During the regularly scheduled Warren County Health and Welfare Committee meeting on Tuesday, the topic of behavioral euthanasia at Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center was one of the primary points of discussion.
Although WCACAC does not euthanize animals to create space in its facility, there are some situations, according to staff and the committee, when animals’ wellbeing or quality of life come into question due to factors outside the shelter’s control.
The employee chosen to receive certification to perform euthanasia will be required to submit their TBI background check and an application with a passport photo to begin the process for certification. Their background check and application then go to the Tennessee Veterinary Board and once approved, the employee will be set up for their first day of online classes before having to attend an in-person course which is typically held in Nashville or Murfreesboro.
Previously, behavior euthanasia was performed by vets, but they have largely refused to conduct them in recent years due to the emotional toll it bears. This leaves the shelter with the onus, if the county is to continue euthanizing animals who display extreme aggression.
Health and Welfare Committee Chair Blaine Wilcher asked how many dogs have currently been marked for aggression and the employees indicated there was a handful, all of which had been at the shelter for over two years and were aggressive enough to have bitten employees and trusty inmates during routine procedures such as cleaning cages. Due to liability concerns, these dogs are unadoptable.
According to staff, it is believed the extended stay in the cages has caused the dogs’ mental health to decline, leading them to become aggressive.
“It’s a shame, but they’re basically in prison at this point, without parole,” Blaine said.
Jeff Tubb, who is the Document Controller for WCACAC, indicated he had done hours of his own research trying to find answers or cures for the dogs.
“When you’ve got animals that have been in there for two years, it’s like putting somebody in solitary confinement,” Tubb said. “Even a human will go crazy. The same thing has happened to these animals.”
Beyond the matter of becoming certified to perform euthanasia in extreme situations like this one, the committee discussed baseline criteria to guide the facility on when behavioral euthanasia is necessary and whose call was final word.
“I just want to know who’s picking and choosing the criteria of when an animal needs to be euthanized. Would that be Brandi?” County Commissioner Kasey Owens asked.
Wilcher replied, “I would say she would probably have the main say because she would know more about it than anyone as far as how long the animal has been there, if they are aggressive and other details. I would think she would be the final stamp, wouldn’t she?”
County Commissioner Terry Bell admitted it was something they were still trying to determine and suggested perhaps the committee be the ones to discuss and decide on an animal-by-animal basis.
“No, I don’t agree with that, and I’m going to tell you why,” Owens said. “We don’t have the experience, and it is not our area of expertise to be doing that.”
Bell expressed reluctance to place it squarely on the employees of the shelter, as the task is a difficult one, especially for those who may have forged bonds with the animals while caring for them.
“I don’t want to put that on Brandi or anyone else down there,” Bell said. “It’s not right for anyone to have to step up and say ‘Oh, this dog right here’ — I don’t want to put anyone in that position. No one wants it on them, but that is the uncomfortable situation that we’re faced with. People can’t take care of their animals and that has landed us here.”
The committee suggested keeping track of details such as animals who have been there the longest and whose behavior had been affected grievously by captivity and were no longer candidates for adoption. Due to the limitations on the shelter’s capacity and the effect long-term captivity in a shelter setting has on animals, the committee felt it was neither realistic nor ethical to keep such pets indefinitely.
“In the past, we’ve had directors that actually euthanized,” Wilcher said. “And then we’ve had them take them to be euthanized. They made the call based on the history and all that, we weren’t involved.”
Ultimately, the committee was unable to decide on criteria and opted to table it for a future meeting where WCACAC Manager Brandi Harville could be in attendance to discuss the matter as well.
WCACAC has no plans to euthanize animals for space and maintains its qualification as a no-kill shelter, which means it has at least a 90% placement rate for the animals in its care. For the month of February, 19 animals were adopted into new homes and a free adoption event is currently taking place.
