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Group asks animal shelter for more transparent euthanasia data

Lee Domestic Animal Services
Posted at 6:44 AM, Apr 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-21 09:25:31-04

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee County Domestic Animal Services is planning a pet adoption event for this weekend, but a group is planning a protest as well.

Melissa York and Maranda Wyatt and their group will be at the "Flip This Kennel" event to press shelter officials about transparency in euthanasia rates.

They say many community members have reached out to them about difficulties in getting the county to release information surrounding shelter kill rates.

"Hundreds of people message us a day looking for a status of dogs on the [shelter's Facebook] page they want to adopt," said Wyatt. "We would be able to tell them this rescue pulled the dog... and then we find out the dog is dead."

We asked the county for an on-camera interview but were declined. However, spokesperson Betsy Clayton gave us the following statement:

LCDAS must follow the county's ordinance and play its part at keeping the public safe. LCDAS is tasked with having to intake stray animals without having the ability to evaluate them for adaptability. This unfortunately leaves the department with having to make the difficult decisions concerning both the welfare of the animals and public safety.

A spokesperson for the shelter says kill rates have gone down over the last six years, but the protest group wants to see actual figures.