AMORY, Miss.(WTVA) -- Monroe County Supervisor Carol Crawford says the county has too many stray dogs, and that it's time to hire an animal control officer.
"Of course it will involve a truck and all the equipment for that kind of a job. We have a major problem in this county of stray animals, lost animals, and animals that aren't being cared for," Crawford said.
Crawford says it's not that hard to find many stray animals in Monroe County.
In fact, she says if you wander down any county road you will come across a stray animal.
She's found several strays and had to put some down.
After doing research over the last four months, Crawford learned there have been calls to the sheriff's department concerning vicious dogs and stray animals like cattle in the road.
District 1 Supervisor Doug Wiggins says he understands the problem, but sees a bigger problem in paying for a new officer and possible shelter.
"It would be very expensive to orchestrate and organize a county-wide shelter as well as provide staffing, vehicles, and food for the animals. It would be a huge burden on the taxpayers and there's currently no money available to fund the move. The only way to fund that would be a county-wide tax increase. Most residents would not want a tax increase to support something like that," Wiggins stated.
"I suggest we find the money and do the right thing by the county. My constituents and my clients are mad. They're tired of seeing dogs on the side of the roads. They're tired of having to explain to their children whey there's dogs starving on the side of the road. They're sorry they can't pick them up," said Crawford.
Crawford says she is working on a vicious dog ordinance to go along with her animal control officer idea, and plans to present it to the Board of Supervisors by August.
However, Wiggins says the county could work out a plan to pay the existing shelters in Amory and Aberdeen to pick up the stray animals.
Crawford says she plans to launch an e-mail campaign to support her plan.
