Government : Vinton council meeting to include discussion of animal shelter concerns

For the Vinton City Council, the new year will begin with an old issue that has been a topic of discussion for years: Animal control and the animal shelter.

On the agenda for the first meeting of 2015 is a discussion about the condition and size of the shelter.

“We are asking for a humane plan,” says Donita Casey of Friends of the Shelter, Inc. “The condition of the building is inadequate and the ‘Band-Aid’ approach to temporarily "get by" is getting to be more of an issue as time and use takes its toll. How much longer the building can pass inspection is in question so we are asking for a proactive rather than a reactive plan of what will be the future housing of stray and unwanted animals of Benton County.”

At the city council meeting on Thursday night, the citizens have an opportunity to voice their concerns and ideas to help the planning process move forward in the direction that is not only affordable, but humane and timely, says Casey.

Benton County leaders have also been dealing with the issue; plans are underway to hire a new animal control officer.

Casey said her group has also been working with other cities and organizations to help resolve this issue throughout the county.

Casey said that the city of Belle Plaine has been working with Tama County and another organization.

“Belle Plaine limits the number of animals and also raises revenue through licensing,” says Casey. “When there is a stray, the police transports to a vet in Tama County who holds the animal seven days. If not reclaimed, that animal is euthanized. A volunteer group called C.A.R. is often called by the mayor to give a heads-up when an animal is taken there to give them the opportunity to formulate a plan for when its hold time is up to either pay a fee to pull them or pay for boarding until they can find placement. When they can afford to get an animal out, a C.A.R. Member takes them to Tama County Humane Society and pays the relinquish fee when they have room and contacts other shelters in the area when they do not to see if they can take. C.A.R. is a volunteer non-profit group. I encourage Belle Plaine residents to check out their facebook, they often post found pets from the area,” she said.