Critter Haven

In 1998, Tennessee had Live Animal Dump Bins. Publicity, email campaigns and mail helped to stop these bins and the mistreatment of animals being shoved down the chutes provided. Now they are back in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Will you help to stop this again?

These are not new pictures, but those of the 1998 campaign we did regarding this issue. We didn't need to see the new ones, since we already know what they say, what the chutes look like, and can only imagine the pain and suffering that goes on inside these buildings that the Tennessee governing bodies deem as "animal control" and give the humans an "out" when tired of their pets or they are in the way. They are making it extremely easy to push our "throw-away" society to newer lows. What is this teaching our children? That when you tire of these animals, dump them in a chute? Why not teach our children (and it seems, our adults as well) compassion, caring, respect of animals and their treatment? It would be much kinder and it would also be much less costly all lthe way around. Not only in dollar amounts but in our own self respect.

The signs on the building by the open chutes tell the story. Live animals are dropped into the chutes for pickup by Animal Control in Rutherford County, Tn. There is no evidence of water supply, small dogs, large dogs, shy dogs, aggressive dogs -- they all go in the same chute. Can you imagine what happens to the smaller or shy dogs when aggressive dogs are in the same open area with them? The same with the cats and kittens. Unspayed animals put together to proliferate their progeny.

Please help us put this type of atrocity out of service. We thought we had an end put to this with the last campaign, however, it's back in service. One note to ponder is the fact that dead animals are to be brought to the animal shelter. Does this surprise you?

You can send your email to the following: Click on the name in left column!

Gov. Don Sundquist	State of Tennessee
Bart Gordon	Congressman, Tn.
John Hood	House of Representatives
Mary Ann Eckles	House of Representatives
Tennessee Government	Gov't Offices Web Site

You can read the account of this situation written by Brian Brooks and Jim Mahanes in The Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro, Tn.

It's up to us friends, to end this. We did it once, we can do it again. Let your voice be heard, please!

No reprints without permission!

Today (7/22/99) the Daily News Journal printed a story about resignations of two Rabies Control Board members. See the story below.

Rabies control board leaders resign

By Jim Mahanes
Staff writer

Chairman Gerry Scudder and vice chairman Bob Woods have resigned their positions on the Rutherford County Humane/Rabies Animal Control Board, effective immediately.

The surprise resignations are to be announced to board members tonight during a meeting at 7 in the Rutherford County Courthouse.

"I resigned because I felt like the (board's) voice has eroded to the point where it's hard to accomplish anything," said Woods, citing this year's change in the private act, under which the local animal control department operates, as the biggest reason for his sudden departure.

The 101st General Assembly this year voted to amend the private act extending the amount of time animals at the local shelter must be kept before being euthanized -- from two days to three days. The amendment was done at the request of the Rutherford County Commission.

In June, Scudder told members of the commission's Public Safety Committee that there would be no way to adhere to the new, tougher requirements without making conditions at the shelter inhumane for the animals, prompting fears of another public lambasting this year.

He said, at that time, the shelter would have to start double-caging animals -- or putting more than one animal in a single cage -- which is a direct violation of U.S. Humane Society regulations.

"Unlike other boards, the rabies control board serves without pay, and we've always tried to do what's best for the county and for its animals," Woods said. "I feel like the passage of that private act has diluted the board's voice."

Scudder was unavailable for comment Monday, but Woods said his decision to resign from the board was made on his own and had nothing to do with what he called the "Internet terrorism" against the shelter's use of drop-off pens.

Last year, a citizens group began a campaign against the shelter to stop its use of drop boxes to curb the long-standing public practice of turning unwanted pets out on the street.

The controversial use of drop boxes -- concrete structures where animals can be left after hours -- at two locations in Rutherford County has raised the ire of many residents and drawn national and international attention through an intense public relations campaign launched against the shelter.

"By obeying (the newly changed private act), we're going to have more animal activists and the U.S. Humane (Society) come down on us. They came down on us hard this past year because of our drop boxes -- (county officials) haven't seen anything yet," Animal Control Director David Boone said in June.

The Daily News Journal has learned that the individual who first put the issue of local drop boxes on the Internet, Rutherford County resident Billie Danford, has sent out more than 270 "invitations" to animals rights' activists asking that they show up at tonight's meeting.

