Providing animal shelter funding was a necessity
One way or the other, Warren County government needed to find enough money to keep our animal shelter operational. And that’s exactly what happened Monday night when county commissioners voted to give $80,000 to the Humane Society, the organization which operates the animal shelter.
In the end, commissioners may have found the best-case solution to the county’s animal shelter woes. They managed to appease Humane Society officials while also establishing some control over animal shelter operations with a five-member committee to be appointed by County Executive Kenneth Rogers. This committee will include one county commissioner, one member of the Humane Society, one local veterinarian, and two at-large members.
Forming such a committee was a wise choice because when $80,000 in taxpayer money is being given away, there needs to be a system of checks and balances to ensure the money is not squandered.
One alternative was for county government to operate its own animal shelter, but commissioners were reluctant to explore this idea saying they didn’t want to get into the dog business. Since keeping the animal shelter closed was not a realistic option, the only other feasible plan was to properly fund the Humane Society while putting certain control measures in place.
The Humane Society, for example, will have to make regular reports to the county indicating where its money is being spent. It’s also reassuring to hear some of that funding will go to promoting spay and neuter clinics which are the only way to get a grasp on the animal population without killing hundreds of innocent pets.
Faced with the emotionally charged issue of proper animal treatment, county commissioners made the right decision and stepped up to the challenge. Adequately funding our animal shelter to keep it operational is in the best interest of our entire community.