Animal Services director gives insight in wake of policy change
Concho Valley Homepage staff spoke with San Angelo Animal Services Director Morgan Chegwidden to better understand this new policy change and its effects moving forward.
'We said if there is going to be a point if this facility is going to euthanize happy, healthy dogs, it is going to be after we have exhausted every resource available, including an outcry to the public, that if the community shows up and says, 'Look, we've done all we can, we cannot help any more,' our partners are done, everybody is tapped out, and then I have to euthanize a healthy pet, then that would be, it was going to be fully transparent,' she said. 'Everyone would know we are euthanizing for capacity because we were full and we tried and we advocated and there was no one for this dog.'
RELATED: CVPAWS responds to animal shelter policy change
While no dogs have been euthanized for capacity at the facility since 2015, Chegwidden explained that this could be changing as soon as today, Feb. 27, because of the new policy change. A recommendation for this decision has not been given to the animal shelter from the task force that was recently created tp prioritize public safety, health and animal welfare.
This policy, which Concho Valley PAWS said will increase the number of euthanasias, was shared with the animal shelter on Feb. 25 by the City of San Angelo management. The San Angelo Animal Shelter then implemented the policy on Feb. 26.
Chegwidden confirmed that dogs surrendered by their owner could be euthanized upon arrival, and stray dogs that do not have a collar or a microchip can be euthanized after 72 hours.
She further explained that shelter staff will potentially have to start discriminating against dog breeds as they will have to start assessing adoptability on intake.
'One thing that's been important to us and to Concho Valley PAWS, if I can speak on their behalf, we don't make decisions about medical care or investment in an animal based on breed,' Chegwidden said. 'We assess the individual animal.
'Under this new policy, we are probably going to have to because {the shelter} are going to have to assess adaptability and if we are euthanizing pets for space and we are at capacity and I've got a lady coming into owner surrender five dogs, I might have to decide if every single dog on the premises is healthy and happy, we are going to have to pick adaptability and a dog that is less adoptable will be euthanized over a husky, a German shepherd, a shitzu,' Chegwidden continued.
Animal Services relaxes dog intake policies
With the possibility of dogs being relinquished by their owner more frequently and more strays being picked up, the shelter and Concho Valley PAWS' ability to advocate for an animal could soon be obsolete. This would take away a dog's last chance at being seen by someone who could save them.
'That's really hard for me. That's really hard for us as a team,' Chegwidden said.
Because of this quick turnaround that has now been implemented, Concho Valley PAWS' ability to asses a medical case and raise money to help save a dog in need could also be hindered.
Chegwidden shared that while Concho Valley PAWS might be caring for the animal and working for the dog to receive medical care, it is still being sheltered at the animal shelter, therefore making the dog a potential pick to be euthanized to make space for incoming dogs.
The previous policy required pet owners to undergo counseling and be put on a waitlist to enter the shelter. While it is no longer a requirement, San Angelo Animal Services is still offering these services.
Residents will see a change in euthanasia lists. The daily lost and found report that San Angelo Animal Services publishes on Facebook will now act as the euthanasia list as any dog can be euthanized at any time.
While there is currently a euthanasia list with a deadline set for March 1, Chegwidden assured that these dogs would be given until the decided date.
'We still are just kind of juggling, implementing this practice, so our heads are a bit spinning and we are trying to work through it, but what I hope is San Angelo hears our call for action,' Chegwidden said.
