What Does A Model Animal Control Program Look Like?

All I can say is, thanks for folks like the Horse Creek Wildlife folks and other who are trying very hard to fill the void and do something about the additional problems created by the lack of participation by, and lack of concern of, our local government, i.e. the Mayor, the County Legislative Body, the County Sheriff’s Department, and the Apathetic Citizens.

What should the goals of this Hardin County ‘model’ unit, be?

Primary goal is the prevention and eradication of rabies by education of the public concerning local and state laws, promoting animal owner responsibility, and by protecting the public from stray or dangerous animals.

Secondary goal is to provide service to the citizens and animals through impound of stray animals and other animal related issues, issuing warnings or citations as necessary, investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty and abuse cases, and to strive toward the ultimate goal of elimination of the need to euphemize healthy, surplus and unwanted animals.

In order to reach those goals we must develop both short and long range plans to address the County Government’s written, and the citizens unwritten, responsibilities for animal control in Hardin County and the Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) efforts.

BACKGROUND

Tenn. Code Ann. Section 68-8-104 is part of the Tennessee Anti-Rabies Law. Section -103 makes it unlawful for a person to own any dog or cat that is six months of age, or older, that has not been vaccinated for rabies.

Hardin County, not unlike elsewhere in the region, has a problem with too many stray dogs. This problem is aggravated in Hardin County because when one, for whatever reason or excuse, want to get rid of a companion animal, legally, one has no place to take the animals, too.

Instead, the animals are either taken into, or out of, Savannah, who has a responsible animal control program, and dumped, like so much trash, or dumped on the road along the way, where they often roam in packs, hungry, sick and parasite-infested, in some of Hardin County’s most picturesque surroundings.

They often are seen lying beside the road because they’ve gotten too close to passing vehicles. That’s just a cruel thing. Remember, that litter of adorable puppies can easily end up as homeless and unwanted dogs.

Rural spay/neutering programs that sterilize the pets of low-income folks are a must, in order to help animals and pet owners in need. We need to reduce the number of homeless animals in Hardin County. That is what animal control is really all about.

The private or non-profit animal rescue organizations want their position to be a volunteer organization that assists animal control. They don’t want to be animal control. That’s the government’s job.

According to a recent article in the Tennessean, over two-thirds of the Counties in Tennessee have some sort of government-funded animal control activity. That should mean that Hardin County does not have to re-invent the wheel. See what works and go for it. duh!

Animal control costs money, and usually doesn’t get funded in a way that allows them to be really proactive, so they’re generally reactive. We must make the investment to catch up.

One has the right to expect our county government to enforce the laws that are on the books, investigate cases of animal cruelty, like abandoning animals to live or die as a stray. It is understood that it takes money to do this, but it also takes goodwill.

Animal advocates say the assistance that government-funded animal-control programs offer is inadequate and can’t keep up with growth. Fact: Those who do the job, can only do so much. My biggest frustration is that our county government is woefully lagging behind the times in taking the leadership role and the funding responsibility for animal control in Hardin County.

Hardin County does little in the way of offering even the basic service of responding to calls about stray dogs – a problem that local officials know, and say, plagues the community.

Metro Nashville, Rutherford and Williamson counties have been pointed out by the Animal Control Association of Tennessee as examples to follow. All offer a variety of services, from adoptions and spay and neutering clinics to education.

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As noted in Tenn. Code Ann. §5-1-120. Power to regulate stray animals. -

Counties, by resolution of their respective legislative bodies, may license and regulate dogs and cats, establish and operate shelters and other animal control facilities, and regulate, capture, impound and dispose of stray dogs, stray cats and other stray animals.

Do you really think that the State of Tennessee would delegate this 'power to regulate,' if the State of Tennessee did not intend for the County Legislative Body to use it, to carry out the county's responsibility for rabbis and animal control?

No sign of even the most basic efforts to regulate stray animals in Hardin County, by Hardin County Government. So, what to do?

Tenn. Code Ann. Section 68-8-104 provides:

(a) In addition to but not as a substitute for or in any way detracting from the vaccination requirements of this chapter, authorization is granted for the adoption of local laws or ordinances to require the registration of dogs or cats in counties or municipalities.
(b) Any local laws or ordinances implementing animal registration shall include methods for the collection of registration fees and shall require the expenditure of these funds to establish and maintain a rabies control program, also commonly known as an animal control program. In addition to various animal control activities, the rabies control program shall ensure that dogs and cats are properly vaccinated in accordance with this chapter and that biting animals or rabies suspects are observed or confined in accordance with this chapter and rules of the department [of health].

Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-8-104(a) & (b).

What level of animal control would be considered adequate for Hardin County? Do we want to spend the money for a full blown animal registration program? It’s a high maintenance program. Takes manpower and facilities, both.

At a minimum, the local legislative body should establish, or aid in the establishment of, and operate, or aid in the operation of, shelters and other animal control facilities.

Our local legislative body has, and has had for at least the last decade, the authority to regulate, capture, impound and dispose of stray dogs, stray cats and other stray animals. They NeedUse It!! Duh!!

Respectfully submitted for your consideration.

Uncle Ted