Lincoln County shelter promises improvements after disease kills nearly 200 cats

Lincoln County has submitted updated animal care procedures to state officials after an investigation found that nearly 200 cats died in their kennels over a six-month period this year.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fined Lincoln County Animal Services $7,500 after an investigation revealed the extent of an unreported disease outbreak between May and October.

Lincoln County Animal Services Director David Workman said the shelter has struggled with overpopulation during recent summers and the cats were living outside in close quarters, which contributed to the spread of upper respiratory illness.

“It definitely is alarming,” he said. “We definitely do not like to have animals to die in the shelter.”

He said fewer cats have died since October. The shelter has released new policies and procedures following the Dec. 8 state report, and Workman said he will make a formal presentation about the changes to Lincoln County commissioners in January.

County Manager Kelly Atkins said the county is trying to mitigate the fines by responding quickly. He sent updated policies and procedures to Patricia Norris, director of the Animal Welfare Section in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, on Friday.

Norris said she is pleased with the county manager’s quick response and hopeful that the shelter can be brought into compliance soon. She said the fines are meant to motivate shelters to comply, not as punitive measures.

The biggest chunk of the fine was $5,000 for “failing to obtain and follow a veterinarian’s written recommendation for a disease problem.”

Norris said state statute demands that shelters contact a veterinarian if a disease outbreak lasts longer than 30 days. At the Lincoln County facility, 22 cats were found dead in May, and the number stayed above 20 for the next five months. In September, 50 cats were found dead.

The state report said the shelter’s “contract veterinarian stated that she was never notified of the deaths.” Workman said the veterinarian, Kim Mitchell of Maiden Small Animal Hospital, makes rounds twice a week.

Mitchell did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

Brenda Stevens, a professor in N.C. State University’s veterinary medicine program, said kittens are especially susceptible to upper respiratory infections. With this many cats found dead, though, she wondered if a virus such as feline distemper was to blame. Norris said no autopsies were performed on cats during the disease outbreak, because the shelter didn’t contact a vet.

The shelter first issued a new policy about carefully administering medication and keeping records three days after an October site visit from a state inspector, during the beginning of the investigation. Not keeping adequate records of veterinary care and not providing proper veterinary care accounted for $1,500 in fines.

On Dec. 10, two days after the state issued its notice about the fines, the shelter updated its cleaning procedures. The procedure orders employees and volunteers to clean kennels and cages twice daily and not to leave animals in the cages during cleaning. One $500 fine related to not cleaning cages twice daily.

The shelter issued more guidelines, covering everything from sanitation to socialization, on Dec. 11. On Dec. 16, a new daily feeding procedure addressed the final $500 fine, which said the shelter wasn’t feeding kittens and puppies twice daily with an eight-hour interval between feedings.

The shelter had struggled with this rule because of short Sunday operating hours, but Workman said the shelter will now be staffed, although not open to the public, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Looking ahead, Workman said the shelter hopes to expand by enclosing some of its outdoor space within the next two years. He said their budget won’t allow the expansion this year.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Lincoln County shelter promises improvements after disease kills nearly 200 cats."