Augusta Officials Call For Collaboration between Local Animal Shelter and Animal Welfare Nonprofit

Augusta officials recently requested the city’s animal shelter and Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare nonprofit, to merge their efforts despite past disputes. Together, they aim to address the shelter’s high euthanasia rates, which has become a matter of concern in the city’s animal care services. The collaborated plan to rectify the situation will be introduced to the Augusta commissioners in the forthcoming month.

Understanding the Contention

In the past, James Hill, the Director of Animal Services, had interacted with representatives from Best Friends regarding their proposal to offer services worth $1 million. These included the provision of a veterinarian to use the medical suite at the Augusta shelter and the initiation of an in-house cat program. However, the proposal was denied on the grounds of it being an all-or-nothing deal.

The proposal from Best Friends included the provision of seven new staff positions, some of which were a veterinary medical team and a Best Friends employee, who would work alongside the shelter staff. They also promised virtual and in-person training to build the program faster.

Best Friends’ Proposal: A Treatment Plan or A Takeover Attempt?

On the other hand, Best Friends, which operates across the U.S., defended their offer as a “treatment plan” aimed at improving conditions at the Augusta Animal Shelter. They pointed out the grim statistic that only 53.8% of the animals entering the shelter survived in 2023, emphasizing their motive to help.

However, the proposal received backlash from local animal activists and shelter management who saw it as Best Friends’ attempt to seize control over the shelter. Furthermore, they raised concerns about the group’s policy of not permitting staff to disclose a dog’s history or propensity for aggression towards potential adopters, fearing this could pose a threat to public safety.

The Road Ahead: Steps and Concerns

Hill indicated that an action plan to address the high euthanasia numbers is under development and will be introduced to the commission’s Public Safety Committee. A number of commissioners communicated anxieties about the current management of the shelter and their learnings about Best Friends.

In 2023, Animal Services partnered with Best Friends to implement Augusta’s Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TRVR) programs along with providing other services like veterinarian services and mobile spay neuter clinics. However, the partnership also faced scepticism as Commissioner Sean Frantom shared, “Some of the things, I’ve been told, from our agreement in 2023 didn’t come through.”

Frantom emphasized that for any collaboration to work, both shelter and Best Friends had to acknowledge issues in their operations. He also suggested that Augusta could learn from places like Aiken, which successfully involved their community in similar initiatives. “It’s time we changed our mindset about people willing to help.” he expressed.