$25.00 Adoption Fee at FLAS Through 7/31

 

Now is the time to adopt at Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services. Fees on all animals are reduced to just $25.00 through July 31st. That includes neutering and all vaccines.

The shelter has around 100 dogs/puppies and 100 cats/kittens just looking for a home in which to spend their lives. Interested?

What - Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services

Where - 3240 Roberson Road in Florence Industrial Park

When - 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m./Noon until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday

Phone - 256-766-6670

E-Mail - cjones@florenceal.org

Don't Ask What Happens to These 32 Dogs on Friday

 

There's currently over 100 dogs at Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services, and the number just keeps growing. There isn't enough food, there's not enough money in the budget, and there's not enough hours in the day to take care of them. 

If nothing is done by closing on Thursday, Friday will see a purge that no dog lover ever wants to see. Want to stop it? Here's what you can do:

1. Donate dye-free dog kibble to the shelter. You can drop it by or send it via Amazon to 3240 Roberson Road in the Florence Industrial Park. Dog treats and toys are also welcome.

2. Foster a dog. The shelter will provide supplies; you just need to provide a roof and a lot of love. At some point, you will see your charge leave and start a new life elsewhere. It hurts, but it's also very rewarding.

3. Adopt one of these beauties. If there ever was a perfect time to adopt, it's now. Some dogs already have all fees paid. Even for those who don't, it's a small price to pay for years of love.

4. Volunteer. Stop by the shelter to see how you can help. Can you do a load of laundry? Can you walk these loving dogs? Can you buckle down and clean kennels? 

5. Share any posts you see about the shelter. You may not have room for another dog at this time, but someone on your friends list may.

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So exactly how do you get to the shelter? We'll assume everyone knows where Seven Points is in Florence...

1. From the Seven Points intersection, turn north onto Chisholm Road.

2. Continue to travel north, crossing Cox Creek Parkway.

3. Turn right onto Roberson Road at the Lauderdale County Health Department.

4. Travel 0.4 mile; the shelter will be on the right.

Finding Homes for Those 100+ Dogs

 

Months after the confiscation of scores of dogs from the eastern end of Lauderdale County, Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services still has over 100 dogs in need of a home. Even with many going to a northern rescue, the numbers are more than the shelter can reasonably handle. 

We're sure that there are many in our reading audience who would love to adopt one of these best friends for their own. After all, they've intended to, but keep forgetting. We're going to make it slightly more difficult for you to forget; we're going to be showcasing one of these dogs each day in Shoalanda Speaks and The Hidden Shoals.

Sure, some of our over 14K Facebook readers overlap the shelter's 33K, but still many don't. Also, at least 25% of those who read our blogs go directly to the sites and bypass Facebook. Let's make sure these readers know about the dogs as well.

What happens when we've showcased all the dogs? We'll start on the cats...

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This is Chelsea. She's 14 months old and a lab mix. You can adopt her at the shelter on Roberson Road off Chisholm:

Help with These Transports!

 

Yes, there are actually areas in the northern parts of the U.S. that are begging for adoptable animals. The problem is there isn't an easy, economical way to send our surplus of adoptable dogs and cats to these areas. This is where the public comes in.

If you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck with your donations, here's the easiest way to make your dollars count. The Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services is doing all it can to help assist with these transports, but still more funds are needed.

From the FLAS:

We are saving as many animals as we can and we are trying to raise money to help send some of our cats and dogs to a rescue. We were able to send 28 cats and 16 dogs this last transport and would like to raise money to send just as many or more on future transports. This sweet girl Spooky is just one of the cats we are sending on this week's transport and we are sending dogs as well. If you'd like to help some of our amazing animals but can't foster or adopt you can donate money to our transports and be some of our cats and dogs heroes! We are hoping to raise 800 for this transport. If you would like to donate this is the link to our PayPal:

FLAS PayPal

Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services Says "CODE RED"

 

The FLAS has declared a "Code Red." They need your help - none is coming from the city beyond the regular budget. Thank you, Mayor Andy Betterton.

What we promise: All donations, whether cash or supplies, go directly to the animals. You never need to doubt where your donations wind up. You will be offered a receipt for any donation if you need one. Not all shelters offer this transparency. Put your money where it will do the most good.

