A letter from Rhino Times reader Audrey Montanez
At 2 a.m., we found a dog wandering the streets and brought him to the county animal shelter just before noon to keep him safe from traffic. We completed the intake form and waited 45 minutes, but no one ever came outside to assist us. All communication was done through text, which was both impersonal and deeply frustrating.
Initially, we were told to go home and wait 24 hours. I explained that this wasn’t my dog—I was simply trying to prevent an accident and do the right thing. Then the instructions changed, and we were told to wait three hours instead.
At one point, we received a message warning that if we left the dog behind, the shelter would send the police to our home using our license plate number. Again, all of this was handled through text messages—no phone calls answered, no staff came out to speak with us face-to-face.
The security guard even told us to leave the dog on the street where we found him. If that’s the approach, then I must ask: what is the point of having an animal shelter at all?
Thankfully, a local veterinary office was able to scan the dog, but no microchip was found and no owner has come forward.
Why is there only one shelter serving the entire county? Why aren’t there emergency or after-hours options? This experience left us feeling helpless, despite our best efforts to protect a lost dog.
The next day, we returned to the shelter because, sadly, it’s the only available resource. Again, we were told the wait time was three hours. I was told if I left and came back after work, I would lose my place in line. Realistically, who can take responsibility for a stray and also wait three hours during a workday?
We were forced to release the dog, even though he clearly didn’t want to go. He kept coming back to our home. At one point, he even followed a jogger—just wanting to play and be loved.
This entire situation left me deeply discouraged. What kind of message are we sending when it becomes impossible to do the right thing? Even my students, when I encourage them to care and take action, push back—cynical and disheartened. My own children were upset we couldn’t help the dog. And honestly, I understand why.
Let me tell you what I see: No one cares. And that’s the problem.
We need a better system—one that supports people who try to help animals, rather than punishing them with inaction, bureaucracy, and guilt. We need a system that values life, responsibility, and compassion.
Situations like this only confirm that we made the right decision. After nine months in this county, we’ve decided to move on. There are too many broken systems, and far too many people with closed minds who are unwilling to embrace change or new ideas.
Thank you for your time. God bless 🙂
Sincerely,
Audrey Montanez 🙂
Concerned citizen.
“The more I know people, the more I like dogs.”
County commissioners are 100% to blame for the lack of funding to help our homeless animals. I am a volunteer at the shelter, and the staffing issues continue to be frustrating. There are simply not enough paid staff at the shelter due to budget cuts to handle the huge demand. Volunteers are not allowed in the intake areas or in the intake process area. Only certain employees.
I feel everyone’s frustration, the commissioners are are pathetic and just shows what Guilford county really is about.
Yet the Guilford county commissioners can give money to the Woolworths museum and Friends of John Coltrane what a waste of people.
So sad that we are losing good new citizens because the ones that are here ‘Don’t care”. The stray dogs behave better than the people paid to “take care of them”
The new shelter is beautiful from the outside. The neighborhood around it is being overrun with stray animals. I’m not sure but I’m afraid people not able to get service there in a timely manner are simply dumping animals in the vicinity. The huge homeless population in the same area have taken in a lot of dogs recently as well. I doubt they were adopted thru the shelter, but rescued by those homeless.
From what I gathered, we used to have an animal shelter that ACTUALLY CARED about the animals brought there. Now the County Commissars have seen fit to cut expenses so they can fund all their personal pet projects (pardon the pun) since County taxpayers are on the verge of revolt.
Want another example? How about purchasing replacement vehicles for LEO on OUR credit card rather then paying outright and saving money i the long run. God forbid they have to cut back on their vote buying expenses.
Patrick is right…maybe we need a major taxpayer revolt. Does this county have a recall provision? If not, maybe we need one.
