Warren County Animal Control could be looking at a name change to include the fact its focus now includes saving animals.
Animal Control director Kim Pettrey would like to rename the facility Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center. The suggestion was made during the county Health and Welfare Committee on Monday before members Michael Martin, chair, Linda Jones, Teddy Boyd, Tommy Savage and Blaine Wilcher.
Wilcher says Pettrey and her staff have worked hard to increase the number of animals being adopted and rescued and reduce the number of animals being euthanized and he supports the name change.
“I pulled the numbers from last year,” said Wilcher. “Of the 856 animals taken into the facility in 2015, 710 of those were adopted out or sent to rescue groups. That’s 83 percent. Only 51 animals were euthanized. Kim and her staff have worked hard and I think we should rename the facility to better fit what they do here. I think we should rename it Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center.”
Of the 51 animals euthanized, 11 of those were due to an outbreak of distemper. The facility was closed for one month, from September to October, in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.
Pettrey says the new name will help change public perception and make more people aware they are an adoption center.
“In the three years I’ve been here, the numbers have changed dramatically, from almost euthanizing everything that came in here, to almost everything that comes in here now gets a home,” Pettrey said. “It either gets a home through rescue or through adoption. That needs to be made clear to the public because I get probably five to six calls a week with people saying, ‘Is this where I call to adopt an animal?’ People just don’t know we do adopt out animals.”
In the last month of 2015, the facility picked up 78 dogs, returned one to its owner, 11 dogs were adopted, 32 dogs went to rescues, and two dogs held for quarantine have since been returned to their owner. The facility ended the month of December with 50 dogs.
That same month, 15 cats were delivered to the facility. Twelve cats were adopted, six cats were sent to rescues, six cats died of natural causes and four cats were euthanized by a veterinarian. The facility ended the month of December with 31 cats.
The measure will be sent to County Executive Herschel Wells for his consideration with the county’s legal counsel. Renaming will require a resolution and full Warren County Commission approval.