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Supervisors look to Humboldt rules for animal control ideas

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt County is working on consistent animal control rules for throughout the county.

The board discussed its animal protection and control ordinance during the regular meeting this week.

“We’re trying to put a similar policy that the city of Humboldt has in the county, so that we have the same enforcement whether its in Thor or in Ottosen, or all the different towns,” Board of Supervisors Chair Bruce Reimers said.

The supervisors looked over the city’s policy during its regular meeting.

Of course, some things will need to be changed; the city doesn’t allow livestock to be kept, for example.

There’s also a lengthy list of dangerous animals which may or may not be needed; hopefully no one is keeping a Gila monster, the supervisors said.

Still, this uniformity would help in enforcing animal code, Reimers said.

“Each town has their own version,” he said. “That was our discussion, trying to make this as uniform as we could, so each one of the cities would be the same. If somebody’s dog got picked up, the same first fine, the second fine, the habitual fine. All those would be kind of the same as what the city of Humboldt has.”

“That makes it much easier on sheriff’s deputies,” said Humboldt City Administrator Travis Goedkin.

A number of the smaller towns have contacted Goedkin for information on the city’s rules, he said.

The city and county are both looking forward to construction of a new animal shelter with the help of a nonprofit group, Humboldt Community Animal Shelter, said Goedkin.

“We’re working on that, yes,” Reimers said. “It will be in Humboldt. Hopefully they’re going to start it this spring, I think.”

The city and county both donated funds to help purchase the land, Goedkin added.

The county was leasing facilities on an acreage that is now for sale, he said.

The city’s “pound” was an outdoor area.

“We don’t want to house the animals in that kind of facility, and we’re hoping to work with this nonprofit group to get a better facility to house these animals in on the short-term,” Goedkin said. “And the nonprofit is looking at longer-term, re-homing aspect.

“From a city and county aspect, we are looking at the animal control portion — hey, we’ve picked up this dog that was running loose, it needs to be housed for a day until the owner comes pick it up. The nonprofit is looking at — this family brought in a pregnant cat that has seven kittens, they’re trying to find homes for them.

“There are two different components of it, but we are achieving a similar goal.”

Both city and county contract with Merri Hansen, a member of the Community Animal Shelter, for animal control services, Goedkin said.

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