May 23, 2023 UPDATE: Last night I attended the Craven County Commissioners’ Meeting. Five or six people spoke to the Commissioners about the animal shelter–the lack of accurate numbers on various aspects of the shelter–cost, fund raising, how many animals were taken in and how many animals were adopted out. The Commissioners listened politely. They made no comment, and there was no action taken. If this is an issue for you, please attend the Commissioners’ Meetings and let your voice be heard.

UPDATE: Last night I attended the Craven County Commissioners’ Meeting where a number of private citizens brought up the issue of the animal shelter. The citizens requested that the shelter be put under the control of the Office of the Sheriff. When I discussed this matter with one of the Commissioners after the meeting, it was explained to me that they had hired a full-time veterinarian to administer the shelter. It is my understanding that the person hired had been working with the shelter during the time when the problems with accountability surfaced. It seems to me that they are simply rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

This is a screenshot from the Facebook page of the Friends of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office:

Unfortunately, what happened to Fred is not an isolated incident. The Animal Services Center has been overwhelmed and not able to do their job properly. Let’s move them under the oversight of the Sheriff’s Office where there has already been success in dealing with animal issues in Craven County. It should be noted that regardless of who is in charge of the Center, steps must be taken to insure proper treatment of the animals and to insure accurate record keeping.

This is the link to the petition to to advocate for the transfer in responsibility of the Craven Pamlico Animal Services Center from the Craven County Health Department to the Craven County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office has done an awesome job of dealing with animal abuse in Craven County. It would be a logical move to turn over the responsibility of the Craven Pamlico Animal Services Center to the Sheriff’s Office.

Please sign to petition, and attend the Craven County Commissioners Meeting on Monday, April 3rd, 6 pm, at the Craven County Commissioners Meeting Room at the Craven County Administration Building, New Bern, North Carolina. If you care about animals, you need to make your voice heard.

Also, be a responsible pet owner–have your pets neutered. That will also help the problem of stray animals in Craven County.