Georgia Department of Agriculture issues stop order prohibiting intakes at Albany Humane Society

ALBANY — The Albany Humane Society expects to be closed to accepting new animals for about two weeks while it completes improvements mandated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

The Agriculture Department on Wednesday issued a stop order prohibiting the Albany facility from taking in additional animals due to violations found during a routine inspection.

The shelter can release animals during the closure to new intakes, said Julie McPeake, the Ag Department’s chief communications officer. It can re-open once required renovations are complete.

McPeake said she was not able to discuss specific violations while the case is under investigation.

“We will be monitoring it closely, and if they feel like they have fixed the violations, we will go out for a re-inspection,” she said. “It’s on their time, when they feel like they can fix the violations.”

Violations at the facility included cosmetic issues and minor problems such as storage of towels in a closet, but among the more serious ones were broken ceiling tiles and the need to fog buildings to deal with insects after COVID-19 halted regular visits for exterminators in April through June, said Lulu Kaufman, the Albany Humane Society’s interim director.

Feral cats that escaped into the ceiling broke the tiles leaving wires exposed. The wires were telephone lines, not electrical wires, Kaufman said.

Another issue was the need to reseal porous concrete flooring in the older building at the site,

“We hired someone who has been doing painting and to do epoxy sealing,” Kaufman said. “He has not done it yet. Dogs will have to be moved out for 48 hours for the work.”

Fogging the buildings took a total of a week’s time as dogs had to be moved out of each building for the day while Adams Exterminators, which donated part of the cost, did the work.

Kaufman, who is not accepting a salary and has been in the position since January, said the Humane Society received a capital improvements grant in the amount of $30,000 that same month. Since that time, it has been fixing structural issues with a building and has completed several projects, including installing new fencing and shades for dogs as well as pathways for them to walk on to avoid walking through mud after rains.

Another issue involved euthanization training. Due to COVID-19, the facility’s eight workers were not able to receive in-person training.

Each received virtual training and certification, but the state requires “hands-on training” from a veterinarian, Kaufman said. Board members, who also are not paid, have contributed as well, with Vice President Kelly Meritt contributing paint and materials and Cheryl Cohen contributing $3,000 for labor for painting and applying the sealant. The new board took over on July 1, five days before the state inspection.

The shelter operates on a small budget and prioritizes feeding and care of the dogs and cats and meeting payroll for the employees, often leaving little for maintenance, Kaufman said.

“We need donations from the public because we operate on a shoestring budget,” she said. “We also need volunteers. This shelter has never gotten as many much-needed repairs as it has gotten in the last three months.

“The Department of Agriculture insisted we stop the intake of animals until renovations are complete, and the board’s goal is to have renovations completed in the next two weeks.”

File Photo