•December 9, 2015•

By Stu D. Baker
For the News Progress

Moultrie County’s updated  Animal Control Ordinance will allow easier enforcement of violations.

State’s Attorney Jeremy Richey presented the changes to the Public Health and Safety committee last week explaining the changes clarify what procedures the sheriff’s department must follow to issue citations.

Sheriff Chris Sims explained that most of the calls of this nature involve neighbor disputes over dogs running at large. Citation violations still carry a $75 fine to the dog owner.

Animals running at large is an issue that has improved over the past few years with animal control director Rick Matthews pointing out that from 2008 through 2013 the animal shelter population was around 136-137 every year.

By 2014 the annual processing number for both dogs and cats at Moultrie County Animal Control dropped to 92, and Matthews said this year 59 is a new low for the annual population.

Matthews explained that Moultrie Animal Control polices stray and animals running at large in the rural areas of the county.

Lovington has an animal control officer for the village with Dalton City and Bethany using the police department to bring strays to the county shelter.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.