By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A local company could work with Village of Union Grove officials for animal control services next year, based on preliminary discussions on next steps.
Union Grove is among the municipalities across the county contracting with Racine-based Countryside Humane Society for animal control services, which include catching strays and housing them for a brief period of time.
Countryside recently announced it was going to cease providing animal control services by the end of the year, leading Union Grove and other communities to seek out alternate providers.
Members of the Village Board’s Administration and Finance Committee have been charged with looking at some other scenarios so a new plan is in place once Union Grove’s contract with Countryside expires on Dec. 31.
“We might have a local company willing to catch any loose dogs in the community,” said Gordon Svendsen, who is a village trustee and chairman of the committee.
However, the village still has not found a viable entity to house any strays that would be caught, though Countryside could potentially continue that part of the arrangement in 2013.
“Countryside has made it clear they’re getting out of the business of catching dogs,” Svendsen said.
Throughout the deliberations the past several months, committee members have asserted they would like to offer a service that is comparable to Countryside’s, yet be at a similar cost so the village’s budget is not negatively impacted.
The Village Board could vote on a permanent plan in July, particularly when it comes to contracting with a catcher for stray animals.
“It’s going to be a matter of who votes for what,” Svendsen said of the ultimate solution to the village’s animal control contract, which is mandatory.
Regardless of how the Village Board decides to proceed, policy decisions will likely address the two most common types of pets – dogs and cats – and touch on a number of issues, including noise complaints and vaccinations.
-
-
-
-
-