- County proposes tougher measures like increased fines, mandatory spaying/neutering, and a new animal shelter.
- Officials, including County Manager Mike Stephenson, are gathering public opinions to decide on the final measures.
- Watch the video to see community reactions and proposed changes.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
Stray dogs are a big concern in Thomasville, and neighbors are split on the best approach to tackle the issue.
I'm looking into proposed changes, how they might affect neighbors.
Neighbors have been calling for action on the stray dog issue for years, and now the county is taking the first steps toward addressing their concerns.
"It made me tear up a little bit because i was so excited," said Dixon.
Jeanette Dixon has been attending commissioners' meetings for over two years, pushing for stricter ordinances to hold pet owners accountable.
County manager, Mike Stephenson tells me he's been working on these ordinances since January of last year. He believes it's time to propose solutions to long-standing animal control issues.
"There were over two thousand calls received last year and the sheriffs office addressed every single call that came into 911," said Stephenson.
With those numbers in mind, the county is now considering several new measures to address the issue:
- Enforcing laws on dangerous dogs and rabies.
- Requiring pet registration and rabies vaccinations.
- Banning dogs from running loose, except in agricultural zones.
- Mandating spaying, neutering, microchipping, and rabies vaccinations for dogs in agricultural zones.
- Prohibiting the tethering of pets.
- Increasing fines for animal control violations.
Dixon says the main law she wants to see enforced is making tethering illegal for dogs
"That is such a big issue especially in this high heat advisories when you have these dogs all chained," said Dixon.
But Stephenson says he wants to gather public opinion before deciding which ordinances to enact.
"All these provisions and these proposal have a cost associated with them, so thats' what we want to find out fro ate community is how much of an investment do the feel county government should make in this area," said Stephenson.
Plans also include opening a new animal shelter to provide a safe haven for stray dogs and help manage the increasing population.
"I would imagine that animal services would fill up very quickly so then what is the plan for those dogs to be adopted so they can bring in more," said Dixon.
Neighbors tells me with the stray dog proble growing, they hope the county can be clear on their plan and timeline for passing ordinances.
Dixon says neighbors concerned about animal control in our neighborhood can attend a community event to discuss solutions and share ideas.
The event is called "Donuts with the Director." it's organized by Thomasville Humane, All Saints TNR, and the South GA Low Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic.
It will be held on August 19th at 6 PM at Imagine Thomasville, located at 401 S Broad St.
