Monroe County Animal Shelter suspending dog intake during three-week closure
Adoptions will continue, while dog emergencies should be reported to 911 and nonemergency situations needing law enforcement to (478) 994-7010.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Monroe County Animal Shelter is closing most operations to the public for three weeks because of a staff shortage and facility maintenance needs, according to a Facebook post Monday from the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.
The closure takes effect immediately and includes the intake of dogs. The county says the shelter will fully reopen Monday, August 3, under the leadership of new Animal Services Manager Jennifer McGettigan.
The commission says McGettigan began her new role June 8.
Dog adoptions will continue during the closure. Anyone interested in adopting can visit the shelter at 157 L. Cary Bittick Drive.
The county asks people to call 9-1-1 for dog emergencies. For situations involving dogs that are not emergencies but need attention from law enforcement, call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 994-7010.
During the closure, the county says McGettigan will work with county administrators and the Board of Commissioners to establish new shelter guidelines, policies and procedures.
The county also plans to move the shelter’s recordkeeping system from a manual process to an automated one, review its leadership structure, hire additional employees as needed and thoroughly clean the facility.
Hours before announcing the closure, the Board of Commissioners posted an opening for an animal shelter attendant with a starting salary of $20.05 per hour.
The position includes caring for shelter animals, cleaning and disinfecting the facility, assisting the public, maintaining records and helping with animal evaluations and adoptions.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and be able to safely handle animals and perform physical work. Experience working with animals is preferred but not required. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. People can apply online or in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Monroe County Commission Office, third floor, 38 West Main Street in Forsyth.
The closure announcement comes one week after 41NBC reported that four puppies were incinerated at the shelter, leading to felony charges against former animal control officer Carlos Santillan.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Anna Watkins confirmed that the puppies were alive when they were placed in the incinerator.
The sheriff’s office said investigators received a complaint July 6 about what happened at the shelter June 18. Santillan was arrested and charged with four counts of felony cruelty to animals.
The Board of Commissioners terminated Santillan’s employment following his arrest.
The July arrest followed another criminal case involving a former shelter leader.
In April, 41NBC reported that Becky Gifford, whom the sheriff’s office identified as the county’s animal control director, was among three people arrested in an investigation the sheriff’s office described as a multi-state drug operation.
