Board changes complaint rules

Columbia County officials established a new protocol for dealing with complaints about Animal Care and Control during a Thursday advisory board meeting.

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Any policy complaints directed toward the Animal Care and Control will be handled through the County Commission's Community and Emergency Services Committee, while Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker will handle personnel complaints.

Commissioner Scott Dean said new policies will be evaluated for Animal Care and Control in addition to other departments as the new commissioners assume their seats after Dec. 31.

"We're looking at budgetary cuts across the board," he said. "We need to make sure we streamline as much as we can."

Dean said the procedures will remain in place "until we get some leveling off on our system."

The board, which meets monthly, agreed to meet quarterly instead.

The group scheduled times to tour each shelter in the county. The board will first tour the Animal Care and Control facility Nov. 5 followed by the new Columbia County Humane Society Dec. 10. Other tours will be scheduled at a later date.

Advisory Board members also discussed the recent euthanization of four Labrador-mix puppies that showed severe symptoms of Parvo, a viral disease among canines.

"We don't ever like to put any animal down, but we're not going to risk diseases to anyone around that shelter and possibly be shut down because of Parvo," Tucker said. "(That's) just not doing a good service to the community."

Tucker also reinforced the need for advisory board members to work together.

"We need to team up and work on the spay/neuter (issue)," she said. "It's time to do that."