What is needed:

Towels - new or used

Blankets - new or used

Dry dog food - No red dyes, please. Purina One is a great choice

Dog treats - preferably for large dogs

Dog/cat toys

Cat litter

Chlorine bleach

Paper towels

Clear electrolyte fluids

You may order on Amazon for direct delivery or drop off at the shelter in Florence Industrial park. Take Chisholm Road north to Lauderdale County Health Department, turn right, and shelter will be approximately .5 miles on the right.

3240 Roberson Road

Why Does Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services Have to Beg?

 

The new Florence-Lauderdale animal shelter is two and one-half years old. This is certainly still new, but equipment that is used daily will now begin to need maintenance. Every kennel has its own bedding, and it's changed daily. This adds up to a tremendous amount of washing and drying. These machines are in need of maintenance.

Why does the shelter have to delay these repairs? Why does the shelter have to shop around for shade-tree technicians to repair the equipment? Where are Andy Betterton and Danny Pettus?

We really hate to interfere with Andy's frequent walks across the street to the Florence-Lauderdale Government Building (what's that about anyway?) or with Danny picking out the snazziest escalator for the new ag-center, but the animal shelter needs some attention...as in now. That's right, time to get out your checkbooks - the public is watching.

The shelter needs:

* Good used blankets and comforters

* Newspapers

* Pedialyte clear liquid

* Good, strong leashes

You can leave your donations at the shelter on Roberson Road in the Florence Industrial Park any day of the week. Please wear a mask if you enter the lobby. 

Putting the Lauderdale County Commission on Notice

When presented with a problem, there are three kinds of governing styles:

1. This is definitely a problem. We will work until we solve this issue to the satisfaction of our citizens and will do so with all permitted haste.

2. This looks like a problem to us, but we are not experts in the field. Therefore, we're appropriating $30,000.00 for a study that should be completed within the next year. Good luck to our citizens in the meantime.

3. This might be a problem. Thank you for bringing it to our governing body's attention. Now we'll adjourn and have coffee in the reception area.

Shall we all now take a stab at identifying which style the Lauderdale County Commission follows? 

The new Florence animal shelter is partially owned by the county. Does the county provide its fair share to maintain the shelter? In one word, NO!

Yes, it's easy to put animals on a back burner. If the commission isn't in any hurry to remedy deadly situations on Paradise Drive in Waterloo, why should the public think the elected officials would care more about the lesser creatures?

Elections are coming up. Let's say that again, shall we? Elections are coming up!

If the current commissioners and chair, no matter how much we may like them personally, do not start to remedy the financial situation at Florence-Lauderdale Animal Services, we will make sure the public is reminded of every questionable and just downright bad decision made by these gentlemen. We will actively campaign for those who support the shelter, as well as much needed repairs to dangerous roads.

What say you, Lauderdale County Commission?

The Florence Animal Shelter Has An Announcement

Now a word from our Canine-American blogger:

Yes, the Florence-Lauderdale Animal Shelter has an announcement. On November 24th and 25th there will be a special Zappos/Northshore Animal League adoption event. In case you're wondering, that's November 2017, not 2018. That's how far behind the Florence shelter's website is:

Florence Animal Shelter

We've seen some county sites that are extremely outdated, but not any Florence ones...until now. 

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We're going to say this in the nicest possible way. No matter how dedicated any employee is, if they don't know how to do their job, it's not being done right. That's why the current situation at the animal shelter has gotten this far.

To the manager:

1. Lead by example; be Dwight Eisenhower and not Adolph Hitler. That means be firm, but always be kind.

2. Make out written job descriptions. That way no employee can say he/she didn't know what was to be done.

3. Assign jobs that people like to do. If Employee A likes to do Job Z and Employee B likes to do Job Y, make sure that's the assignment. Don't make them do jobs they dislike (if at all possible) simply because you think it builds character. What it builds is resentment.

4. Every day before you leave, be it thirty minutes or one hour, walk the perimeter of the site. Make sure everything is done that was assigned. If it wasn't, ask NICELY if there was a particular problem. Find out what the hold-ups are and work on fixing them.

5. Don't be afraid to discuss problems with your superior, but it Chief Tyler or Mayor Holt. Tell them what you need. They won't bite your head off; if they do, tell me and I'll biiiiiite them.

