Dan Genz, The Examiner
2008-05-14 07:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

Animal lovers in Prince William County, disgusted with how many animals are being killed at the animal shelter, want the county’s shelter programs overhauled.

Nearly 20 speakers during the Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday asked for a new citizen advisory panel, with many saying the county’s 53 percent rate of euthanasia is unacceptably high and that shelter facilities in the state’s second-largest county are falling far behind their peers.

“An animal going into that shelter has less than a 50-50 shot of surviving,” said Judy Haller, of Woodbridge. “There are nonprofit organizations that could help.”

“Fauquier County can house at least three times as many animals as the Prince William shelter,” added Mona Show, a former shelter volunteer of Bristow. “How come Fauquier, with less population, can do a better job than Prince William?”

County supervisors, who said they were concerned about the death rate and the shelter’s sterilization measures, say they want more community feedback about the animal shelter. They suggested that nonprofit assistance and more input from rescue operations could help drive more charitable contributions.

 Animal Control Director Sam Newsome said 5 percent of adoptable animals are being killed at the facility because of overcrowding, and that the 53-percent rate includes aggressive animals, pet-owner requests, and sick and old pets.

 While 60 percent of pets that are adopted have been spayed and neutered, the animal-control department does not have the staff to make sure new pet owners get their pets sterilized.

 “Ideally you would want to spay and neuter those at the facility,” said Newsome, a master detective. “We have no facility. We don’t have the ability to perform spay and neuters on the site we have.”

 Budget woes have left the county unable to complete a planned $2.5 million expansion of the shelter and without the money to add more animal-control officers the police department says it needs.

Supervisor Frank Principi called the financial conditions the worst ever, and said there is no money for major projects.

 County Chairman Corey Stewart said he welcomed a new advisory board, but proposed clearly defining its scope so that a new county panel would not criticize a visiting circus or new biotechnology companies relocating to Prince William County.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com