PAWS hits new high in ‘save-rate’
♦ Floyd County plans to hire a volunteer-rescue coordinator as part of its efforts to adopt out more animals from the shelter.
More than 96 percent of the animals brought into PAWS this year are leaving Floyd County’s public animal welfare services facility alive.
“And that 3.5 percent we’ve euthanized also includes wild animals that have been trapped to be checked for rabies,” said John Blalock, the 911 director who’s also serving as the interim shelter manager. “They’re not all domestic animals.”
County Commissioner Allison Watters called it one of the best live-outcome rates in the state during Blalock’s Monday presentation to the board. The national standard for a “zero-kill” shelter is 90 percent or higher.
Blalock said there are two main drivers behind the increased save-rate: A temporary halt to intakes when the facility is at capacity — “so we don’t have to euthanize for space” — and a policy to sterilize as many adoptable animals as possible. Currently, 105 of the 173 potential pets at the shelter are fixed.
“The spayed and neutered ones get out really fast,” Blalock said. “Especially the kittens and cats. It’s easy to take one home when you know you don’t have spend $250 on a vet.”
In the year before the $5.7 million facility opened in December 2016, animal control euthanized 6 percent of the dogs it took in and more than 34 percent of the cats.
But, in addition to family friendly cage space and adoption play areas, the new PAWS, at 99 North Ave., includes a stateof-the art surgical suite. Commissioners approved a spay and neuter contract in February with Dalton-based National Spay Alliance Foundation, although Blalock said a permanent presence is not yet established.
“They’re still having trouble hiring a vet; there’s a national shortage,” he said. “But they’re here every Monday doing 15 to 20 animals.”
The foundation also set up a connection with the West Georgia Spay Neuter Clinic in Villa Rica, which sends a bus every two weeks to bring in 60 or so animals for a quick snip.
Blalock said shutting down intake for a week during peak times hasn’t affected the number of surrenders because people will wait and bring them in when there’s room. He’s also rebuilding relationships with animal rescue groups, which place about 60 percent of the dogs and cats.
Commissioners approved his request to delay filling the vacant shelter manager position in favor of hiring a volunteer-rescue coordinator to schedule shelter volunteers, help with fundraising and work with the groups.
“That’s our bread and butter,” County Manager Jamie McCord said in backing the change. “They’re why we have a 96.4 percent live outcome.”
Plans are to draw up a job description and post it on the county website RomeFloyd.com as soon as possible.
PAWS is open for adoptions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The regular adoption fees are $40 for dogs and $35 for cats.