Regulations established for county dog pound

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

SMITH

Warren County is moving closer to establishing its own government-run animal shelter.

According to local officials, ground has been broken and building construction should begin in early 2006.

County Executive Kenneth Rogers has appointed a special committee to oversee construction, as well as the animal control operation once the building is completed. The committee is made up of four commissioners, two from the Health and Welfare Committee, Wayne Pryor and Bill Yancy, and two from the Building and Grounds Committee, Carl Bouldin and Ken Martin.

The county’s animal control officer, Charles Smith, began work in late October. Though his responsibilities had been outlined when he was hired, Smith was concerned about how much legal authority he has to pick up animals and perform his duties.

After consulting with District Attorney Dale Potter about state animal control statutes, Smith and other county officials felt it was important to establish a set of county regulations that could be brought before the full commission for its approval, thus giving Smith actual authority.

The Health and Welfare Committee held a meeting to discuss these issues last week. According to Smith state laws prior to the middle of this year did not directly address local animal control, but after further checking, he subsequently found there are new state laws on animal control in effect.

“The state laws have been updated as of July of this year,” Smith said. “Before with the state laws I had absolutely no authority to do anything. There was nothing addressed in the state laws for animal control. The new laws that came out actually addressed animal control and gave me specific duties and charged me with carrying out specific duties, especially under the rabies section.”

Smith, along with Yancy, began researching the animal control operations in neighboring counties, including Bedford and Rutherford counties, and found the regulations drawn up for the Rutherford County operation to be thorough and a good model for government-run animal control operations. The two eventually decided to base Warren County’s animal control regulations on that document.

“Rutherford County has a phenomenal program,” Smith said. According to Smith, copies of the Rutherford County regulations have been sent to the National Humane Society and have met with its approval.

“Everybody wants to use this as a model for counties across the country,” Smith said. “Everybody involved in animal control really likes what they’ve come up with. They’ve done all the ground-work, all the legal work, everything is in here, so I’m going to take this, make a few changes and tailor it to our county, and try go with that.”

The Health and Welfare Committee voted unanimously to present the document as a resolution, which was added to the docket for the Commission’s meeting Monday. The resolution also passed unanimously through the commission with a vote of 22-0 with two commissioners absent, thus giving Warren County a set of regulations to govern animal control locally and Smith the authority, as animal control officer, to carry out those regulations.

Animal Control Department guidelines
The stated duties of the Warren County Animal Control Department will include the following:

To provide essential animal control to the residents of Warren County through the enforcement of animal-related codes as stated in the Tennessee Code and County Resolution.

To attempt to resolve animal-related problems by education or advice.

To provide emergency and rescue services for animals.

To cooperate with the county health director and assist in the enforcement of the laws of the county and state with regard to animals and especially with the regard to the vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies and the confinement or leashing of vicious animals

To investigate cruelty to or abuse of dogs, cats and other animals.

To maintain an animal shelter in accordance with the provisions of this act and the policies of the Animal Control Department that will include but not be limited to, sheltering of animals impounded under this act, licensing of animals, quarantine of rabies-suspected animals and disposition of impounded animals by adoption, redemption or humane euthanasia.

Fees for redeeming impounded dogs, cats or small household animals will be as follows:

Licensed animals may be redeemed after payment of $35 and $10 per day for board.

Unlicensed animals may be redeemed after payment of $35 and $10 per day for board plus vaccination fee.

Second offense for a licensed or unlicensed animal will require a $50 fee and $10 per day for board.

Third offense for a licensed or unlicensed animal will be $100 and $10 per day for board.

All veterinarian costs and/or other costs as a result of the impound will be the responsibility of the owner and shall be subject to payment in full prior to the release of the animal.

Fees will be waived for a first offense impoundment if the animal is redeemed within three days.

A complete copy of the animal control regulations is available at the Warren County Administrative Offices.