Pownal Animal Control Officer Seeks Kennel Upgrade, ‘Trap-Neutral-Release’ | Local News


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POWNAL – Animal control officer Leonard Cote has demands that he hopes will improve the lives of the city’s hairiest residents.

“I like helping people,” he says, “but I like helping animals even more.

For example, he is seeking help to modernize the town’s kennels, which he says are seriously inadequate, especially in cold weather. He also undertakes an annual citywide dog census, which he says has never been done in town, and he hopes to establish a clear process for issuing tickets for violations.

Referring to the fines, Cote added that so far a verbal warning has been enough to bring about compliance.

“I have not had to verbalize anyone,” he said, calling this step “the absolute last resort”.

Côté, who was appointed to the post in April, has garnered strong endorsements, board members said at a meeting this month on his upcoming budget requests.

President Angie Rawling read a note from Resident Joyce Held, who said “how impressed I was with Leonard Cote” for the careful way he treated a stray cat in his neighborhood, which “had been around for months , and of course I fell in love with it. “

The two portable kennel units Cote now maintains at his residence on Pine Hollow Road were used when they were purchased several years ago, and one is in poor condition, he said. Neither allows him easy access to dogs or for cleaning without leaving him vulnerable to bites.

He said the kennels are not insulated and “need to be improved in a bad way.”

“I’m not comfortable putting someone’s dog in these kennels in the winter,” he said. “Even though I’ve isolated everything to a T-shirt, they’re still going to freeze to death.”

The board has agreed to contact the Southwest Vermont Career Development Center for assistance in the design and construction of a temporary kennel that will better meet Cote’s requirements.

Normally, any unauthorized dogs he collects are taken to the Second Chance Animal Shelter, if Cote cannot contact the owner. But because he also has a day job, Côté can’t always make it to the Arlington shelter immediately.

Finding the missing pet owners, Cote said he managed to post photos on Facebook. He can also be reached regarding pets or for other reasons at his city phone number, 802-379-8771.

In the long term, Cote asked the board to consider purchasing new kennels and locating the facility on the city grounds. The guy he’s thinking of, he said, would have electricity and a source of water to clean the animals and cages.

“We need to provide you with the right equipment to do your job,” said vice chairman of the board, Mike Gardner. He said finding a permanent location on town property initially could be difficult, but improved kennels on Cote property could be a short-term solution before winter.

Council members asked Côté to come back with cost estimates for the proposed changes.

Cote also asked the board for advice on how fines should be applied for various offenses, such as having a dog without a license, a dog that is allowed to run free or attacking others. animals or people.

Rawling asked him to come back with a list of recommendations for fines and types of offenses.

Board member Bob Jarvis suggested more research into how comparable cities handle infractions and fines. “We are looking to change behavior, not to make money,” he said.

CAT PROBLEMS

Côté is also advocating that the city participate in a “trap-sterilize-release” program for feral cats, which he says is creating serious problems in at least two mobile home parks in the city.

If the city provides funding, “they will sterilize the cats for $ 10,” Cote said of the program.

Additionally, he referred to a less common problem, involving free-range poultry that got lost on a neighbor’s property where a dog is located.

An order to cover this type of situation might be a good idea, Cote said.

Jim Therrien writes for Vermont News and Media, including Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer. Email [email protected]

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