LEWISBURG, TN (WSMV) -
Suzanne Ganser, a volunteer, has rescued about a dozen animals from Lewisburg's animal control shelter during the past year.
Tuesday, she confirmed to one of the city's animal control officers that she was going to pick up nine dogs scheduled to be euthanized Wednesday. Hours before the rescue, she received a heartbreaking call from an animal control officer.
"'We had to clean up today', I said, what you mean? I said, does that mean you put the dogs to sleep? He said, 'yes we did.' A number of these dogs were only a few months old, they were very adoptable," said Ganser.
There were 28 animals at the animal control facility Wednesday, the approved capacity is 20 animals
Lewisburg's City Manager Tommy Engram said there was a lot of confusion as to when the animals would be picked up from the shelter.
"I've heard they were not going to do anything till 10 in the morning, then we are not going to do anything till noon, then, not until 3 p.m.," said Engram.
Engram said animal control officers had emergencies to respond to, and could not be at the facility at any given time. He said room had to be made for arriving animals.
"When we get over 20 animals in that shelter we are going to have to do something," said Engram.
What upsets Ganser, of the 13 animals put down on Wednesday, nine could have been saved.
Engram questioned why the volunteer waited until a crisis point.
"The point I'm trying to make to you is, if these people were concerned about those animals, they would have been here yesterday," said Engram.
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