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Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Buzz Feed
33 Nightmare House Guests You'll Never Invite Back
We covered a Reddit thread by u/Jentenny99 where they asked people to reveal the weirdest thing a guest has ever done in their home. That post seemed to resonate with BuzzFeed Community members because they began sharing their own nightmare guest stories. Here's what they revealed: "My brother-in-law and his wife had a huge, totally untrained German Shepherd. We had a 2-year-old who was terrified of dogs and had asked that they not bring it when they came to visit. They agreed but showed up with the dog anyway. We had a storage building, and said they could put the dog in the storage building. It was Thanksgiving in Indiana — chilly but not freezing — and we thought the storage building was a good solution. They brought the dog into the house during the night. It got into the trash, dragged it all over the house, and ate some used disposable diapers, which it then vomited back up all over the house. We awoke to a mess and a screaming child. They and my husband's parent thought we were being unreasonable for being unhappy that they ignored our request." "Once, two former, very religious friends dropped by my place unexpectedly. We were chatting in the kitchen when the wife wandered into the adjacent dining area and began reading a letter I had left open on the table. This letter was from a high school friend who had recently gotten married (she's a lesbian) and had sent some wedding pictures. The wife saw the pictures and began screaming, which made her husband rush over. They immediately began mocking my high school friend. I got angry and told them they had no right to read my mail or judge my friend. They quieted down and apologized, but then the husband asked, 'So, which one is the man?' and they both began to laugh uncontrollably. At that point, I was so furious that all I could do was point to the door." "My mother-in-law lived with us after she had lost her job and sold her house immediately at a loss. She repotted all my plants and stuffed them into pots to 'save space.' She cut up our good laundry towels because she needed rags for her art (even though we had a bag full of rags in the garage). She gave me $100 every two months to cover her expenses (her portion of electricity, rent, food, etc.). She used my measuring cups to mix her glue for her art. Finally, she complained to her son about how I didn't keep the house very clean, even though I was working full time plus overtime and taking night classes while she and her son worked part-time and did nothing else." "My brother and his wife came down on July 3 to spend two nights for a family 4th of July party. I fixed a nice dinner and homemade dessert that night, and they stayed in our very nice guest room. I fixed a good breakfast in the morning, and we were preparing for the family event. My brother was trying to use my quirky little electric can opener and couldn't get it to work, and was complaining about it not working. He is extremely narcissistic and insisted he was using it right, but that it was broken. When I told him it worked fine and that I would show him how it worked, he exploded into a rage, spouting extremely obnoxious curse words, screaming at me and my fiancé, with whom I lived, and said he was leaving." "A friend was visiting us, and we watched a movie in the living room. The friend disappeared, and when we finally looked for him, we found him removing food from our fridge and putting it into his bag. When asked why he would do such a thing, his response was, 'I was there when you bought it.'" "We hosted a wedding at our lakehouse home. While waiting for the ceremony to start, the groomsmen drank all of my husband's beer from our bar fridge and sat ON our kitchen counters. They tossed beer caps into our sink, so I had to fish them out of the drain so they wouldn't break the disposal. There's a trash can IN the kitchen; it's not hidden. There are plenty of chairs at the table to sit in. 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She ate a chocolate-covered strawberry and put the stem on the buffet. I didn't say anything until she tasted a dip and then put the spoon back in the dip. I was furious. I told her to pick up the stem and put it on her plate, and if she wanted to know how something tasted, she should put some on her plate and use her own spoon to taste it from there. Of course, I removed the dip." "In my early 20s, after college, a few friends and I had an apartment in Boston. One of our other close friends lived at home after college but would come and stay with us during the weekend and stay over after hitting the bars/nightclubs with us. He was usually a good guest. However, after a while, he got too comfy at our place. One weekend, he got sick from drinking too much, puked on our wood floors, and cleaned it by wiping it up with old newspaper. No soap or cleansers! Another weekend, he held a party at our place for some of his other friends without asking for our blessing or inviting us! 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They had lost multiple apartments because they would stay without paying rent until the landlord figured out a way to kick them out. But she was family, and I couldn't turn her away. While there, they would hide their own food in their room, but eat all our food. At the time, we were installing wood flooring in the living room, so the rule was that there would be no eating or drinking in the living room. I would get up in the morning (because I had to go to work early, so they were still up when I went to bed), and there would be the wrappers from Icy Pops in the living room, so obviously, that rule was ignored." "My husband's aunt and teenage cousin asked to stay with us for two nights (Sunday to Tuesday). I wanted to make them feel welcome, so I made a big dinner both nights, complete with homemade apple pie and crumb cake (my specialty). I also made breakfast and lunch for them, and rescheduled my 2-year-old daughter's gym classes so I could spend time with them. Things were okay, but my husband and I were slightly disappointed because they were sloppy, ate all our food, etc., and never offered to contribute anything. The cousin actually drank an entire gallon of milk and ate all of the homemade chocolate chip cookies I had made. When I asked the aunt to watch my daughter while I ran out to buy more milk, she said no!" "My mom used to have a bestie from school days. At some point, her friend and her adult friend's son stayed with us because he had to apply for a military school in our city. Long story short, they stayed the entire summer, they wrecked our phone bill, they had the AC on 24/7 ( of course, never did they pay for anything ), and when they finally left, her husband suggested that my mom and I stay in one of their summer houses (they were extremely wealthy) during our hollidays. We accepted it, but her son decided to let his pit bull attack my dog during our stay. I rescued my dog at the last minute, and I told him that he was mean by nature and a douchbag. We stopped talking with them until my mom died. Her friend came to the ceremony, where she decided to tell me that my dead dad wasn't my real dad and that my dead mom should have told me years ago. By the way, my face is identical to my father's." "I don't know if this counts as a house guest because it was someone I met at a bar, took home, and haven't seen since that night. I don't even remember his name or if I ever knew it. Lucky for him, because he somehow ordered hundreds of dollars worth of porn on my cable TV account at some point?! I guess he did it while I was using the bathroom because nothing else about that night was good enough to hold my attention long enough for him to do that unnoticed. Lucky for ME, Comcast gave me the benefit of the doubt and refunded the charges because I had never ordered anything like that before." "When my husband and I moved into our new house, my brother-in-law asked if his family (his girlfriend, their kid, and their dog) could rent out the basement until they had saved up to get an apartment. We said okay. At first, it was okay. Then, their dog got pregnant because they hadn't spayed her. She gave birth, and they didn't lift a finger to help with seven pups. My husband and I paid for all the food and vet bills. We raised, cleaned, socialized, and found homes for them. That's only the start. We asked them to use the shed outside to smoke weed and not smoke in the house. They didn't care. They not only smoked inside, but the girlfriend smoked 24/7 until she made herself physically ill from so much weed and vomited all over our floor. They both refused to clean the puke and let it sit for days until my husband cleaned it. This happened multiple times." "My wife's sister, who lives 11 hours away, likes to travel. She has money and occasionally talks about how much she has in the bank. Travel is a fun pastime, but instead of hotels, she regularly finds distant relatives, friends, etc., to stay with. Last summer, she rented her house for a week, so she had no place to stay, and then asked if she could stay with us for a few days. We said no problem. After the first three days, she asked if she could stay longer and if her son could come too and sleep on the couch for a few days. Once again, we said okay. She then added that her son's new girlfriend would also be staying. The short stay turned into a week. Despite having money for dinners, drinks, etc., they never contributed to any food. My wife accepted this behavior since her sister has always been like this." "My live-in boyfriend at the time invited his friend and his friend's family of four (plus two dogs) to stay at my two-bedroom apartment for a weekend. Mind you, he did not pay rent or share any household expenses. I politely reminded him of my apartment complex's no-dog rule and expected him to tell his friends to stay elsewhere. I came home from work to find them, their dogs, and their luggage in my living room. I reluctantly set up the air bed and kicked my kid out of her bedroom so they could stay in it." And: "We met a middle-aged, single, Australian man while on a trip to Britain. Two years later, he called to say he was coming for a visit to Canada. We told him clearly that I, now working full time, was also dealing with both my mother and father in the hospital, who were dying. We had no idea that he intended to crash with us for free for three weeks, and he expected his meals on time, his laundry done, and free transportation everywhere, to whatever he wanted to see. He was also continually rude and abusive to my husband, who was only attempting to get him to pitch in for costs and allow me precious time with my parents. Our future travels have not included sharing addresses or phone numbers with others we meet." Have you ever had a horrible house guest? What did they do? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Newsweek
