Evidence found of euthanasia at 'no-kill' animal shelter in Canyon Lake

Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Evidence found of euthanasia at 'no-kill' animal shelter in Canyon Lake 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

CANYON LAKE — Donations are flooding the Canyon Lake Animal Shelter following the ouster of its former operators over questionable management practices and conditions described as horrible.

New personnel arriving Monday reported finding pets covered in feces, tadpoles swimming in water dishes and dogs so hungry they fought each other for food.

Most shocking, they said, was the discovery of seven garbage bags in a freezer, each holding multiple corpses, despite the facility billing itself as a no-kill shelter.

“They're angry and upset,” Angie Gilstrap said Wednesday of animal lovers who have given money, pet food and volunteer labor this week. “They want to know why something like this happened in our community.”

Gilstrap alerted the Canyon Lake Animal Shelter Society, which owns the shelter.

She was among five new members elected to its six-person board at an emergency meeting Sunday to help turn things around.

“They knew there were problems, but they couldn't put the time in to make sure it was run correctly,” new board member Stephen Lindsey said about the former board.

Gary Mercado, former board chairman, said he recently volunteered to serve on the board since his wife had founded the shelter in the mid-1990s.

“I can't go in there on a day-to-day basis and watch over these people,” he said, disputing conditions were as poor as described by Gilstrap and others.

Despite being called a no-kill shelter, he said vicious dogs and pets with terminal illnesses were euthanized, as they are in similar shelters nationwide. “You can't just let them suffer,” he said.

Among his last actions was the dismissal Monday of the couple who'd long overseen shelter operations, Gina and Randy Archer.

More Information Canyon Lake Animal Shelter Society

They declined comment Wednesday.

Deputies issued trespass warnings to former workers to stay away from the Old Sattler Road shelter that's now home to about 70 dogs and 80 cats.

Based on reports of what new personnel found, Comal County Sheriff's Lt. Mark Reynolds said he's looking into possible animal cruelty and financial mismanagement issues there.

Gilstrap said incomplete shelter records indicate about 20 animals were euthanized in the past month, including 10 kittens who had ringworm.

“That's no reason to put down any animal,” she said. “It's easily curable.”

She said deputies are also investigating the disappearance over the weekend of 700 pounds of pet food from the shelter's locked shed between Saturday and Monday.

Gilstrap said the facility had been accused of charging people to drop off strays, treating volunteers poorly and euthanizing pets.

But nothing heard around town prepared newcomers for the poor conditions — especially the stench — they encountered Monday.

“I actually went outside and vomited, and that takes a lot,” said LeAnn Nelson, another new board member.

Mike McCollum showed up Wednesday with two bags of dog food, a $150 check and simmering anger.

“Animals are dependent on human beings for their survival,” the 67-year-old Startzville resident said. “When the guardians fail, the critters fail, and that's not right.”

Learning the shelter was under new management led George O'Brien to donate 375 pounds of pet food and 200 pounds of cat litter.

“I donated $2,500 two years ago. They wanted cash only. No checks,” he said. “I knew something was going on.”

Others also sensed things were amiss.

Diane Schaule, a regular donor to the shelter, said she reluctantly paid $150 employees demanded when she dropped off three stray cats.

“I believed they were a no-kill shelter. That's why I donated money to them,” said Schaule, 66, while cutting another check to support the shelter Wednesday.

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