City reviewing ordinances changes for animals, fowl

Following multiple Graham City Council meetings with public comments regarding pitbulls and safety within the city, members of the Humane Society of Young County, Graham Police Department and city submitted updates Thursday to city ordinances regarding animals and fowl. The submitted changes must be verified by the city attorney before being considered by the city council for an upcoming meeting.

The proposed changes were created by a group composed of HSYC Board President Heather Allen, HSYC Director Shelby Brogdon, Graham Animal Control Officer Kimberly Shawver, GPD Chief Brent Bullock and Graham City Manager Brandon Anderson. Under the section currently for impoundment of dogs and cats, animals picked up in the first impoundment will require a fee from the city.

“Generally, first pickup is a city fee, which is a pickup fee, Animal Control (will be) bringing (them) in (as) intake for our shelter,” Brogdon said. “Being that we vaccinate on intake, we deworm on intake, we heartworm test, or FIV and FeLV tests for cats, we vaccinate not only to protect the animal coming into the shelter from anything that might be disease-wise there, but to also protect the ones that are there, the ones that are coming in, all of them. So there’s a fee for that as well. We have waived that at times, depending on the circumstances. But anyway, that’s what we’ve had. And then the second impoundment, the third impoundment, the fourth, the fifth, (...) and some of these dogs are coming in five, six times, I mean, over, and over, and over, and over again, the same dogs. (...) So what we’re doing with this update is trying to make our owners in the city responsible for their animals, instead of another $30 fee, maybe citations. We’re trying to actually put an end to, you know your dog is getting out, let’s stop that. Whatever it takes to stop that and get them off of the streets, get them out of our shelter and keep them home. And if you don’t want to do that, then why do you have them?”

For the full story, see the Wednesday, June 15 edition of The Graham Leader.