To the Employees:

1. If you have a problem, don't cover it up. Tell the manager so that he/she will be aware of it.

2. You had a virus yesterday, but worked anyway, albeit slowly. Kudos to you, but you got behind. Or maybe you got behind because 985 possums were confiscated and brought in. No matter the reason, there's a way to dig yourself out. You get two 15 minute breaks each day, don't you? Simply go to the restroom, take a drink of your Pepsi, and use the extra 10 minutes to catch up on work. That adds up to over 1.5 hours a week you have to get organized. Sure, you're working gratis, but once you get organized, you probably won't have to make that sacrifice again for quite a while.

To Volunteers:

You've seen the shelter's website? The link is above. We're challenging one of you to offer to run the site. The manager should be able to give you a password that gets you into just that site without giving you access to other city pages. 

We know many people who could turn that site into a thing of beauty, a site that made citizens proud and made them want to come adopt animals. There is NO excuse for a site that hasn't been updated in at least six months. Call the manager on Monday and volunteer to do this. Citizens should be fighting over the job.

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We happily publish rebuttals...and FB comments. Just watch your language and have at it.

Prince

Aunt Shoalanda Wants You! (To Volunteer at the Florence Shelter)

By now, you've probably seen the photos of the wretched conditions at the Florence Animal Shelter. We're not going to talk about what's wrong at this time. We're going to discuss what's right and what we all can do to make things better.

What's Right:

1. The new Florence Animal Shelter will be a reality around November of this year! Many of the problems we're now seeing at the old shelter will not be present in the new facility. Thanks to all who have made this a reality (and hisses to former Mayor Mickey Haddock who nodded as Florence proverbially burned).

2. Mayor Holt and the current city council members who have worked to make this finally come to pass. Extra props to Mayor Holt who is attempting to sort out what's wrong at the current shelter.

What's Needed:

1. Civics Teachers - Yes, civics and other teachers to assign volunteer work to some strapping football players and other strong high school students. Give them some extra points for volunteering to feed and water the animals, as well as neatly stack all the junk on the shelter grounds.

2. Mark Linder - We'll happily praise UNA's athletic director if he'll only pass down the word to various coaches to have their students take on the more physical chores at the shelter. Have them volunteer one day a week. We'll make sure they not only receive kudos from the shelter staff, we'll praise them here on our blog.

3. Sunday School Teachers - Tell your teens and young adults what a great opportunity volunteering at the shelter is to earn stars in their crowns. Homo Sapien children aren't the only ones Jesus loved.

4. Local Businesses - It hasn't been that long since a Russellville business volunteered its employees to clean up Franklin County roadways. Isn't there a business in Lauderdale County, or two or three or more, that has the occasional down day? Send your employees to the shelter to work.

Obviously, there are others out there who are young and able-bodied to assist at the shelter. If you're not that young anymore, you can at least feed and water the animals and sweep droppings off the walkways. You can also donate supplies: bleach, paper towels, brooms, mops, etc. 

Together we can have a nice shelter until we move into the new one. Then we'll have a fantastic shelter. Let's do it!

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And now a word from Prince...

"If you don't do what Shoalanda says, I'll biiiiiite you!"

Count Down to Shelter/Hackers?

We want to give three rousing cheers to Mayor Steve Holt along with new Florence council members Kaytrina Simmons, David Bradley, and Michelle Eubanks for their efforts to kick start the work on the new Florence animal shelter. They've done more work in one year than the previous administration did in four. We'll also add that this group had to undo some of the things the previous administration had done, presenting even further delays in getting things on track.

A sincere thanks to you all!

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It's no secret that several months ago a hacker from eastern Europe gained access to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We believe that these platforms are now secure. 

Now  Blogger tells us that someone has been attempting to enter our blogging accounts; they have been unsuccessful. The interesting thing is that according to Google, we are still connected to two blogs owned by individuals who used to blog here, but moved on. We have no need for access to anyone else's blogs and will be attempting to remedy this. 

The sad thing is that we're also, for whatever reason, connected to a blog belonging to a woman who used to provide us with material quite frequently. We have not given her access to this blog, nor have we sought access to hers, which hasn't been active since 2011. 

