COUNTY WORKING ON ANIMAL CONTROL POLICY

There's a new ordinance in the works that will affect many residents of Cape Girardeau County.

Charlotte Craig, director of the county Health Department, the Cape Girardeau County commissioners and Prosecuting Attorney Ian Sutherland are working together on a Animal Control, Nuisance and Abatement Ordinance for the county.

The ordinance will have a section on animal control for the county that will include mandatory rabies vaccinations for all pets in the county.

Veterinarians Dr. Charles Cox and Dr. Wanda Pipkin are volunteering their professional opinion to the group in the development of the animal control section of the ordinance.

The ordinance is in response to the county's new classification as a first-class county and not to the recent rabies scare when a skunk in Millersville was found to have had rabies.

"Our work just happened to coincide with the skunk incident," Craig said.

The animal control section will also deal with animals running at large, bites, and in cases where abuse and neglect have been found the ordinance will refer to state statutes already in place to handle these situations.

The final draft of the ordinance has not been completed, but a draft has been submitted to the County Commission.

Second District Commissioner Max Stovall said that the group brought a proposed ordinance to the commission on Thursday, but some amendments are being made to it by the group because it was not quite ready.

"My guess is that they will have something within the next 30 days or less," Stovall said.

According to Stovall the group is making only minor changes to the ordinance proposed Thursday.

Dr. Pipkin said that it is important for the county to have this ordinance so that the next time there is a rabies scare like the one a couple of weeks ago, there won't be a panic among pet owners that have failed to keep their pet's vaccinations up to date.

The rabid skunk was taken to the Merry Lea Animal Hospital that Dr. Pipkin runs.

Another reason for the mandatory rabies vaccination is to "have a buffer between the wild animals and the human population, that buffer is the pets," Pipkin said.

After the skunk was found to have rabies, Dr. Pipkin said that a lot of people came in to get their pets vaccinated.

The increased number of pets coming in to be vaccinated put a strain on vets in the county.

Wayne and Lesa Brotherton discovered the rabid skunk at their Millersville home.

Their dog Max was bitten by the skunk, but since Max was up to date on his rabies vaccinations, he is still alive.

The Brothertons never touched the skunk and picked it up with a shovel to bring it to Dr. Pipkin.

"They took the appropriate action for this situation," Pipkin said.

Max is currently under a 45-day quarantine and observation. If Max hadn't been current on his vaccinations he would have had to be put down as well.