Justin R.
Yelp
*Charleston Animal Society is a KILL SHELTER*
I was under the impression the CAS was a "no kill shelter" especially considering this is heavily advertised on their website as well as throughout their facility. Unfortunately I found out this was not the case.
I rescued a stray dog wandering the street and took him home while I attempted to find his owners. He quickly adapted to my home and played with my two dogs. He showed zero signs of aggression, even when eating and sharing toys with my dogs.
He had a microchip and my personal veterinarian and I exhausted all efforts attempting to make contact with the listed owners. Finally, one of the owners (Dan) reached out and said his wife took the dog years ago during their divorce and she gave him away to a friend (Heather) about a year ago. My calls to her went unanswered. Dan was unfortunately not able to take his dog back due to current lease restrictions. I was also unable to locate a new home for the dog after searching for a week.
I brought him to the Charleston Animal Society believing they would find him a home through their adoption campaign. I was wrong. I called for an update the next day and the CAS manager, Christina Ellwood, said there was a high probability he would be euthanized after showing signs of aggression in the shelter and reports from one of the previous owners of the dog biting her.
I assured Christina I witnessed zero signs of aggression and would happily adopt the dog myself to avoid him being euthanized. I also emphasized the way a scared dog responds while in a shelter is a poor assessment of their behavior. In addition, I was shocked she would take the words from the owners who dumped the dog in the street over my impression of the dog. I am a responsible dog owner, but Christina elected to take the words of the owners who abandoned the dog over mine.
After pleading with her on the phone she outright denied my ability to pick up the dog. She repeatedly cited legal reasons about keeping the community safe from this "aggressive" dog. However, the only way to save the dog from this shelter was if one of the owners signed the animal over to me. Luckily, the male owner (Dan) who hasn't been with the dog in years immediately agreed after I informed him the dog would likely be euthanized. He further emphasized the fact the dog has never shown aggression and was shocked he would potentially be euthanized.
Dan and I both met at the shelter today, and we were able to rescue the dog from the Charleston Animal Society. I made sure Christina Ellwood witnessed the dogs loving and non-aggressive reaction to being with me again and urged her to never again base an animals outcome on behavior while locked in a crate, as well as take the words of people who abandoned the dog in the street.
During my initial phone conversation with her she also said the dog was returned numerous times in the past. Apparently this also didn't fair well in the decision making process for this poor dog. After some research, I found he was returned once because he chased the adopters cat. The second return was because the adopter had a dog that was aggressive towards this dog,
The CAS also charged me $300.00 for room and board while in their possession before returning him to me. I had to pay to save the dog from the shelter that I thought would save him.
In summary, the Charleston Animal Society is in fact a KILL SHELTER. Christina Ellwood seems to be the judge, jury and executioner. Luckily the dog is now happy and safe in my home again.
Be cautious before donating or surrendering to this "humane" shelter. Next time I rescue an animal I will ensure they go to a rescue organization.
Shame on you Christina and shame on the CAS for making saving this dog an absolute headache and nightmare.