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CHATHAM — Members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors aim to meet with a local animal-welfare group to discuss ways to improve conditions at the county’s animal shelter.
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During the board’s regular meeting Tuesday night, Westover Supervisor and Board Chairman Coy Harville told members of the Animal Welfare League of Pittsylvania County that county officials will meet with league members by the beginning of next month.
Members of the league asked the board during the meeting to take steps to reduce kill rates and increase adoptions at the county’s animal control facility in Dry Fork, among other improvements.
“It is time for a change in the county’s animal-control policies,” league member Bill Fox said to the board. About 100 supporters stood and applauded at the end of Fox’s speech.
The league requests that the board implement several changes at the facility. The requested changes include:
- Allow transfers to state-approved rescue organizations at no charge to the organization.
- Open the facility on Saturdays for at least two hours to increase chances of animal adoption and give pet owners the extra time to find and reclaim missing dogs.
- Guarantee staffing of the facility and public access during posted hours. The shelter is currently open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and at other times by appointment.
- Separate dangerous dogs from those available for adoption.
- Provide safe, clean comfortable housing for the animals at the facility.
- Lower euthanasia rates resulting from lack of adequate access to the facility and no commitment to adoptions.
- Create an animal shelter advisory board to meet monthly about issues pertaining to the county facility.
Regarding the league’s request for Saturday hours at the facility, County Administrator Dan Sleeper said if the animal shelter is opened on Saturday, a licensed landfill operator would have to be present since the property is a secured facility.
The league previously asked the board in September to make changes at the facility, such as lowering the cost of adoption, staffing the facility with volunteers on Saturdays, partnering with other rescue organizations to transfer dogs and using county jail trustees to clean and maintain the facility. But supervisors said no money was available.
But the board was more receptive during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Chatham-Blairs Supervisor Hank Davis said: “The kill rate is awful.” Davis said the county is spending $48,000 to send cats to the Danville Area Humane Society.
Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker said property next to the county landfill, where the animal shelter is located, could be used to house cats.
Dan River Supervisor James Snead said conditions at the facility are “not something to be proud of.”
According to statistics from the league, Pittsylvania County transferred no dogs to rescue organizations in 2007, unlike Henry, Campbell, Patrick and Franklin counties. Pittsylvania also had the highest reported euthanasia rate among the counties in 2007, at 84 percent.
Harville, Davis, Snead and Sleeper agreed to schedule a meeting with league members during the week of June 29.
“We do have some complications here, but there’s no reason we can’t work through them,” Harville said, alluding to the potential obstacles of trying to open the shelter on Saturdays.
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Reader Reactions
I agree 100% with both of you!!
Let me expalin a little further….
I have had some esxperiences with the ACO’s there in Pitt Co. They seemed nice, but also seemed like they had a lot going on..like very busy, but everywhere is like that if business is good! There was a young male ACO that wrote me a citation 5 years ago in Chatham, VA for dumping the wrong material in the dump boxes. He was professional and very courteous and showed me the code as to why he was writing me the ticket. I thought he was a game warden or a deputy because he carried himself that way. I walked away more educated and $115 less in my pocket, but because he took the time to explain things and treated me like a human being, I was very impressed.
I have also picked up my dog at the shelter. Again, they were nice, but the phone was ringing constantly, they were getting calls on the radio, and they were busy. I can see having someone at the pound full time to do nothing but that. Makes sense!!
Hey all,
Let’s talk about Pittsylvania County Animal Control.
I called about some dogs, about six, left in a lot that were not being fed. You know how long it took for them to take the dogs, which I am sure are dead now? Two weeks.
To resolve the issues with their case load:
One (Male Officer) could get more accomplished if he would quit hanging out at his buddies houses for hours everyday.
There must not be too much animal upkeep since One (Male officer) likes to euthenize every animal he can get his hands on. He also did not want anything to do with trying to place animals, “Why bother?“
To compare a little information the Danville Area Humane Society takes in ten times more animals than the county and they also take in the county’s felines. But, the county has a higher euthenization rate, what is up with that.
I have a friend who lives in the county, and recently, his dog (all shots, licensed and all good), was protecting his home and a person decided to hit at his dog with a stick. The dog in question grabbed a hold of the person, did not bite but grabbed and left a very small bruise, no broken skin and One Male Animal Control officer immediately wanted the dog put down. The person who the dog grabbed does not want anything done with the dog. But an animal control officer wants the dog declared dangerous (for protecting himself and his home) or put down. I know the dog, he is a baby and everyone loves him. The newspaper carrier offered to take them if the owner ever got sick of either of the dogs.
The county needs to focus on their problems, the rabid dogs, the unattended and uncared for animals, the unlicensed animals as well.
Thanks Hot. I think my plan would benefit the public, the Sheriff’s dept, and the animals…after all they could get either adopted or transferred by people that could spend more time doing shelter work. The ACO’s there have enough to deal with.
The Board always talk about how they want to save the county taxpayers money while providing them services. Well, this is a no brainer then. The ACO’s get law enforcment training so they can also help the Sheriff’s dept when they are short handed….which all county residents know about that..lol. The County currently lets other dept’s carry their vehicles home and are not subject to be called out…yet ACO’s are….how’s that saving money???? They are the last dept you should take vehicles from!
The citizens will have to wait for something bad to happen where having the vehicles would have prevented it and the the Board will say, well, well, well….maybe we should not have taken their emergency vehicles, like the Sheriff’s have and need! I dont work there, I just like to keep up with this stuff!
Oh well, this is just my opinion and I am venting.
It’s time for a change!!
THe last time I checked…...they also write solid waste tickets….trust me, I know. I do agree with you Gas, they have a lot on their plate. The first part of the Pitt Co Supervisor’s plan should be to put them in another dept such as the Sheriff’s office, or Public Safety, get them LE certified, rather than COP certified, and everyone wins! That dept operates like they are in the stone ages. What Animal Control dept works for the County Admin??? I mean C’mon, the County Admin probaly go to the Chief ACO for advise, rather than the other way around, like it is supposed to be!!!!
How many times have I said that the Animal Control Officers need to be under the Sheriff’s dept so that the shelter can be privatized or someone can be hired full time to deal with the shelter and adoptions?
The Animal Control Officers there (there are only 3 for the biggest county in Virginia) do not have time to answer calls, enforce laws, pick up animals, assist the game wardens, enforce the solid waste code, oh and by the way, take care of a shelter which entails adoptions, euthanasia, cleaning, feeding, etc…
The county has gotten a free ride by not paying the ACO’s hardly anything, and they are short handed…..and expecting them to do so much. Not to mention, they are the only on call agency that dont drive vehicles home, like the other county agencies that do and are not even on call!!
The ACO’s need to be put under a law enforcment agency, because they are viewed by many as law officers, not law officers, slash pound caretakers.
Now people are finally noticing something and they aer doing something about it!! Do the right thing BOS. I’m sure the Sheriff wouldnt mind putting them under his command!!
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