A group of local citizens is forming a group to attempt to help deal  to address the problem of abandoned and abused animals in the county.
“We recently met with a group of people who want to assist with an animal control project, providing maybe the county and the city and the other towns could all go together and help solve the problem,” County Mayor Mike Foster announced at Monday night’s meeting of the county commission.
“There's a lot of work to be done on this, but at least we have a group who wants to begin talks, so that maybe we can come up with a facility and a plan of operation,” the mayor said. “We met with some people who are interested in forming a humane society. I think it's preliminary, and we do need to have a lot of discussion about it. I would think we would need to have some work sessions with the city and start the process of figuring out how this is going to work.”
Commissioner Jimmy Poss, who is also mayor of Smithville, recomended that building of a new facility be considered.
“We should possibly discuss the process of building a new facility, and possibly a jointly run facility. It’s something that we need to look at. It's definitely time to do something,” Poss said.
“I think the realistic thing is these people are talking about a ‘low kill’ facility. ‘No kill’ sounds good on paper, but it's not very practical when you get a vicious dog and nobody wants it, and we've had some lately. “We've had five people who've been bitten in the last few weeks,” Foster added.
Commissioner David McDowell, a member of the new group, said the organization is in the process of doing its paperwork.
“It's called the DeKalb Coalition for the Humane Treatment of Animals, and we are in the process of securing IRS 501(c)3 charitable status,” McDowell said in a statement e-mailed to the Review.
“The purpose is to provide for an adequate animal shelter and facilities; to provide a permanent and safe location for neglected, abandoned and abused animals; to provide an alternative low-kill policy so these animals receive medical attention, reduce overpopulation, and be cared for until they can be placed in permanent homes,” he said.
“We want to work together with the mayors and city councils, and the Dekalb County mayor and county commission, to provide a more humane treatment of unwanted or neglected animals. After all, one measure of a society is how they treat their weakest members.
“The Coalition hopes to temporarily house, treat, then assimilate stray or abused animals through out DeKalb County. We will be working with the City of Smithville and the County Commission to come up with a site and facility in the near future.
“Besides myself, other board members include Dr. Hugh Don Cripps, Marsha Darrah, Sue Puckett Jernigan, Renee Ferguson. and Jason Murphy,” McDowell.