Target: Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture
Goal: Investigate Franklin County Animal Rescue for alleged mistreatment of shelter animals.
Franklin County Animal Rescue has come under fire from its own employees alleging gross mistreatment of dogs and cats in their care. In a recent incident, a 5-week-old kitten was found by a staff member—Brittany Kilbur—reportedly crying out as though in pain and distressed. Although Kilbur contacted the shelter manager, she states she didn’t hear back and proceeded to contact a local veterinary technician, who reportedly informed her the kitten was dying and that she should bring the kitten in to die more peacefully. Kilbur’s manager reportedly denied her permission to transport the kitten, and once the kitten died apparently instructed staff members to wrap her body up and stuff her in the freezer.
There have been multiple similar incidents, including an orange kitten infected with feline infectious peritonitis who was allegedly denied veterinary access, apparently leading to the kittens’ prolonged suffering and slow death. Several employees and volunteers have apparently described the shelters’ management as being stingy with money, reportedly putting the health of dogs and cats in jeopardy as a result. The shelter’s executive director has reportedly denied permission for animals to receive critical care in the name of saving money. According to staff members, animals have reportedly been left without water, fed expired food, and forced to use underfilled litter boxes.
While animal shelters across the country are struggling to make ends meet in the current economy, this is no excuse for them to mistreat animals entrusted in their care. Sign this petition to demand an investigation of Franklin County Animal Rescue and to help protect innocent dogs and cats.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
Workers and volunteers of Franklin County Animal Rescue have come forth with severe allegations against the management at the shelter, citing multiple cases of ill-treatment towards animals. In a recent incident, shelter staff member Brittany Kilbur recounts her apparent experience trying to comfort an dying 5-week-old kitten. When she reportedly found the kitten in a distressed and suffering condition, she called her manager, but to no avail. A compassionate veterinary technician reportedly told Kilbur to take the kitten in, and that she would help the kitten die more peacefully. When she asked her manager for permission, she was reportedly denied and later told simply to stuff the kitten’s body in the shelter fridge.
Multiple similar incidents have allegedly gone down at Franklin County Animal Rescue, and employees and volunteers reportedly claim that management does everything in their power to reduce shelter costs–including denying veterinary access to sick and dying animals. Animals have apparently been forced to eat expired food, use underfilled litters, and go without water for indefinite periods of time.
We are asking you, Mr. Vilsack, to investigate these claims in the name of protecting dogs and cats at this shelter.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Nom d’util
This “rescue” is in Franklin County, Vermont (not TN). The manager’s name is Rory Merrick. The executive director is Jennifer Dean. There’s a lot of articles on the internet about how awful this place is – just search and you’ll be sickened like I am about how horrible this place is. Those 2 – Rory Merrick and Jennifer Dean – are both going to spend a lot of time in h*ll for their treatment of these innocent animals.
Thank you for clarifying, there seem to be several Franklin Counties.
Thanks. And agreed.
This shelter should be prosecuted, fined, and closed!! PETA or SPCA organization needs to relocate the animals to a safe monitored “no kill shelter fast!! The shelter owners should be fined and put in prison for running an animal death camp!!
Perhaps they need to be left in their “shelter” to suffer the same fate as the animals that were under their care. These two people are a disgusting waste of human beings. I am saddened that those animals have suffered such painful deaths.
I agree. I also want 5 min with each of these monsters.. they would wish they were in a freezer instead the hell they’re going to! Justice for all furbabies that suffer senseless cruelty, abuse, and death at the hands of awful humans.
Close the shelter disgusting for people who say they love and help animals
They could easily find a self sufficient shelter that is able to care for their sickest animals. Reputable rescues would step in to help if they just networked with others.
It’s shameful that they resign their resident helpless animals to agonizing suffering just to keep their troubles secret. Time to close this establishment of horror DOWN.
Animals shall NOT be VICTIMS of mentally-deranged humans. These animals deserve JUSTICE – just like YOU and ME!
CLOSE this SHELTER once and for all! People working there must be forbidden from coming near animals ever again.
Some people need to go to Hell!!! Why they don’t apply the same Procedures to them???
NOW .. this truly PISSES ME OFF!!!!!!
**C & P below names from another poster:
This “rescue” is in Franklin County, Vermont (not TN). The manager’s name is Rory Merrick. The executive director is Jennifer Dean.
I hope these two worthless inhuman sacks of SHIT .. die a prolonged PAINFUL DEATH
Agree all comments do the sane to those cunts and shut it down.
Rory and Jennifer should be removed from their positions and arrested for animal cruelty. Anyone with a heart would not be so evil and heartless caring for animals who depend on them. I hope the people of Franklin County speak up to their local, elected officials and get rid of the trash, let someone who really cares about animal welfare the responsibility.
Those two are disgusting. How do such evil people get jobs with innocent animals?
Not disgusting but two ill-born criminals – who should be sent to a gas chamber
Get rid of these two assholes! Clearly they both lack the compassion needed to help animals in a shelter, these are not qualified to shelter a squirrel!!!
They should establish a law like that of the Arabs for all those cowards: from cutting off one finger, two, or the whole hand…
That’s brilliant!
It is cynical, it is a SHAME, that concentration camps like that are allowed to wear the name “shelter”. These places of horror and their soulless leaders or employees should be forbidden at once and punished for neglecting and mistreatind animals in need. I pray, that these criminals will knock at the pretty right door one day- ill, old, poor, alone, begging for help.I pray for justice.
This shelter should be prosecuted, fined, and closed!! PETA or SPCA organization needs to relocate the animals to a safe monitored “no kill shelter fast!! The shelter owners should be fined and put in prison for running an animal death camp!!
Prosecute these Monsters!!!! Close the shelter DOWN!! FINE AND RELOCATE THESE ANIMALS TO A SAFE SHELTER!!!!!!!
The reason they are putting the bodies in the freezer is because they are selling them to medical research. It has been going on at many shelters for years.
Horrible to allow such suffering.
Best Friends has given us a grant for TNVR and we finally got our county government to agree for ACO to no longer trap ferals and take to the shelter to die in one way or another.
STOP KILLIMG KITTENS IN ABUSIVE AND CRUEL WAYS IMMEDIATELY!!! THESE CRUEL AND ABUSIVE IDIOTS ARE THE WHOM SHOULD BE KILLED SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH! NOT INNOCENT KITTENS!!!!!
STOP ALL ANIMAL CRUELTY TOWARDS ALL ANIMALS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!
All animals must be seized immediately from that facility & transferred to other places so the animals can be helped & adopted out. Each person working at that place must each go to prison for 10 years with no early parole, each pay a $400,000 fine, and all people must be banned for life from owning or going near any animals ever again. They all must be banned for life from rescuing or working with any animals ever again.
It is heartbreaking to read reports about such institutions that are taking animals in and don’t act as animals protectors but torture them instead. My opinion is, if every country in the world would have law that every cat and dog have to be sterilised, we would have worldwide less unfortunate, unwonted and neglected dogs and cats. In last 32 years I had 15 cats that walked in my yard for shelter. Everyone of them got sterilised and got a home with me.
Humans have brain and can do something about to stop animals to moltiply, but are they using their brain?
When a Shelters own employees and volunteers are reporting animal abuse and neglect that is causing unnecessary suffering and death to animals in their care, then something must be done. This is unacceptable. Management needs an overhaul when they are the reason why animals are being refused medical care and left to die.