For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, the Gwinnett’s Animal Welfare and Enforcement Unit will not be run by the county’s police department.
Officials announced Thursday that the unit — which oversees the county’s animal control and shelter programs — will be placed under the management of the Department of Community Services. The move will be effective April 1.
“The Gwinnett County Police Department has done a remarkable job of improving the shelter over the past several years,” Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens said in a news release. “Animal saves are up and euthanasia rates are at historic lows. I’m confident that our Department of Community Services will continue to build on that success.”
The announcement comes less than 48 hours after shelter manager Curt Harrell was fined for euthanizing a dog that was protected under a court order. But county officials said the move had been planned "for several months" and that the shelter's current management team and staff will stay on.
The police department has managed the animal welfare unit since 1993, but some animal rights and rescue groups have lobbied for years for Gwinnett’s shelter to be taken out from under its control. A 2012 task force appointed by the county’s Board of Commissioners argued that the shelter should be run by civilians, not law enforcement.
County spokesman Joe Sorenson said Thursday that the move will help the police department better focus on its “primary mission” while simultaneously moving animal welfare — which relies heavily on volunteers — under the guidance of “a department that specializes in leveraging volunteers.”
Gwinnett’s community services department oversees several agencies, including the county’s health and human services; parks and recreation; and voter registration and elections divisions.
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