ROCKPORT, Ind. February 25, 2019 Alley Cat Allies filed a lawsuit today asking an Indiana judge to order Spencer County not to reopen its animal shelter until three critical steps have been completed:
- The county must stop killing animals by using freezing or hypothermia and can only use humane euthanasia,
- It must adopt policies that set requirements for how the animals are cared for, and
- It must fully train employees on these humane policies and standards of care.
“Alley Cat Allies has made multiple attempts to help Spencer County embrace best practices and humane standards of care only to be turned away each time, so we were left with no other options but to file this lawsuit,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “This is a necessary step to ensure that not another cat will be treated inhumanely after the shelter reopens. Spencer County must not be allowed to reopen the shelter without making fundamental improvements to ensure widely accepted basic levels of care for animals.”
In October 2018 Spencer County closed its animal shelter and terminated the manager. This was after a shelter employee came forward when she was instructed by the shelter manager to kill a kitten by putting her in a plastic bag and then placing her in a freezer as their method of “euthanasia.”
Alley Cat Allies is asking the judge to stop the reopening of the shelter while the legal case is pending.
Indiana lacks humane animal sheltering and transparency. Cruel practices, including freezing cats, are in violation of existing law and will continue if laws are not enforced and if Spencer County does not adopt animal sheltering guidelines. Alley Cat Allies will post updates to this case on its website, alleycat.org/SpencerCounty.
About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is the global engine of change for cats. We protect and improve cats’ lives through our innovative, cutting-edge programs. We are seen around the world as a champion for the humane of all cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than a half-million supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens worldwide. Its website is www.alleycat.org, and Alley Cat Allies is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.