Carroll County Animal Shelter Labelled a Non-Kill Shelter

As of Jan. 2017, the Carroll County Animal Shelter is now considered a no kill shelter. This means that the shelter has maintained a live-release rate of 90 percent or more for at least three months. 

Sarah lumpkin, the Adoption and Volunteer Coordinator, is extremely excited about the news regarding the shelter she has called home since April 2015. 

 In the month of Nov. CCAS (Carroll County Animal Shelter) had a live-release rate of 119 percent. In Dec. it was about 106 percent which means there were more animals being adopted than there were animals coming into the shelter. In January, the live-release rate was 92 percent which gave CCAS the no-kill status. The live-release rate stayed above the 90 percentile coming in at 92 percent in February. 

The no-kill status does not mean there is no risk of a euthanasia. CCAS has a maximum capacity of 287 animals and is almost always at or over their maximum. It is important to understand that shelters can gain or even lose the status of a non-kill shelter depending on their live-release percentage. 

 CCAS is an open admission shelter, this mean that the shelter must take any animal brought to us within Carroll County lines as long as it is during our intake hours. 

 “The shelter should always be your last resort to turn in an unwanted animal.  We are one of the only open admissions shelters that can say we have reached this status which is amazing. Without the direction of Lisa Barrett, the shelter director, our work as a team daily, and the love and support from our community, we would not have been able to make the impossible happen,” said Lumpkin. 

CCAS has implemented new programs that have helped their live-release rate immensely. In Nov. of 2015, CCAS launched their Community Cat Release Program. This program allows any feral cat that is brought to the shelter to be spayed or neutered, receive rabies vaccinations and are given an ear tip so you can tell from a distance they have been spayed or neutered. These cats are then released back into the area they came from. 

“In the past feral cats would have immediately been euthanized because you cannot get your hands on them. Now, they can live their lives like they always have, keep the mice and snake population down, without having all of the nasty habits of cats that have not been spayed or neutered such as fighting, spraying, or producing more kittens. Statistically this reduces the cat population more than just euthanizing them,” said Lumpkin. 

In addition, CCAS also received a grant for $50,000 from Petco in January. This grant allows the shelter to reduce adoption fees to $25 until the grant money runs out. 

“We are still applying for grants so that we can continue this low adoption fees.  We do want people to remember that pets are a life-time commitment and to please realize that they are more than just a reduced adoption fee. They do need routine vet care, food and lots of love,” said Lumpkin. 

 Anyone who has questions about adopting can call the shelter at 770-214-3590.  All of the animal at CCAS can be found on petfinder.com.