Nash County’s animal shelter failed inspection on Tuesday after state officials found a dead kitten, improperly cleaned facilities and no veterinarian on site.
Animal welfare officials with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found the shelter in violation of several regulation standards.
The state notified Nash County Manager Stacie Shatzer that Nash County Pet Connection Center faces a $9,100 fine for the violations. It must pay up or appeal within 60 days.
WRAL News has reached out to the county and the animal shelter, but neither has responded.
Laura Morris, who has spoken to WRAL News in the past about conditions at the center said the latest inspection is appalling and heartbreaking.
“I do not understand why the county cannot allocate in their budget the proper means to run this shelter,” she said Wednesday.
The document from Tuesday’s inspection said the Pet Connection Center did not have records created for several animals, including a kitten that was found dead during inspection. There were also five dogs and two cats at the facility being boarded for an off-duty staff. These animals also had no records.
Although the license requires the Pet Connection Center to be cleaned twice daily at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., the inspector found that around 11:20 a.m., cleaning had not been completed.
Dog kennels had been cleaned, but two rooms each housing a dog and her litter of pups had not been cleaned, and the rooms had feces and urine throughout, according to the report.
The cat adoption room that houses seven cats had not been cleaned. Four litter boxes were completely soiled, and none of the cat cages throughout the facility had been cleaned. Inspectors also found that an outlet was exposed, likely due to cats chewing on the cords and cover.
Inspectors also found 10 enclosures for cats and dogs without water on a day when the outdoor temperature was in the mid-90s.
The deceased kitten that was found was allegedly brought into the shelter on Friday, July 18, to receive treatment for an upper respiratory disease. But when inspectors arrived on Tuesday, the kitten was found dead, most likely succumbing to its untreated sickness.
At the time of the Tuesday inspection, Nash County Pet Connection Center housed 100 animals.
The inspection noted that the shelter has a staff of only two, but one was on vacation, leaving one person responsible for the care of 100 animals.
Staff told inspectors they no longer had a veterinarian on site, and no one on staff is certified to vaccinate animals. According to Tuesday’s inspection document, the Nash County Pet Connection Center had a similar issue in September 2024, when 27 dogs were found to be unvaccinated for rabies. The shelter did pass their 2024 inspection, according to official documents.
Given the issues with cleanliness, absence of veterinary care, lack of required rabies vaccinations and lack of animal records, Nash County Pet Connection Center failed its 2025 inspection Tuesday.
Although the state inspects shelters, it does not have statutory authority to take over an animal shelter that fails inspection. The state can revoke or suspend the license of the Nash County Pet Connection Center.
Previous violations
This is not the first time Nash County has violated animal welfare standards in their shelters.
In June of this year, the county was fined $6,700 for multiple violations, and the animal shelter director was fired after a report revealed some animals were left with no water, dirty litter boxes and a lack of medical care at the facility.
