Who Can Do Something About Animal Control In Hardin County Tennessee?

These are the folks that have the statutory authority to develop, fund and implement a comprehensive plan to comply with the Tennessee Anti-Rabies Law that is tied to the recommendations of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2007, published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV).

The recommendations in the compendium serve as the basis for animal rabies prevention and control programs throughout the United States and facilitate standardization of procedures among jurisdictions, thereby contributing to an effective national rabies-control program.

One of the essential elements, as defined by the compendium, is the removal of stray animals from the community. We need this in Hardin County.

Board of Commissioners by Voting District
(Check your voters registration card for your district)

District 1
(Armory/Olivet)
Mr. Gary Combs, 147 Somerset Loop, Savannah, TN 38382 - 731-925-8855
Mr. Fred McFalls, Jr., 380 English Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-7092

District 2
(Nixon/Walkers)
Mr. Adam Coleman, 8645 Hwy 128, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2639
Mr. Charles Howard, 170 Parker Way, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-8611

District 3
(Counce/Southside)
Mr. David Childers, 1425 Mayhall Road, Counce, TN 38326 - 731-689-5107
Mr. Roger L. Jenkins, 980 Preacher Dr., Counce, TN 38326 - 731- 689-3829

District 4
(Shiloh/Crump)
Mr. Tracey Grisham, 70 Pauline Rd., Adamsville, TN 38326 - 731-632-0288
Mr. James Whitehorn, St., 300 Hardy Road, Adamsville, TN 38310 - 731-682-4828

District 5
(Saltillo/Morris Chapel)
Mr. Jimmy G. Grisham, 405 C.W. White Dr., Morris Chapel, TN 38361 - 731-687-0154
Ms. Kathy Smith, 215 Ashley Rd., Saltillo, TN 38370 - 731-687-3625

District 6
(Cerro Gordo/Mt. Hermon/Olive Hill)
Mr. Ernie Bigbie, 22068 Hwy 64, Olive Hill, TN 38475 - 731-925-8209
Mr. Nickie L. Cagle, 10155 Clifton Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-8022

District 7
(Whites/Walnut Grove)
Mr. Gene Bryant, 2420 Fox Hollow Lp., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2092
Mr. Mike Jerrolds, 120 Burnt Church Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2747

District 8
North (Fairgrounds)
Mr. Wally Hamilton, 3055 Cravens Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-5708
Mr. Stacey Stricklin, 136 J. H. Winborn Ln., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-3544

District 9
(Courthouse/Library)
Mr. Tom Haggard, 125 Riverside Dr., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-5720
Mr. Emery White, 455 S. Pickwick St., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-6240

District 10
(Fairground)
Mr. James S. Berry, Jr., 175 Patterson Rd., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-4389
Mr. Mike Fowler, 185 Cagle Circle, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-9117

Please call your commissioner and tell them you want the issue on the agenda as soon as possible. Hopefully the March 2007 agenda.

Respectfully requested,

Uncle Ted

County Commissioners by Voting District

Hardin CountyBoard of Commissioners

By Voting District

(Check your voters registration card for your district)

District 1
Mr. Gary Combs, 147 Somerset Loop, Savannah, TN 38382 - 731-925-8855
Mr. Fred McFalls, Jr., 380 English Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-7092

District 2
Mr. Adam Coleman, 8645 Hwy 128, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2639
Mr. Charles Howard, 170 Parker Way, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-8611

District 3
Mr. David Childers, 1425 Mayhall Road, Counce, TN 38326 - 731-689-5107
Mr. Roger L. Jenkins, 980 Preacher Dr., Counce, TN 38326 - 731- 689-3829

District 4
Mr. Tracey Grisham, 70 Pauline Rd., Adamsville, TN 38326 - 731-632-0288
Mr. James Whitehorn, St., 300 Hardy Road, Adamsville, TN 38310 - 731-682-4828

District 5
Mr. Jimmy G. Grisham, 405 C.W. White Dr., Morris Chapel, TN 38361 - 731-687-0154
Ms. Kathy Smith, 215 Ashley Rd., Saltillo, TN 38370 - 731-687-3625

District 6
Mr. Ernie Bigbie, 22068 Hwy 64, Olive Hill, TN 38475 - 731-925-8209
Mr. Nickie L. Cagle, 10155 Clifton Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-8022

