Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Animal Control Problem Exists In County And City

There is an animal control problem in Prescott and Nevada County.

Primarily, the problem is dogs running loose inside the city limits, while in the county, the situation is animals being dumped off and abandoned.

Ken Coonrod, who lives off Highway 19 in Nevada County, said about 50 animals a year are dumped near where he lives. In fact, two puppies, apparently of German shepherd mix, were dropped off at his house Monday morning, July 8.

While Coonrod tries to help the animals abandoned near his home, there are times when the best thing he can do is to kill them. In fact, he said he's had to kill about 15 in the last year alone.

This is done because the animals, primarily dogs, are starved beyond help, are injured or are a hazard to his family.

Sometimes, though, Coonrod will bring the animals back to Prescott, putting them out on the courthouse lawn.

"We have a problem," he said, "and something needs to be done. If anyone sees people dumping animals, they need to call the sheriff.

"It makes me mad," Coonrod continued," some of these are good animals."

However, he said, when these dogs are left on their own, they can form packs and run cattle; catching and killing older and younger animals. They can also be a menace to the residents of the area where they are roaming.

In checking with the Nevada County Judge's Office, there are no laws or ordinances on the books concerning the care and maintenance of animals.

There are no county laws requiring dogs to be vaccinated or penned.

Therefore, the county is helpless when it comes to animals being dumped.

Inside the city limits, there is no leash law, according to Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor, though dogs do have to be vaccinated against rabies.

Taylor said when the city receives a complaint about animals, they try to find the owner and notify them of the problem.

"There are a lot of dogs," he said, "without owners."

Another part of the problem, Taylor said, is these animals are more often than not unspayed and continue reproducing, which adds to the headache.

However, the Prescott City Council has voted down leash laws in the past. Taylor said he and the council are in the talking stages on what can be done about this problem, but starting a dog pound would be expensive.

"Eventually," he said, "I expect this (putting in a dog pound) to happen here. It has been looked into in the past."

In the meantime, though, people continue to dump animals and let them run loose, creating a health hazard for the rest of the county's residents.

These animals running loose inside the city and in the county can have a plethora of problems, including fleas and ticks, which carry diseases humans can catch as well.

Coonrod said if anyone is interested in looking at the two puppies dumped at his house Monday morning, they can call him at 887-5187.

"These puppies would make great pets for some child," he said.