To the Harnett County Board of Commissioners, County Manager, and Harnett County Leadership:

We, the undersigned residents, taxpayers, animal advocates, volunteers, and supporters of Harnett County Animal Services, respectfully request immediate action to address long-standing challenges facing our county shelter.

Recent reports regarding euthanasia practices at the shelter have deeply concerned many members of our community. Regardless of the outcome of ongoing investigations, these events have highlighted a larger issue that residents, volunteers, rescuers, and shelter supporters have raised for years: our animal shelter lacks the resources necessary to adequately serve the animals and citizens of Harnett County.

Animal shelter staff are expected to manage animal intake, adoptions, medical care, public safety concerns, owner surrenders, lost pets, rescue coordination, and humane euthanasia decisions. These responsibilities require sufficient staffing, training, equipment, oversight, and funding.

We urge Harnett County leadership to take the following actions:

We Request:

1. Increase funding for Animal Services

• Provide additional operational funding to meet current community needs.
• Ensure the shelter has adequate resources to care for animals humanely and safely.

2. Increase staffing levels

• Hire additional shelter personnel to reduce employee burnout and improve animal care.
• Ensure staffing levels are appropriate for the volume of animals entering the shelter.

3. Expand training opportunities

• Provide ongoing training in humane animal handling, shelter medicine, euthanasia procedures, behavioral assessment, and stress reduction practices.
• Ensure all staff members have access to current industry standards and best practices

4. Provide compassion fatigue and mental health support for staff

• Establish access to compassion fatigue training, counseling resources, employee assistance programs, and mental health support for Animal Services employees.
• Recognize the emotional toll of animal welfare work and provide resources that help staff manage stress, prevent burnout, and maintain high standards of animal care.

5. Improve transparency and accountability

• Publish regular reports on shelter operations, intake numbers, adoptions, transfers, and euthanasia statistics.
• Maintain accurate documentation and recordkeeping for all procedures.
• Share the results of investigations and corrective actions with the public whenever legally permissible.

6. Strengthen community partnerships

• Increase collaboration with rescue organizations, foster networks, veterinarians, and volunteers.
• Develop programs that help reduce shelter overcrowding and improve live outcomes.

7. Create a long-term improvement plan

• Conduct an assessment of shelter needs and establish measurable goals for staffing, training, facility improvements, and animal welfare outcomes.

Why This Matters

The animals entering Harnett County Animal Services depend entirely on the county for their care and protection. Shelter employees, volunteers, rescue partners, and community members all want the same thing: humane treatment, accountability, and a shelter that has the resources needed to succeed.

This petition is not about attacking shelter employees. It is about ensuring that those responsible for caring for animals have the support, staffing, training, and resources necessary to perform that mission safely, professionally, and humanely.

We ask Harnett County leadership to make Animal Services a priority and take meaningful action to improve conditions for both the animals and the people who care for them.

The animals of Harnett County cannot speak for themselves. We ask our county leaders to listen to the voices of the community and act now.