New Update 8/3/99 by Carol Johnson, President of Critter Haven, Inc.

Carol Johnson, made a visit to the Animal Dump Bins in Tennessee on Saturday, July 31, 1999. Like so many others, Carol had been assured over the past few months that the dump bin in Smyrna, Tn. had been "shut down" during the fall of 1998. In Carol's own words, here is the account of her experience in Tennessee.

"While stopping at a service station in Smyrna to ask directions for finding the dump bin in Murfreesboro, a local sheriff walked in. The elderly gentleman trying to give me directions was having a hard time remembering how to find the dump bins. The sheriff overheard usdiscussing the dump bins and said he could tell me how to get there. I sat at a table, talking to him for about 15 minutes. He gave me the directions I needed and as I said 'thank you' and started to leave, the sheriff said 'you know we have a dump bin right here in Smyrna, don't you?' I told him that I understood it had been shut down last year. At this, he began to laugh and said 'no, it's alive
and going strong'. I then asked directions for finding this dump bin.

Since I would be back-tracking to get to the Smyrna bin, I decided to go on to Murfreesboro first. About 20 minutes later, I had found it - got out of the car with camera in hand. I took a few pictures of the outside of the dump bin, then opened each of the three doors containing the chutes and took pictures of the inside of the bin. Thank goodness there were no animals inside at that time. The back of the dump bin opens into a chain-link fenced area which is beside the Rabies Control Building. I also took a picture of this building to show its relation to the dump bin. The inside of the bin was very dirty - no food - no water. There was one large door with a sign above it saying 'large dogs'. The middle door said 'small dogs'. The third door says 'puppies and kittens'. I found it very hard to believe that anyone could be stupid enough to think that putting puppies in the same confined area with kittens could be the right thing to do. Ventilation inside the bin consisted of a crack under each back door in each section of the bin. This, too, accounted for the lighting inside the bin. The Rutherford Animal Shelter was situated just to the left of the dump bin. Picture of this building was also taken."

Click on the image to see full size.


Dump Bins	Shelter	Rabies Control	Chute	Gate

"I left Murfreesboro and headed back to Smyrna following the directions I had been given by the sheriff. This Smyrna bin was in an area outside the main part of town - you might say in the middle of nowhere. There were no buildings close to this dump bin. The backside of the bin was surrounded by a chain-link fence. I took pictures of this bin, as well. When opening each of the doors, I was surprised to find food & water inside each section and the cat hole even had a litter pan in the corner, along with a plastic tray under the chute for the cats to slide into, instead of just hitting the concrete floor like they do in all the other sections of the bins. There was a sign posted that said "this facility is cleaned before 10:00 AM and before 8:00 PM seven days a week'. The Smyrna bin has one section for large dogs, one for small dogs & puppies, and one for cats & kittens. At least, they don't encourage people to put dogs into the same chute as cats, like they do in Murfreesboro.

I was apalled to find a cardboard box which had been left on the ground in front of the dump bin in Smyrna. When I opened the box, I realized that a cat (or kittens) had once been inside this box. There was a water bowl still inside the box, as well as some cat food. There was also blood & feces inside the box. My first thought when I opened the box was that someone had brought a cat or kittens there to be put inside the dump bin, but had changed their mind and just left them there inside the box. Somehow, the animal(s) had escaped, perhaps for a better life than what they would have seen inside the bin.

It was very strange that during the time I was there, two county police cars passed by this site. I would have thought they would have stopped to investigate an out-of-state license tag being there, with someone out taking pictures. Instead they just waved and kept going. I suppose by now, they are used to the publicity.

The animal dump bins in Tennessee are definitely NOT for people with weak stomachs. They were the worse signs of animal cruelty I believe I have ever seen. We MUST ban together to eradicate these horrible animal dump bins in Tennessee and all other states that have them."


Dump Bins	For Lg Dogs	Empty box	Chute	Sign

Carol Johnson
President
http://www.Critterhaven.net/victims.htm

This is what used to be!	This is NOW!!	And This!

The sign that says it all !!! Tennessee	The doors tell it all !!! Don't let the cute hand prints fool you North Carolina & Other States	This is the one found in Amherst, Va.