Founder of Local Animal Rescue Group Fights To Stay Open
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Founder of Local Animal Rescue Group Fights To...
Barbara Gleitsmann founded Happy Tails Rescue, 7 years ago. She says she's never had any complaints, until September. Now, she has a court date on Thursday that could shut both of her businesses down...
Barbara Gleitsmann founded Happy Tails Rescue, 7 years ago. She says she’s never had any complaints, until September. Now, she has a court date on Thursday that could shut both of her businesses down and no answers on what would happen to her rescued animals. WJBF News Channel 6’s Barclay Bishop reports.
Published: November 10, 2009
Updated: November 10, 2009
Appling, GA—For 7 years, Barbara Gleitsmann has been rescuing animals through Happy Tails Rescue. The animals live with her and her volunteers.
Barbara Gleitsmann, Happy Tails Rescue founder, and owner of Whisker’s Resort: “I mean, we do hundreds a year, hundreds a year. All of the animals are inside crates in heated temperature controlled buildings every night.”
But now, Barbara has found herself on the other side of the fence, fending for herself…trying to save both of her businesses from being shut down. According to Columbia County Animal Control, Barbara was cited twice because a neighbor complained of excessive barking from the dogs.
Gleitsmann: “When animals are dropped off and picked up, there often is some noise, I admit that. But, it is not excessive, in my opinion, and it is not continuous.”
Barbara says she’s never been cited for anything besides the two notices she just received…notices that are now sending her to court, with the possibility of having her boarding business, Whisker’s Resort, and Happy Tails shut down.
Gleitsmann: “It makes my stomach turn, it makes me angry. It makes me resent being a citizen of this county. And, I’ve been a proud citizen of this county for 20 years.”
We went to the neighbor’s home who had made the complaints, but she declined to go on camera.
Gleitsmann: “I just think that it’s unfair. It is unjust. It’s not that I think my practices shouldn’t be questioned. All of us need to answer questions, that’s not the issue. It’s that it’s unfair, and I feel like it’s really targeted.”
Just days before Barbara heads before a judge, she says she’s done all she can to be a good neighbor and hopes justice will prevail for both her and her rescued animals.
Gleitsmann: “The people that rely on my business for boarding they will be greatly impacted. The community will be greatly impacted if Happy Tails Rescue cannot continue to save homeless animals in this community and in the region.”
Barbara tells us the inspector of the Georgia Department of Agriculture makes periodic, and unannounced visits. She says she’s never been cited by the inspector. She also tells us she has never received any other complaints from neighbors who live on her street. She’ll head to magistrate court on Thursday morning.
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Reader Reactions
Being an animal lover and owner I dont see how people can say barking is noise. Dogs are family and their barking is their way of talking to us. Think of it this way if they shut Happy Tails down, how many homeless dogs do you think will be barking then? All over the county maybe in your own yard. Hopefully the courts will realize how much good you do for this county. Keep up the great work Happy Tails!! Most of us in Columbia Cty are behind you 100%!
Being an adoptive parent of a cat that was well loved and taken care of by Barbara and her foster families, and personally seeing the facilities that Happy Tails runs, I could not ask for a more responsible animal adoption service! They are completely responsible for all the medical well being of their dogs and cats that are up for adoption and they do a check of the animals through a trusted service before ever putting them up for adoption! Granted yes, if you put any amount of dogs together and they are playing they are going to bark. These poor animals are happy to have a loving enviroment where they are not chained up to trees, left with no food,or put in dumpsters and left for dead. The small shed that was displayed on this video is not the “facility” it is one of the buildings that she has, not the complete facility and not counting the numerous foster homes that are connected with Happy Tails! Ms. Barbara runs a wonderful establishment that helps take in these poor animals that other’s have abandoned and place them in safe and loving enviroments. Not to attack “kitty” but seeing as you did not adopt the cat because it had aids…then obviously it was being seen by a medical professional and was not allowed to be adopted out…that was responsible! It is sad that the poor cat had aids, but do not think for one moment that Happy Tails was the one to give the cat aids. Unfortunately it didn’t get a chance to live a happy and healthy life like most that they do get to rescue and adopt out to good homes! And once again the small shed on TV is NOT the only facility that she has, that shed was only a small part of the Happy Tails Rescue home!
Kitty, sorry to read about the kitty with feline aids, yes, that is a horrible disease with (usually)no good outcome. Point of information, I don’t mind hearing barking dogs, I have them all over my neighborhood, just choose not to have any myself. I hope that you’ll give adoption another try.
Kitty, perhaps you are unfamiliar with rescue work. Perhaps you don’t know what the inside of an Animal Control kennel looks like, nor what the process for euthanizing them is like. No doubt you’ve never pulled a dog on the verge of being euthanized from a kill shelter. In fact, I’m sure you DON’T and you HAVEN’T, or you wouldn’t find the “shed and window unit” unacceptable. Maybe you should tool around town and see how many animals who are NOT homeless are kept…chained in the yard (no window unit!) without companionship or even water…or roaming streets filled with cars. Your nerve and your zealotry in criticizing this rescue bespeaks a sad spirit…or someone with an axe to grind. In any case, you do NOT know what you’re talking about.
For God sakes get real people Barbara may do a good job with dogs but I know for a fact she does not do a good job with cats because I was going to adopt a cat from her and it had (feline aids) so I didn’t adopt that poor cat. It needed to be put down because they suffer horribly with that disease. And as far as not having any evidence…(Connie) a picture is worth a thousand words just look at the video with the shed and window unit!! Miss crazycatlady why don’t pack up and move next to her since you love to hear barking dogs!
Please feel free to make your comments directly to the Magistrate’s Office, here’s the website for contact info:
http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/Index.aspx?page=2993
In 2009, Happy Tails rescue has been responsible for 98% of the dogs pulled from Columbia County Animal Control by rescue groups. In 2008, the total number of dogs rescued by Happy Tails from CC Animal Control was 282. Is this county willing to kill 282 more dogs per year? Shame on Linda Fulmer, the CC Animal Control director for her politically motivated role in this matter. She has wasted a significant amount of taxpayer money.
I live in Atlanta and have had the pleasure of pulling shelter dogs on behalf of Happy Tails. These were animals who were abandoned, stray or turned over because they were no longer wanted. Lots of these animals are surrendered because the neighbors are without understanding or compassion. I have 4 dogs - each of my neighbors has a dog. They all bark - because they can. They bark because they are sad, happy, chasing squirrels - whatever. And my back yard backs up to a wooded golf club - heaven forbid that they bark at deer and the howling coyotes. If Barbara’s location is zoned for her business, it is reasonable that there will be noise. What would be the ramifications if these were her children making the noise? Duct tape or surrender to DFACS? Thank God I don’t have the neighbors to suffer from as Barbara has endured. Guess when life is too messy, we have got to simply tidy it up.
I would appear at Magistrate Court on behalf of the rescue; not so certain I would interested in the self righteous preens that have necessitated the county intervene in what amounts to a beauty pageant.
I’m disappointed with the nasty comments by those who chose to attack Barbara personally. Who will fill the gap if the rescue should be forced to close because of a neighbor who purchased property but did not do his research AND who chose not to participate in this report? Why should the rescue have to relocate, they were there first. Thank you, Barbara, for what you do for all these animals.
Thank you, Happy Tails, for all that you do to serve the CSRA. I adopted Wyndall, a red pomeranian, from Happy Tails about 8 months ago. Wyndall and I are so happy together. Please don’t let the mean-spirited comments frustrate you. You do wonderful work for our community and many, many people are grateful to you for that. Be encouraged!
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