Officials rebut accusations of abuse at Mamou dog pound

Allegations of abuse have recently been floating around concerning the dog pound in Mamou.
Terence Thomas, dog catcher for the town, said people get angry when they have to pay to get their dogs out of the pound, so they make up stories of abuse or neglect. These stories often lead to the allegations of abuse.
Jen Shaw with EPAR (Every Paw Animal Rescue) said she had not heard anything about the accusations. Shaw said, “I am there almost every day bringing the dogs treats and taking pictures, and the dog catcher works close with me and he is a good guy.”
EPAR is the animal rescue group for Evangeline Parish. They do not have a shelter, so they have to rely on foster homes to help them place rescued pets.
Improvements to the shelter in Mamou; however, are in the works as the Humane Society of Louisiana has received donations from several sources, including the Taylor Foundation which operates out of Florida, and several prominent individuals who have pledged several thousands of dollars. At least $1,000 worth of goods or services will be distributed. Similar shelters are in Merryville, and Simmsport.
According to a press release from the HSL, the society recently launched itsinaugural Louisiana Animal Shelter Campaign, which encourages residents to support their local public animal shelters in order to increase adoptions, lower euthanasia rates, and attract more resources. HSL is urging residents to visit their local shelters and donate their time or drop off bags of food, toys or treats for the animals housed there. HSL estimates that there are at least 100 public shelters in the state, with more than half of them in desperate need of additional support from the communities they serve.
“The vast majority of public shelters need more support, whether its structural upgrades or repairs to the buildings, the donation of cleaning supplies, the purchase of new computers, or simply buying extra pet food--virtually any size gift would help. We’d love to see more people, clubs, businesses, and civic associations volunteer or donate. If more people got involved on the local level, it would make life easier for the people who work at these shelters and the animals who are housed there,” says Jeff Dorson, HSL Director.
HSL also wish to single out EPAR, whose members volunteer at the Mamou shelter. EPAR only has a small handful of volunteers who help more than 1,200 dogs a year. This year they have transported 760 to new homes and adopted 58. EPAR greatly needs bags and cans of adult and puppy food, puppy pads, and flea-rid medication. EPAR can be contacted by emailing them at mamoupound@yahoo.com. You can also reach EPAR through their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/everypawanimalrescue/.