Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Council Oks Animal Control; Effective July 8

As of July 8, Gurdon's animal control ordinance will be effective.

The Gurdon City Council passed the ordinance at its regular monthly meeting Monday night at the Senior Adult Center, with several residents on hand to express their opinions.

Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith said the animal control issue is important to many people and opened the floor for discussion.

He informed those gathered the ordinance had been read twice before Monday's meeting, and would go into effect in 30 days after being approved, unless the council also passed the emergency clause it didn't.

Members of the audience pointed out there are quite a few dogs in the city with the mange, but said this disease is easily taken care of.

However, it was also pointed out many of the dogs with the mange have been abandoned and their owners have left the area. This means there is no one around to take care of the animals.

Council member Mickey Jones, who spearheaded the animal control ordinance, said when the animals are taken to the pound in Arkadelphia, they will be cared for somewhat in the hopes they will be adopted.

Gurdon, she said, is overpopulated with dogs now, and in many cases, the animals being put down is the kindest thing that can happen to them.

Smith said he began gathering information about animal control three years ago, attending seminars, visiting shelters in other cities to see what they did and what Gurdon would be up against.

When questioned as to who the animal control officer would be, Smith said this hasn't been determined yet, but it could be a city employee. He further stated the animal control unit will be kept in a sanitary condition and monitored regularly.

Gurdon City Marshal David Childres said the GPD has contacted the area humane society about the situation here, but it did nothing. "They have no reason gripe about what we do with dogs," he said.

A representative from the society said it only has enough room for 10 dogs and currently has 14. Other people are boarding dogs for the society, but Gurdon does need a leash law.

Jones said this is what the ordinance is all about, getting the forgotten and mangy dogs off the streets.

Smith said the issue was began by asking residents what they thought and polling them with a survey. The people, he said, were in favor of an animal control ordinance and passed a sales tax to fund it.

Owners, he continued, should be responsible for the action of their dogs, hence the fines attached to the ordinance ranging from $100 to $500.

The people passed the tax issue in November 1997, but the city didn't begin collecting money from the tax until Jan. 1, 1998. Then, the state held the money back for two months before it began paying the revenue back to the city. To date, Smith said, Gurdon has collected $16,658.72 from the tax.

In addition to animal control, he said, the tax must also repay another department for emergency warning sirens and help fund the GPD.

One resident pointed out senior citizens fear the fine because they can't afford it if they are ticketed for having an animal run loose. It was said they love their dogs and the dogs are their companions.

Again, Jones said the reason for the ordinance isn't to take people's pets from them, but to corral those with the mange and having been abandoned. Once this is done, she said, there will be few other dogs running loose.

Smith said the ordinance wasn't created to generate revenue for the city, but as a deterrent. "We're not after responsible dog owners," he said, "but the habitual offenders. We will work with the people."

It was pointed out the Gurdon Street Department had to clean a dead dog out of the road on last week. The dog had lain there for two days in the heat and was picked up using a backhoe because no one would touch it with their hands.

The owner reportedly had five other dogs on their property, all running loose and in packs without being cared for.

It was also pointed out some dogs won't let people get into their own homes. These dogs, it was said, threaten the owners by growling and getting ready to attack.

Jones said dog owners can purchase screw in tie downs for their dogs with 20 feet of cable relatively inexpensively. This will give the animal room to move around without being a nuisance.

Councilman Glen Hughes, who ran an ad asking for input in the issue, said the response he received was overwhelmingly in favor of animal control. A lot of people called and a lot came by the shop, he informed those on hand.

He asked if the animals picked up and not claimed could possibly be sold for research.

Smith said those who will be housing the animals won't do this.

Animal control, he said, is an expensive proposition, which is one reason it hasn't been tackled by prior administrations. However, it is an issue of concern by the people of Gurdon for quite some time.

Now, he said, the city has the tools in place to provide an animal control department.

The ordinance was placed on its third reading, passing without a nay vote. As the emergency clause wasn't also adopted, the ordinance will go into effect 30 days from Monday, or July 8.