Animal shelter conditions

Reported after touring three other counties' shelters at Commissioner Scott's request that Polk's facilities are older but well-maintained and animals are evaluated individually.

A small-scale rescuer showed pictures and told stories of dogs she rescued from the shelter that were starving or gravely ill; said a heart stick is not a peaceful death.

A shelter volunteer who described cold, uninsulated concrete kennels with wet bedding during the freeze, said the nearly 40-year-old facility needs to be redone, and asked for an animal welfare advisory committee.