FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, AUG. 17, 2015

NCDA&CS revokes United Animal Coalition animal shelter licenses in Davidson and Guilford counties
‘Systemic failure to care for animals’ cited; counties to take over operation

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Animal Welfare Section today revoked the licenses of the United Animal Coalition to run the Davidson and Guilford county animal shelters based on an investigation that uncovered a systemic failure to adequately care for animals according to the N.C. Animal Welfare Act. The department notes more than 100 failures of care by UAC in Guilford and Davidson counties since May in regards to the intake and treatment of sick or injured animals.

LINKS: Davidson County Revocation Letter | Guilford County Revocation Letter

The shelters will remain open under the direct supervision of the counties. NCDA&CS is working closely with county officials to ensure animals will be cared for according to state standards. Both counties have 10 days to submit an application for a license to operate an animal shelter.

“It is extremely rare to revoke a license at an animal shelter,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “However, we felt it is in the best interest of the animals to remove United Animal Coalition’s licenses. When we started to investigate, it became clear that there was an underlying failure to care for sick and injured animals. We believe that the evidence will speak for itself.”

The department began its investigation of UAC in June in Davidson County after a complaint was filed regarding an injured dog that visually appeared to have a broken back but did not receive any veterinary care. During the investigation, it became apparent there were issues that law enforcement needed to address. Dr. Patricia Norris, a veterinarian and director of the NCDA&CS Animal Welfare Section, worked with the Lexington Police Department in investigating the complaint.

The AWS has investigated complaints about these shelters in the past, but has not been able to substantiate claims of neglect before, Norris said. The Davidson shelter was issued a $1,000 civil penalty in June for inadequate sanitation and ventilation.

“The shelters have passed annual facility inspections in the past. However, the receipt of a complaint allowed us to conduct an investigation that included a program review, which is much more extensive,” Norris said. “The intensive records review revealed how sick or injured animals were not properly cared for.”

The department’s investigation into UAC is ongoing and additional actions may be taken. The department is also working in close cooperation with local law enforcement agencies.

The Animal Welfare Section has seven inspectors and one supervisor responsible for inspecting about 850 shelter, boarding facilities and pet shops statewide. They do an annual inspection at each location, perform multiple random inspections, euthanasia inspections, and investigate complaints as they are received.

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