All Rescued North Forsyth Dogs Now Adopted

CUMMING, GA --  Thirty dogs rescued from deplorable conditions in a north Forsyth County trailer earlier this year have all found permanent homes, shelter officials say.

"They all got adopted," Jeanie Curphey, manager of the Forsyth County Animal Shelter, told the Forsyth County News. "We have a lot of adoptions, and they were cute little dogs."

In February, Billy Ray Shirley, 59, of Cumming, was charged with 30 counts of animal cruelty for keeping dogs in a trailer in what authorities described as deplorable conditions.

One dog was found dead and the others in the trailer on Franklin Goldmine Road off of Canton Highway were clearly in poor condition, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said at the time.

In April, 22 of the dogs, believed to be chihuahuha-Jack Russell terrier mixes, were adopted within days of being made available. The rest didn't stick around much longer.

But Curphey told the News there are plenty of other potential pets available. The shelter currently has about 40 dogs, and twice as many cats, she said.

"It is kitten season and puppy season, so we have a lot of puppies. We had one mom that had, like, 11 puppies, and they're all up for adoption," she said. "We have a ton of kittens. We're getting, like, 30 kittens a week."

The shelter also is open to donations of -- of goods or services.

"On our Facebook, we post wish lists all the time," Curphey said. "On our website we have a wish list. We can always use donations. Whatever you think of that your dog or cat might want, our shelter can use. Also, people should just come and volunteer. We always need volunteers."

The shelter is at 4065 County Way. Hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sundays and Mondays.