ANIMALS IN GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA

This blog is formed for the intent of publicizing the plight of animals in Greene County, Indiana. Concerned Citizens have formed a seperate, all volunteer, non-profit animal welfare group- MIDWEST FRIENDS OF ANIMALS- in order to attempt to take action for the many abused, neglected and unwantd animals thrown away on a daily basis in Greene County.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Hoarding dogs and cats, dog found dead - Linton, IN (US) THE FLATER CASE WHICH INVOLVED MAC (McCoy) is reviewed on this update of a website called 'Pet Abuse.com" link above.

UPDATE: THe final two dogs from the trailer pictured below are gone, but many dogs live in similar conditions all over the county. Email us to join our efforts to make a difference for other suffering animals!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

WE WERE RECENTLY SENT THE FOLLOWING LINK TO A GREENE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY BOARD MEMBER, WHO IS ALSO A BACKYARD BREEDER. PERHAPS THIS MENTALITY OF ANIMALS AS "PRODUCTS" IS WHAT IS WRONG IN GREENE COUNTY? LINK WITH PICS IS: Toy poodle puppies - Indianapolis Classifieds - Free Classified Ads
Toy poodle puppies
Ad ID: 90399

Price
$500.00

Listed Time
10/25/2006 11:05:32 AM
Phone
812-798-1339
User ID
43058
Item Location
Indy



Description

Apricot females available.Shots UTD, fully vetted, tails and dewclaws done.Very friendly., loving puppies paper training started.Puppies bron 8-18-2006Contact Martina Swaby812-847-8018812-798-1339 poofywoof@hotmail.com

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

TWO NEW DOGS ARE NOW CHAINED UP WHERE THE SEIZED DOGS WERE IN THE TRAILER IN JASONVILLE INDIANA!!! SITTING IN MUD, PICTURES TO COME TOMORROW. Greene County Humane Society advised. Unbelievable. Hoarder mentality at its worst.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The dogs from the house below have been removed by the local H.S. as of yesterday evening at 5:30pm. While we do not know if they were surrendered or if the courts will have to decide the animals fate, we have offered to help find them quality rescues. In an email last night to Andrea McCann, Greene County Humane Society President, we (Midwest Friends of Animals) offered to donate heartworm tests and vaccinations for all dogs seized from this property, and to help post nationally for quality rescue groups to respond to take them into their care. As of today, we have not had a reply.

Sunday, December 10, 2006





(CLICK ON EACH PIC FOR BETTER VIEWING) DAY 3 FOR THE JASONVILLE DOGS WITH NO CARE, NO WATER, WHICH THE LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY WILL NOT ACT ON. TODAY THEY WERE NOTICABLY LESS ENERGETIC, DID NOT COME RUSHING TO THE END OF THEIR CHAINS TO BARK, STAYED IN THEIR HOUSES OR LYING DOWN. POSSIBLY ON THE BRINK OF DEATH!!!

Saturday, December 09, 2006

BOARD MEMBERS OF THE GREENE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY CONSIST OF ANDREA MCCANN- PRESIDENT, LINTON . COUNTY COMMISSIONER KATHY CROUCH, BLOOMFIELD. MARTINA SWABY, LINTON INDIANA. RENE ABRAM (SHELTER MANAGER) OWENSBURG INDIANA. BLOOMFIELD VET CLINIC VET, SCOTT BORTERS, ODEN INDIANA. REPORTEDLY JOINING THE BOARD THIS YEAR, TROY JERRELS, LINTON CITY POLICE CHIEF, LANA ROBERTSON, BUCK CREEK. STEPHANIE SPIERS, UNKNOWN. CLICK ON ANY OF THE BELOW PICTURES TO VIEW THEM IN LARGER FORMAT FOR DETAILS.





DECEMBER 9- 2006 24 HOURS LATER, THESE DOGS HAVE STILL HAD NO CARE. EMPTY WATER DISHES ARE NOW OVERTURNED. ONE DOG HOUSE HAS BEEN OVER TURNED BY STRONG WINDS. NO ONE HAS BEEN SEEN COMING TO FEED OR WATER THE DOGS. PICTURES TO COME SHORTLY.

CLICK ON PICS FOR LARGER VIEW AND TO CONFIRM TWO OF THE DOGS HAVE NO CONTAINERS NEAR THEM AT ALL. WE CAN ONLY GIVE YOU OUR WORD THE OTHERS ARE EMPTY AS WE CANNOT TRESPASS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY TO GET THE PICS SHOWING THEY ARE EMPTY BUT CAN SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE THAT THEY ARE.






