COVID-19 outbreak temporarily closes Cumberland County animal shelter

Jan. 6—Cumberland County Animal Services has closed its shelter and has stopped pet adoptions until further notice because of a staff shortage caused by COVID-19.

Pet owners can schedule appointments to pick up their pets if they have been taken to the shelter, and Animal Services will still respond to animal emergencies.

Elaine Smith, director of Animal Services, said on Wednesday she hoped that services would return to normal by the beginning of next week, but she could not make any guarantees. She said staffers who run the shelter have been the ones most affected by the outbreak and related quarantines.

"It is honestly a day-by-day thing because this is a COVID situation," she said. "So we have employees that are awaiting test results, so if they get a test result and it's negative, they'll be right back at work. If it's positive, well then they won't. We just don't know."

Smith added that COVID-19 has not been the only issue. Animal Services is also trying to fill 12 vacancies — on top of 15 people being out because of the virus.

"We are hiring," she said. "We have vacancies in our customer service, in our shelter attendant and in officer positions. If it was just the vacancies, or just the COVID situation, we could have muddled through."

Smith said Animal Services is a good work environment, despite negative comments she has read on social media where people make assumptions otherwise.

"Our positions here are unique," she said. "You really have to love animals first of all and even then a lot of people who love animals are like, 'Oh, I couldn't work there.'

"So, it takes kind of a special person to work here."

Smith, who had just completed cleaning cages on Wednesday morning, said that despite a reduced staff, people should still call Animal Services with urgent matters related to animals.

"Things are on a case-by-case basis," she said. "If somebody says, 'Well, I just need to surrender a pet and the reason I'm surrendering them is I need pet food.' We'll give them pet food. We want to help people no matter what."

But she said if it's a call where somebody's neighbor is "letting their dog poop in their yard, OK, we don't have the staff to go out there.

"We encourage people to communicate with their neighbors when they have issues with their neighbors, rather than calling us."

Smith said Animal Services will respond to dangerous situations for a person or animal.

"They can always call 9-1-1 for dire emergencies, but if it's something that's just urgent call us. We do have staff here answering the phones. Because we're just so short, locking the doors does help us focus on the phones, so to speak, and not having to split our time with walk-ins and that sort of thing."

For information about Animal Services, visit the county's website or call Animal Services at 910-321-6852.

Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.

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