Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cat Slain; Remains Left With Mayor Taylor

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor was bestowed with a gift, courtesy of the dogs running loose in the city's streets.

Thursday, April 19, Wava Fitzhugh had been away from home, and found the remains of a mutilated cat in her yard upon returning.

This was the second mutilated cat she had found in her yard, but this one had been pregnant.

She got angry and took the cat to City Hall, where she left it for Taylor.

Taylor, who wasn't there at the time, had a city employee take the cat's remains to the city's landfill, where it was disposed of.

Fitzhugh said the problem is with stray dogs following postman Bill Hoover around, as he feeds them.

This, she said, is the second time the dogs following him around have killed a cat on her property. The first one was taken to a veterinarian.

"It's a problem needing to be faced," she said. "I'm not a cat lover, but life doesn't mean anything anymore. This is a time bomb here."

Fitzhugh first talked with Prescott Police Chief Sam Reeder about the problem, before taking the cat's remains to the mayor.

Her concern is nothing will be done until a child is attacked and injured or killed by the stray dogs roaming the city's streets.

"If the city went after a grant," she said, "it could have a facility."

Taylor said Prescott doesn't have an animal problem, but a people problem, as people don't take care of their dogs. "I don't blame the animals, they wan to eat, too.

"I don't understand people not taking action," he said. "The police won't ticket anyone for protecting their property."

The city does have a vicious dog ordinance, where dogs deemed to be a danger to others are destroyed. However, there is nothing on the books to deal with dogs simply running loose.

Taylor compared the dogs to a group of young boys, saying they run together in a gang and try to top one another. In the case of the dogs, other animals and people suffer.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Prescott City Council, Monday, April 16, this issue was again discussed. However, the panel decided to do nothing until a group in Hope learns whether or not it will get grant money to fund a regional animal control shelter.

The wait could be months.

Taylor said no matter where he goes, this is the problem people talk about.

One problem he takes issue with is those who own pit bulls and walk them around in town. With these animals, Taylor said, someone will get hurt.

On addressing the animal control problem in the city he said, "When we do something in town, there also needs to be something done in the county."

According to Taylor, during deer season, out-of-town hunters come to the county and, occasionally, leave their dogs behind. These animals then roam loose and become wild, posing a threat to man and beast alike.