Upshur County, Texas (East Texas News) – Each year hundreds of animal-related calls come in, with nowhere to house them or a plan to manage them.
“Last year we received 1,440 animal-related calls. Just over 200 calls were about dogs that were aggressive toward people, that damaged property, or that killed other animals,” said Larry Webb, the Upshur County sheriff.
“This has been a problem for, I’d say, the last 20 years,” Webb said.
Last week, Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb presented an animal-control plan to the County Commissioners Court, which approved funding.
“Nothing was being done. All the local animal shelters are basically full. We were basically handcuffed. We could issue fines, that was about all we could do. The dogs stayed there, the dogs were roaming,” Webb said.
Webb says the plan will cost between $400,000 and $500,000. It includes hiring an officer who will be in charge of animal control, as well as establishing a facility to house the dogs until a destination for them is determined.
Cases involving aggressive dogs or those that cause trouble will be prioritized.
“We will start a criminal case, it will go through the courts, and then the decision about the dog and its owner will be made through the judicial system,” Webb said.
Webb chose this option over a traditional animal shelter for financial reasons, and said the county would seek opportunities to rehome the dogs, in addition to pursuing the judicial process.
“There’s no way the county can fund an animal shelter. I think we could reasonably fund an animal-control program that addresses the immediate public-safety concerns,” Webb said.
Webb said it was necessary to implement a plan now, rather than later.
“We’ll have to review it after about a year to see how it’s progressing. See how many animals we’ve picked up, whether the problem has diminished or grown, and from there, we’ll add elements to the plan or make adjustments,” Webb said.
Webb said the plan is still being developed, but will be finalized by the end of the budget season in the fall, when it will be included in the next fiscal year’s budget. The county must adopt regulations governing the operation of the facilities and the program, as well as health and safety standards.
“Be patient with the deputies when we go out to talk to you and explain what we can and cannot do at this moment, but that’s going to change,” Webb said.