We doubt that this woman is at fault; we surmise someone thought we were the same person and somehow attempted to use her blog to get to this one. So to you in eastern Lauderdale County, you may wish to check with Google to see if anyone but you can access your old blog. 

And to hackers? They're hard to catch, but if we do identify you, we will take you to court. You may not have any money, but we'll be happy to use the judgment to confiscate your lawn mower, work tools, etc., plus post your name for all to see. 

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Snow/Create Architects

Snow! White stuff…or brown stuff if you get up late enough. Or perhaps it starts at noon? Or nothing at all; who knows? The only definite is God help you if you went to Publix today. Apparently some little old Shoals ladies could have a second career in a demolition derby.

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The new Florence Animal Shelter? Suddenly we’re hearing of new negotiations (after SIX MONTHS) with Donald Parker/Hugo Dante of Create Architects, the designers of the new shelter. We have been led to believe by the last administration that the lobby was reduced in size, as well as the number of pods being initially built. We assume now the architects are being asked to use less expensive (cheaper) materials.

We know other news sites are working on this story, but we do have Prince waiting in the wings. He will biiiite Parker and Dante if they don’t get with it.

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It hasn’t been that long ago that we were criticized for using a masculine term when we should have used a gender neutral word. Guilty as charged, but we consider that straining at gnats.

Who was at the recent Shoals Launchpad competition? Mainly males, we can assure you. What’s up with that? We welcome comments and will have a more in depth blog on this later.

Florence-Lauderdale Animal Shelter

Everyone here loves animals. That's a given. Should we ever kill them? Well, Shoalanda, you answer, that depends. Yes, we eat dead animals every day--at least most of us do.

How about hunting? Shoalanda herself doesn't. If any of you do that's between you and your family and God, if you believe in the one who created our universe. If you don't, I can understand how you might find killing fun or therapeutic or whatever.

How about the excess? Now, that's another story, most will say. How about our shelter where the taxpayers feed and house them? There's no easy answer.

Things are better in both Lauderdale and Colbert County, but it hasn't been easy. Will it get even better? That may be a question of dollars and cents...or even of personalities.

Take your stand now. Write your representatives. It's up to you.



Shoalanda

Introducing "Dewey the Dip"

Our friend O.B. has written an excellent blog on the animal control situation in Lauderdale County and Florence. Read it here.

It hasn't been that long since County Commission Chair Dewey Mitchell had some interesting comments concerning the old shelter. From the May 6th TD:

Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell said one of the first things that needs to be done is to learn the ownership structure of the current animal shelter. “If it’s 50-50, which I have always been told it was, we need to look at liquidating those assets and putting that toward the expense of a new facility,” Mitchell said.

So it's 80/20 when paying out, but 50/50 when taking in. Nice deal if you can get it...

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Speaking of nice deals, do you ever compare bail amounts for various crimes? Just as sentences seem to vary among the counties, so do bonds for serious crimes. Tomorrow we'll take a look at two cases of child abuse and let you the reader decide if something is wrong with the picture.



Shoalanda

Is the Florence Animal Shelter Crumbling?

Most of you are probably familiar with the term "Built-In Obsolescence."  Simply stated, many things in today's world are built not to last, but to run their course within a set time frame--usually a short one. Have you taken a look at the Florence-Lauderdale Animal Shelter lately? We haven't used the proverbial magnifying glass, nor have we been inside recently, but it looks good from the outside. What are we missing?

The shelter was built in 1987, that's 25 human years ago. There's no reason it shouldn't last another 25 years if properly maintained. Yet we have TimesDaily letter writers calling the shelter "inadequate and crumbling." It certainly may be inadequate when it comes to size, but crumbling?

Don Lambert designed the shelter and Smith General Contractors built it. Has the city not maintained it properly or are its defects more intrinsic?

There may be little we can do about the condition of the shelter, assuming it's as bad as stated, but there is something many can do about the strained space. Adopt a dog or cat from the shelter. There's quite a good chance your new canine companion will be in better health than a puppy purchased from many breeders. It's the only love money can buy.

Just ask "The Brown Recluse." We and Roscoe think she's a hero...

 Photo Collage by The Brown Recluse

Shoalanda