Animal control board lacking plans improvements

Web posted October 29, 1998

By Sylvia Cooper
Staff Writer

A new Richmond County Animal Control Board met Wednesday to map out plans for improving the facility in south Augusta and decided what needs to be done first is to get Augusta Commission to fill empty seats on the board.

Four commissioners -- Henry Brigham, J.B. Powell, Willie Mays and new member Richard Colclough -- have not appointed members to the new board. The former board was inactive last year.

Mr. Powell said nobody in his district had shown any interest in serving.

``I haven't had anyone in the district who has responded to my attempt to fill the position,'' said Mr. Powell.

City commissioners reactivated the board last month because of public outcry following stories by The Augusta Chronicle about the number of animals -- 10,788 last year -- being put to death in the facility's carbon monoxide chamber.

On the recommendation of Augusta Administrator Randy Oliver, Mayor Larry Sconyers directed Animal Control Director Jim Larmer to dismantle the gas chamber Sept. 18 and start destroying the animals with lethal injections.

The new board discussed the need for more and better supplies and equipment to help shelter employees to the job properly.

Mr. Larmer said the center needs a proper euthanasia table, scales, clippers, blades and better lighting, as well as more employees to help share the stress of killing so many animals by hand, as opposed to stuffing five or six into the gas chamber.

The board also discussed the number of animals that wind up at the shelter after being picked up running loose or being dropped off, and things that could be done to reduce the county's unwanted animal population.

``We get animals from all over,'' Mr. Larmer said. ``A lot of these surrounding counties do not have animal control to take their animals to.''

Board member Brad Owens said, ``Now my question on that is, do we get a fee for that?''

If the people who drop off unwanted animals at the shelter do it during operating hours, they are asked for a donation, but if they leave them in the dropoff pens after hours, there's no way to do that, Mr. Larmer said.

Dr. Lamar Walker, an Augusta veterinarian who was on the old board and who attended Wednesday's meeting, said most of the unwanted animals in the Augusta area come to the Richmond County shelter or to area ``humane groups.''

Commissioner Freddie Handy, chairman of the commission's public safety committee that oversees animal control, a month ago proposed taxing animal breeders and charging fees on out-of-county people who drop off their unwanted animals.

Mr. Handy directed city officials to look into the matter and not let it die Sept. 28, but that's the last time the subject has been mentioned publicly.

At Wednesday's meeting, Mr. Owens proposed seeking state money to build an incinerator at the proposed new facility next year so that dead animals can be cremated instead of being dumped in the county landfill.

A new animal control facility is scheduled to be built next year with penny tax money.

The new board agreed to work on filling the empty seats and asked Mr. Larmer to come up with a ``wish list'' of things he needs to improve the facility.

Mr. Brigham did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday afternoon.

Other board members at Wednesday's meeting were Julie Tillery and Dr. Walker.

Sylvia Cooper covers Richmond County government for The Augusta Chronicle. She can be reached at (706) 823-3228 or newsroom@augustachronicle.com.