Animal rescue group offers help to city

 

 

A animal rescue group based in Montgomery County has offered its services to Vandalia.

James Cloud of Montgomery County PAWS told city officials on Monday that the group of volunteers includes 20 families that are licensed to house foster rescue animals.

“If you need our services, you can contact us,” Cloud said.

On the city council agenda, Cloud’s presentation was listed as being in relation to an “animal control problem.”

While Cloud said, “It is not a problem,” Alderman B. John Clark said that there is, indeed, an issue in the community that needs to be addressed.

Clark, who invited Cloud to the meeting, said, “We do have a problem.

"It has come to our attention that a lot of animals are being euthanized unnecessarily.

“Hopefully, (we can) eliminate some of this,” Clark said.

“We do have a problem, and this is something that needs to be looked into.

“I’m not sure where we go from here,” he said.

Mayor Rick Gottman told Cloud that the city receives animal control services through a contract with Fayette County.

“I encourage you to get in front of the county board,” Gottman said.

Cloud said, "I think we have reached out (to the county) a couple of times."

He said that the group would again make efforts to discuss the issue with county board officials.

Alderman Neil Clark said that the council had approved earlier in the meeting a quarterly bill of $2,615 from the county for animal control services.

“I would like to see details of city calls made this past quarter,” Clark said.

“I’d like to know what we’re getting for the $2,615 we spend every quarter, in excess of $10,000 per year,” he said.