Metro Animal Care and Control urges people not to dump animals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The sobering message from Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC): it’s not okay to dump animals.

MACC officials told News 2 that they had seen a disturbing uptick in the number of abandoned animals. As Middle Tennessee saw dangerously high temperatures, MACC officials reported four abandoned cats and 11 abandoned dogs.

The cats were found on a trailhead near the facility on Harding Place. The identity of the person dumped the cats is still unknown.

“We’ve been seeing an increase in animals left places, abandoned places, tied to our doors, left in cages,” Amanda Stephan, a MACC field worker said.

Stephan added that the cats were found by a citizen who alerted the staff before MACC’s facility had even opened for the day.

“They were crammed in this cage, in their own filth, and panting heavily when we found them,” Stephan told News 2. “It was very hot. Probably lucky we found those cats when we did. Someone noticed them and brought it to our attention.”

While the staff was dealing with the cats, 11 dogs were abandoned in the parking lot just a short while later. The owner of the 11 abandoned dogs was identified and cited. The dogs were returned to the individual for the time being.

That made for 15 animals inappropriately dumped at the facility. Stephan told News 2 that MACC is authorized to have 60 animals, but it has close to 200.

“We do this because we love animals,” Stephan said. “It’s just frustrating because for one, when you go out and find cats like that, you just think ‘What if we had not gotten here in time?'”

The dumping of animals has not just been limited to locations near the facility. Officials shared video with News 2 that they claimed shows a woman dumping a dog in a stranger’s yard in Antioch. That woman then simply drove away. She has yet to be identified, but she could also face charges.

“There is a process, whether stray or owned animal,” Stephan said. “We have a process to come into the shelter appropriately. We must consider our capacity.”

MACC officials said that it is never okay to just dump animals. They added that there are a number of programs in place to help people who need to surrender their dogs and cats.

Officials pleaded with the public to please call the shelter. Whether it is free food or behavioral advice, officials added that they would work with you to make sure the animals in your custody are safe, cared for, and brought to the shelter in the appropriate manner.

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