First readings of Mercer County spay/neuter and canine control ordinances pass
A canine control ordinance and a spay/neuter ordinance had first readings by the Mercer County Commission. Commissioner Greg Puckett, who read both ordinances into the official record, said copies of both would be posted on the county's website and Facebook page.
The canine control ordinance has measures requiring dog owners to keep their pets on a leash when out in the public or fenced in so they cannot roam.
'That's one of the worst issues that we have,' Puckett said later. 'Roaming dogs are a terrible problem here in Mercer County. They collect a lot of problems. They do a lot in not only being nuisance, they tear down the fabric of land they go across.'
A canine control ordinance will help the county address the damage that stray dogs do to private and public property and control where they harass pets and livestock, he said.
'We had this issue come up back in the winter,' Puckett said. 'We had a constituent come from Matoaka and say hey, I've got roaming dogs. They're eating all the free-roaming chickens, they're actually eating cats. There were some videos of actually cats that were being consumed by a pack of dogs, so there's a lot of things where if you can control those packs, control that roaming, then you have a lot more safety not only for the people in the community, but for the animals as well.'
The spay/neuter ordinance would require those procedures for dogs and cats. This ordinance has exceptions for work animals such as farm dogs, hunting dogs and dogs used for legal breeding purposes. Fees collected from licensing and fines will go into a fund to help pet owners who cannot afford these procedures, Puckett said.
Between the canine control ordinance and the spay/neuter ordinance, the county can address population issues at the county animal shelter, he said.
Puckett said the ordinance fits West Virginia State Code and magistrates should be allowed to hear cases under it, Puckett said.
Both ordinances would go into effect after a second reading at the commission's June 24 meeting.
'The spay/neuter ordinance is a beginning to reduce the population in Mercer County, ' said Lesia Moten, co-founder and president of ALIVE (Animal Lives Inspiring Volunteer Efforts). 'We have to start somewhere. It may not be perfect, but it's a start. It has been worked on for years. It will need to be tweaked as we go along for enforcement. We need to enforce it in a responsible manner that the shelter can handle the intake and the influx.'
Sandy Flanagan with the Mercer County Humane Society said that the spay/neuter ordinance would be 'a very progressive step.'
'I helped write the spay/neuter ordinance years ago,' Flanagan said. 'It feels good that it's going to finally, hopefully, get passed because it's needed. I hate it that people have to be made to do the right thing, but the mindset of so many people around here, to me, if you're going to get a dog, why are you not keeping it on your property? It's frustrating for us who do keep our dogs up and have to put up with the neighbors'.'
'I also think it has to do with the overpopulation as far as letting your dogs run,' Flanagan said.
'They work in tandem with each other,' Moten said about the ordinances. 'If you don't have free-roaming dogs, you have less overpopulation of animals that are just being allowed to reproduce out in the community. And if you have the spay and neuter ordinance, then you have people being held accountable for their own animals and it just works together in tandem.'
Contact Greg Jordan at
gjordan@bdtonline.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Putin's failed experiment to lure anti-woke Americans to Russia
'He feels like he's been thrown to the wolves right now,' DeAnna Huffman told her YouTube followers two months ago. Her husband is serving in a foreigners unit with Russian officers. 'He's not getting any training,' DeAnna Huffman said, because her husband doesn't speak Russian. Advertisement 'He's needing money,' she said, adding that he had to give the unit 10,000 rubles ($125) for supplies. The Huffmans have been living in what Russian media Advertisement Another American, Chantelle Hare, explained why her family moved to Russia from Texas in The trickle of American emigres calls to mind the larger migration during the 1930s, when hundreds of Americans traveled to the then-young Soviet Union, either to find work or to escape virulent racism in the United States. While there is no reliable, comprehensive account of how those emigrants fared in the self-styed 'workers' paradise,' Many Americans found work in the USSR's explosive factory boom of the early Advertisement Still others, disenchanted, tried to return to the United States, with mixed results. When I posted a query on a Facebook site for former Moscow diplomats earlier this week, a retired consular officer answered: 'I was in Moscow 1992-94 and saw a half-dozen of these American citizens come into the consular section to reclaim their citizenship. They were an interesting group. One older gentleman I remember had been living in a town in the Urals and still had a Chicago accent, although he struggled with getting English words out.' The Depression-era US-to-USSR emigres inspired few imitators. It seems hard to believe that history won't repeat itself with the Huffmans, the Hares, and their disaffected compatriots. The Russians have a saying, 'Khorosho tam, gde as nye,' meaning: 'Things are great, where we are not.' The grass is always greener, until you are standing on the lawn in question. Alex Beam's column appears regularly in the Globe. Follow him
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Man has dedicated 60 years to saving lives at sea
