Fiscal Court agrees to help animal control

By Andrew Powell
Associate Editor
From www.tmcvoice.com

After the enactment of legislation that changes the way animal
shelters are operated, McCreary County Animal Control Officer
Brassfield Coffey is seeking monetary assistance from the fiscal
court.

Coffey wants the court to pay for the euthanasia costs he incurs
every month after, he said, changes in animal control laws are
affecting the adoption rates of animals at his Rattlesnake Ridge
animal shelter.

Enacted state legislation now requires shelter operators to help
ensure adopting pet owners get their animals vaccinated for rabies,
by working in conjunction with local animal clinics.

Coffey now requests adopting pet owners pay a $10 fee for each
animal adopted. They are in return given a certificate for rabies
vaccination at a local clinic. After the certificate is presented to
a veterinarian, the vet can then send the certificate to Coffey for
reimbursement of the $10 allowing the animal vaccinations to be
tracked.

After the law passed on July 1, Coffey said his adoption rate has
been on a steady decline since many do not want to pay the $10.

Before the new laws, Coffey said his adoption rate was two to one
over animals that were taken to a Somerset clinic for euthanasia,
but now more animals will making the trip to Somerset instead of
making a trip to someone's home as a pet.

"Since July 1, there has been a lot put on me," Coffey said. "I am
asking that the court cover the vet bill and I will take care of
everything else. It is all hard to do on $825."

The fiscal court allots Coffey $825 a month to cover all expenses
relative to operating the shelter and caring for the animals, but
Coffey said due to the laws and low adoptions, the $825 will not
cover all of his costs.

He recently said that he regularly uses some of his own salary each
month to help cover shelter expenses.

Coffey said he should have had 20 dogs adopted last month, but due
to the law changes and rabies fee, he only had one pet adopted.

"I will have to put 90 percent of them down now," said Coffey.

Coffey also told court members that he would have to take some
animals for euthanization tomorrow, because the shelter is becoming
overcrowded. "I got troubles now, today, not next month," Coffey
said to court members while they considered the proposal.

Coffey said Stephanie Taylor, the operator of the McCreary County
Animal Protection League, a no-kill shelter, was to appear in court
today as well, but was unable to do so.


Coffey said she recently helped him with feed supplies and that she
spends over $800 a month for feed at her shelter in Pine Knot.

Taylor will be facing some of the same problems as Coffey with new
state laws, specifically the rabies vaccination and adoption
procedures.

Coffey said he could give the animals at his shelter a rabies
vaccination, but if the dog bites someone and court proceedings
ensue, the vaccination would not hold up in court because he is not
a certified veterinarian. Coffey said the vets at the Somerset
clinic charge $20 for a one year rabies vaccination or $28 for a
three year vaccination.

Court members agreed to help Coffey with the veterinarian expenses,
for one month at first, to see how the charges add up.

McCreary County Judge-Executive Blaine Phillips said he will contact
local veterinarians to see which clinic has the lowest rates.

All of this has come nearly a week after an e-mail circulated
throughout a nationwide animal abuse network claiming that Coffey
mistreated animals, did not feed or water them and used them for
target practice.

While Coffey admits that he has used gunshot to put animals down in
the past, it was not the primary means of euthanization and only
occurred if the animal was sick or injured and had not occurred
since the new law passed prohibiting euthanization by gunshot.

A surprise inspection at the shelter by media members and Judge
Phillips found none of the accusations to be true.

During Tuesday's meeting, Judge Phillips spoke of the allegations
stating that one good thing had come from all of the turmoil. A
humane society in Kentucky contacted Phillips about the situation
and once they were told the allegations were not true, but local
resources were limited, the society offered their help.

Phillips said society members informed him they could help find
programs to alleviate the stray animal situation here and to provide
better resource allotment for the animal shelter. Phillips said the
society may also be able to help the county obtain a grant to
acquire land and fund the construction of a new shelter.

"I just wish that if people get dogs that they get them spayed and
neutered and that they don't take them out to set them off and
starve," Magistrate Judy Redden said.

(Editor's Note: In last week's article, Abuse Network Sounds Alarm
on Animal Control Officer, The Voice erroneously identified the
animal pens at Coffey's shelter as being 4x6 foot in size, when they
are actually 6x10 foot in size. The Voice regrets the error).

Reach Andrew Powell at apowell@tmcvoice.com or call (606) 376-5500.