I read the article in the Daily Times , dated Sept. 20th--- "County , city look at altering dog ordinances." I also watched the news about one of the dogs reported to Animal Control who was living in a plastic crate, which appeared to have a hole in the side. Addressing the statement in the paper--- "Even though ANIMAL CONTROL DECIDED the dogs weren't being neglected or abused in those cases, officials want to insure everyone is on thesame page" Good Idea! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However----I would think All Animal Control officers have to be given copies of their Countys Laws & know them well so they will be enforced by them. After hearing about this on the News & in the paper I obtained a copy of the County Laws & this is what I find to be LAW IN OUR COUNTY-----FROM THOSE PAGES.
It states in our COUNTY Dog Laws 133-17, dated 12/22/2-11 that---THE STRUCTURE SHALL PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM WEATHER, I.E., SUN, WIND, PRECIPITATION OR OTHER INCLEMENT OR UNSAFE WEATHER CONDITIONS & SHELTER THAT IS MAINTAINED IN A CLEAN, SANITARY CONDITION, FREE FROM EXTREME & UNREASONABLE OBJECTIONABLE ODER.------(THIS WAS ADDED TO THE LAWS IN 12-16-2008
Under CARE OF ANIMAL "F" , which was amended in 12-2008, The LAW states-----" A fully contained area free of fecal buildup, debris & infestitation."
The picture I saw of the dog , sent via Internet to me---- appeared to have a a hole on the side of the plastic crate . I was told the inside of the crate had water standing in it. I'm sure everyone will remember the terrible torrents of rain & winds we had recently. This was the weather the animal was suppose to seek shelter in this crate ---in surroundings ---which appeared to have no grass around the plastic crate----so---just mudd for the animal to walk in when it rains? I was told this was reported twice to Animal Control. If -- Knowing the laws, shouldn't this animals situation been taken care of Then?????? I would think so!
Had it not been raining when they saw where the dog was----I would think they would Know what was going to happen when it rained------wouldn't they?
Another of our COUNTY LAWS---under DOG HOUSE states: A structure with secure sides & tops to protect the animal from the WEATHER! There must be a floor free from rot , DRY & clear of debris. The dog house must be of a size appropiate to the size of the dog living in it. ( This added 12-16-2008 )
Again , the question ----WHY was the animal not attended to properly??
Another statement from the paper I found interesting was------"Among the likely changes in the county are Further Defining "adequate" water " to mean 24 - 7 access to clean water."
Under our COUNTY LAW----133-17 ANIMAL CARE & or ANIMAL NEGLECT
"DRINKING WATER"----There MUST be drinkable water in ADEQUATE supply.
Under the laws of CARE OF AN ANIMAL: Food & Water in SUFFICIENT quanities to maintain animals in healthy condition.
To quote from Websters Dictionary----Adequate means Sufficient and Sufficient means, enough. I am thinking---If I saw an animal with 1/10th of a bowl of water----would I not know that animal NEEDED WATER & SHOULD HAVE IT ? Of course ---that's a no-brainer. So, if the animal did have such a situation----then YES, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO HELP THE ANIMAL, RIGHT? After all this is what County Dog Laws states. So, why would this not be enforced & done for them if reported???? ( Adding 24/7 would give this law a bit of a boost---- I suppose.)
IN CURRENT DOG LAWS UNDER ----- " UNSAFE WEATHER CONDITIONS" It states:
Shall be when the temp. is BELOW freezing or ABOVE 100 degrees. ( ADDED 12-16-2008 ),
Stated in the newspaper article of Thurs. Sept . 20th, 2012---"The COUNTY COUNCIL also may set a minimum & maximum temperature for when animals can be left outside"
I hope the statements quoted in the Daily Times of "Among the likely changes in the county are-- " isn't just a pacifier to the people coming before them with the complaints.
Council had the opportunity to "fix this" when call for changes were brought before them a few years ago. I think the members who are still on the Council that were back then are--- Mr. Holloway , Ms Bartkovitch & Ms Prettymen.
Hopefully, this will be adjusted as no human or animal should be made to stay outside in 100 degree or freezing temperatures!!
