Animal lovers are starting to win again at the local level
This and other news for the week ending May 23, 2025
In other news: In what may be a sign of the times, commissioners unanimously removed a killing clause from a county ordinance. Animals win in the state legislature. More counties stop punishing dogs because of their appearance. What makes some cats orange? Communities are looking for someone to run their animal shelter. Reports of veganism’s death are greatly exaggerated. USPS abandons 12,000 chicks to die. Remembering the little giant.
These are some of the stories making headlines in animal protection:
Killing clause removed from county ordinance
Thanks to significant public opposition, the McDowell County Commission in North Carolina unanimously voted to remove a proposed clause from its animal control ordinance that would have resulted in animals being killed after 14 days in the shelter.
Commissioners agreed to study other ways to responsibly manage shelter populations, including spay and neuter programs. Additionally, the Commission is considering the construction of a new animal shelter to provide better facilities and accommodate more animals, reflecting a commitment to improving animal welfare infrastructure in the county.
The Commission’s turnaround may be a sign of better things to come nationally. For example, as reported previously, Riverside County in California is finally implementing some Sunday adoption hours. It is doing so because of unrelenting public pressure to do better and a lawsuit accusing it of neglect, abuse, mismanagement, and needless killing.
Likewise, since the pandemic, Orange County, CA, required an approved application and an appointment before a potential adopter could meet a dog. Moreover, the adoption application was dog-specific; even those with appointments could not meet other animals. Not surprisingly, despite declining intakes, killing dogs, including puppies, rose by 187% in certain categories, earning condemnation from the Orange County Grand Jury. Still, county officials and pound leaders dug in their heels. But recently, relentless public pressure forced the Board of Supervisors to back down. The Board ordered staff to return to pre-pandemic hours that allowed potential adopters to visit animals without an appointment, years after the pandemic ended, and thousands of animals have been needlessly slaughtered.
If these examples are a sign of the times, the era of one-party political dysfunction may have reached its apex.
More counties stop punishing dogs because of their appearance
