The local animal shelter is not the only organization in Madison County working to find homes for homeless pets.
Colbert Pet Rescue is a non-profit pet rescue organization located at the Colbert Animal Hospital on Hwy. 72 in Colbert. The rescue was established eight years ago by veterinarian Dr. Gloria Andrews to provide care for abandoned, sick and injured dogs and cats in Madison County and surrounding areas, according to their website.
Vet Rescue CEO Kelli Cleghorne, who is the daughter of county animal control officer Beth Harmon, says the rescue organization makes several trips each year to Connecticut to transport adoptable dogs and puppies to an area that has less of a problem with pet-overpopulation than here in the South.
“We just made our third trip this year,” Cleghorne said, taking 73 dogs and puppies in need of homes. Cleghorne said all the animals are fully vetted, which includes spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming and heartworm treatment. They work with an organization called “TAILS” and Petco pet supply stores to ensure that suitable homes are found, Cleghorne said.
Cleghorne said that most of the dogs are usually adopted during special adoption event held at a Petco store.
“We follow up with all those we adopt,” she said, adding that they enjoy hearing how their rescues are settling into their new homes and making sure there are no problems. In addition to transporting pets “up North,” the Rescue also adopts to the local community. Adoption fees for dogs and puppies are usually $200 and all prospective homes are inspected to make sure the animal will have adequate shelter. Cleghorne said the rescue also stipulates that other pets in the home must be up-to-date on their medical care and spayed and neutered before their owners take on a new pet.
Colbert Vet Rescue board members, MaryBeth Ainbinder and Kelli Cleghorne, are shown with two of the Rescue’s adoptable pets, Reddick and Leopold. The Rescue will hold a volunteer workday this Saturday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Margie Richards/staff
One persons two dogs had went missing and she sent pictures to the shelter and animal control as told she should do. Her dogs were found and picked up and then taken to Colbert vet. She called the shelter over and over agin just to check on if they had found her babies. She finally found out that animal control had taken them to Colbert vet instead of the animal shelter where she was told to check in with. She called only to find out one of her dogs had already been sent up north and the other was still at the vet. She went to the vet to see what she had to do to pick up her dog, when she got there she was told she must pay over $800 to pick her dog up but anyone else could adopt him for $200. At the shelter this would be much less. This is an older woman who does not just have $800 laying around her house. When visiting the vet she brought all proofs of rabies vaccinations and yearly shots to prove this was her dog and he was taken care of. One of the vet techs was carrying the dog and it jumped out of her arms and ran to his owner. Gloria Andrews then called the police to have the woman removed because she wanted her dog back.
The second case is of a girl who's two dogs were stolen from her back yard. She called the police, made a police report and sent pictures to the shelter who then forwarded them to animal control. One of her dogs came back weeks later after being let out, the other never did. Her dog was picked up on the road she still lives on months later, held at animal control for two days then sent to Colbert vet. She saw a picture online while checking the found ads for the area on Facebook that the animal shelter had put up the day animal control found her. Once she called, it was too late. Colbert vet had sent her to Connecticut and told her there was nothing she could do even though she sent puppy pictures and offered any other proof they needed. She had a police report and animal control and the vet didn't even bother to check even for even the one road.
The third person used Colbert vet as her dogs primary and ONLY vet! She also reported her dog missing and followed ever step she was told to field find her dog. Her dog was brought to Colbert vet and taken to Connecticut. Don't you think a caring vet would think that maybe this dog might look familiar and call just to make sure it was not her patient? NOPE!!!
The bottom line is, they claim to raise money to send dogs to Connecticut and say that dogs are not as common up there. Dogs are just as easy to come by here as they are there. They take them up there to put them up for adoption and leave them. They claim to check vet references, employment, housing approval and home visits. They take around 30 animals a trip. How can a very small group of people do all that in one weekend???!!! You can't it is impossible!!!! Do you think all of the offices needed are open over the weekend to check the references, plus have time for home visits while still being there to adopt the animals out? No, it is imposible. Something else is going on and it needs to stop!!!!
Kelly Cleghorn that spoke in this article is the daughter of the lady in charge at animal control. That is suspicious in the first place.
This is taking money away from tax payers, the animal shelter is not making any money if they cannot adopt out animals. That is money we are paying to make up. The shelter will give animals to volunteer help organizations for pets that cannot be adopted. The proper thing to do is send them to the shelter, then if they cannot be adopted then other originations can adopt them and try to find them homes.
People are told to call the shelter when there pet goes missing, not Colbert vet. Please tell me how people are supposed to find there beloved pets when they are not told the proper information.
The only reson this article was wrote is because multiple messages and conversations were had with this newspaper hoping that they would bring some light to the situation and help. This did not happen. It is the newspapers job to tell all sides of the story, not just what wants to be herd. This article only speaks of how amazing this group supposedly is, not what is actually happening and how they came acoss the story.
I hope this brings some questions up that need to be asked, three people that I know of have lost there pets and one lady still has one dog here and they are trying to rape her on charges instead of charging her a proper fee. Something more is going on here and the county needs to stop it and this vet should be shut down. Every dog that has been claimed should be returned to their rightful owners who did everything in their power to find their dogs.
One thing that would help ensure return of lost pets is a micro-chip. All vets and shelters should scan for this, which would immediately identify the owner. Also, of course, keeping pets under control at all times in the house, a pen or on leash are key to not losing them. There is a shortage of small dogs up north where there is little room for large dogs. There are probably lots of large dogs. What people want there are small dogs.