Joanne Lionetti Valentin Gerow CALL FOR ANIMAL-CONTROL UPDATE By Andrew Beam Times Herald-Record LIBERTY - Through the furious recent snowfall, Joanne Gerow found a mother pit bull and her female puppy, shaking and scared while running along Route 52 between Liberty and Fallsburg. They were emaciated and had raw skin during that Nov. 26 snowstorm, said Gerow, dog-control officer for the Town of Liberty. The two dogs - the mother she named Ice and the puppy Storm - were in addition to the more than 150 stray, neglected or abused dogs Gerow has picked up this year. They’ve all been brought to the dog-control facility in Liberty - located in an old “poorly constructed” tractor-trailer container, said Gerow. It’s the same facility she’s worked in for 12 years. Thats one example why animal- control services in the county need improvement, Gerow says. Many municipalities such as Sullivans largest town, Thompson, must bring stray or rescued dogs to shelters outside the county, such as the Middletown Humane Society. So Gerow proposes obtaining a new, centrally-located facility for county dog-control operations. It would allow for more humane and sanitary housing for the animals, she said. Debbie Dittert, shelter manager for the Sullivan County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, backs the idea. Dittert said the county SPCA is a no-kill shelter for only “adoptable dogs” or non-aggressive dogs. The more aggressive ones, she said, tend to be pit bulls. Gerow also hopes to create a space to facilitate adoptions to help avoid euthanizations and to build a robust spay and neuter program. “Without a proper facility, it really makes things difficult,” she said. Gerow has made the rounds in the county, with presentations to the county legislature and county Association of Supervisors. The proposal has wide support. Both Liberty Supervisor Charlie Barbuti and Thompson Councilman Peter Briggs agree there needs to be a new facility. But they’d like to learn the cost and whether it would save money. Gerow has appealed to the county for funding. She also has been looking at grants. When Gerow gets a new dog, she’s mandated by state law to hold it for five days for the owner to reclaim it. After that, she tries to find shelters for possible adoption. When the shelters are full, a dog often must be euthanized, Gerow said. Options are now limited for Ice and Storm. But, while holding back tears, Gerow says she not ready to give up on them. “In my heart, I wish for love and a family for both of these dogs,” Gerow said. “But in reality, it doesn’t seem promising.” --abeam@th-record
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 03:24:41 +0000
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