First steps taken toward creating county animal control program
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Taking the first steps toward organizing an animal control/animal adoption program, Wharton County's Stray Pet Outreach Team - SPOT - started organizing Monday evening at the Wharton County Annex Building.

Among those attending the initial meeting, Roxanne Marek was selected to serve as the president while Brandee Krpec was selected first vice president and Marilyn Sebesta agree to serve as second vice president. Two other positions, secretary and treasurer, were left vacant until the individuals nominated had actually accepted.

"They were at the first meeting we had (in March) but weren't here tonight," Marek said. "They said they'd be willing to serve as officers or on the board, but it still needs to be confirmed."

Offering the group some expert advice on the challenge they are taking on was Jackie Jurasek. A county resident and former Wharton Animal Control Officer, Jurasek now works for animal control in the city of Rosenberg.

She said one of the first things the group needed to do was to read up on the legal issues associated with animal control, making note of the fact the county does not have an animal control ordinance. She also said the person they pick for a shelter facility has to be willing to do what is necessary.

"There is no such thing as a 'no kill' facility," she said. "There are animals that are reactive/aggressive that have to be euthanized."

She said the most successful way to deal with the issue is institute an aggressive spay and neuter program.

"That is the only way you can win," she said. "You have to make people value their pets. As long as there are people parked along the side of the road giving away puppies, you aren't going to be able to solve the problem."

Jurasek added there are available grants to help assist with such a program but said the best programs still required making the pet owner pay a portion of the cost to make them more responsible for their companion's health.

Education is another way to make people be more responsible animal caretakers, she added.

"Kids are great for making parents feel guilty," she said. "But parents still hold the purse strings. Education is a key. I think that any event held on the courthouse square should have at least one information booth set up about animal care."

Also attending the meeting was local veterinarian Carlos Bonnot, who supported the idea of a spay/neuter program. He added there have been several efforts to put together a pet adoption program in place in Wharton County.

"There are multiple problems," he said. "You don't want a shelter to serve as a bandage on animal control. The cities have laws and the county needs laws."

Wharton County Judge John Murrile said while the idea of an animal control ordinance is popular, the county would need to add personnel to enforce animal control. To get such an ordinance passed, and funded in the budget, he said, the citizens of the county would have to phone their commissioners and make their interests apparent.

"If you don't call, they aren't going to take it seriously," he said.

Offering some advice on organizing was Noah Piercy with the Matagorda SPCA. He said the first steps should be to fill out the necessary paper work to file articles of incorporation with the Texas Secretary of State Office, followed by adopting by-laws and filing for non-profit tax status.

As an interim to an actual facility, both Jurasek and Piercy said the county could set up a fostering program, with families or individuals hosting animals for three to four months until the pet can be adopted out.