MS Coast animal shelter needs help after deputies bust alleged dog-fighting ring
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jackson County deputies seized 67 dogs and other animals in Vancleave.
- Jackson County Animal Shelter faces kennel capacity crisis.
- Shelter will assess seized dogs’ health and behavior before legal disposition.
The Jackson County Animal Shelter is scrambling this week to open space in its kennels and care for dozens of animals seized from an alleged dog-fighting ring.
Shelter Director Joe Barlow said Tuesday that the building in Gautier is full and cannot accept intakes. The shelter is also housing dozens of dogs not connected to the dog-fighting investigation, and Barlow encouraged residents to consider adopting those animals, so the shelter can free up space.
The challenge began after Jackson County sheriff’s deputies searched a property on Pintail Lane in Vancleave. Sheriff John Ledbetter announced Monday that deputies seized 67 dogs, two goats, a horse and a rooster.
“It’s pretty bad,” Barlow said. “They’re not in the best shape.”
Authorities arrested three suspects in connection to the dog-fighting investigation and said more charges are possible.
The shelter is caring for the animals as it waits for legal clarity on their status. Some of the dogs are healthy. But Barlow said many are wounded, scarred or underweight. The group of seized animals includes puppies.
The recent influx forced the shelter to euthanize some dogs, Barlow said. He declined to discuss specifics but said the number of euthanized animals was “not at all proportional to the number we had come in.”
“It’s not the shelter’s fault, and we all share the desire to prevent this from happening,” shelter staff said in a social media post as they prepared for the surge of intakes late last week.
At least 75 dogs who are not connected to the recent seizure are available for adoption, according to Barlow. He said the best way for the public to help the shelter is by adopting or fostering those animals.
The next steps for the seized dogs are uncertain. The shelter must test the dogs’ behavior in a controlled environment with humans and other animals to determine whether they pose any risk. Barlow said getting the dogs healthy is the first step.
“We haven’t even really had time to see how they’ve been impacted by this treatment,” he said Tuesday.