Recent motions made by the county commission to deny a request for a new truck for Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center (WCACAC) have left some hackles raised.
WCACAC requested a new truck to replace the one presently used by the department for calls. The truck marked for replacement is a 2004 model and has obvious signs of disrepair including rusted-out spots along the body and the dog cages mounted in its bed. WCACAC Director Sherri Bradley reported this truck had 103,345 miles on it as of Monday afternoon and its brakes failed while being actively driven last year.
“I was driving it out of our property when the brakes failed,” Bradley recalled. “I came close to going off a ledge, but managed to steer it into a parking lot where I got it stopped. I do not trust the truck and I don’t feel good about my animal control officers driving it on calls where roads and terrain are bad.” Repairs for the brakes set the department back roughly $2,000.
The request for a new truck for WCACAC’s use is not a new one, according to Bradley, who says she broached the subject back during the budget meeting last year. “I mentioned to them then that we should be looking for a truck to replace the one we currently use as it is getting more and more unreliable,” said Bradley. “At their request, I had a local mechanic check out the truck and they returned with a quote totaling $3,467.55 to repair everything that’s wrong with it. That is wasted money on a 20-year-old truck with motor issues.”
Commissioners expressed uncertainty about using donations and $14,000 in settlement money to cover the cost of the new vehicle, citing a belief taxpayer donations may not have been intended for use to buy a vehicle versus food and other supplies for the animals.
“Many of the people I’ve spoken to who have donated in the past believe the donations should be used for whatever the department needs to continue helping animals. There has never been any question about how our donations were used before,” said Bradley. “The truck is not a frivolous purchase; it is something our department needs to be able to fulfill its job. What we have now is not reliable and it is only a matter of time before it breaks down completely and we will then have no means to pick up problematic animals in the community when called.”
Bradley indicated the truck is the department’s main vehicle for picking up animals. Her department has a 2009 van with 176,510 miles, but it lacks the caging needed to contain dogs. The van sees its own share of use in transporting animals for vet care and facilitating all other travel as required by the department. According to Bradley, the cages on the back of the truck do not fit and are so greatly rusted they will fall apart if attempts are made to remove them. Additionally, the van allegedly has poor sealing and rainwater goes directly into the vehicle during inclement weather.
“My department’s needs are not optional. We want to continue to help animals in the community, but we can’t do that if we don’t have the tools we need,” Bradley explained. “People are not going to be happy if they call in to report a roaming or aggressive dog and we can’t help them because we have no serviceable vehicles.”
A special called county commission meeting was set for Tuesday evening after press time for discussion of departmental concerns.
