City
Health Director Pamela Walker is running out of time.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>If the city does not close its animal shelter at 2120 Gasconade before January 1, the city will be in violation of the new Canine Cruelty Prevention Act, the legislative result of Proposition B.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I went to Jefferson City and met with the director of agriculture,” said Walker. “He said we do not meet the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act’s standards, and he is going to shut us down. When he walked out of the office, he looked back at me and said, ‘Tick, tock, tick, tock.’”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Walker
told the
Board of Aldermen on Tuesday that the city’s most pressing issues
for animal control are opening a new animal shelter and controlling
the intake of animals. She proposed that the city lease a building
in North St. Louis for $50,000 a year and transform it into a new
animal shelter, which would have more space than the building on
Gasconade.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>This week, Walker will ask the city’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment for $170,000 from City Capital Fund to retrofit a new facility for dogs. She’ll also ask to transfer about $234,000 within the health department’s budget to pay for a full-time veterinarian, two vet technicians and other animal control program support.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Currently the six animal control officers that patrol the streets are also taking care of animals in the shelter. With the new veterinary staff, the animal control officers will only issue tickets and pick up dangerous dogs.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>After a 2010 news report revealed the inhumane conditions at the city’s animal shelter on Gasconade, Mayor Francis G. Slay made a decision to close the facility.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In Walker’s new animal-control plan, she writes, “Gasconade was obsolete and inhumane.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Soon after the city closed the facility in August 2010, residents and surrounding animal shelters noticed an increase in dogs on the loose.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>At that point, Walker and Slay established an unwritten partnership with the non-profit Stray Rescue, which has a mission of taking in stray dogs and finding homes for them. Stray Rescue has taken almost 1,000 more dogs off the streets than the prior year and was able to increase adoptions from 303 dogs to 1,200, she stated.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Currently, the Gasconade location is not officially closed down, just closed to the public. Walker said it houses “bite” dogs and dogs the police pick up during criminal raids, evictions and other police calls. Walker said by running Gasconade as a smaller animal control facility, it allows employees to focus on enforcing the law. Since January, the number of tickets issued has gone from zero to more than 200, she said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“The public is safer and animals are being treated better,” Walker stated.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>However, many – including Slay and Walker – agree that this is not sustainable because the Gasconade shelter will soon be violating state law.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Alderman Carter’s objections
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Alderman Gregory Carter expressed two concerns with the plan.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>First, the new North City shelter would be located right next to a children’s daycare center.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Alderwoman Dionne Flowers said the daycare center owners would be happy to have the animal shelter next door, rather than a noisy industrial company.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>And secondly, Carter said, Randy Grim, director of Stray Rescue, has expressed some disrespectful opinions about North St. Louis City residents.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On the Stray Rescue website, Grim stated, “I live in an ignorant city. The problem is primarily in North City.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Carter asked what happens when Stray Rescue starts refusing to take dogs.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Walker
said Stray
Rescue takes in 90 percent of the dogs that the city picks
up.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Aldermen will vote on Walker’s plan as a resolution after funds are secured.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Aldermen are also discussing two board bills that address animal control issues. Board Bill 44 would establish the “Pet Spay, Neuter and Microchip assistance fund.” This money comes from the residents that have checked the box for this fund on their water bill, personal property tax or real estate tax bill.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Board Bill 107, introduced by Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, would require spay/neutering and micro-chipping for all dogs and cats.