HARRISON COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Nearly two weeks after a southern Indiana animal shelter suddenly closed to the public, there's still no solution. But county commissioners say they’re working on it.
The Harrison County Animal Control and Shelter looked like a ghost town Friday afternoon. There was no visible activity at the once-busy shelter, just a few animal control trucks in the parking lot. But behind the concrete walls, helpless animals are inside.
WDRB wanted to check on the animals and reached out to a Harrison County Commissioner, Charlie Crawford, by phone.
"They're being taken care of, as they was before. They're being fed, watered and exercised every day,” Crawford said.
Crawford is one of the county commissioners who made the decision to abruptly close the shelter due to staffing issues. The county prosecutor says a misconduct investigation led to three employees resigning and the termination of the animal control director.
All animal intakes and adoptions have stopped since the shelter is so understaffed.
"When you're shorthanded, as we have been in the front office, it wouldn't be fair to the public to be able to try to do the normal business when there's no one there to do it,” Crawford said.
Crawford says the commissioners hope to hire new staff at a meeting this Tuesday. They will be reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. In the meantime, he has been checking in on the animals and remaining staff.
"I've spent two or three, even more hours up there every day to make sure that things were operating as normal as we can,” he said.
Crawford wants to assure the public the animals are safe and hopes to have the shelter back up and running as soon as the new staff in is in place.
"There's no animals being hurt and the animals are all being fed and taken care of,” he said.
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