Don’t be surprised to see big repercussions after a comprehensive review of the Dallas Animal Shelter and the city’s animal services department is presented to the city next month. The independent review is being conducted by the Humane Society of the United States. The Metroplex Animal Coalition is covering the report’s $25,000 cost. A similar Humane Society review in 2001 uncovered a number of violations at the Dallas operation.
According to insiders, the Dallas County D.A.’s current investigation of alleged animal cruelty at the shelter is just the tip of the iceberg. They cite a “growing number of issues” there including reports about a lack of air conditioning at times, poor building maintenance, animals unaccounted for, and screw-ups involving cruelly treated animals. Assistant City Manager Forest Turner, who oversees the animal services department, hasn’t returned our calls. But he told the Dallas Morning News last year that he welcomed the new review.
UPDATE: Assistant City Manager Forest Turner called and said, “We want to do whatever we can to make the shelter better. … Right now, the shelter is operating as it was designed. … We want to focus on responsible pet ownership–reducing the number of strays we have to pick up every year.” Turner also said that: he thinks the animal-services staff is doing a good job, he’s instructed staffers to cooperate fully with the D.A.’s investigation, and he’s looking forward to getting the Humane Society report. “If anything comes out showing that we can be better,” he added, “we want to do it.”
