GA: Animal Shelter Dogs On Death Row Get One More Night

Animal Shelter Dogs On Death Row Get One More Night
Cristen Drummond Story Created: Jan 8, 2013 at 7:36 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 8, 2013 at 8:28 PM EST

Director of the Macon-Bibb Animal Shelter extends the adoption period one more day for the dogs slated to be euthanized on Tuesday.

Sarah Tenon tells WGXA she is giving the dogs one more day because enough people have sponsored the animals for adoption including a woman from New York.

More than 25 people walked through the shelter including Michael Mask and his wife Shannon who wanted to adopt one of the eleven dogs on death row.

"We just felt bad for them we don't want to see any dogs put to sleep, I mean that's just sad," Mask said.

Majority of the dogs intended to be euthanized are pit bulls. Despite the reputation the breed receives, Mask said they're just like any other dog that needs a home.

"If you give them love, they'll love you back,” he said. “It's all about how the person treats the dog."

At 12 p.m. Shane Smith from international organization, Paws for Hope and Faith, walked through the shelter doors to try and save the dogs. Smith travels to different shelters around the country and Canada asking directors to stop euthanizations for a period of time while members from his organization find homes for the animals. The last time he visited the shelter was in June to pardon 77 dogs for a couple of weeks before the facility underwent pest fumigation

Smith and Tenon talked behind a locked door for about 30 minutes. In the end, they discussed the possibility of him adopting two of the 11 dogs, but no pardons.

While Smith tries to give a few lives more time, Mask and his wife adopted 2-year-old pit bull Lolly to take home as present for their sons 13th birthday.

"It's like having a new baby,” Shannon Halsted said. “I'm just ready to fatten her up get her all happy."

At the end of the day, there were a total of nine dog adoptions and six of those were pooches intended to be euthanized. There are still five that need to be adopted or else risk being put to sleep.

The shelter will open at 11 a.m. All the dogs on death row are sponsored for adoption but people will have to pay a refundable $50 spade and neuter deposit.

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