A Southeast Missouri animal shelter that allegedly violated the state's Animal Care Facilities Act will cease operations for the next 30 days as part of an agreement announced by Attorney General Chris Koster on Monday.
An inspection by the Missouri Department of Agriculture found that Alice Wybert, who runs Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary (SHAS) in Jackson, allegedly violated a number of state laws.The shelter's staff allegedly failed to take sick animals for veterinary treatment, failed to follow cat housing regulations and did not maintain clean housing areas for the animals. One area allegedly had 40 cats in a single room during the inspection. Several other violations were also noted.
As part of the agreement, Wybert and SHAS may not take in any new animals over the next 30 days, and animals currently in the shelter must be taken care of in compliance with state law.
Wybert will face a trial for the current violations after the 30-day waiting period.
"Missouri law outlines acceptable standards for all types of facilities to safely house and provide timely care for cats and dogs held out for adoption," Koster said. "This office will diligently continue to see that those laws are enforced."