FIX CARROLL! Reform Carroll County (GA) Animal Control

The citizens declare that protecting animals in Carroll County, GA, continues to be a legitimate and compelling public interest and petition the Carroll County Commissioners immediately implement and enact life-saving ordinances that ensure the compliance and longevity of those ordinances regardless of who manages the animal control shelter. 
WHEREAS the Carroll County Animal Control continues to kill over 5,000 animals per year and dump them in the landfill;
WHEREAS saving the lives of animals, identifying and eliminating animal neglect and abuse, and protecting public safety are compatible interests;
WHEREAS, the Carroll County citizens request our taxpayer money be used to adequately fund and staff the county animal shelter for the proper care of the animals, preventative measures to reduce intake, and implement life-saving measures;
WHEREAS, rescuers and humane groups from all over the country also seek change so that they might help rescue and place adoptable animals from this shelter;
WHEREAS, the Carroll County government is obligated to taxpayers and community members to spend tax monies on programs and services whose purpose is to save and enhance the lives of animals;

WE NOW petition the Carroll County Commissioners and Animal Control for the immediate implementation and enactment of the following life-saving programs by the publicly-funded and subsidized county animal control shelter:
- Comprehensive adoption programs including weekend and evening hours and offsite adoption venues;
- Medical and behavioral rehabilitation programs, including on-site daily veterinarian care and age-appropriate vaccines for all entering animals;
- Pet retention programs to solve medical, environmental, or behavioral problems;
- Trap-Neuter-Return or Release (TNR) programs for feral cats-sterilized and released to their habitats;
- Rescue group access to all shelter animals and contacting/utilizing rescue groups whenever possible;
- Volunteer programs to socialize animals and promote adoptions;
- Increase hold time for animals to be reclaimed;
- Scanning all animals for microchips upon intake;
- Microchipping all adopted animals;
- Spaying/neutering all animals before adoption;
- Use of permanent employees trained in disease control to care for the animals instead of prison inmates;
- Create a friendly atmosphere for public and volunteers by not using prison inmates in public areas;
- Field officers to scan and try to return animals out in the field to reduce intake;
- Make all savable animals available for adoption on-site and on-line;
- Quarantine of incoming animals to identify diseases and prevent spread;
- Care and humane treatment including prompt veterinary care, adequate nutrition (i.e., kitten food for kittens and puppy food for puppies), water, exercise, and environmental enrichment;
- Expanded adoption hours to some nights and extended weekend hours, 7 days a week, to give working individuals an opportunity to reclaim or adopt;
- High-volume, low- and no-cost public spay/neuter collaborative initiatives;
- A foster care network for under-aged, traumatized, sick, injured, or other animals needing refuge before any sheltered animal is killed;
- Prohibit killing savable animals at the request of their owners;
- Assurance that all efforts to save the animal have been tried before killing.