District 7
Mr. Gene Bryant, 2420 Fox Hollow Lp., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2092
Mr. Mike Jerrolds, 120 Burnt Church Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-2747

District 8
Mr. Wally Hamilton, 3055 Cravens Road, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-5708
Mr. Stacey Stricklin, 136 J. H. Winborn Ln., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-3544

District 9
Mr. Tom Haggard, 125 Riverside Dr., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-5720
Mr. Emery White, 455 S. Pickwick St., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-6240

District 10
Mr. James S. Berry, Jr., 175 Patterson Rd., Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-4389
Mr. Mike Fowler, 185 Cagle Circle, Savannah, TN 38372 - 731-925-9117

These could be used for the citizens to contact their Commissioner and inquire about their solution for the stray animals problems.

Respectfully submitted for consideration,


Ted

The Hardin County Budget Committee
vs
The Hardin County Board of Commissioners

In re: Rabies Prevention in Hardin County, or The Lack of It.

I had the occasion recently to ask our Mayor/Chairman of the County Board of Commissioners when the long awaited public safety and welfare issue of stray animals in the community would be put on the County Commissions’ agenda to begin the discussion of a possible solution to the problem associated with stray animals. Like he had promised during the elections.

The Mayor/Chairman advised me that the issue would only be addressed by the Budget Committee and probably around the end of April or the first part of May.

Say, what? As I understand it, the explaination was that since there are 1 Commissioner from each district on the Budget Committee, it is just as good as the whole Board of Commissioners. Not! And Double NOT!!!

That would be the tail wagging the dog, if I have ever seen it.

How does a budget committee end up with the future of the Rabies Prevention Act, and whether any or all of the county’s responsibility are going to be met.

While the Budget Committee has a role to play, they don’t come on stage until the Legislative Body has developed a comprehensive plan to address the issues.

The Budget Committee funds the comprehensive plan, they don’t have the authority or responsibility to originate the comprehensive plan.

What 'budget' is the committee going to consider and how, by whom, and when will that budget be prepared? Or! Are they going to say, sorry, we can't find any money for our part of the Rabie Prevention programs. End of discussion? Don't think so.

To be continued, oh, yah!

Ted

Jail Project 2007 Update

When the Mayor and County Commissioners start patting themselves on the back for their dedication to resolving a critical problem and for their outstanding work on the "Jail Project", don’t you think it’s time to take a serious look at the results of this "outstanding work," by looking at the results?

The results can be determined by the collective answers to the following questions:

How much of the County’s treasury has been spent or committed, to date, on the "Jail Project?" (Land costs; development cost - studies, analysis reports, architects, engineers, etc.; site prep.)

What other costs are there going to be, in addition to the "Jail Project’s" $10,500,000.00 Bond debt.

How much of the $36.00 Wheel Tax is required for Debt Service on the $10,500,000.00 Bonds?

Are the Mayor and/or the County Commission sure that Hardin County’s new "facility" will work well in every way?

Can they assure the taxpayers of Hardin County that this new "Facility" meets the basic requirements of A Correction & Detention Facility as defined by the National Institution of Corrections? If not, why not?

Does the new Hardin County’s Correction & Detention Facility:

a.) Meet Hardin County’s Current and Future Needs - Well, no. Still not enough capacity. At least 100 beds short for current needs and nowhere close for future needs, with the County’s current attitude about correction and detention.

b.) Support Hardin County’s Philosophies and Objectives Regarding Detention and Corrections. - Well, no. Philosophies do not include ending up in the same place we are today, with an overcrowded correction and detention facility, with its related problems even if it is brand new. The only beneficiary of that outcome is the Sheriff, because the Sheriff ends up with a new office facility for his department and a huge increase in the department’s budget, even if the jail is overcrowded, again.

c.) Help Hardin County’s Employees and Staff Do Their Best at Their Jobs. - Well, no. They are going to still have to deal with overcrowding, and its related problems, while they become amiliar with the new facility, themselves.

d.) Work Well for Our Current and Future Staff and Inmates. -Well, no. Overcrowding is overcrowding.

e.) Fit Within Hardin County’s Budget for Construction and Annual Operational Cost? Well, Yes, more than enough. The $36.00 wheel tax should have generated about a Million Dollars in 2006. That Million Dollars would finance a lot more than $10,500,000.00 at 4 ½ % fixed rate over a Thirty Years period with tax-exempt bonds.

