Wake Animal Center changes drop-off procedure permanently
FREEZING RAIN FOR SOME FOLKS
WILL HIGHLIGHT THAT COMING UP
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. OKAY,
MICHAEL, TALK TO THEM. THANK
YOU.
>> IN THE WAKE COUNTY ANIMAL
CENTER IS SO OVERCROWDED, THEY
ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING OWNER
SURRENDERED ANIMALS, NEW AND
PERMANENT CHANGES. THE DIRECTOR
BLAMES TOO MANY PETS BUT NOT
ENOUGH ADOPTIONS. WRAL. AARON
THOMAS IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE
ANIMAL CENTER. AARON, THIS IS A
TOUGH DECISION THAT'S MADE WITH
SOME OPPOSITION.
YEAH, ACTUALLY AFFECT YOU CAN
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE WRAL
FACEBOOK PAGE. WE HEARD FROM
A LOT OF VIEWERS WHO ARE
WORRIED THAT THESE PETS WILL
BE ABANDONED INSTEAD OF COMING
TO THE CENTER FOR ANIMAL
INTAKE. KNOW, I DID SPEAK WITH
THE ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR
WHO SAYS DESPITE ONGOING
CHALLENGES WITH CAPACITY, THERE
ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO OWNING A
PET, THERE'S CUTENESS OVERLOAD.
BUT AT TIMES, CUTENESS IS
OUTWEIGHED BY COMMITMENT.
>> AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO
NOT
SHAME PEOPLE FOR NEEDING TO
REHOME THE PATS WAKE COUNTY
ANIMAL CENTER USED TO BE AN
OPTION FOR OWNER SURRENDERS.
>> ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR
JENNIFER FEDERICO SAYS PET
OWNERS WILL HAVE TO LOOK
ELSEWHERE.
>> DUE TO STRAIN OF THE
SHELTER, WE WENT FROM HAVING AN
OPEN DOOR FOR EVERY OWNER,
SURRENDER.
>> 2 APPOINTMENT BASED BECAUSE
OUR POPULATION IS GROWING.
OUR THE ANIMALS ARE MOVING OUT
AS FAST. WE'RE GETTING MORE
NEEDY ANIMALS MEDICALLY AND
BEHAVIORALLY.
>> WHAT ARE OLDER SUPPOSED TO
DO NOW?
>> IF YOU ADOPTED THE PATH FROM
US, I DON'T CARE WHEN YOU CAN
BRING IT BACK TO US. AND WE'RE
TRYING TO LEAD, BY EXAMPLE,
DOCTOR FEDERICO SUGGEST WORKING
WITH THE TRUSTED FAMILY MEMBER,
FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR AND POINTS
TO SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN OPTION
FOR REHOMING A PET.
>> GO ONLINE. ADVERTISER PET.
TELL THEM THE BEST THINGS ABOUT
IT. WE HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW
TO WRITE. A BIO VIEWER SOUNDED
OFF ON OUR WRAL FACEBOOK PAGE
ABOUT THE DECISION TO STOP
SURRENDERS AT THE WAKE COUNTY
ANIMAL SHELTER.
>> ONE VIEWER SAID HE
UNDERSTANDS THE REASONING BUT
FEARS THAT OWNERS WILL ABANDON
THE ANIMALS. AND ASHLEY SUSEK
SAID SHE DOESN'T AGREE WITH
THE DECISION SHARING SIMILAR
CONCERNS ABOUT THE WELL-BEING
OF THE PETS. BUT RIGHT NOW,
THIS IS THE BEST DECISION WE
COULD DO FOR ALL THE ANIMALS
THAT WE'RE CARING FOR.
>> NOW, THE CENTER HAS
CERTAINLY BEEN THROUGH QUITE
A LOT. IF YOU RECALL THAT
ACTUALLY JUST REOPENED UP LAST
MONTH THAT THEY'RE SHUTTING
DOWN DUE TO THE OUTBREAK OF
DOG FLU. DOCTOR FEDERICO SAYS
THAT THERE ARE EFFORTS TO GET
COUNTY LEADERS TO TRY TO INVEST