ATHENS, Ga. — The Athens-Clarke county Animal Services Department announced some of its operations and services would be limited due to staff shortages.
According to the Animal Services Department, that means field operations for services that are outside of the Animal Shelter will be limited and prioritized by the type of call coming in until additional staff are hired and trained.
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In terms of what is not affected, the department said emergency calls for animal bites, dogs behaving aggressively, sick and injured animals and wildlife and domestic pet welfare checks are still high priority activities.
Residents calling Animal Services for non-emergency services during operating hours may have to leave a voicemail instead of speaking to staff directly.
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Instead, officers will return calls to non-emergency needs after returning to the shelter from field operations, the department said.
If residents calling Animal Services for emergency services cannot reach an officer directly, the Police Department can be reached at 706-613-3345 or 911 for immediate assistance after hours.
Service schedules will also be changing amidst the staff shortages.
Going forward, until staff are hired and trained, the limited service schedule is:
- Monday-Thursday: Full-service field operations between 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Friday: Emergency field services only
- Saturday & Sunday: On-call emergencies only
The non-emergency service number can be called at 706-613-3540.
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