Hi all. I'm a new member from Savannah GA where since January we've been helping save animals left behind since the 3rd Infantry Division began deployment in January. Now we're fighting city hall and the county commission on a very confusing matter.
We operate on all foster homes and boarding at one kennel and lots of veterinarians offices (and the bills are mounting very high now). So all our fosters are full.
Savannah/Chatham has a '3 dogs within 100 ft of a neighbor's house' limit. One city marshall has made it his personal mission to shut us down and then amend city/county codes to halt about 90 other state licensed rescuers in the area from doing the same.
The local Humane Society is providing legal counsel for us...and even Animal Control came to my home to inspect and give us the first ever 'approval' to house multiple dogs within the city/county BECAUSE we are clean, vetted AND LICENSED BY THE STATE OF GEORGIA AGRICULTURE DEPT! We even found a code in the city/county ordinances that exempts us from the dog limit if licensed by the state. However at our initial meeting with the city marshall and the judge - they then claimed that if we are licensed as a kennel/rescue - we must be in violation of ZONING! However they'be been unable to provide us with any copy of any zoning ordinance that states that.
Still we have to go back to meet with the city and judge tomorrow afternoon. My attorney says the protocol is different since this is not a court case - yet. So far it's 'an administrative hearing' - but the judge could say we have to vacate all dogs except three. In that event, our atty plans to say 'take us to court' - but I stand to lose even our personal pets.
Therefore we're trying desperately to place any dogs - so we can move out our own to boarding if need be. Meanwhile we're looking at some property tomorrow to consider purchasing and moving -however that can't be done overnight and I must sell my own home first.
We need rescues for seniors, labs, hounds, rotties, a chow, a samoyed, any and all dogs in our care. If you have anyway we can cross post the animals on our website - I'd be eternally grateful - and hopefully we could save these lives. All are posted on our site
www.southernco mfort.petfinde r.com ...
Any ideas?