I brought a pet I found at my job, someone left it at the gas station I work at, to the shelter and was met with nothing but kindness and support. They had a long line of people waiting to dump their animals or to bring them strays. I even witnessed a man cussing and shouting at the staff to take his dog while the staff came out to help someone with the dog they found that looked very injured and couldn’t walk. Who does that?! Heck I almost stepped in to tell him to back off.
We need to understand that we can’t just dump all our problems on them and to start taking accountability for our own actions.. Don’t want your pet find it a home! Find a stray try to foster. I chose to foster and they got me in and out in a timely manner given that I could clearly see they were overwhelmed. They even gave some dog food and a crate. Their foster coordinator was also extremely helpful while I was fostering.
We need to all do better. I’ll continue to support them in any way I can
I used to work for the City of Greensboro and repeatedly called them about dogs and cats who were in need of assistance. Situations like dogs left out in a pouring rain (sometimes in the dead of winter) with absolutely no protection or they are tethered to something with no water or food in sight.
The responses that I usually received were ” we will get someone out there when we can.” I quickly realized that meant never since in another couple of days the same situation existed.
I completely understand how demanding and overwhelming this job could be. But if you took on this responsibility as your career choice, then how and why are you not fulfilling it.
Yes, the county commissioners made an absolute mess of the operating sequence. However, I have taken on personal responsibilities with residents that were not part of my job. But in order to be treated like a human being you have to put yourself in their position and only hope that someone would be willing to help you if you needed.
It seems to me that if unlimited amounts of tax dollars can be funneled to a never ending string of “pet projects” that is operated by a commissioners friend, then you should be able to fund an entity that is supposed to be an asset for the county.
Perhaps you should start citing and collecting fines from people that break the law. What a revenue stream that would create!
Well said Shelia.
My comment is not on point but the problem with the Animal Shelter is human population growth. The City and County brag about companies moving here but do nothing to accommodate the consequences of growth and that includes the Animal Shelter. More people result in pressure on the infrastructure, including more need for animal services. Politicians give taxpayer money to companies to move here without considering the effects on the environment and the current population. The politicians then refuse the funds needed to keep, in this case, the Animal Shelter operating sufficiently.
Yes well said Sheila. The amount of wasteful spending with no accountability is prevalent in both the city and county.
The dramatic increase in feral pets has been hard to deal with. The citizens of Guilford County are to blame. The County Animal Shelter is overwhelmed. I ask that everyone that reads this reach out to your elected County, and City representatives to ask for more funding. $200,000 would go a long way, just sayin’
$200,000 sounds like the “exact” amount of money that the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners (Melvin “Skip” Alston) has received approval for, on his co-founding of the Woolworth building. That “exact” $200,000 would be better spent on the animal shelter(s). At least the shelter gets some money back when someone adopts a pet, unlike the money pit of the Woolworth building!
It will never happen as long as these clowns are in office. Everyone I mean everyone needs to get out and vote and get them out of office they are nothing but crooks.
This is heartbreaking
She never stated which county. Was it Guilford? Just curious.
Let’s be realistic: I have adopted 5 neutered, male, shorthair felines over the past 26 years who have been the best companions one could ask for. But here’s the kicker: None of them cost me one cent. There are dozens of domestic, well-trained pets who fall into circumstances where they cannot stay with their owners. The internet is loaded with them. Craig’s List has them, Next Door has a few, and personal ads account for even more. These pets are heartbreakingly surrendered for whatever reason with the hopes they will be well taken of and good companions.
As long as the County continues to mismanage the shelter, I’ll continue to find my best friend in places where people are desperately looking for a kind, comfortable home. The price is right and the donor is especially grateful for a solution to their concern. I’ve kept in touch with each former-owner, sending photos, telling funny stories and the happiness can be seen by all involved.
The Animal Shelter needs to be “surprise visited” by our Council to see why adoption/surrender is a nightmare. Make it right; don’t just throw money at the problem. Too little effort is exerted hoping the problem will go away. This can be fixed with the right person(s) in charge.
