Round 150 canine had been residing at Animal Companies in Abilene, Texas, previous to August twenty sixth, 2022. Within the early hours of that Friday morning, a person broke into the shelter and unlocked a number of of the kennels, inflicting chaos.
The person climbed the fence surrounding the shelter and got here in by way of the roof. He then launched a bunch of canine, letting them free within the constructing. Issues received worse from there.
An Pointless Tragedy
One main takeaway from this incident and the ensuing tragedy is that shelter canine are stored in separate kennels for a cause. Some canine don’t get together with others, and a few don’t reply effectively to being over-stimulated within the shelter atmosphere.
ALL KIND Animal Initiative, a neighborhood animal welfare group, has been frantically working to scrub up the mess this artificial. In a Fb submit later that day, ALL KIND knowledgeable the involved public:
“The horrific break-in and subsequent turmoil at Abilene Animal Companies resulted within the tragic demise of 1 canine, a number of canine nonetheless unaccounted for, and has additionally left quite a few canine with accidents.”
Totally different canine being immediately thrust collectively into chaos in the end resulted in concern and violence. Some fought, others ran. Abilene Police, who found the devastating aftermath, shared in a press release:
“Officers discovered one of many canines deceased, and several other different canines injured due to what’s believed to be combating amongst the animals. A number of different canines escaped the property by way of an outdoor gate, requiring Animal Shelter crews to aim to find them exterior of the property grounds.”
Detectives later picked up somebody who matched the outline of a attainable suspect and introduced him in for questioning. They then formally arrested and charged 38-year-old George Paul Jones for breaking and coming into, animal cruelty, and theft of a motorcar (he fled the scene in a van stolen from the shelter).
Jones is at the moment being held on the Taylor County Jail. As of this submit, his motives are unclear. Was he on the lookout for his misplaced canine? Did he really feel like unlocking cages was really for the canine’ profit? Was he simply inflicting anarchy?
In the end, it’s unhappy that shelter canine who may need discovered correct houses in time ended up severely injured and, in a single case, lifeless.
The Abilene Group Rallies For The Canines
One silver lining is how shortly native animal rescuers and civil servants responded to a name for assist. Shelter staff got here in on their days off, volunteers stepped up, and one quick-acting animal management officer even saved a life by breaking apart a canine struggle.
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That saved life belongs to a canine named George, who’s at the moment recovering in a foster dwelling from accidents he acquired that day. ALL KIND established a medical fund to assist pay for his care in addition to that of the opposite canine who suffered accidents.
ALL KIND’s assertion continues:
“We’re extraordinarily grateful for the Abilene Animal Companies staff, the Abilene police division and the All Variety volunteers that rallied to recapture and supply speedy care and help to the canine in addition to clear up and restore the destruction to the constructing.”
You may donate to the fund on ALL KIND’s Fb web page. In case you’re close by, you can even assist by retaining a watch out for the lacking canine. Hopefully, they are often safely recovered and give attention to their most important mission of getting adopted. Contact Abilene Animal Companies at (325) 698-0085 should you spot one!
