The Power of One: Visitor Challenges His Community Shelter

Sometimes it just takes one person to stand up and say something. In Union County South Carolina that one person is Robert Small. 

When Mr. Small went to the local shelter to adopt a dog for his family, what he saw caused him to be so upset he left … only to come back with his camera. 

“It was just a mess inside,” he said. “Fourteen puppies messing in a 3-foot by 3-foot spot — no where for them to sleep — wet and in that mess.”

Small said when he came back with his camera, the staff was pressure cleaning the enclosures with the dogs still inside. Small said that the filth from the floors was splattering all over the dogs that were crying because they were scared of the high pressure water being sprayed into the stalls. WYFF

The shelter was cold and the dogs were soaked and filthy. He even thought of getting a thermometer. It turns out that, according to County Supervisor Donnie Betenbaugh:

Betenbaugh says the kennels were being cleaned by a jail inmate who is assigned to help with shelter upkeep. He says normally animals are removed from kennels before they are cleaned and placed in an empty kennel, but on the day the video was shot the shelter was at capacity and so the inmate did not remove them. Betenbaugh says the inmate has now been told to always remove the dogs, even if it means putting them in a temporary holding pen while the kennels are being sprayed out. WSPA News Channel 7

Being a man who puts his money where his mouth is, Mr. Small has offered to donate thousands of dollars for improvements. The community is furious but ready to help … if they have the chance: 

Small criticized the shelter’s hours of operation as inconvenient for many who might want to adopt or drop off animals. The shelter is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, yet the gate outside was closed at 1:25 p.m. Friday. GoUpstate.com

Will the county and others also step up to the plate? With a budget of only $41,250 it’s time for them to scramble on a plan B which could include volunteers, the formation of a “friends of” group or subcontracting to a private not for profit. 

Videos appear in the television station news links above and the video uploaded to You Tube is here: