Oxford Officials Order Animal Shelter to Suspend New Surrenders

The city of Oxford has ordered that the Mississippi Critterz Animal Shelter in Oxford to close its doors to new surrenders, effective immediately.

The city said the animals currently housed at the shelter will continue to be cared for, and that two transports of animals are planned to be sent to other shelters in the coming days.

No other information as to why the sudden shutdown was put into effect was given by the city; however, it takes place just two days after the Oxford Police Department reported to the Oxford Board of Aldermen on Tuesday that they discovered “several issues” at the shelter during a recent investigation.

The investigation was performed jointly by OPD and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department after OPD took a report on Feb. 17 alleging neglect and abuse of the animals.

McCutchen said the investigation resulted in no criminal charges; however, the investigators did find issues with the overall cleanliness, lack of detailed records as to medical care provided for the animals, overcrowded conditions, staffing concerns, lack of written policies and protocols, lack of formalized training of employees and volunteers, and a lack of supervision from the facility’s supervisor.

The Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to form a committee to further evaluate MS Critterz and its contract with the city.

This is a developing story. Check with Hottytoddy.com for updates.