Did we do it right, the first time? Well, no. That’s not the way we seem to do it here in Hardin County.

Some will say, Shut Up, Ted, it’s going to be a lot better than it is now!! Point taken. But at what costs?

My problem is that they will wake up in two to three years, at the grand opening, and say, we still have the same basic problems. We could have done a lot better by just looking past today. How soon will they have to make that 100 bed addition?

Next Issue - Can’t you just wait to see how these folk will propose to deal with the other critical public safety and welfare issue. The hazardous rabies/stray animal control problem, due to the lack of any programs, in Hardin County and the Region.

I just can’t wait, that’s a fact. They need to keep their campaign promises and resolve the stray animal problem in Hardin County or at least tell us when they plan on doing something to resolve the problem.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration,


Ted

How Many Are There?

Knowing how many animal are in our area can help plan for the future. Foundations, donors, and elected officials usually want see statistics and hard data supporting requests for funding.

One figure that often seem difficult to estimate, however, is the total number of owned animals in the community. The Humane Society of the United States’s recently published Disasters Planning Manual contains advise to help the animals in their area stand up and be counted.

They used the National Pet Owners Survey, conducted by The American Pet Products Manufactures Association - 2003 - 2004 as their source for the percentage of U.S. households owning a pet and the number of pets per household.

The formula by no means is exact; it is based on national averages and does not account for potential variables among regions, states and communities and does not attempt to account for stray animals.

According to the last census count there were an estimated 13,400 households in our community. For dogs, the formula is: 39% of the households own dogs and there are 1.6 dogs per households that have dogs. For cats, the formula is: 34% of the households own dogs and there are 2.2 cats per households that have cats.

When one does the math, one finds that there are an estimated 8,362 dogs and 10,023 cats that live in 13,700 households in Hardin County.

The really sad thing is, that of the 20,046 dogs and cats, that we can estimate, only 4,861 are legally vaccinated according to the Hardin County Health Department.

That would mean that only 24.2% of the estimated dogs and cats in Hardin County are legally vaccinated. That would mean that 75.8% are not. That would definitely be an "F" in responsible pet ownership.

One must remember that these figures do not account for animals that do not reside in a household environment, like stray dogs or feral cats.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration.

Ted

Community Planing?

We don’t need no stinking’ community planning!! Or do we?

Well, before you decide, let’s get a handle on what it is and how it can help our community work together to better address the root causes, as well as the symptoms, of the animal problems in Hardin County.

It’s fair to say that most people in the humane movement got involved through a personal encounter with a homeless animal and the sinking realization that their experience was just the tip of an enormous iceberg.

For many, that realization gave birth to the commitment to do something to help the animals; to take as many as possible from the pound and find homes for them; to promote or fund spay/neuter programs; to educate the public; and to build a more humane shelter or to some combination of these.

As they got more involved they got busier and busier. "The faster I go, the more behind I get!" seems to be the common cry of rescuers everywhere.

They are like a team of janitors attempting to deal with a flooding sink in a locked broom closet by mopping the floor in the corridor because we can’t find the key to the door and they can’t break it down! They are dealing with one crisis after another and have no apparent hope of getting to the source of the problem.

So how can they get further ahead when most of them are already working as hard as they can, running only on adrenaline much of the time.

The answer lies in working smarter, not harder. This is where a community assessment and plan comes in. An assessment will help to identify the gaps in efforts to end the stray animal/homeless pet problem. A plan can help set goals and stay focused on where we want to go.

The questions that stop so many before they even start are: "How do we begin? Do we need a paid staff and state-of-the-art facility? Do we need millions of dollars?" Staff, a shelter, and money help, of course, but you don’t necessarily need them to end the killing of healthy animals. What you need is the initiative to take the first step – A commitment to step outside the way things have always been done to develop and promote innovative and proactive programs to save animal lives.

Now that we’ve taken that step ... Welcome to the beginning of our journey on the path to creating a plan in our community.

What is the plan and what are the goals of the campaign?

Animal lovers have long dreamed of a time when there would be no more stray animal/homeless pets.

