Humane Society asks to help county

Special to the Press
by Doug Thompson

Floyd County’s Humane Society wants to go into partnership with the county dog pound to free animal control officers for more pressing duties and increase services to the public.

“We’re not looking to take over the pound or to be a problem for the county,” Humane Society President Darcie Luster told the board of supervisors Tuesday. “We want to help.”

Luster said the society’s plan called for using volunteer help to expand the hours of the pound, keep the cages clean and provide expanded adoption services for dogs brought to the facility.

Because of resource limitations, most dogs brought to the pound are put to death. Luster said the Humane Society could provide added adoption options through the group’s web site and find suitable homes for more of the animals.

“At present, the pound operates on a limited schedule and is only open a few hours a week,” Luster said.  “We can provide the resources to keep the pound open for longer hours and to provide volunteers for Saturday openings when those who work could visit the pound.”

Luster said both the county and the Humane Society face increasing workloads involving animals in need of homes.

“We handle 60-80 calls a month and that is in addition to the calls that come into the county,” she said.

Luster offered a five point proposal to the board:

1—Supplement the existing care already provided by the Animal Control Officers and Humane Society members;

2—Increase accessibility of the pound to the public;

3—Increase revenue to the county by increasing adoptio9ns and decreasing the cost of euthanasia;

4—Increase the advertisement of animals currently in the pound;

5—Allow cats to be impounded for a limited time until the Society could provide foster care.

Luster outlined what her group sees as multiple benefits to their proposal:

1—Feeding and cleaning, plus other non-administrative duties by volunteers freeing the animal control officers to focus on other responsibilities;

2—Furnishing volunteers for Saturdays and increasing advertising via both the Internet and voicemail;

3—More public accessibility, resulting in increased potential for adoption and improved services for reuniting lost pets with owners along with an increased public education program on spaying and neutering programs that would reduce the overpopulation of cats and dogs in the county.

Jesse Cobb, a former animal control officer in Montgomery County, told supervisors that such programs work well elsewhere and endorsed the plan for Floyd County.

Supervisors offered no comments on the proposal but said they would consider the offer and designated county administrator Dan Campbell as the county’s contact person with the group. County animal control officer Garland Nestor, currently on paid administrative leave because of a shooting incident that killed a county resident, was present for the meeting but did not speak.