Coastal Pet Rescue Situation with Bulloch County, Georgia Animal Control

On January 23, 2015 we sent a certified letter (click here for full letter text) and corresponding documentation to Mr. Thomas Couch, Bulloch County Manager, and all members of the Bulloch County Commissioners, regarding an incident between a good Samaritan, our animal rescue, and their animal control over an attempt to save a mother dog and her six newborn puppies and our being strong armed to turn them over to the animal control or risk losing our animal rescue license. On January 26, 2015, we received an email correspondence from Mr. Couch that the matter had been turned over to the Public Safety Director who was in charge of the animal control operations. It is now February 25, 2015, and not one individual in this county has addressed us. Additionally, we forwarded the same package two weeks later to three media outlets. Again, not one word from them. Additionally, during this time, the Bulloch County Animal Control was placed under quarantine for parvo, which placed the mother and puppies at risk of exposure.

Today, the individual who initially asked us for assistance went to the animal control to inquire about them. Per her word (we have asked for written documentation), she was told she would need to pay $55 per puppy to get them. When she asked about Coastal Pet Rescue getting them, she was told (again, her words), that they "absolutely would not release the puppies to Coastal Pet Rescue."

This situation has rendered us completely powerless to save these lives. We even paid for veterinary care on the mother and her puppies before we were forced to surrender them. We are now asking for your help, social media, since local media is not interested in our story. You are the ones with the power. You are the ones who elect these officials. It is now up to you to demand action and change.

This page is housing all documentation we forwarded to the officials and media. Please distribute it as you wish. It was not the manner in which we hoped to address the situation, but it is all that we have left.

Update on the Request by the Finder:

Additional Documentation Links

Notice to Animal Control

Email notice sent on December 23, 2014 to Bulloch County Animal Control with photo and information that the pet was with Coastal Pet Rescue. Download PDF

January 12, 2015 Email

Email sent to director Officer Sanders on January 12, 2015, offering CPR's assistance to take the mother dog and puppies. View PDF

January 26, 2015 Email

Email from Mr. Thomas Couch acknowledging receipt of our information and that he had passed along the matter to the Public Safety Director. Download PDF

Bulloch County Surrender Forms

Proof that Coastal Pet Rescue surrendered the mother and puppies to Bulloch County Animal Control. Download PDF

Veterinary Records

Records and expenses incurred by Coastal Pet Rescue to save mother dog and her puppies. Download PDF

Veterinary Letter

Letter from Jimmy Woo, owner of Animal Hospital at Rice Hope, concerning the condition of the mother dog and puppies upon their arrival to the clinic. Download PDF

Bryan County Animal Control Recommendation

Letter of recommendation from Bryan County Animal Control for Coastal Pet Rescue's assistance in rescueing 65 pets from them in 2014. Download PDF

News Posting of Parvo Quarantine

On January 21, 2015, WJCL News ran a story that the Bulloch County Animal Control Shelter had been placed under quarantine for parvovirus. Download PDF

Simply Southern Kennel Parvo Issue

At the same time the Bulloch County Animal Control shelter was under parvo quarantine, a thread of messages on a local Facebook page surfaced that a puppy sold from the kennel owned by the shelter's director and his wife had died from parvo. Though the thread was deleted, another breeder took up the issue. Download PDF

Screencaptures

Initial request for help: Download PDF

Accusations by Officer Sanders' wife against Coastal Pet Rescue: Download PDF

Bystander's defense of the slander against Coastal Pet Rescue: Download PDF

Simply Southern Kennel

Bulloch County Animal Control director Officer Sanders and his wife own and operate a breeding kennel in Statesboro. Download PDF We did not wish to give them anymore traffic to their website, so we included a PDF of their home page from January.

Bulloch County Animal Control Email February 25, 2014

In February 2014, Coastal Pet Rescue reached out to Bulloch County Animal Control to try and rescue two dogs that had been posted on Facebook. Manager Wendy Ivey responded back that rescues are only permitted to pull animals "listed as Last Chance" as the shelter decides. Download PDF