BEDFORD – Debbie Stailey and Robin Compton with the White River Humane Society requested the commissioner to change a county ordinance on the number of days the shelter must hold a stray dog or cat.
Currently, when an animal is picked up by animal control the shelter must legally hold that animal for seven days according to the current ordinance.
Stailey told the commissioners they would like to change that to five days for dogs and two days for cats to prevent overcrowding and sickness at the shelter. This would not apply to animals that are police holds.
“Some of the animals that come to the shelter are sick or aggressive,” said Stailey. We would like to have the authority that after the animal is fully evaluated to put them down to prevent the sickness from spreading to healthy animals and the aggressive ones for the safety of the staff, the public, and other animals. Holding these animals this long causes the shelter to fill up quickly. The animals get stressed, get sick and in the worst-case scenario have to be put down.”
Stailey said holding the animals for a short hold allows the staff to begin socializing the animals, get them spayed or neutered, and into new loving homes.
However, the commissioners said they could not change the ordinance without presenting the request to the committee for review.
“We are concerned about the legal due process,” said President Dustin Gabhart. “We need to table this discussion until we can do that.”
