Published: March 19, 2008 04:07 pm            

Court splits over dogs

Strays being shipped to Whitley Co.

WHITLEY CITY — When Animal Control Officer Milford Creekmore II established 354-DOGS as his official telephone number, it was intended as an easy way to both report animal complaints and to look for a new pet.

But local adoptions are no longer in the cards as McCreary County Fiscal Court authorized Judge-Executive Blaine Phillips last Tuesday to contract with the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter in Woodbine, KY, at a cost of $15,000 per year.

The vote was not unanimous.

“I would like to see the contract first,” District 3 Magistrate Ralph Murphy said of his nay vote.

Though Judge Phillips had expected to present the contract at last Tuesday’s meeting, at press time he told The Record that a contract had still not arrived. However, Officer Creekmore must still transport the animals he catches to Whitley County.

Though there had been some talk of housing animals temporarily on Creekmore’s property, Judge Phillips cited noise complaints and a lack of a facility up to code as reasons for discontinuing local adoptions.

“We have to have a sanitary place indoors to keep animal activists happy,” Judge Phillips said.

But one such activist is decidedly not happy.

“I don’t understand why we would give someone else $15,000 to destroy our dogs,” complained Stephanie Taylor, who runs a local animal protection shelter.

Phillips has always maintained that the shelter will hold an animal at least five days as required by the state.

Taylor questions Judge Phillips’ assertion that it would cost $200,000 to build a local shelter.

“My shelter was $43,000 and can house up to 100 dogs,” Taylor said. “I even offered them an acre of land.”

County officials had once hoped to contract with Taylor to house dogs at her existing facility, but overcrowding and her no-kill policy prohibited that.

For now, Creekmore is to transport animals directly to Woodbine in accordance with that shelter’s hours. The Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter’s drop off times are Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

        

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