Walker County Animal Shelter, Chickamauga, GA is a government run facility that serves the 450 square miles of Walker County in rural North GA. A new state-of-the-art shelter was opened in June 2006 which can house 100 dogs and 50 cats. The new shelter is located on 10 acres south of the C & D landfill, fully fenced, with state of the art kennels. This shelter takes in around 100 animals a week and around 5000+ animals annually. Bebe Heiskell, the sole Commisioner of walker County, GA hired Ms Alison smith to run this shelter in June 2006. Ms Heiskell is the sole Commissioner even today. Alison Smith who has been in charge since June 2006 of the animal-shelter is killing 95% of the 5000+ animals at the shelter and does not work with rescues or post pictures of the pets in need on the net or pet-finder. She still stays in this post in spite of miserably failing as an able and compassionate advocate of shelter-animals, she was hired to help and care for.

As the new animal shelter opened in Chickamauga GA Ms Bebe Heiskell said as per this link https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/K9rescueUSA/conversations/topics/55287 " we will hire a shelter manager whose focus will be on education about animal management and the importance of spay and neuter efforts.  The shelter manager will either euthanize or supervise this action, and will work with rescue groups and volunteers to improve the quality of care and operation of the shelter, and to adopt out as many animals as possible."

In County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell's own words she said in April 2006 the kill-rate was 70%.  She hired Alison two months later in June 2006, to work with rescues to save the animals.. But what happened was totally a disaster for the innocent shelter-pets held at this shelter .. !!  the kill-rate went on a upward spiral and became 90% after Alison Smith took over and never recovered at all .. The kill-rate rose from 70% in April 2006 to 90% in 9 months with an new shelter-manager dedicated to rescue when they have never had one before !! today the kill-rate is a horrific 95%.. ( which means around 4800+ pets are dying here annually now ) .. and how did this happen ? 

Alison Smith refuses to take pictures and post them .. no rescues are welcome except a chosen few, very few volunteers are permitted, no adoption events for these shelter-pets.  She continuously makes unreasonable decisions to kill the dogs and cats according to rescuers who have tried to work with her. She has been accused of being hateful to rescuers and running them off with coldness and with difficult demands.. she kills dogs if they do not come up and greet her at the kennels..  What about shy, scared, or cold dogs?  The shelter is not heated and it is a large building.  What if the dog feels good today, but doesn't greet her the next day?  Alison says she assumes they have a disease, but for an adult dog that is not a fair assumption.  If a dog doesn't greet you at the gate it does not mean he is sick in any way.  Why does she also kill when a dog's time is up at the shelter and she has empty kennels?  Why not hold them to see if rescue can be arranged? She has been accused of not caring for the the pets in the shelter, not feeding the pets properly, turning a blind eye to the cruel killing of pets by ACOs and the extremely high kill-rate of the shelter.. 

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA348.html is the petfinder link of Walker County GA.. this shelter takes in 100 animals a week and 5000+ animals annually -- even today has no pets to show for adoption. This alone is enough to get Alison Smith dismissed. That's all. The animals have suffered long enough -- this can go on no longer.

when the shelter-director does not insist on intake photos and info on pets to be posted on the internet how will the the public outside even know they are sitting sad and forlorn in a corner of a huge shelter awaiting death ? how will the poor babies ever have a chance of getting rescued or adopted ? Is this progress and does this show a compassionate leadership?

Rescue groups have to know the dogs exist -- and what breed they are -- for anything to happen. How hard is it to 1. take a picture 2. post the picture on the internet  3. answer calls about the dog/cat and 4. hold the pet until the rescue can get there.  

Why isn't Alison performing this simple process for the animals of Walker county shelter? She was hired to do this and not for just blatantly sanctioning the regular killing of innocents. Alison Smith was hired to make an effort to save the animals of Walker county shelter.  She holds a new position created when the new shelter was built.  If she is killing 9 of every 10 animals then it appears to me the county is not getting any payback on this position.

We request Alison Smith to be dismissed from the post of Shelter manager at Walker County Animal Shelter GA and the appointment of a No-Kill compassionate Director  - someone who would do the right things for getting the shelter-pets lots of exposure, get lots of loving volunteers and rescuers to help the pets, encourage off-site adoption events, fund-raise for the shelter improvement and incorporate the No kill Equation for the safety and welfare of Walker County shelter-babies who have done no wrong and committed no crime - please, let this happen NOW.