Commission meeting in special session to address animal concerns
PRINCETON – A special Mercer County Commission session this coming Monday offers opportunities to speak with local officials about the Mercer County Animal Shelter and the county's issues with homeless dogs and cats.
The Mercer County Commission is meeting in special session on Monday, April 7, starting 6 p.m. at the Mercer County Courthouse to discuss animal control issues. The meeting will be held in the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge William Sadler.
A large population of homeless dogs and cats keeps the Mercer County Animal Shelter's kennels and cages full. This ongoing situation has been illustrated last year and this year by the multiple times the shelter has had to declared a Code Red status when its facilities get too full. Code Reds are declared when the shelter may have to consider euthanasia to make more space if not enough dogs are adopted or transported to out-of-state rescue organizations. The shelter has held adoption events with lower fees to help pets find homes.
County residents have appeared before the commissioners about stray dogs causing problems such as digging into trash and threatening people.
Sheriff Alan Christian said after the county commission's March 27 meeting that his department picks up dogs suffering abuse and neglect, but the department's humane officers could not pick up stray dogs. Humane officers are not tasked with picking up strays. Dog wardens have this job, but Mercer County does not have one at this time.
Commissioner Greg Puckett said the animal shelter works to make space for homeless pets, but the fact that the county has so many stray dogs means that emptied dog runs are filled again as soon as canines are adopted.
The county has problems addressing dog issues due to a lack of regulations. Puckett said that in one instance, an owner in Matoaka has over 50 dogs.
Christian said the public can share ideas about the shelter and animal control with him.
'I have pretty much an open-door policy,' Christian said. 'If they catch me here, I'm happy to talk to them about anything in the community. Not just dogs. You name it, that's what I'm here for.'
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
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