VIDEO (CITIZENS BESEECHING COMMISSIONERS): FERTILE DOGS GALORE IN STARK. THE COMMISSIONERS NEED TO HELP CIVIC GROUP WITH THEIR SPAY & NEUTER CLINIC!

Since before September, 2009 Stark County civic activist Nanci Miller has been working with her fellow Stark County citizens who care about the plight of dogs and cats in terms of nothing being done to check their reproductivity.

The unchecked propagation of dogs and cats leads to them, because of their numbers, being homeless (either a result of being born out in the public domain or being abandoned by pet owners) and in time picked up to be dealt with by public authorities at public expense. Many families with pets cannot afford to have them spayed and neutered.  Undoubtedly, current tough economic times make it even less likely that struggling families can afford the procedure.

A member of the Stark County Dog Pound Advisory Board (appointed by Stark County commissioners), Nanci works tirelessly with other like minded civic folks of Stark County to solve the problem of abandoned and uncared for canines.

In September, 2009 she formed the non-profit The Animal Welfare Society of Stark County which was recently granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.

Moreover, she has been working closely with Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley to put together an effort of citizen volunteers to staff a facility so that Stark Countians have a place to bring their dogs for low-cost spaying and neutering.

The county's role?

To provide (via a $1 per year lease) a facility where the low-cost spay and neutering clinic can be housed.  Commissioners are working with Miller to get a garage facility on the grounds of the Stark County Dog Pound in usable conditions so that the clinic can become a reality.

On Wednesday, August 18th, Ms. Miller and a group of about 12 supporters appeared before the commissioners to encourage them to act now to assist The Animal Welfare Society of Stark County (AWCOSC) so that they can tell prospective grant providing entities that they have a facility and the clinic is up and running.

Originally, the commissioners (principally Bosley) were thinking of providing about $100,000 to rehab the county building to make it suitable for a spay and neuter clinic.

However, with county finances in a steep downward spiral with the loss of $2.96 million in county funds from the Stark County treasury as well as with the rejection by Stark County taxpayers of the retention of a 0.50 of one percent imposed (December, 2008) sales tax, the county is hard pressed to assist any group no matter how worthy the cause.

About that only project the county should be looking a putting any county funds into should be those that help county officials cut county expenses.

The SCPR believes that a low-cost spay and neuter clinic has the prospect to help keep costs down, if not decrease them, at the Stark County government funded Stark County Dog Pound.  Over the longer term, if Ms. Miller's organization can help to dramatically reduced the uncared for population of dogs, the county may be able to keep the county dog pound operation from expanding and thereby keep costs in check.

The AWSOSC has modified its request for county assistance to a level that will enable the facility to be rehab minimally so that a basic, bare bones clinic can be opened.

The SCPR support the commissioners assisting AWSOSC in light of the group working very hard to keep the amount of assistance needed to an absolute minimum.

Also, The Report salutes Commissioner Bosley for his work with these civic minded Stark County citizens to solve a very large problem in Stark County.

Here is a video of the AWSOSC presentation to commissioners on August 18th.