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Demand Reforms at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Shelter
  1. Signatures
    2,312 out of 2,500
    Petitioning
    1. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief (+ 13 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief (Rodney Monroe)
      • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Deputy Chief (Ruth A. Story)
      • Mayor, Charlotte (Anthony Foxx)
      • Mayor Pro Tem, Charlotte (Patrick Cannon)
      • City Council Member (Jason Burgess)
      • City Council Member (David Howard)
      • City Council Member (Edwin Peacock)
      • City Council Member (Patsy Kinsey)
      • City Council Member (James Mitchell, Jr.)
      • City Council Member (Warren Turner)
      • City Council Member (Michael Barnes)
      • City Council Member (Nancy Carter)
      • City Council Member (Andy Dulin)
      • City Council Member (Warren Cooksey)
  2. Created By
    Stephanie Feldstein
    Ypsilanti, MI
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

In August, employees at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control (CMPD-ACC) facility in North Carolina posted photos on Facebook of a tranquilized cat posed with a cigarette in her mouth, a knife between her paws and earphones in her ears; another cat posed with a pen in his mouth; and a ferret held up to show missing fur, along with the caption "Apparently someone thought it would be fun to Nair Brenna."

The abusive photos were brought to the attention of Shelter Director Mark Balestra, and he responded by emailing the staff with a reminder that "At no time should it be appropriate to display work related activities, pictures of practices, animals, other staff members, logo's brands, uniforms or other insignia on any web or internet sites."

The problem is not that these photos appeared on Facebook, but that these animals were subjected to this treatment in the first place. Several months later, the case appears to still be undergoing an internal investigation. When Shirley Thistlethwaite of YesBiscuit! contacted Mr. Balestra and asked where the cats ended up, he said, "I have absolutely no idea."

This is not the first sign of problems at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control. Earlier this year, they mistakenly killed two pit bulls waiting for their owner. The shelter's response: "No one knows what happened."

It is unacceptable to treat homeless pets with such carelessness and callousness.

Lisa Easton, the former employee who brought the abusive Facebook photos to light, and Samantha Laine, a local animal rescuer, are calling for immediate reforms, including: holding shelter staff accountable for irresponsible and inhumane practices, establishing greater transparency, and moving the shelter away from its 65 percent euthanasia rate and toward implementing no kill programs.

Tell Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officials to take immediate steps to protect the animals in their community.

Photo credit: daveparker

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Immediate Reforms Needed at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control

Dear Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officials

I recently learned on Change.org of several serious problems at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control facility.

In light of the high-profile incidents of abusive photos posted on Facebook of employees playing with tranquilized animals and indicating that chemical hair removal products had been applied to a ferret, and the two owned dogs mistakenly killed at the shelter earlier this year, in addition to the high euthanasia rate and lack of transparency with the community, I am joining local animal advocates in urging you to take the following steps:

* Complete the investigation of the abusive Facebook photos and immediately terminate any employees who were involved in posing, shooting, and posting the pictures. Any other employees found to have participated in playing with sedated animals should also be terminated.
* Replace shelter management, who have repeatedly refused to take responsibility for these incidents or for the high euthanasia rate at the shelter, with more progressive leadership dedicated to working towards the No Kill Equation.
* Work with the community to establish new standards for accountability and transparency, as well as initiating a complete review of sheltering operations, policy and procedures with the goals of increasing adoption, decreasing euthanasia, and ensuring that every animal is treated humanely. I recommend an animal welfare subcommittee of City Council and a citizen's advisory board for this process.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg website claims that your shelter is one of the "top ten agencies in the nation," yet CMPD-ACC's lack of accountability and carelessness with the lives entrusted to them is inexcusable.

Please take immediate steps to work with local advocates and animal rescuers to reform CMPD-ACC and protect the animals in your community.

Thank you.

[Your name]

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