By Patric Hedlund

Up to 96% of lost pets brought to City of Bakersfield and Kern County animal shelters never see their families again, a new Kern County Grand Jury report shows. Lost pets are routinely put to death.

Although the euthanasia rate overall “is going in the right direction” for animals left at the shelters, the rate at which lost pets were reunited with their owners at the county shelter was 5% in January 2014 (6% at the Bakersfield City Shelter) and 4% in February at both shelters—well below the national 1997 annual level of 17.8% of lost pets reunited with …

Photo caption:

Shyanne Schull is the new Kern County Animal Services Director.

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This is part of the June 13, 2014 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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