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Residents press Spalding County on animal‑control enforcement and opioid settlement spending
Summary
Multiple residents told the board May 4 that county animal‑control ordinances are not being enforced and urged clearer shelter sterilization practices; a local provider asked the board to open a process for awarding opioid abatement funds to treatment providers.
Several residents used the May 4 public comment period to press Spalding County commissioners on animal control enforcement and the county’s handling of opioid abatement funds.
Julia Maloney (speaker 14) cited sections of the county code governing impoundment and licensing and said the ordinances expand animal control duties beyond the state minimum; she argued the county shelter and animal control officers must enforce those provisions to address overpopulation. "The ordinances actually expand animal control duties to the public," Maloney told the board, and she listed relevant code sections she said were not being followed.
Heather (speaker 16) described cases of dogs being adopted from the county shelter without being sterilized and said the county’s follow‑up to ensure compliance has been slow; she called for practical changes including sterilizing before adoption, a foster‑to‑adopt protocol, and stronger authority for animal control to seize animals when adopters fail to comply with sterilization contracts.
Patsy Kingsley (speaker 5), Michael Renew (speaker 1) and others also urged better shelter practices and promoted adoption follow‑through and training programs. Several commenters offered concrete proposals such as discounted obedience classes and more robust pre‑adoption protocols.
Nicole Green (speaker 17) asked the board to create a transparent process to allocate opioid abatement funds the county has accepted from settlements with manufacturers and distributors. "All I'm asking tonight is for this board to create a process, a door, a way for organizations like Midway to do what this money was intended to do," Green said, noting that to her knowledge the county’s only purchase from opioid funds to date has been naloxone (Narcan).
Board members acknowledged the concerns. Chairman Clay Davis (speaker 6) and other commissioners said they had directed or participated in inspections of animal‑shelter operations and described multiple state and surprise inspections, reporting that those inspections largely showed compliance; commissioners said they would continue to look into allegations and act if problems were found. Staff and commissioners said opioid funds remain available and that the board would be working on processes for distribution and reported partial commitments to local providers.
No formal action on animal control or opioid fund distribution was taken at the meeting; several commissioners requested staff follow up and to present options at upcoming workshops and meetings.
