MITCHELL COUNTY, N.C. — Two North Carolina animal shelters are seeing a spike in abandoned hound dogs.
Asheville shelter employees said they see an increase every hunting season.
Patricia Beam, the director of Mitchell County's animal shelter, said if hunting dogs don't perform they get dumped.
She said most hunters act responsibly, but they still end up with many hounds at the shelter.
One dog, Hope, was found during bear hunting season at just 26 pounds.
"Yet the hunter either doesn't look here for the hounds or doesn't want it back because it doesn't hunt," Beam said.
A good hunting dog can sell for $5,000, but if they don't pick up a scent they have no value.
WSOC
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