J’ville prohibits dumping animals at closed shelter

Published 11:17 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2015

The Jacksonville Police Department intends to prosecute anyone who dumps animals at its closed shelter.

Chief Reece Daniel said since last week, about five animals have been dumped at or near the shelter, 201 Woodlawn St. The action is a class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a third-degree felony for the second, he said.


“We have camera now, so that should help,” he said.

Daniel said rescue groups have taken every animal that was left at the facility as well as those animal control picked up.

The city is not picking up animals unless it’s an emergency, he said, and many are being fostered until the shelter opens.

Jacksonville is working to refurbish the old facility, which was used before the Richard D. Klein Animal Shelter opened in 2005, said Will Cole, director of public works.

The shelter was closed in December after its executive director and two employees were arrested on animal cruelty charges. The facility handled animal shelter operations for Jacksonville, Tyler, Bullard and other East Texas cities.

The old Jacksonville shelter “went into mothball, so to speak,” Cole said. “We have been rehabbing it for the last three months — cleaning it up, repairing it and getting it in shape to where we can use it.”

Cole expects to the facility to be ready for an inspection by the health department sometime this week or early next week.

The shelter will initially accept dogs and later cats, he said.