Animal control in Evangeline Parish has long been a sore spot. The parish is rife with stray dogs due to lack of spay/neuter advocacy. Ville Platte has a shelter, but the building is old and has been in desperate need of repairs for a long time. Mamou’s shelter cannot even be called a shelter; it’s an open-air shed which acts as a holding facility. Both pounds euthanized dogs regularly until concerned citizens took action. Rescue groups were created, animals were rescued, but there is still a long road ahead for the dogs of Evangeline Parish.
All shelters/pounds in Louisiana have to meet standard regulations according to the Louisiana Animal Control Advisory Task Force (LACATC). The task force members are appointed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner and functions within the LDAF. The LACATC Shelter Inspection Program is a comprehensive program that provides recommendations to animal control agencies on how to provide a high quality, effective shelters to the communities they serve. Both Ville Platte and Mamou have failed yearly inspections in the past, but both towns are now committed to having a safe space for homeless animals.
Ville Platte
Ville Platte’s animal control office, located next door to the pound, is falling apart. The floors are badly damaged. There is a plexiglass door with iron grating that does not keep the sun out, so the door stays open with a sheet hanging in the doorway to block the heat of the sun. Aaron, the animal control officer, said even though they have an air conditioner, if the outside temperature is too hot in the summer, “You’re going to cook if you stay in here.” He said the city is making the needed improvements for not only the office, but the pound, too. Also, he has recently been certified in animal cruelty investigations.
On Monday, March 8, several dogs were tethered outside to enjoy the nice weather. Some were in the outside holding pens so they could get fresh air. Workers were there, flushing the drainage in the holding area for the dogs, and the ceiling vent fan was fixed which now helps to draw out any hot air. The dogs have fans for when it’s hot, and they had heat during the winter weather.
The shelter has been in need of repairs for years. At least two dogs have died in the last year or so, one of which died because it was able to stick its head through a hole and bite down on an electric cord. Some repairs have been made, but there is still a long way to go. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said, “We have a long to-do list of repairs and renovations for the city shelter.” Thanks to local rescue groups, the dogs are getting vetted with all of the medications and vaccinations they need. Vidrine invited the public to follow the city pound’s Facebook page to see the dogs available for adoption.
Ville Platte councilwoman Faye Lemoine, who represents the district where the pound resides, has also been bringing the shelter conditions to the council. At their March 9 meeting, she requested a new building for the animal control officer, and to use the old building for storage. Vidrine said they are in the process of pricing portable buildings for a new office, and they will be getting two new kennels for the pound. Also, a used freezer is being donated to store food.
Councilman Mike Perron agrees with Lemoine as both care about the dogs at the city pound, and they have been trying to get it upgraded. He was able to get the police jury to grade the badly-damaged road to the facility. At the council meeting, he asked for larger pens for the dogs. Concerning upgrades to the shelter, Perron said, “It encourages me the mayor is backing this.”
Mamou
On Monday, March 8, two dogs were in each a pen at the Mamou holding facility. There was no Mamou employee on the premises because there is no designated animal control officer for the town. There were no beds in the pens for the dogs; there were only plywood slabs for them to sleep on. Dirty water was provided in old hydrochloric acid buckets, and food was sparse. The pens were filled with days worth of excrement.
A call was placed to Mamou Town Hall twice before a town worker showed up. When asked how often the dog pens are cleaned, the worker said someone comes every day to clean them, but there is no set employee or schedule to tend to the dogs. The employee then transferred the dogs to clean pens with beds and provided clean water and food.
Greta Ardoin, a volunteer with Every Paw Animal Rescue (EPAR), had shown up on the scene and asked how long the dogs had been held at the facility. The worker said one dog had been there over the weekend, while the other dog had been there for two weeks. Ardoin said the town is supposed to contact EPAR after the seven-day holding period so that the rescue group can pick up the dogs to try to get them fostered or adopted. She said no one told EPAR about either dog that was being held.
Mamou Mayor Ricky Fontenot said, “We don’t really keep animals unless we have to keep animals. We have some volunteers who are willing to help out. We are working with EPAR on adoptions where they come and get the dogs instead of us trying to keep them. We have heating lamps when it’s cold, but at least they’re not in the rain.” He added, “They want these dogs to be treated like humans. Hopefully one day the parish will be available to do something.”
Mamou has been accused of euthanizing shelter dogs by shooting them. Fontenot said they do not shoot shelter dogs, and they haven’t euthanized any dogs in about a year or so because they have been letting the rescue groups pull them out. He said when they did have them euthanized, a local veterinarian would come and administer an injection.
Fontenot said he took issue with Jen Shaw, head of EPAR, from a year or so ago. He said there were a bunch of dog supplies that Shaw said she was picking up for the town of Mamou, but they all went to her house. “She wanted to me to send my people to stack it up in her shed, but I said no,” said Fontenot. “I told her to stop using the town of Mamou’s name for her benefit. I didn’t appreciate it. I didn’t want her to get involved. I’m not saying she’s not trying to do the best she can do, but I didn’t appreciate that. Fontenot added the town is not supposed to operate the holding facility as a shelter because it cannot pass code according to the stipulations with the LACATC.
At the March 10 council meeting, Ardoin discussed plans to upgrade the Mamou pound to bring it up to code to be a holding facility. She said the state inspector with the LDAF went to Mamou to explain what changes needed to happen for the town to safely hold dogs. The roof will have to be raised, cracks in the concrete will have to be sealed, more concrete slabs and kennels, enclosing the facility, etc.
