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Animal-rescue groups urge Jackson to restore shelter and update ordinance; mayor agrees to consider task force
Summary
Representatives of the Mississippi Animal Rescue Collective told council the city shelter has been closed since October 2021 and asked to help update animal-control ordinance and operations; the mayor said he would not object to forming a task force to work with stakeholders.
Pippa Jackson, speaking for the Mississippi Animal Rescue Collective, told the council on Aug. 26 that Jackson’s city animal shelter “has been closed since October 2021,” and said area animal-welfare organizations have been carrying the burden and cost of shelter work. Jackson asked the council to engage rescue groups in updating the city’s animal-control ordinance and creating a transparent, humane animal-control program that reflects local values.Council response and mayor’s comment: Council members and the mayor said they heard the concern. Councilman Ashby Foote, who earlier convened a community meeting on animal-control issues, recommended creating a task force to include engaged citizens and rescue organizations. Mayor Horn said the administration had met with animal-control stakeholders and that he“would not have a problem establishing another task force for that purpose.”No formal ordinance was introduced at the meeting. The item was on the public-comment agenda and will be scheduled for follow-up, with staff and council members discussing how animal-control services can be improved and funded. Rescue representatives offered assistance with ordinance updates and program design.
