THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 13, 1995 TAG: 9501130481
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MAPLE LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
The Currituck chapter of the Humane Society has officially agreed to take over the animal shelter, and expects to be running it in a couple of months.
About 30 society members voted at a meeting Wednesday evening to assume responsibility from the county for the small shelter near the Maple airport off U.S. 158.
``I don't think we had even one that disagreed with what we were trying to do,'' W.D. ``Bill'' Neff, president of the local chapter, said Thursday.
Neff said his group now plans to meet with the Currituck County Board of Commissioners and County Manager Bill Richardson to hash out a few minor problems at the shelter.
Once change society members agreed on wasto put unwanted animals to death by lethal injection, rather than the current method of carbon monoxide poisoning.
One concern, Neff said, is a septic tank hole that members believe may be a health hazard. Otherwise, the shelter appears ready for a takeover, he said.
``If we can, why, we'll most likely be taking it over in, I imagine, the next couple of months,'' he said.
Among the changes to be expected after the Currituck animal activists move in:
Expand adoption hours. Ideally, the group would like to be open for business for two hours each day of the week. Add more room for dogs to exercise and more cages to contain them.
Provide leashes for volunteers and people looking for animals to take them out for a walk when they visit the shelter.
Start a heart-worming program for puppies and infested animals.
Move animal control officers to an adjacent trailer.
The county asked the Currituck Humane Society last month to consider taking over operations with about a $9,000 donation - the amount the county currently pays to run the facility.
Animal control officers will continue to patrol the county and answer calls on stray or vicious animals. by CNB