TEMPLE, Texas — The Marlin Animal Control Center (MACC) no longer has any dogs staying under its care. Many Central Texas fosters and rescues stepped in following allegations of animal neglect.
One of the dogs found in the Marlin Animal Control Center on Jan. 9 is now under the care of a Temple nonprofit.
According to a post on Facebook, the dog, named "Mary Francis", has been taken in by Pearl's Place, a nonprofit organization in Temple that specializes in caring for senior and special needs dogs.
Pearl's Place thanked Journey Home Rescue, another Temple organization, for picking Mary Francis up, and for their other work in the community.
"Somebody should've been checking on the dogs, making sure they were fed, they were cleaned and had everything they needed," expressed Frances Fischer, Co-Founder of Journey Home Rescue. "It's unacceptable, they need to have oversight."
The Marlin Police Chief told 6 News the animal control officer was taking care of the dogs twice a day, but Fischer believes otherwise.
"When I was there, there was at least three to four hundred pounds of dog food there," Fischer said. "The dogs just weren't being fed."
Fischer's daughter, Dorene Burlew, the other co-founder of Journey Home Rescue, said she is heartbroken, disappointed and devastated about the situation.
"They were neglected, they were starved," Burlew said. "This is supposed to be a shelter that helps the animals, or animals that are lost get back to their owners, or eventually a rescue and then to a home. These dogs weren't going anywhere except to a grave."
Sara Chaneyworth and her husband are fostering two of the dogs that were found in deplorable conditions.
"I wanted to help the citizens of Marlin and help these animals get a better place to go and get them out of that situation," Chaneyworth said.
One of the dogs Chaneyworth is fostering is a great pyrenees named Clyde, who she described as severely underweight. In fact, the vet told her he weighed 47 pounds and should be closer to 100 pounds.
"The great pyrenees -- you can feel his hips and so he's very withdrawn," Chaneyworth said.
On Jan. 9, a Marlin resident shared pictures and videos from the Marlin Animal Control Center showing malnourished dogs living in their own feces at the center. One dog even appeared to be dead.
The post quickly caused an outcry from the community, with numerous residents taking to the City's Facebook page pleading with them to correct the apparent living conditions at the shelter.
Marlin Police Chief James Hommel stated to 6 News that he and a council member had been at the shelter the previous night, and had brought in an "animal control person" that morning.
"I think we need training on cleaning the kennels," Hommel told 6 News. "Maybe we haven't been cleaning them as good as maybe we should have been cleaning them. We're going to look at our policies and go over policies and make sure that we're being trained to make sure that they're cleaned properly and taken care of properly."
Hommel said his intention is to "take care of the problem".
An outside investigation into the situation is reportedly being conducted by the Falls County Sheriff's Office.
"Knowing the heart of a dog, they all waited and believed someone would come," said Pearl's Place in the post. "Most made it out, but a few didn’t."
The organization said Mary Francis is the sweetest pup and they will "start her on her journey of healing."
Those who wish to donate to Pearl's Place to help in Mary Francis' care can do so through the following methods:
- Paypal - pearlsplaceusa@gmail.com
- Venmo - Pearls-place code 1452
- Cashapp - $pearlsplace13
Journey Home Rescue is always looking for donations and people who can foster furry friends. If you are interested, you can reach out here.
Additionally, a petition created by Dustin Tucker is making its way through the Falls County community. The petition was created in an effort to bring justice to Maverick, one of the dogs who died while at the Marlin Animal Control Center.
It reads the following:
"This isn't just about seeking justice for Maverick; it's about ensuring that no other pet or family has to suffer such heartbreak due to negligence or cruelty again."
The petition has a goal of 500 signitures and it currently sits at 211. To view the petition, visit here.
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