Animal shelter now a no-kill zone

By
MARY ANN ANDERSON
The Hazlehurst City Council passed a new and historic vote last Thursday that formally transitions the city-run animal shelter to a no-kill shelter, a decision that didn’t come without controversy, confusion and misunderstandings swirling around.
Some two dozen or more volunteers and supporters of the animal shelter, concerned about euthanasia, were on hand as Mayor John Ramay kicked off the discussion. He explained to the crowd that in the years since he had been councilman for Ward 2 and then subsequently mayor, the shelter had always been “no-kill,” and no dog had been euthanized for any reason.
The hullabaloo was created when city employee Steve Faught, who oversees the shelter, had left a note on the calendar at the animal control office. It was discovered by an unnamed shelter volunteer, who then shared its contents with other volunteers and eventually found its way to social media. While the verbiage of the note was not disclosed during the discussion, Ramay stated that there was a “misinterpretation” of it and that “lies were told” about its contents.
“There were nine dogs that so-called were threatened with euthanasia,” Ramay said of the note. “That’s not necessarily true. It was to move them.”
Ramay emphasized that despite the controversy, the shelter has maintained no-kill practices throughout his tenure as Ward 2 councilman and later as mayor. He said the facility currently houses 20 dogs and has “plenty of room.”
Ward 4 Councilman Landon Chavis also spoke during the discussion phase, saying that he had done a great deal of research on the shelter, and that it already qualified to be a no-kill shelter except in matters where a dog is ill or commits an extreme act of aggression.
The transition to a no-kill shelter, Chavis said, would open it up for a number of grants, including through ASPCA, USDA and private funding sources to, as he stated, “fund the shelter, to improve the conditions of the shelter and to cost the city less money to operate the shelter as a no-kill shelter.” He added that volunteers remain committed to relocating dogs when necessary to prevent euthanasia.
The council’s 4-0 vote formalized the no-kill status, but questions remained evident during the citizens’ comments portion of the meeting. When asked to explain the large turnout more fully, Ramay began to read the divisive note aloud before Ward 3 Councilman Chris Jones whispered to City Clerk Vernice Thompson, who then stopped the mayor by tapping on his arm.
“They’re not wanting me to read it,” Ramay told the audience, as he still held the document.
He concluded by explaining that volunteers attended based on what he called a “false idea” that shelter employees were euthanizing dogs after a 60-day limit that they were allowed to live at the shelter.
“We were not,” Ramay stated. “We haven’t done that since I’ve been here. They perpetuated that lie, and that’s the reason they were here.”
The mayor expressed lighthearted frustration at being prevented from reading the note publicly, saying he wouldn’t have minded sharing its contents with the community but had been “poked” to not read it.
Despite the large turnout of supporters and volunteers, none addressed the council during either the regular session or the citizens’ comments portion of the meeting. Faught, who was also at the meeting, also didn’t address the council.
In other action, the council ….
…. after hearing Chavis discuss the need for time limits and permits for temporary yard signs — think, roofers, landscapers and tree removal since Hurricane Helene — agreed to turn the matter over to the city attorney’s office to revisit and update the ordinance to include fines for those who do not comply.
…. voted to approve Chris White of Claims Rabbit as the public insurance adjuster between the city and Orb Roofing Solutions; Orb Roofing was selected from a bid process to repair damage related to Hurricane Helene.
…. approved an application from Brandy Miller of the Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Fire Rescue Department for her to attend the JD Forward leadership development program offered by the Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis County Chamber of Commerce and Joint Development Authority.
…. at the request of Chief Charles Wasdin of the Fire-Rescue Department, agreed for him to move forward with fire hydrant maintenance, servicing and painting to complete 2024, which was interrupted by Hurricane Helene, and this year to be ready for annual inspections.
…. agreed for travel and expenses for Wasdin to attend Georgia Fire Service Conference from Sept. 30-Oct. 4 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth; and for Police Chief James Mock to attend the Georgia Chiefs of Police Conference from Sept. 15-18 in Savannah. The council also discussed but made no formal motion on attending a workshop retreat for the mayor, council and city clerk to be held Oct. 7-9 at Mossy Pond Lodge in Patterson.
…. approved July’s water and sewer adjustments, departmental reports and check register.
…. in a 20-minute detailed discussion during Citizens’ Comments, heard from Deacons Kenny Jones, Wendell Pickren and Kelvin Wilcox of Hillcrest Baptist Church, who addressed the council regarding the church’s $730 water bill. They requested an adjustment, stating their belief that leaks may have been caused by a third-party contractor at the time the meter was originally installed. After considering several resolutions, the council agreed to issue credit to the church’s account, with the final amount to be determined by the city’s water billing agent.