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State Orders Project Smiley Animal Rescue Shelter to Close

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Robert Boyer, High Point Enterprise, N.C.

Mar. 22--ASHEBORO -- Project Smiley has again been ordered to shut down after a state agency found unsanitary, cramped conditions at the animal rescue shelter. A Randolph County Animal Control official delivered the order to shelter operator Brenda Bishop on March 16 on behalf of the state Department of Agriculture.

The order came after state Agriculture Department veterinarian Carol Woodlief visited Bishop's unlicensed shelter at 3424 U.S. 64 east on Feb. 2 and March 14, said department spokesman Brian Long.

Woodlief found damaged kennels, poor sanitation, a lack of food bowls and water and 47 dogs, including a sick dog that needed to be isolated. Two kennels designed to hold four dogs each held six dogs apiece. A third kennel held five dogs, Long said.

The move is the latest in a series of problems for the shelter, which once operated out of a former gas station on Phillips Avenue in High Point.

A Guilford County magistrate ordered Bishop to close down that shelter in June 2002. The order came after a long-running dispute between Bishop and property owner Ouida Kent and numerous complaints from residents.

Bishop later operated the shelter in Lexington before moving to Randolph County, according to the Web site for Hugs for Homeless Animals, an animal advocacy group.

"Our involvement with her goes back quite some time," said" said MiMi Cooper, health director for Randolph County.

Bishop operated Project Smiley in Asheboro and two other locations since moving to Randolph County. Residents called in scores of complaints, including 15 in one day, Cooper said.

A Randolph County District Court judge found Bishop guilty of animal cruelty and failure to vaccinate a dog around Thanksgiving of 2004 and sentenced her to probation on the condition that she follow animal control laws, Cooper said. Couldn't confirm this. Bob.

County officials later got complaints that dogs were running loose on U.S. 64.

Animal control officers visited the shelter Feb. 9 and issued animal cruelty, nuisance violations and other citations based on county ordinances, Cooper said. County officials plan to argue in court that the citations are proof that Bishop violated her probation.

Bishop faces a civil penalty of up to $5,000 and she has 30 days to permanently relocate the dogs to licensed animal shelters or state-approved veterinary facilities, Long said.

Bishop was unable to be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Cooper said her office will work with state officials, but will continue their independent inquiry and pursue charges against Bishop.

Cooper said shutting down the shelter is difficult.

"It's frustrating. When she finishes, she'll just move to another county."

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Copyright (c) 2006, High Point Enterprise, N.C.

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Source: High Point Enterprise

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