Chaffee residents ask council why net gun, dart gun aren't being used on animal calls

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee's city council is still dealing with dog problems as a deadline approaches to have its animal pound meet requirements for licensure through the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Discussion of handling animals was not on the agenda of Monday night's meeting, but city council members addressed some residents' questions on why a net gun to capture animals is not in use, why a dart gun is not in use and what progress the city is making on its license application.

Operation of the pound ceased in early March after an Agriculture Department inspection prompted by a resident whose dog was shot by local police found numerous violations and that the facility was unlicensed. The department set a deadline of Friday for the city to comply with all standards to receive a license. The city was also ordered by the department to have police deal only with dogs if one caused harm or threatened to cause harm.

Council member Ann Whistler said a committee of council members has come up with possible solutions for dealing with animals, such as hiring a nuisance officer.

She also said some council members were addressing problems at the pound. Several measures are necessary, such as building a separate kennel for diseased animals.

"We have to get all this done, and there is a lot," Whistler said.

In answer to a resident's question about why a net gun was not available for use, she said police department staff members have yet to be trained in its use.

Mayor Steve Loucks said police and city workers also could not use a dart gun for tranquilizing animals because laws that would have allowed the city to obtain the serum without the cost of using a veterinarian have recently changed.

Chaffee police dealt with an animal defined by city ordinance as "dangerous" over the weekend when a woman was nearly mauled by a dog.

"We had a dangerous animal that basically tried to tree a woman," said Dustin Jarrell, acting chief of police.

Police contained the animal until the owner could take it into his home. Police gave the owner a citation.

The council will soon hold a special meeting to compare current animal ordinances with revised ordinances that members could vote into effect. One ordinance will state the city will have to keep sick animals for five days and healthy animals for 10 days before it can euthanize them.

In late February, the city's mayor and police chief told an officer to take a dog that appeared to have mange out to the city compost site and shoot it, and to "keep it quiet." The chief, Jim Chambers, was fired by the council following the incident.

A closed session pertaining to the hiring, firing and discipline of employees was also held Monday night, but no announcement from the session was immediately available.

Chambers appealed to the city to receive his job back earlier in March, but council members said he missed the 10-day window in which he could appeal.

Council members did approve allowing the city administrator to advertise in the newspaper for a new police chief during Monday's meeting.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

Chaffee, MO