Dunkirk looks at animal control

DUNKIRK — Is the city capable of taking care of stray dogs and cats?

At the moment, Mayor Jack Robbins says it is, but an impending “unfunded mandate” set to go in effect in July would require shelters like Dunkirk’s to spay and neuter all animals prior to adoption.

The requirement comes via a bill passed by the state legislature and signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence in 2016. Beginning July 1, all animal shelters in the state must spay and neuter all animals prior to adoption.

“There’s no way we can afford to do that,” Robbins said during the city council meeting Monday, adding that it could be “the end” of shelter.

That realization adds to the already heightened need of a new solution to Jay County’s animal control problem. Nevertheless, council agreed it would table consideration of helping to fund a new proposed million-dollar animal control shelter until Jay County Commissioners decide how much the county is willing to pay toward the project.

“I hate to say it, but it’s (commissioners’) problem,” Robbins said.

Hours prior, commissioners voted to fund a more definitive study of how much it would cost to build a new animal shelter (see related story).

City officials in Dunkirk, just like the City of Portland weeks prior, were hesitant to appropriate any money toward the cause without a definitive grasp on where the rest of the money would be coming from.

In a figure calculated from the percent of population, the county’s animal control task force requested $55,125 from Dunkirk toward the cost of the proposed $1.14 million building and $12,150 annually for operational costs.

Robbins said the city would be “foolish” not to appropriate funds for the operational costs since it is less than what the city pays annually for animal control by about $6,000.

But the mayor along with council members said it would be difficult to appropriate $55,000 from Dunkirk’s general fund toward the building.

“That $55,000, that’s a lot of money to us,” Robbins said, adding that money could be spent on expanding the local industrial park or another project in the city.

The Dunkirk shelter usually can hold about 25 cats and eight dogs.

Robbins also noted that he hopes the shelter, if built, would be outside of Portland city limits.

“If it’s on (U.S. 27), that response time is not going to help us,” Robbins said, adding that the shelter should be on Indiana 67 closer to Redkey. “I don’t think it needs to be inside the city limits of Portland.”

Formed by commissions in late 2018, the task force returned last year with a proposal for a new animal control facility to be operated by Jay County Humane Society. Commissioners approved up to $275,000 toward such a project in December but then rescinded that funding earlier this month.

In other business, council members Tom Johnson, Bryan Jessup, Kevin Hamilton, Jesse Bivens and Lisa Street:

•Paid Dunkirk Police Department officers $3,775 for unused vacation time in 2020.

•Amended the salary ordinance to appropriate funds for police department dispatcher “uniforms.” Previously, the ordinance listed the money for “clothing items.”

Dunkirk Board of Works met earlier in the day and agreed to pay $1,378.56 for a mental evaluation of a potential new officer for the police department. The hire has yet to be finalized, Robbins said.