Horry Humane Society board member resigns
Published: December 15, 2008
Updated: December 15, 2008
HCHS Statement
The Board of Directors for the Horry County Humane Society have been working with Ms. Renee Macklen, Executive Director, and have completed a timeline of distemper diagnosies and steps taken by the shelter administration and staff to prevent the spread of the virus. This timeline and details on the matter will be presented at the Board meeting at Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle Beach on Wednesday evening at 6pm, along with the shelter’s plan of action.
To date there has still been only one confirmed positive case of distemper. Although there were three diagnosies before a positive test result was returned, one local veterinarian told Board officers this week that a “diagnosis” is no more than a “suspect identification” that canine distemper may exist. Many other viruses, such as the common kennel cough, carry similar symptoms to canine distemper. The only way to confirm canine distemper with 100% effectiveness is by necropsy.
The shelter’s first diagnosed case tested negative upon necropsy on the organs and tissue; the shelter received these results back on November 6th, but the shelter closed on November 3rd, 4th, & 5th upon diagnosis as a precautionary measure. Ms. Macklen ordered all dogs in the kennel to be vaccinated for canine distemper the same week.
The shelter received the confirmed case’s positive test results back from Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center on November 24th from another diagnosed dog that was euthanized and sent out for necropsy on November 6th. This dog had been returned to the shelter on November 5th by its owner due to health symptoms and was isolated from the recently cleaned shelter before being diagnosed and euthanized.
The source of the virus is still unknown, and is unlikely to be determined. The shelter had no choice but to euthanize 85 dogs last week because although they were vaccinated, there is the possibility that they were exposed to the virus before vaccination. The virus can be harbored in host canines for months, although the virus will not live for more than 3 hours without a host.
The shelter remains closed due to “legal hold” dogs that remain at the shelter that may have also been exposed to the virus. Ms. Macklen is currently working with the City of Conway and the County to have these dogs either released or quarantined so that sanitation will be 100% effective. However, shelter administration and staff are working at the shelter and anyone with questions or concerns may call 915-5170 or 915-5171.
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One of the 10 members of the Horry County Humane Society’s Board of Directors resigned from the board days before News13 broke news of a deadly virus outbreak at the county shelter.
The shelter closed Dec. 8 and remains closed indefinitely while shelter workers continue euthanizations and cleaning the facility.
Former board member, Lisa Cleary, who is married to state senator Ray Cleary, told News13 that her resignation had nothing to do with the ongoing distemper virus outbreak at the Horry County animal shelter.
Cleary attended the last board meeting in June and had remained inactive in board meetings since, which is why Cleary said she felt the need to resign.
The only times during the year Cleary said she would be able to attend meetings would be from June through December when the legislature was out of session and said her husband wanted her with him in Columbia more often during the session, Cleary said in a phone interview with News13.
As for the ongoing distemper crisis at the shelter, “I don’t know any details,” Cleary said.
“I know everyone’s heart is in the right place. It’s just sad this has happened,” Cleary said of the outbreak and fallout over the shelter’s handling of the situation.
The shelter adopted out 36 animals from Oct. 27 through Dec. 8 which were later returned to the shelter and euthanized because of health reasons, according to shelter documents obtained by News13.
On Nov. 3, a Conway veterinarian diagnosed a dog adopted form the shelter with “Probable K-9 Distemper,” according to documents.
The dog’s owners said they hand delivered the vet’s diagnosis to the shelter, but shelter director Renee Macklen said she was unaware of the diagnosis or that it was ever left with shelter staff.
On Nov. 24, a Clemson University lab faxed a confirmation of a distemper case to the shelter after a dog form the shelter was found to be infected with the deadly virus.
The shelter remained open and continued adopting animals out to the public until the shelter closed on Dec. 8.
In a press release from the shelter dated Dec. 11, the Humane Society’s board said 85 dogs were euthanized since the closing on Dec. 8.
News13 obtained documents Monday that shows shelter staff euthanized 107 dogs since closing on Dec. 8 through Monday.
Shelter documents also confirm that the shelter had adopted out 89 dogs from Oct. 27 through Monday, as of this posting.
Horry County Humane Society president Kate Philips said in an email to News13 that she planned to hold a press conference to address the issues at the shelter Monday.
Philips did not give a time or location of the conference.
The board has scheduled a public meeting to be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle Beach.
You can count on News13 to continue to follow this developing story as details become available.
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Reader Reactions
This is sick! All these dogs lost their life because of careless people and not just the workers. Which remind you most of them are from the jail that take care of washing out these cages and the shelter. Someone needs to make sure their doing it correctly. I am hoping that all of these dogs were sick when they were put down and hopefully someone didn’t say “well let’s not take a chance” and did it anyway. I hope they make sure for next time, not to let this happen. I think they need someone else to run this facility from now on.. RIP for all the dogs….
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