THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501110419
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SLIGO LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Currituck Humane Society members will meet tonight to decide if the group is ready to take over the county's beleaguered animal shelter in Maple.
``I think we're going to have some fireworks,'' President W.D. ``Bill'' Neff said of the 7:30 p.m. meeting at the Sligo Volunteer Fire Station.
Neff said Tuesday that the animal activist group has increased its membership and improved conditions at the animal shelter to the point where he believes it's feasible to run the 8-year-old facility.
When County Manager Bill Richardson suggested last month that the humane society take over shelter operations, Neff had said the group lacked the volunteers and money to do so.
Since then, improvements have been made and people have expressed an interest in helping, placing the organization in a better position to assume the lead, Neff said.
Among the donors was James E. Moore of rural Moyock, who gave $2,400 to insulate and install a heating system put in by Miller & Son Plumbing & Heating of Moyock.
Powells Point resident Kevin Scott donated his services to complete the electrical wiring. Dozens of others have given rugs and pillows for bedding and hundreds of pounds of dog and cat food for the shelter animals.
Monetary donations and words of encouragement from local residents also have been plentiful, Neff said. ``I'm just tickled to death at the way things are going.''
Plans are underway to enlarge the shelter to include more room for dogs to run and to accommodate seven additional dog cages, he said.
The center currently has enough cages to hold at least seven dogs and 12 cats. The minimum stay for the animals brought to the shelter is 10 to 14 days, depending on crowding.
If the humane society votes tonight to take over the shelter, animal control officers will still patrol Currituck County and apprehend stray animals. But they will relinquish responsibility for the animals once they hand over the leashes at the shelter.
Animal control officers also would move their office to a trailer next to the shelter, Neff said. They currently are located within the 24-by-42-foot building.
Animosity between animal activists and Animal Control Officer Joann Snowden has run high in recent months.
Tensions peaked a few weeks ago when animal control officers put to sleep all the animals at the shelter. The euthanization of 12 animals occurred just hours after the county asked the humane society to consider a takeover.
Policy was changed that week and now requires Public Works Superintendent Frank Bray to decide which animals will be gassed, with input from the humane society president. by CNB