Jonathon and Alexandra Kilhoffer were present at Sabetha’s City Council meeting Monday to express concerns regarding animal control within the city. J. Kilhoffer said he proposes that the city have more resources available for controlling loose animals.
J. Kilhoffer suggested possible solutions to the issue of dogs at large and wanted the city to commit to a timeline for pursuing these ideas and looking at costs. The suggestions included the following:
• Incentive program for city workers or police officers who pick up dogs at large. He suggested giving the citation fine to the individuals who pick up the dogs.
• Hire a full-time animal control officer.
• Purchase the proper dog-catching equipment so that picking up the dogs is easier.
Mayor Clark deferred to Police Chief Robert Wahwasuck regarding the process for issuance of citations for dogs at large.
Wahwasuck said the practice has been that when a dog call is received, city workers pick up the dogs during normal working hours and police officers are used at other times. “We literally come out and grab them,” Wahwasuck said.
If the dog can’t be caught, the police officers or city workers contact the dog’s owners.
Commissioners said that for the safety of the officers and city workers, proper equipment needs to be available to catch the dogs.
(Read more: Sabetha Herald)