About a month ago when searching for our next pet, I came across a young Rottie named Kandy, who was in Vance County Animal Shelter in Henderson NC, a heartstick and gassing facility. When I called, I was told her "Owner" betrayed her and left her because he had no time for her and his hunting dogs. Her intake notes stated she was "friendly and knew how to sit". They went on to say that Kandy "was a bit unpredictable in her mood swings and that the shelter made her antsy". When I asked about this, I was told that she had food aggression and gaurding issues inside her kennel only, that she had never bitten, and that she was adoptable. They also stated that she was alot better with men than women, as she tried to be "bossy" with females. Also typical dominant Rottie behavior that can be fixed. On my second call I was told that she was "rescue only" by an extremely rude receptionist named Bonnie that asked me why I wanted to "waste my time" on Kandy, that their were "much better dogs there". I explained that Kandy's behavior was very normal in female Rotties who had not been prtoperly raised and that she was also probably scared in the shelter.Bonnie then laughed at me and said "She isn't scared at all, she just isn't worth it." I also found out at this point that Kandy was not only breaking down after being in the shelter for over a month, but that she also had a horribly painful and untreated ear infection. I was shocked. These are people who are holding the lives of each animal in that shelter in their hands. If we cannot count on them to be advocates as well as compassionate humans, we are in trouble and so are all the aimals that enter that facility.

Myself and several other animal lovers across the globe came together and found a rescue, transport, an overnight foster, and two pilots willing to get Kandy to Florida to Rottie Nation Rescue. She simply needed to pass a "tempermant test". This test consisted of a woman, who is not a certified behavorial specialist, whom Kandy did not know, and who is..a woman...coming to the shelter and going through several steps with Kandy to gauge her temperment. The last of these steps was play, Kandy had done well on a leash and had allowed herself to be touched, petted, and scratched around her head and neck. The "tester" then threw a tennis ball, which Kandy went and got and eagerly brought back to her to play again.Instead of a "let's trade" with a treat, or a "Give it" command, as would be appropriate with an unfamiliar dog with gaurding issues, the "tester" attempted to take the ball forcefully from her mouth. As she was removing the ball and pulling her hand away, Kandy lunged for the ball, thus grabbing her hand in the process. The "tester" was able to remove her hand form Kandy's mouth, who then lunged for it (and the ball) again. This sealed her fate. Kandy was then placed in "isolation" for ten days and it was deemed that she would not leave the shelter alive. 

While I never want to see a person bitten, this was not an act of a vicious dog who simply wanted to attack someone. It was an accident, due to improper handling. It was an excited, lonely, isolated dog who wanted to play and had never learned any boundaries.This was the only play that Kandy had had while at the shelter. She spent her days in a concrete run, alone, with very little affection or contact with anyone, dog or human, while suffering horribly from a double ear infection.

While Kandy was in isolation, the same people came up with a new resource, a Dog Rehabilitation Center in Virginia, Forever Home. This facilty has an amazing success rate with dog and human aggression issues. They were more than happy to absolve the shelter of all liability and take Kandy on. Her original rescue and transport was still in place. As was her funding.

Chief Frankie Nobles ordered Kandy to be put down on Monday, October 14th. He recieved numerous emails, calls, and letters about the new plan for Kandy. He ignored them all, including a call from a very charitable woman who has over 15 of his shelters animals in her home at this very moment and drives all the way from New Jersey to get them, on her dime. She is not a rescue, she is simply a great soul who cares about Vance County Shelter animals. He would not speak with her. Cheif Nobles also hung up on the caller from Forever Home before she could even introduce herself. She would have been a great asset to his shelter in the future. He refused to hear her out. When I personally called, he said to me " The dog is dead. Give it up!"
And she was. At 1:20 pm on October 14th, Kandy was murdered. Not for space, not for lack of a place to go. But because they could. And so they did. A beautiful, young, healthy dog was murdered with our tax dollars, our donations, with rescue, rehab, foster and adopter waiting, begging, calling, pleading for her life. 

But why should this be a surprise? Chief Nobles and his staff also refuse to allow any dog deemed a "pit bull or pit bull mix" to be adopted, or even to go to rescue in the same state. Even litters of 10 week old puppies cannot go to you or to me. They can only go to 501(c) rescues OUT of state. It wouldn't matter if I were at the counter with pull fees for every pit/pit mix in Vance County Shelter. They would kill them by sticking a needle filled with poison into their hearts, hoping it works the first time and doesn't miss, eating away their flesh while they scream in pain, only to be stuck again. They justify this policy by saying that only "thug types" want to adopt pit bulls. I wonder if they judge the adopters the same way they determine if a pit is truly a pit, by assumption and bias. This means that if a dog has a "compact body with a strong and gently sloping head, a broad jaw and eyes set fairly far apart" then it is a pit bull. Using this standard for determination means that Staffordshire Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, American Bullldogs, Boxer mixes, English Bulldogs, Argentine Dogos, Presa Canarios, Cain Corsos, Mastiff mixes, American Bandogs, Alano Espanol, Ca de Bou...and the list goes on, or any mix of these is being judged and deemed a "Pit Bull or Pit Bull Mix" by layman at Vance County Shelter and are thus sentenced to almost certain death at the hands of Frankie Nobles and County Manager Jerry Ayscue.

Every animal has HOPE. Perhaps they need to go to a home as an only pet, or be fed in a seperate room. Maybe they dislike cats, or kids,  or need some extra training.That doesn't mean they are not worthy and wouldn't be a great pet. Not one should die with a willing person able to care for it, rehabilitate it, love it. If a person meets adoption criteria and is willing to sign away all liability, they should be allowed to do so.To murder (and that is what is being done at this shelter) an animal when willing people are available is wrong and must stop.NOW.

With all of this being said...(and I thank you all for reading, I know it is long) hundreds if not thousands of dogs are being murdered by horrendous measures in Vance County Animal Shelter. We ask that the shelter change it's policies  and undergo a full and extensive review of it's director and staff immediately.

Thank you for reading,amd most of all, for caring. We need your support. The animals of Vance County Animal Shelter need your support-Please don't let them down....

Please email -Do NOT call, as it ties up the lines for animals to be adopted.
County Manager
Jerry L. Ayscue
jlayscue@vancecounty.org

and please CC the shelter itself at

Attention to Chief Frankie vancepets@vancecounty.org

Do this for all the "Kandys" in the future, as well as in honor of her and others that are already gone....

RIP Kandy--May the Rainbow Bridge be kinder to you than this life...