Commissioners assist city with funding to help abandoned/lost dogs

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted to fund the city of Tahlequah $1,200 annually to help with the spay/neuter and relocation and adoption program for county dogs that the city is providing.

The funding will help to assure that close to 80 animals would be able to be adopted or spayed/neutered, which will reduce the impact on both the city and the county.

"The trend is now, a lot of time people would take their dogs out in the county and dump them on a county road. Now, they take them in the city and dump them because they know they're going to be impounded, they're going to be rehomed and that's starting to become the trend and not a very good one," said Tahlequah Compliance Coordinator Ray Hammons.

With the help of several programs, Hammons said the city used to euthanize approximately 300 animals in a year and now they've cut that number down to about 10 animals that are euthanized a year.

"We rehomed 80 dogs just last week almost to Canada. They went all the way to Minnesota as far as to California, they go to Chicago quite often. Our Animal Control Officer Vicky Green does a tremendous job at organizing this stuff and making things happen," Hammons said.

A memorandum of understanding between the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and Christopher Taylor for the purpose of using his own K-9 deputy was approved. Sheriff Jason Chennault said Taylor is a new deputy at CCSO and the agreement would allow him to use his dog as a law enforcement officer.

"This has never been done in the past but [Andy Williams, with the District Attorneys Office] has looked it over and approved it," Chennault said.

The board approved a $106,114 bid to purchase a new trash transfer trailer from Spector Manufacturing.

Possible action of adopting a travel policy was tabled until next week.

District 2 Commissioner Chris Jenkins’ request for reimbursement of funds from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation via a claim form for a project on Clyde Maher Road in the amount of $3,074 for fiber rearrangement by Lake Region Electric Cooperative, and a claim form for Lake Region Technology & Communication fiber rearrangement was granted.

A claim form for parcels for staking and appraisal on Indian Road, over Pettit Creek project was approved.

All claims, purchase orders, blanket purchase orders, appropriations, and transfers were approved.

What's next

The next Board of Cherokee County Commissioners meeting is slated for Monday, June 17, at 9 a.m., at the Cherokee County Courthouse.