{"id":17085,"date":"2024-06-05T12:46:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T16:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=17085"},"modified":"2024-06-05T12:46:34","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T16:46:34","slug":"animal-rights-group-city-officials-discuss-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/05\/animal-rights-group-city-officials-discuss-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal rights group, city officials discuss problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By BOB SHRALUKA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A meeting which began with anger and accusations and a man storming out of the building turned into a congenial discussion between an animal rights group and Decatur officials Tuesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The civil discussion lasting 40-45 minutes in City Hall led to what seemed to be a greater understanding of each other’s thoughts and feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent incident which exploded on social media \u2013 a city resident was allegedly seen shooting then incinerating a cat \u2013 brought a group of 10 or so admitted animal lovers to city council’s biweekly meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It began with 16th<\/sup> St. resident Shawn Braun tossing out several accusations and untruths, stirring angry responses from Mayor Dan Rickord and Police Chief Kevin Gerber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 20 or minutes of the back and forth, Braun stormed out of the meeting, throwing down his papers as he exited council chambers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Civility then took over, with a couple of PAWS of Adams County representatives and three other local residents stepping to the microphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before they got started, councilman Scott Murray reminded the group that some of them were in a similar contingent that had raised concerns with council in a meeting in February of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An animal control ordinance brought to council with some changes was put on hold until the animal rights folks and city officials could get together and agree on what both sides would like to see in the ordinance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, Murray and Rickord said, only one meeting was held. \u201cThen we never heard from anyone again,\u201d the mayor added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all agreed at that time not to fight on social media,\u201d Murray noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the discussion wrapped up, it was agreed that this time a meeting (or meetings) to work things out would be held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Miranda Mertz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) President Miranda Mertz offered her apologies \u201cfor anything said on social media,\u201d with Councilman Matt Dyer adding that it was not her fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t need to apologize for those (social media) people,\u201d the mayor told her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Cathy Hedrick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PAWS board member Cathy Hedrick remarked that she \u201cis so stressed out about this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To which Rickord said, \u201cI know you care about this. We want to work with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hedrick, pointing out that PAWS is a no-kill group, said at one point: \u201cWe’re trying. You don’t know what we do every day. We do this all by donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don”t kill; we try to rehabilitate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussion touched upon several points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* PAWS has purchased land but doesn’t have the funds to put up a building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* City Attorney Anne Razo suggested having PAWS look into the possibility of a Community Foundation grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Feral cats should not be fed and allowed to run loose; they should be captured and neutered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The cost of neutering a cat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The mayor said he gets \u201cway more calls\u201d on cats than dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Dyer said he would support an ordinance putting a limit on the number of \u201cdomesticated animals\u201d allowed in each home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also speaking were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Troy Kressley, who lives in Stratton Place and talked out the awful cat urine smell around his home and people allowing their dogs to leave droppings in his yard. He said he lives near a home which has three cats but at one time may have had up to 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janelle Young of Decatur said the problems talked about \u201cstart with the owners. These are your pets, take care of them.\u201d She also questioned why there is a \u201cleash law\u201d for dogs, but not cats. \u201cI would like to see some sort of leash law (for cats),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolyn Sprunger, a Jefferson St. resident, said she had been married to the late Hap Sprunger, the county’s longtime animal control officer. \u201cThe solution has to be with the people; they are responsible. These are God’s creations,\u201d she exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sprunger said she feeds cats in her neighborhood. Asked by Dyer if they are feral cats and if she should be feeding them\u201d without neutering, she replied: \u201cWell, you can’t let them starve.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By BOB SHRALUKA WZBD.com A meeting which began with anger and accusations and a man storming out of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[14,15,21],"class_list":["post-17085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-decatur","tag-featured","tag-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17085\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}