Duplin County Animal Services fined, most accusations incorrect

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County Animal Services opened up a new facility this spring. The state-of-the-art facility is located at 287 Fairgrounds Drive and is twice the size of the last shelter in Duplin County.

Over two million dollars were attributed to the new building to construct an animal services center for the county. The new facility was full on day one of opening this April.

Controversy emerged in the last weeks as state regulators fined the animal services department for several problems at the Duplin County Animal Shelter for a total of $1,000.

County Manager Bryan Miller gives an update to the current status of the fine and shelter.

The board plans to appeal this fine to the state through the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings.

The issues presented included concerns for the safety of the animals in outdoor and indoor areas of the shelter.

Inspectors claimed several animals were not vaccinated when they arrived at the shelter.

“We’re looking at four animals where there were some pre-existing things that led to the decision not to give them rabies shots at that time,” said Miller.

“When we receive animals — we receive sick animals, injured animals that we have no information on their background or what care they’ve had or what could possibly be wrong with them. Our shelter attendants spend their time, their money, their love and compassion — to try to nurse a lot of these animals back to health.”

The previous shelter did not have an adequate setup and was overdue for an expansion following a parvovirus outbreak.

Last month, a Pink Hill resident was charged with animal cruelty. Deputies rescued the eleven dogs that the resident had on his property and brought them to safety.

Some fear that legislatures are not helpful on a broader scale as people have complained about animal mistreatment as a problem that is not addressed on a wider scale on the news.

Other individuals fear that the topic is not considering the positive aspects of the employees and volunteers that work to rescue animals on a daily basis, as seen successfully at the new shelter facility in Kenansville.

“They work extremely hard not to euthanize the animals that come into the shelter. Our number one priority is to always re-home these animals into nice, safe, loving homes,” said Miller.

Miller notes the hard work of employees and our local commissioners that provided this updated space which is superior to the conditions the previous shelter was in.

The Animal Services Center additionally partners with local pilots to deliver animals to other parts of the U.S. by airplane, which shows the endless dedication that the community has for animal rights.

“There’s nothing for the citizens and residents of Duplin County to be concerned about in regards to our animal services center at all. Our animal services center, the shelter attendants and the animal control officers all do a wonderful job. They all have a lot of compassion and always act in the best interest of the animals.”