- Stray dog attacks on cats and other animals in Thomasville are causing worry among residents about safety.
- Residents like Jeanette Dixon are pushing County commissioners to bring stricter laws for controlling animals.
- Watch the video to see how this issue is affecting neighbors and animals
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
Loose dogs have been causing havoc in Thomasville leading to tragic attacks on cats and raising serious safety concerns. Neighbors tell me Pinecrest residential complexes and neighbors is a hot spot for stray dogs. I’m looking at what county’s animal shelter plan to protect neighbors and animals
Over 10 cats and other animals have been killed by stray dangerous dogs and people are taking to the county to do something about it.
Jeanette Dixon says she’s had huskies terrorize her place for about 4 months, killing two of her chickens. She has been going to commissioners meetings ever since in hopes of seeing a change in animal ordinances.
“It's cheaper for people to just let the dogs run at large and do what they wanna do and not really pay attention to them rather than spend the money for a kennel and proper housing and make sure they have shade and shelter," said McDonald
The fine for abandoning an animal in Thomas County is currently 62.50, but Chuck McDonald, the Animal Control captain tells me the county is working on bringing that number up.
He says the county’s animal shelter says the situation of abandoned or lost animals have made matters worse.
“There's just no place to put these animals, so we're doing the best we can do with the limited resources we have right now," said McDonald.
Chandler Giddes, Executive director of Thomasville humane says they want to help but their hands are tied.
“We’ve received a number of complaints in those first couple of months were people would call us - people still call us expecting us to respond to the complaints and we can’t were not legally allowed,” said Giddes
Ever since the Thomasville Humane Animal Shelter parted ways with Thomas County in 2022, The County took the full responsibility of animal control.
“You have a public safety risk, you have an animal safety risk, you have a complete and blatant disregard for every single person that lives in that neighborhood for their,” said Giddes.
McDonald tells me he hears the neighbors concerns but the county needs time to get more done.
“Be patient. more is being done but it has to come in stages, we can't snap our fingers and have everything appear at one time," said McDonald
The county is waiting on The agriculture department to sign off the new shelter so it can be fully running in September.
“especially since Covid hit, a lot of people are doing small backyard farms, goats, chickens, pigs you know the money for food” [ Butted to] “For somebody’s dog just to come in and take all of that out an you can’t get any help recuperating any of the costs,” said Dixon
As far as the current ordinance, Commissioners said they expect to review them and following the new county Shelter’s opening in September.