I went before the Board several years ago to request New Laws for protection of people & the animals. This was done when I was told by the Humane Society nothing could be done when I reported a dog tied to 3 feet of chain!!! It was then I ask who made the Laws & where could I obtain a copy. After reading the Laws , seeing that a dog could live -----after Killing someone & seeing in the Laws what I'd been told by the Humane Society to not be truth, I contacted then President , John Cannon. After this , the matter & request for change was presented to the Council . A committee was formed & worked tirelessly to research how other States had their Laws written & worked for the benefit of the people & the animals in creating new Laws to present to the Council. Only a few changes were made. Yes, there was some progress , but not near enough!!!! There was great disappointment from the committee as they had worked long hours , meeting at nights to rewrite & propose the laws to Council. There was much disappointment in how long it took to get back to Council to request these changes ----- and then with only minimal new laws approved by them. One of the changes I requested was Animal Control Laws be kept in view at the Humane Society-----that was denied----I think Council should reconsider so people know Truth when it comes to the Laws---not just by heresay from someone!
There were a few more things on our Laws that people might be interested in also , so they can report to Animal Control when there's the need.
COLLARS " Are to be LEATHER OR NYLON ---Sooo , NO chains around the neck
RESTRAINTS --Dogs confined on a tether, excepting periods of times that are brief & incidental, tether shall NOT be LESS THAN 15 FEET--ANDPOSITIONED TO PREVENT TANGLING & HANGING---( Added12-16-08 )
Now, the question of WHO IS RESPONSIBLE WHEN OUR COUNTY LAWS ARE NOT ENFORCED???
My understanding is the Humane Society & Animal Control are separate. Duty of Animal control is to enforce the laws. He is authorized to employ additional animal control officers---WITH CONSENT OF COUNTY. EXECUATIVE, as deemed necessary for enforcements of provisions of the laws and CTY EX. PAYS Animal Control for their expense. I've heard Wicomico Cty gives $200,000 to the Humane Society & I don't know if the amt. paid Animal Contro is a separate amt. or not. I am guessing this leaves the responsibility up to the BOARD , appointed by the Cty?, should the Laws not be enforced. Would that be a correct assumption ???????????????????? If not-----then to whom does the responsibility lie?????????? Sure is a mixed mess it seems----No Accountability----No Responsibility.
15 comments:
Mr Holloway was on the Council at that time also.
Thank YOU soo much for posting this so we Know some of the Laws of this County!!!!
Sure wish you & your wife could organize & run the Humane Society here in Wicomico Cty.
Just Why don't you do that Cty Goverment???? He's offered to do it & you pay him & within a few yrs . has said he wouldn't need the monery---OUR Taxpayers Money, you all Are Now Throwing Away like you do so well!!!
Thank you so much for printing this letter. The current Animal Control of Wicomico County needs to carry these laws with them & show them to the offenders that they have the right to enforce those laws. I don't know how Animal Control ever stated the owners of the dog on Scott Lane were compliant. That dog was in 102 deg heat on top of the crate in the middle of the yard. I called them numerous times & every time they said the dog was under a tree. Liars, we went out there, took pictures, sent them as a Facebook Message to the Humane Society & emailed them to them too proving the dog was still in a crate in the center of the yard. When RAIN came & the crate got flooded a Rescue Group went out there & took a dog house because the dog was laying in the mud in front of the flooded crate that was upside down. Thank GOD Ed Baker & the Wicomico County Coucil saw the EXTREME need to take action about crates. No other Director or Animal Control Officer allowed crates. At the Council Meeting the Assistant Council Lawyer said Animal Control was giving people crates instead of doghouses. Thank GOD for Corrina Pysa of WBOC Channel 16 who interviewed Joe Holloway, the President of the Council & a concerned citizen showing the horrible conditions the dog on Scott Lane had to endure. Animal Control failed in this instance & how many dogs are suffering that have not been helped because they didn't enforce the law.I know one on W. East St. in Delmar, MD. that was reported to Delmar Police & Wicomico Humane Society for over 2 months. The dogs are still in dire need...one dog in a kennel stands in an inch of water when it rains & many days thereafter. His paw pad could rot. It is overgrown with tall grass. Wicomico County Animal LOVERS & CITIZENS we need to ask for a Membership Meeting of the Humane Society & find out what is going on. They fired Sandy a great Manager & made Linda's life miserable til she resigned. The current Director has no experience with animals or how to run a shelter. Does this sound like what we want for the CARE of the ANIMALS that are in GREAT NEED? Especially with the laws that are forcing landlords to demand give up your pet or be evicted. How can GOD forgive us?...we are suppose to help those that can't help themselves.
