Lewisburg Update

After the events that occurred yesterday, by group effort, this gained attention from the media. News 2 and 4 both reported on the atrocities that occurred.

In Tommy Engrams interviews, he said that rescue groups and volunteers were just trying on get on TV. He then said that Lewisburg Animal Shelter is no longer a shelter, but a “holding facility.” So he is basically saying that they can take dogs in and do not have to list them as lost or even try and find them homes, and then after the “holding period,” they will be euthanized.

It costs the city $10 for every dog that it puts down. The city gets $70 for every adoption when a dog leaves the facility. That fee covers the altering and the rabies shot. Lewisburg Animal “Holding Facility” gets major discounts through Meredith Warner Vet in Lewisburg for using their services, so the “holding facility” makes money off the adoption, which is expected to keep the facility up and running. So what this means to residents of Marshall County is that they will be putting dogs down as they come in and costing the tax payers of the county money.

Tommy Engram has only been in his office for a month, and this is his first attempt at garnering support from his community. He has failed miserably in the eyes of PBATN and the animal supporters world.

Below you will find a video from News 2, and a story from News 4. The petition is below as well.

News 4 :

LEWISBURG, TN (WSMV) -

Suzanne Ganser, a volunteer, has rescued about a dozen animals from Lewisburg’s animal control shelter during the past year.

Tuesday, she confirmed to one of the city’s animal control officers that she was going to pick up nine dogs scheduled to be euthanized Wednesday. Hours before the rescue, she received a heartbreaking call from an animal control officer.

“‘We had to clean up today’, I said, what you mean? I said, does that mean you put the dogs to sleep? He said, ‘yes we did.’ A number of these dogs were only a few months old, they were very adoptable,” said Ganser.

There were 28 animals at the animal control facility Wednesday, the approved capacity is 20 animals

Lewisburg’s City Manager Tommy Engram said there was a lot of confusion as to when the animals would be picked up from the shelter.

“I’ve heard they were not going to do anything till 10 in the morning, then we are not going to do anything till noon, then, not until 3 p.m.,” said Engram.

Engram said animal control officers had emergencies to respond to, and could not be at the facility at any given time. He said room had to be made for arriving animals.

“When we get over 20 animals in that shelter we are going to have to do something,” said Engram.

What upsets Ganser, of the 13 animals put down on Wednesday, nine could have been saved.

Engram questioned why the volunteer waited until a crisis point.

“The point I’m trying to make to you is, if these people were concerned about those animals, they would have been here yesterday,” said Engram.

Copyright 2012 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

News 2 :

WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

Petition :