A 77-year-old who has dedicated more than 60 years to saving lives at sea has said he is far from retired. Richard Spindler, from Weston-super-Mare, was first introduced to the RNLI at the age of 12 when he volunteered to help clean lifeboats at weekends - little did he know at the time that it would turn into a lifelong commitment. He joined the crew aged 17 in 1965, and while he no longer goes out to sea, still gets "the tea and biscuits in" and looks after the crews and the boathouse "It's about being part of something bigger than yourself," said Mr Spindler, whose efforts have been recognised by him being named as a finalist in the volunteer category of the BBC's Make a Difference Awards. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset "It all started when I was 12. A friend's dad ran pleasure boats and invited me down to help. I found out they were part of the lifeboat crew too and I never looked back," Mr Spindler said. The stretch of coast near Weston-super-Mare is home to the second highest tidal range in the world. Over his decades of service, Mr Spindler said he had seen it at its most unforgiving in 1978 when he swam into a flooded cave at Brean Down to rescue three boys and two coastguard volunteers. "It was one of those nights you think should I really be doing this," said Mr Spindler. "But you do it, because there's a life at stake and you trust your crew completely. "When you save a child, something else happens in your heart... you don't forget that." Mr Spindler now spends his time looking after the Weston lifeboat boathouse and supporting crews. "I still get the tea and biscuits in," he said. He was awarded an MBE in 2016 by Prince William, but said: "It's not about medals. "It's about saving lives. It's the greatest feeling in the world. "I love it, I love Weston, I love the boats and I love the RNLI. We're one family wherever you go in the country, if you're lifeboat crew, you're home." You can find out more about the BBC Make a Difference Awards where you live here. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story BBC Make a Difference Awards launch across the UK Related internet links MAD Awards
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
Tears As Rescue Dog Takes First 'Cautious' Steps Into New Forever Home
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A rescue dog's nervous first few steps inside his new forever home have been captured on camera. There was a time when Stephanie Ruocco, from western Massachusetts, probably would have never even contemplated bringing a dog into her home. "I wasn't exactly a dog person," Ruocco told Newsweek. "Honestly, dogs kind of scared me." But that all changed the day she spotted a white German shepherd on a trail cam in an area of woodland that makes up part of the 12-acre property where Ruocco lives. "He was mangy-looking and bone-thin," she said. "I thought it was a coyote at first and posted the video on my Facebook community page." Ruocco soon learned that the dog, who was called Ghost at the time, had been missing since late February and living in the woods. He had been gifted to a retired local resident but had quickly bolted from his new home. Ruocco reached out to the animal's former owner. Though she got a response, communication between them ultimately broke down. Despite this, Ruocco was determined to help. She began leaving food and water out for the canine every day, and, every day, he came back for more. There was something about this dog, whom she would ultimately rename CJ, that struck a chord for Ruocco. "When I first saw CJ, he was this terrified stray, dodging everyone in the woods," she said. "Something about his fear of people mirrored my own unease, and it hit me hard. I didn't have a grand plan to rescue him. I just wanted to make sure he was fed and strong enough to survive out there." For two months, come rain or shine, she showed up with food and water. Something magical began to happen. "We started to trust each other," Ruocco said. "I'd get this little spark of excitement seeing him, and he began to look healthier, his tail wagging a bit more." The bond that can form between an individual and their pup occupies a unique space. This much was highlighted by a study published in the journal Scientific Reports earlier this year; 717 dog owners were asked to rate their relationship with a pet, close relative, child, best friend and romantic partner in 13 key areas, including reliability, companionship and affection. Dogs scored higher in areas like nurture and companionship compared to best friends or romantic partners. They also scored higher for affection, support and reliability compared to best friends or close relatives. Owners also reported minimal conflict with canines. While different from human relationships, the study identified some of what truly makes a dog "man's best friend." Ruocco's bond with CJ truly began to crystalize when she started bringing him toys, as well as food and water. "His joy was infectious. I don't think he'd ever had anyone play with him before," she said. "It was just us, two unlikely friends, building trust." From there, it was a slow but steady progression to the point where CJ felt ready to come into Ruocco's home. "Taking him in wasn't a decision I planned," she said. "It was one we sort of made together, day by day." Ruocco met CJ on May 19. By July 1, he was taking his first tentative steps into her home, in a moment captured on camera and posted to TikTok under the handle @stephanieruocco. While the caption on the video notes that CJ was initially "cautious" of his new surroundings, even in that brief moment, there is a sense he is already letting his guard down. That was a special moment. Ruocco said: "Honestly, I was freaking out with excitement because it was such a big step for this scared stray." The reaction online was similarly emotive, with users left in tears at what they were watching. At that stage, Ruocco was still planning to hand CJ over to a local dog shelter in the hopes of finding him a forever home. But then she realized something: he had already found one. "I started to feel protective," she said. "I wasn't OK with just handing him over without knowing he'd be safe and loved. That's when it hit me … we wanted to advocate for him and, ultimately, adopt him and care for him." CJ has gone from strength to strength ever since. Ruocco was so determined to bring him home, she even paid $800 compensation to his previous owner, while CJ has also undergone K9 training. Today, he is a dog transformed. "For a dog who spent so long in the woods, he's remarkably well-mannered and affectionate," Ruocco said. "You can see the relief in him now that he no longer has to worry about his next meal or watch his back."