We are confident that the dream can become a reality, in Hardin County, within the next 10 years, by participating in a broad-based network of concerned citizens and animal lovers – animal organizations, rescue groups, shelters, businesses and individuals – who work cooperatively for reasonable, effective and humane rabies/animal control programs; to end the destruction of healthy animals in the U.S.; and who help find loving, permanent homes for unwanted animals.

Respected submitted for your consideration and support.


Ted

Local Governments Role in Animal Related Problems - Defined

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROLE

Question: How Can City and County Administrators Most Effectively Respond to the Animal-related Problems in Their Communities?

Solution to such problems can range from basic animal control programs to progressive, integrated animal service programs built on comprehensive ordinances and programs that both create incentives for people to care for animals responsibly and penalize those who do not.

The best solutions modify general responses to take account of local needs, concerns, and resources. Each community, regardless of size, should have a program to handle animal-related complaints and problems.

Successful programs are often characterized by:

Local government support – both political and financial

A comprehensive, regularly updated animal control ordinance and the authority and ability to enforce it;

Policies to ensure that all animals adopted are sterilized Laws and programs that create incentives for citizens to have their pets sterilized, and adjunct programs to ensure that all pets owners have access to affordable sterilization services;

Adequate, well-maintained facilities and equipment;

Animal control officers and animal care staff professionally trained to quickly and humanely handle animals at minimum risk to personnel

Good working relationships with, and the general support of, local veterinarians, law enforcement, social services, and animal advocacy organizations; and

A proactive public education program

A good animal care and control program is a community responsibility and should be budgeted as any other program or service available to citizens.

It needs to go beyond the old-fashioned approach to animal control services, which consisted primarily of a dogcatcher and a pound. If the local government focuses only on operating a skeletal shelter program and catching and destroying dogs, animal problem will create constant headaches for local government officials.

Pet owners who resist animal control will oppose other pet owners, citizens without pets, parent-teachers associations, garden clubs, and other groups that want animal control.

Finally, poor animal control can become a local government liability it citizens seek redress for injury and damage caused by free-roaming animals.

The most common obstacle to establishing and effective animal care and control program – as it is to some degree for virtually all government programs – is the problem of funding. As a general rule, adequate funding of an animal care and control programs costs at least $5 to $6 per citizen annually. However, city and county officials are often tempted to strip down animal control programs to the point of ineffectiveness, or they insist that pet registration (licensing) and other fees pay for all or most of the program.

Local officials should recognize that this governmental responsibility is vital to public health and safety, and they should be proactive in their approach.

If the Commissioners says they don’t have the money, tell them that someday someone will sue for negligence as a result of an avoidable dangerous-dog attack or a rabies exposure. This could cost a whole lot more that a good animal control program that wold minimize such risks.

Dog and cat owners should shoulder much of the burden of animal control costs; furthermore, irresponsible dog and cat owners should be assessed the largest part of that burden.

Public officials, police departments, public health officers, and the citizens they serve in both urban and rural areas all benefit from a comprehensive animal care and control program that reduces costs while it eliminates many other problems.

General public funds need to be allotted to finance the program as necessary. The total program can be partially self-funded, however, if revenues from the following sources are set aside for this purpose:

Income from pet registration (license) and permit fees;
Impoundment fees charged to persons whose animals have been picked up;
Boarding and redemption fees charged to owners who recover their pets;
Citation fines;
Fees from the quarantine of animals;
Adoption fees; and
Private donations to the local government earmarked for the animal shelter.

As put forth in:
Animal Control Management
A GUIDE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Published by:
International City/County Management Association
ICMA - 2002

Possible Partial Answer for Animals?

Coming to a neighborhood near you, soon. At least in my mind, that's the plan.

The Patricia Trethaway Memorial Charitable Trust
(A 501(c) 3 Non-Profit Corporation)
The Ultimate Goal of Elimination of the Need to Euphemize Healthy, Surplus and Unwanted Animals.

and

Savannah/Hardin County Metro Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals, Inc.
(A 501(c) 3 Non-Profit Corporation)
A Full Service Regional Provider of Humane Animal Programs and Facility.

Now all we have to do is partner with the citizens and local government. If they won't do their part, it's going to make our part more difficult, but not impossible.

Ted