Crates Couldn't Contain Escape Artist Dog, So Owner Builds 'Jail' Instead
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When German Shepherd and Husky mix, Lana, escaped three different crates, her owner Mark knew that he had to take action. But what started as a DIY solution to an unusual problem has been dubbed "incredible" online, after he shared how they built their pup her very own custom "jail." "We had gotten her an impact crate, but as she grew it made us sad how tight it was," Mark, from North Carolina, told Newsweek. Instead of a traditional dog crate, Mark, who only shared his first name, came up with a brilliant idea—a custom space for the dogs with a metal door. Before long, what was once a closet quickly became a space for the dogs to relax and be safe. Mark transformed it into a tiled haven with LVT walls, a custom metal door and even an air conditioning vent in the ceiling. Pictures of the custom crate room that now serves as the perfect space for the dogs to realx. Pictures of the custom crate room that now serves as the perfect space for the dogs to realx. ocularcrawdad/Reddit "It was decently expensive and a big job," he said. "It used to be a closet but it opened to the bathroom. I had to close off the original door and create a new door to the bedroom." But the effort was worth it, knowing giving four-year-old escape artist Lana and 10-year-old Labrador George somewhere to kick back and relax. "I even put a nest camera at the top corner so I can check in while we are gone. It turned out pretty awesome," Mark added. Dog crates are designed to provide dogs with a contained space, often used in training and popular with many pet owners, trainers, and veterinarians. Despite this, but they remain a subject of debate due to concerns about animal welfare and misuse. He shared the DIY project on Reddit's popular r/germanshepherds subreddit where it has gained more than 20,000 upvotes since being posted last week. Captioned "crates couldn't contain her so we built a jail...," people shared their reactions and praise for the innovative dog-containment idea in the comments. "Awe she even looks guilty," wrote Hot_Target8701, pointing out Lana's face in the pictures. While Rose_like_the_flower said: "This is awesome! Poor sweet girl. I'm sure she was framed." "She needs a harmonica and a tin cup to bang on the bars," joked Madame_Jarvary. While others were heavily inspired by the idea. Like KevinSpicyy who said: "This is an incredible idea. I'm gonna have to involve this in my future home. Thank you for posting!!" While SheBelongsToNoOne said: "It looks pretty comfortable and way better than a crate to be honest." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- USA Today
Wild horses try to outrun grizzly bear, and not all of them succeed
Wild horses on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, are under threat of attack each spring and summer by grizzly bears. It's especially true of foals, which are younger, weaker, and slower than adult horses. The accompanying trail-cam footage, courtesy of the Help Alberta Wildies Society, might sadden viewers when they learn that one of the foals was likely caught by the bear. (Click here if the video doesn't appear below.) The fleeing horses enter the frame at 32 seconds. The bear's capture of the foal is not shown, but HAWS later explained that the third foal shown in the footage has not been seen since the June 20 chase. 'I believe this is the day we lost Benji,' HAWS stated. HAWS, which strives to protect wild horses in the region, has a passionate social-media audience and some followers are emotionally attached to animals that regularly appear in trail-cam footage. ALSO: Tense moments in Yellowstone as German Shepherd leaps from vehicle to chase wolf The top comment on the post announcing that Benji had been lost: 'Poor little buggar! Gets mugged by mares in his herd, and then ends up bear food. Not a fun time for the short life of this baby.' The top reply, which alludes to the mares' rough treatment of the foal in a previous video: 'My heart hurts for precious little Benji. I think he stole it when I saw the mares being mean to him in the first hours of his short life. I wanted to snatch him up and bring him home right then.' HAWS has featured lots of footage showing bears chasing wild horses, repeatedly countering an old argument by the Alberta government that the horses have no natural predators.
