Animal shelters have a tough time finding homes for all of their stray pets. But it is no excuse for not checking the credentials of prospective pet owners.
The Examiner?s Matthew Plum reported Monday that Harford County sheriff?s deputies and Animal Control officers found 57 dogs and dozens of cats inside the house of 59-year-old Donna Bell in the 2900 block of Whiteford Road.
Thirty-two of the dogs and 12 cats were dead, and rats and feces were everywhere. Utilities had to be turned off because the methane from the feces could have triggered an explosion.
Bell faces up to 29 years in jail and $118,000 in fines for animal cruelty.
But the shelter that gave her the animals should also be held responsible.
Bell received some dogs from the White Marsh Animal Shelter. The shelter identified three dogs as coming from them. But who knows if any of the dead came from White Marsh or other local shelters?
Even three dogs is a lot for one person to handle. You would think employees or volunteers at White Marsh would have asked how many animals Bell already owned and checked records to see if they had placed animals with her previously.
It may not be possible to visit homes, but all shelters should ask detailed questions and keep accurate records to ensure that loving, capable owners adopt them.
No animal deserves the hell that Bell created for them.