ALL CONTAINERS IN THESE PICTURES ARE EMPTY, NO WATER IS AVAILABLE. WEATHER IN JASONVILLE HAS BEEN AS LOW AS 9 DEGREES. DOG HOUSES HAVE NO BEDDING OR STRAW. DOGS SUFFERING IN JASONVILLE INDIANA. GREENE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY HAS BEEN CALLED REPEATEDLY DUE TO THE FACT THESE DOGS HAVE HAD NO WATER OR FROZEN WATER AT AN UNOCCUPIED HOUSE ON KENTUCKY STREET. SHELTER HAS TOLD CALLERS COMPLAINING THERE IS "NOTHING THEY CAN DO" and TOLD LOCAL POLICE THEY ARE "WORKING ON PAPERWORK TO SEIZE THEM" LOCAL ORDINANCES ALLOW FOR ON THE SPOT SEIZURE WHEN DOGS ARE IN DANGER. PHOTOS AND DETAILS HAVE BEEN SENT TO BOARD PRESIDENT ANDREA MCCANN WITH NO RESPONSE. BESIDES THESE DOGS, DOGS CAN BE HEARD INSIDE THE TRAILER AND ARE IN UNKNOWN CONDITION!! WHEN THE HUMANE SOCIETY WON'T DO IT'S JOB, WHAT NEXT? WATCH THEM DIE A SLOW, COLD DEATH?

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

The Greene County Humane Society (which is not affiliated with any national groups) is comprised currently of Andrea McCAnn, President;County Commissioner Kathy Crouch, Bloomfield Vet Clinic Vet, Scott Borter; Rene Abram, Shelter Manager; Martina Swaby, poodle breeder; and recently announced others to join next year. THeir names and actions will be announced here. The current county problems are exacerbated by the current running of the only county funded animal facility. As noted in the letter to the editor, they refuse to alter all animals before releasing and do not screen adoptors, adding to the problem in the county. THE ABOVE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD CONTINUOUSLY REFUSE TO ADDRESS THESE MATTERS. The shelter recently reported it was underfuned and not able to treat injured or sick animals, despite the fact a veterinarian is on their board of directors. This begs the question, what happens to animals that come in hurt as strays and Indiana law says they must be held for 3 days? Do they have to lie in a kennel with a broken leg for 3 days? Or do they euthanize them anyway, for a problem that could be medically addressed? They have accused us of only being involved with their meetings to act as a 'watchdog' for their actions, despite the fact we have contributed many supplies and spent many hours arranging rescue for their death row animals. They do not want their decisions publicized for some reason. Perhaps being held accountable is not to their liking.

Recently the nearby 'Greene County Humane Society' had it's election meeting. At this meeting it was announced they had changed their bylaws, which allowed them basically to put themselves back onto the board unopposed, prompting the following letter to the editor of the Linton Daily World newspaper- LETTER TO EDITOR;
Don't like the way a game is going,? Change the rules! If you're achild that may work, but should a board of directors be able to do that? In my opinion, that’s what the Greene County Humane Society didNovember 21st, at their annual election meeting! Between their October nomination meeting for new officers and the November election meeting, they changed their bylaws which made some of the people nominated in October, ineligible! Tricky!

Instead of announcing the meeting in the AREA NOTES, as usual, it was placed in the classifieds, where it’s unlikely members saw it. With no members present, the board then changed bylaws to suit themselves.

Member’s who don't subscribe to the newspaper and scour it daily for obscure placements of a meeting announcements , are out of luck! Is that how GCHS values it's members?

The current board at the ’election meeting’ included Andrea McCann, Scott Borters, County Commissioner Kathy Crouch, Martina Swaby and managerRene Abrams. They announced that the previous meeting had taken place and bylaws changed. The board then nominated and voted themselves back into office and appointed new board members whose qualifications are unknown. Is this a board we should trust and support? This is supposedly the “new and improved” Humane Society?

This isn't the first time something similar has happened. In January, GCHS representatives delayed a number of members from renewing membership’s resulting in them not being ’eligible’ to vote at a meeting that removed two board members. They subsequently apologized to those members that were cheated out of voting and acknowledged it was unfair, but nothing changed. What is the ‘benefit’ of being a ‘member’?

Seems like the GCHS is it’s own worst enemy. Besides alienating their members, they complain the county is a “dumping ground for animals“, they are overworked and under funded. However, they continue to add to the very problem by adopting out ‘unfixed’ animals and ‘trusting’ that the adopter will spay/neutering the pet, hopefully before it “accidentally'“ breeds and brings more unwanted animals into the mix. (Some animals are adopted already pregnant, another good reason to spay/neuter before adoption).

Also adding to the problems, claims “there is no time” to check reference on adopters (although members have offered to do it for them) missing the opportunity to eliminate adopting animals to some of the people who may have a history of abandoning, abusing /neglecting or breeding shelter animals! Talk about chasing your tail!

The shelter “can't afford” to treat any sick or injured animals that come in -even though they have a vet on their board- don't spay/neuter before releasing animals, and don't check out adopters, how are they a ‘humane society’ and not a “dog pound”?

*NOTE: Any group may use the name ‘humane society’ with no affiliation with any national groups and no requirements to meet any standards, or answer to any other office. Typically, the public believes they are.

How do members who care, get true “humane society” standards in place? Volunteers have offered help in these efforts, yet the board continuously drags it’s feet on making a commitment to change. Frustrated volunteers have moved on to help other groups, leaving GCHS complaining they have no volunteers. More tail chasing!

If tax dollars are going to be pumped into this bottomless pit of a problem, the county should consider appointing an independent, unbiased oversight committeeto review the GCHS activity. Some authority beyond themselves needs to be available to hear public concerns and complaints, since there is no alternative to addressing problems concerning the board itself.

Board members will, no doubt, offer a different “spin” on these matters and attempt to discredit those who hold them accountable, but the facts speak for themselves.