Skip continues to ruin Guilford County with his money pits to “non profits”. He was all about solving the homeless problem. He hasn’t done squat. The Animal Shelter was a problem when it was at the old place. This is a nice new facility, but you can’t have this poor of service (3 hour wait time) Thats ridiculous. Hey Skippy, you go check it out. Take an animal and go stand for 3 hours, see if that’s to your liking. Fix the problem, hire enough staff to do the job. They need someone after hours that can do things, at least to check on the animals. They have to do that at the Jail. Skip, why dont you step down from the County, you haven’t solved any issues, just making things worse while padding you and your non profits pockets. Maybe the DOJ should be contacted to audit the County and Commissioners. I am sure there are plenty of whistleblowers out there.
Skippy don’t give a s**t. Dogs don’t get to vote.
Math Question: How many full time Animal Shelter personnel can be hired with $200,000?
Skip has an appropriate name!
Remember when the new shelter was being built and it was going to hold fewer animals than the then current overcrowded shelter? They said: “We have a plan to relieve the number of animals brought in, so the new smaller shelter will be more efficient.” How stupid do they think we are? Evidently their “plan” was to turn animals away, increase euthanasia and never, ever answer their phone. Guilford County is growing daily, but the animal shelter shrunk.
First of all thank you Audrey for going above and beyond trying to save this pup. I think someone above stated it well, funding cuts, look at our City Council and how they spend our money. We have one of the highest tax rates in North Carolina and they approve some crazy stuff, like those trash cans, now we have to pay for bags too and an extra can. Please look at who you vote for in the next election on our council. I own a pet sitting business and am deeply saddened by what they did by cutting funding at the shelter. Volunteers are trying to save the dogs by putting them on Next Door I commend them for doing that. Many people cannot visit a shelter, I for one, am one of those, Their efforts, get the dogs out there for adoption and so many Pibble mixes, breaks my heart. I have a rescue and shes been the best dog ever. They discontinued Dogs Day Out funding too. I never knew this new shelter was smaller than the other one till I read this above, that doesn’t make sense either.
People are struggling with inflation and dumping animals its all so very sad to me. Everytime I go on Next Door someone is rehoming an animal. I just read Juliets House has 200 cats to be adopted. If people would spay and neuter pets we wouldn’t have this issue. Enough said. God Bless the animals. They give unconditional love and some people don’t deserve to own them.
First of all thank you Audrey for going above and beyond trying to save this pup. I think someone above stated it well, funding cuts, look at our City Council and how they spend our money. We have one of the highest tax rates in North Carolina and they approve some crazy stuff, like those trash cans, now we have to pay for bags too and an extra can. Please look at who you vote for in the next election on our council. I own a pet sitting business and am deeply saddened by what they did by cutting funding at the shelter. Volunteers are trying to save the dogs by putting them on Next Door I commend them for doing that. Many people cannot visit a shelter, I for one, am one of those, Their efforts, get the dogs out there for adoption and so many Pibble mixes, breaks my heart. I have a rescue and she’s been the best dog ever. They discontinued Dogs Day Out funding too. I never knew this new shelter was smaller than the other one till I read this above, that doesn’t make sense either.
People are struggling with inflation and dumping animals its all so very sad to me. Every time I go on Next Door someone is rehoming an animal. I just read Juliets House has 200 cats to be adopted. If people would spay and neuter pets we wouldn’t have this issue. Enough said. God Bless the animals. They give unconditional love and some people don’t deserve to own them.
I can’t believe what I read in the above comments. What is wrong with our so-called Christian population. Does it only mean the immediate church goers. Doesn’t it extend to all of Gods creatures? I have six four legged fur babies. All of them from someone who didn’t want the bother or they just showed up at my house abandoned by someone and just wanting love, fresh water and dinner. They are all still here being loved and cared for. Four of them for 16 years and 2 for four years. I have often thought about volunteering at the shelter but know my heart couldn’t take it. I don’t even want to look at messages from people who want to genome and charge a fee. We should charge them a fee.