the treatment she got.. sweeheart this is West by GOD Texas not californistan. We dont suffer fools.
Posted by ranchero63bob on October 15, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Steppenwolfe,you are not at all funny.
Posted by wallace_jerry on October 15, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I like them Anson city officials. I don't like none of them terrorist organization neither...........
Posted by wild_bill on October 15, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What's unethical about shooting a dog? Texas executed a murderer yesterday. That was legal. The folks in Young county convicted a couple who's dogs killed a child. Don't you wish someone had shot those dogs first?
I fail to see anything worth getting upset about in what this article relates.
Posted by Chief on October 15, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
God Bless you true Americans for stating how you feel. I respect even people who don’t agree with my views and would even up hold the law to protect them. But when you don’t agree with an organization such as PETA they viscously attack you. The Anson news paper did not even ask me to comment on the correct event nor did any other news media with the exception of KTAB which I gladly spoke to. Anyone who aligns themselves with an organization who viciously attacks someone is an organization that has no credit with me. If anyone including PETA wants to come to Anson Texas from Norfolk Virginia then they are welcome anytime to look at the shelter. Its funny how no one even asked to go look at the supposedly bad conditions there. And it’s also very interesting that no one asked what happened and if a dog was shot, why was it shot? Please do your own research on PETA. Thank you for your comments.
Posted by perki on October 15, 2008 at 11:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I thought Steppenwolfe's remark was funny and agree whole heartedly!!! Love to eat me some animal flesh, especially when I am wearing my baby kitten fur coat. YUMMY!
Posted by billyg on October 16, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What about the goat? The article failed to mention the dog, which was a pit bull mix, attacked a goat. The goat nearly had a leg chewed off and was ripped open. It's injuries were so bad he had to be put to sleep. The dog was covered in the goat's blood when he was shot. When the witness states the dog was friendly, not posing an imminent danger, and was wagging his tail, I guess that opinion depends on your perspective; outside the fence looking at the back of the dog, or inside the fence with the dog facing you.
Posted by Glinda on October 16, 2008 at 9:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No, it is not ethical to shoot a dog at the shelter! If the dog was caught in the act of attacking the goat, the dog should have been shot then and there, in the act of the attack. Oherwise, the dog should have been humanely euthanized at a proper facility.
Half of the problem here is the animal control officer. The phone is rarely answered, so if there are large dogs running the streets and alley ways posing threats to livestock, the town does nothing!
PETA a terrorist group? Give me a break, the reason the town doesn't want to talk to these people is because the town has such a bad track record when it comes to animal control and humane treatment of animals in their facility.
I live in Anson and would gladly host the PETA people to stay at my house. Yes, the town needs to be investigated.
Posted by billyg on October 17, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.activistcash.com/organizat...
Posted by becky6 on October 17, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shooting the dog was the right thing to do in this situation. The dog posed a threat to livestock and human life. The dog, most likely, couldn't have been shot while in the act of attacking the goat because the goat could have been injured further and suffered even more. So it makes since that the officer had to separate the two animals and then shot the dog. Human life is more important than an unwanted dog.
Posted by Chief on October 17, 2008 at 5:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Anson Animal Control 823-4604 24/7 what # did you call? Of course if you call city hall it won’t be answered 24 hours a day. This should help. Also this # has a recorded phone line when you speak with a dispatcher for animal control services so it may be difficult to say you asked for one if you did not.
Have a great day.
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