Ardoin said the estimate is $42,650. She plans on taking out a loan and paying for it with her own money, but hopes to raise funds for at least half the cost because the estimate is far more than she had planned on spending. The council agreed to pay part of the renovation but will need a little time to figure out how much they can afford. Also, they will hire an animal control officer to make sure the dogs’ needs are met. Mayor Fontenot said the town will start enforcing leash laws to help curb roaming dogs, which will, hopefully, lessen overpopulation.
Rescue Groups
The local rescue groups, while good-intentioned, have had to learn through trial-and-error the difficult task of rescuing. Often times, members of different groups get angry with each other for how they handle things, and miscommunications and accusations occur.
Every Paw Animal Rescue (EPAR) and Desperate Dogs of Ville Platte and Mamou have been rescuing dogs from the pound to get them either fostered, adopted, or transported to other rescue groups. They have also been getting the dogs tested for heartworms, facilitating donations, and using volunteers to walk the dogs.
In response to the criticism she has received, Jen Shaw, head of EPAR, said when she first started helping in Mamou, she would get donated items, bring them to Mamou, and when she’d go back a couple of days later, they were gone. She personally rents a large storage container which she pays with her own money to hold donated items. She brought heaters and fans to the Mamou shelter, but they are gone now. She does not know what happened to them. “None of the donations were for the Mamou pound,” she said. “Every box that ever came to my house is for EPAR, which is part of the parish, as is Mamou. Of course we’re going to donate to Mamou. That’s what we do. Some people have pets but have low income, so we bring them pet food.”
Melissa Gibson is a volunteer with the rescue group Desperate Dogs of Ville Platte and Mamou, formerly Desperate Dogs of Rural Louisiana. Pamela Mancuso was also a volunteer of that group, but said she was forced out of Ville Platte because she fought for the dogs at the pound. “If I’m no longer allowed there, I cannot authenticate how things are being handled. Every person has their own personal choices in how they do things,” said Mancuso, who asked Gibson not use the name of the rescue group, which Mancuso claims is hers. Gibson said the two of them created the group and the name together. Mancuso said she wants everyone to know the name “Desperate Dogs of Rural Louisiana” is now the title of her personal blog, which she no longer publishes. Gibson, not wanting to expel energy on a trivial matter, essentially started a new group called Desperate Dogs of Ville Platte and Mamou.
Mancuso was upset with the City of Ville Platte saying the dogs were being vetted when they were not. She said this made other rescue groups not want to take in Ville Platte dogs because of the large issue of heart worms and the costly treatment of the parasites.
Additonally, Mancuso, who has disputes with Shaw, questioned why the the Evangeline Parish Police Jury has $1,000 set aside each month for EPAR to use to help animals get vetted. “We never touch that money,” said Shaw. “We send the vet bill directly to the Police Jury, and they pay the vet.” Some have accused Shaw of stealing money. She responded, “We have $6,000 in vet bills that we only get $1,000 a month for. I do fundraisers where I get $500-$600. We’re still in debt thousands and thousands, but ‘I’m stealing money.’ And all of the gas in these vehicles that I run all the time, comes out of my own pocket.”
Community Involvement
Evangeline Parish Library staff member Emily Fontenot got the ball rolling for the Ville Platte pound to be the library’s charitable cause. Community members have used the parish libraries as a drop-off locations for donations of food, beds, blankets, toys, etc. Gibson said donations have come in from other organizations, like 4-H members donated food, collars, leashes, and Sacred Heart donated food, toys, and treats.
In addition to grading the road to the Ville Platte pound, the Police Jury has also donated some land where EPAR can build a parish shelter. Shaw said Mancuso was upset with her that EPAR is building the shelter as a private facility rather than a parish facility. “It’s because we’re going to run it on donations only,” said Shaw, adding, “We will have four kennels adjacent to the shelter. If an animal control officer has problems with a feral dog at night or over the weekend, the officer will be able to bring it to the outside kennels for holding.” Police Jury President Ryan LeDay Williams and Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron said they are letting EPAR take the reins because Shaw and her group have the financial backing to get the shelter made.
Shaw said the pandemic stalled the building of the shelter, but she expects construction to begin in the next couple of months. The shelter, which will be located next door to Cajun Coop in Ville Platte, will start with about 14 kennels with the intention of adding more later.
‘Snipping’ the problem in the bud
While the rescue groups work hard to rescue the dogs, get them vetted and transported to rescue organizations all over the country, there is only so much they can do in a rural parish where animal overpopulation is rampant. There is discussion about bringing low-cost spay/neuter services to the parish to help curb overpopulation of dogs and cats. Standard veterinarian spay services can cost over $100, but organizations like SpayNation, located in Lafayette, receive grants and donations to provide low-cost options for less than half the price. SpayNation even has a catch/spay/release option for feral cats, which costs around $20, sometimes less.
Shaw said EPAR helped to provide a low-cost spay/neuter clinic last year where over 180 dogs and over 60 cats were spayed, charging $20 for dogs and $10 for cats. EPAR, in partnership with SpayNation, will offer a $5 vaccine clinic soon at the old Teet’s location in Ville Platte, and anyone from anywhere is welcome to bring their pet to get vaccinated. A low-cost spay/neuter service offered locally would save Evangeline Parish more money in the long run, increase safety for residents, and make for healthier animals.
Despite trial-and-error, feuds, arguments, and accusations, all of the rescue groups want the same thing: to help the forgotten animals of Evangeline Parish who do not have a voice. Now, thanks to persistent efforts and public awareness, civic organizations are listening to their constituents and finally getting on board.