Taxpayers that live in Salisbury, Fruitland and Delmar pay for animal control twice. Once as a part of their municipal taxes and once in the county tax bill. Both the county and these towns have separate agreements that were brought about by the utter incompetence of the county. Each town was forced to do something since the county refused to render this service with any form of regularity.
The humane society needs to be run by the county government with animal control run as it should be a policing agency. Also I know that Mr Fitzgerald goes out on a lot of the animal control calls and makes decisions. Why I dont know. He is the humane society director nor the AC officer. The AC officer for the county has no official training in her job capacity. How can that be. The two city AC officers have gone through training and still do. That whole place needs to close and start over again with caring qualified responsible people.
What were Mr. Fitzgerald's qualifications anyway? He should never have been interviewed let alone hired.
i agree with comment 4:43 pm, i have called the delmar police, animal control and the humane society about the dog on w. east st in delmar...nothing has been done. i started calling a year ago, and have called up until a month ago, then again last week... its sad these laws are in place yet no one does anything to enforce them.
Call the TV Stations, get them to run a story, show the dog & its conditions---Call the Mayor of the town---take pictures post them on line with the address & everything you're doing ---Notify the newspaper as to everything you've done .
Get busy & Don't give up!!! That dog is better off euthanized then to suffer through torment of the heat he endured this summer ----and now the cold winter approaching.
What is the NO where the dog is on W. East Streed in Delmar and is that location in MD as I would assume?????
Nothing is going change in this county until the counsil takes the funding away and the city takes the funding away. Then the city and the county need to work together out of that building that the county already owns. Ed Stewart of city AC is more then qualified to be the director and head of AC and then Dave the other city AC and the one the county has would out at least 2 at a time on the street plus an on call person. I'm sure enough of us would volunteer to keep things going until a full staff could be hired. I mean this has been going on for years. We dont need the HS just a good county/city AC and shelter. I'm sure things would run much smoother. There would be accountability and no use for that dead do nothing bunch that call themselves a board of directors. It's like the county just keeps beating it's head against the same wall and expecting a different outcome and that's just insanity. The line in the sand needs to be drawn.
The current council is waaayyyy to far right to enact any laws that make people do things. I know, common sense isn't possible. Only grandstanding.
That's something I really don't get. Since when are Delmar Fruitland and the city of Salisbury not part of Wicomico County. Why do Delmar and Fruitland have to pay separately. I know at one time Delmar had to pay for each animal from there that was taken in. Seems the HS has spent years just bleeding everyone they can for money and killing most of the animals all the while not doing their jobs. I would love to really know what all this money is spent on. Surely not the animals. Can't see it around the shelter. They claim to get $635,000 a year. Any shelter or rescue group that cares about the animals could really do something to help the animals with that kind of money.
If you look around the rest of Md most AC shelters are county run. Anne Arundel Prince Georges and many others. Humane Society's and SPCA's are usually separate entities. This is really what needs to happen here. If the HS wants to still run as a non profit animal group they need to do it on their own with their own space and the building needs to become county/city AC. That way the tax payer money is accounted for and the HS can stand on it's own and sink or swim. They have been given a free ride for far too long. It's time to sink or swim. The council for the county and the city need to get together and really consider this. One AC for all of Wicomico county
8:39 am Isn't that past pathetic--One animal control officer for the County. I heard they are to hire another one----wonder if that's even enough!!
This entire situation should be taken over by the County-----then we'll Know who is accountable.
Council do you jobs please & by all means ---- get a copy of the Animal Control Laws before you should you have more complaints. You really look incabable of doing your jobs when you do not know what you are even talking about!!!
Somerset has a dysfunctional animal control also. It's very sad how the animals are treated by those that are paid to care for them.
Post a Comment