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Perry County board advances TNR plan after shelter rescue and bite incidents; members cite communication gaps with law enforcement
Summary
Board members discussed a recent Tel City rescue of five pups, a Troy bite incident involving a recently adopted dog, shelter capacity and safety, and advanced a trap‑neuter‑return plan that seeks $600 to sterilize up to 12 cats.
During the March 24 meeting, members of the Perry County Animal Welfare Control and Education Board discussed two recent incidents that highlighted stress on the county shelter and gaps in interagency communication. Board members reported a Facebook video showing shelter staff retrieving five puppies and their mother from a shed in Tel City; those animals are now at the shelter. Separately, a dog adopted from the shelter allegedly bit an owner in Troy, requiring stitches; the dog was returned to the shelter and placed in an outside kennel while health‑department quarantine procedures proceed.
Members raised concerns that law‑enforcement officers or dispatch did not always leave timely written documentation for the shelter after bite incidents, which can impede quarantine, public‑safety tracking and possible prosecution. Board members said prosecutors ultimately decide whether to file charges and that filings sometimes do not follow an officer’s report; several participants called for improved paperwork and a simple visual flagging system for kennels holding animals that have bitten someone.
On a proactive front, the board advanced plans for a trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) pilot in three 'hotspot' areas—Tel City, Troy and Camilton—targeting an initial 12 cats. The proposal identifies a per‑cat cost of $50 (total request $600) to cover surgery and basic post‑op care; Alleycats in Louisville was cited as a training and technical partner. Members discussed community outreach, pamphlets explaining TNR, school‑based education, marking sterilized cats (notching), and the need to inform nearby residents so owned pets are not mistakenly trapped.
Board members emphasized shelter capacity limits, noting that intake of the five puppies and mother could push the shelter toward a temporary intake moratorium. The group reiterated a long‑standing call for a dedicated animal‑control resource in the county to relieve pressure on law enforcement and the shelter; members agreed to pursue grant funding and to produce public information materials ahead of a possible special meeting to finalize the TNR plan.
