Animal control service future in question
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Given Carroll County's financial situation, the future of the Carroll County Animal Control was on everyone's mind at a recent animal control commission meeting.

Council member Ann Brown said the commission should not count on funding from the county for help with animal control. She explained approximately 75 percent of the county's general fund is used to pay employees. To avoid eliminating positions, other services would have to be reduced or deleted entirely to reverse years of spending above the income levels.

"Anything you would get from the county would be a bonus," she said.

However current shelter operator Doctor Lawrence Stauffer said the county had a system to handle stray and unwanted animals prior to the decision to turn the operation over to county government control in 2004.

"We used to make it work," Stauffer said. "I'm more than willing to continue in any capacity."

Commission members decided to approach each municipality and governmental entity about the need for, and the amount of funding each could provide, for animal control.

"All townships need to have a meeting,"Washington Township Trustee Lois Wallace said. "Whatever we do, we need to do the same thing."

Local resident Shawn Draper presented plans for a private shelter operation and said it would take significant money.

Camden Clerk-Treasurer Pat Casserly recommended com- mission members focus on spay/neuter education as well as attempt to provide animal control. She said a service called "The Neuter Scooter" has agreed to visit the county for a day to offer low-cost spay and neutering for cats.

Cassserly said the service requires a building with two small rooms, hot and cold running water and no less than 100 cat patients. For $40 each, a cat would be neutered and vaccinated for rabies. Either owned or feral cats would be accepted. Casserly said the service currently visits the Kokomo area monthly to provide the service.

The next animal control commission will be Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. at the Camden Community Building.