Dog issue brought before Cassville Council again
September 18, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Dogs were a hot topic again at the Cassville City Council meeting on Monday, September 16, as Nadean Davis, the woman who's daughter was viciously attacked by dogs a month and a half ago, spoke to the council again, demanding action be taken toward a leash law in the city limits. Davis was joined in support by a handful of other community members during the regular meeting.
Davis appeared as a visitor to the council on the agenda and requested action again from the council regarding stray dogs. Davis' daughter, Kristy Preddy, suffered serious injuries, including two broken arms and at least 25 bite wounds from two dogs attacking her on Main Street in Cassville on August 7.
Davis said, "Forty days ago, my daughter decided it was safer to walk down the streets of Cassville on the sidewalk than to walk at the track. That was a big mistake.
"She was brutally attacked by two dogs and that decision has changed her life drastically for the rest of her life. She's had to have surgeries and see doctors plus the mental agony of seeing those dogs attacking her in her sleep."
Davis, who regularly walks throughout the city picking up trash, said multiple people have approached her during her walks since Preddy was hurt, telling stories of dog attacks they've experienced or witnessed in the town. Many of these people, Davis claimed, have approached the council about a leash ordinance in the past.
She said, "As I walk the streets almost daily, I have people stop and tell me horror stories of what has happened to them."
Davis continued, "There are 17 pages of rules and regulations that tell us what kind of signs we can have, where we can have them, how big we can have them, but there are only five pages pertaining to animals."
She went on to discuss various aspects of the nuisance law that Cassville already has on the books, including what constitutes a nuisance animal, such as them trespassing on other people's properties and defecating. Davis told council at one residence last week, she saw five cats on a single porch, and on another, she saw eight.
Davis placed the blame for the attack on her daughter heavily on the council members. She said, "Many people have appeared because of dog bites and the council has done absolutely nothing to help the citizens of Cassville or the tourists or the people who shop in Cassville. It's time for you all to get your act together and help us. My daughter will never be the same because of y’ all's inaction and the previous council members' inaction. You've got to do something now."
During the meeting, mayor Bill Shiveley assured Davis the city was working toward a solution for the stray animals in town. He said, "We've instructed Steve [Walensky, city administrator] to begin looking at that, and he can say what he's found out so far in terms of what we can do and how we can go about getting this done."
Walensky said, "What I'm doing, so far I've gone to one community and I'm looking at others to try and see what they do for animal control and look at it in totality of the ordinance language as well as the facilities they have, the equipment they have and staff they have, what the start up costs are and what the ongoing costs are. Until I have that all together and present to council, which I'm in the process of doing, we're not there yet. I'm still in the analysis phase."
Davis retorted, "In other words, rehash, rehash and kick it down the road. That's where it's been for ten to twelve years."
Davis proposed council move forward with a strict licensing requirement for animals within the city limits, including proof of a rabies vaccination and reregistration of the license annually. She said, "Any dog found to be running loose should be picked up and the owner fined $200 for a first offense plus $25 for every night it is impounded. On a second offense it goes along with some of the rules and regulations you already have. It should be $500. Any dog found outside should be on a leash or a chain or behind a fence. If behind a fence, the fence should be in good shape so the dog can't go over or under the fence."
She also staunchly opposed the prospect of a sales tax to pay for the animal ordinance, saying non-animal owners should not be responsible for paying for the issue. She said, "I'm opposed to what I've seen in the paper in the past about a vote of the people to build a structure for $200,000 to $250,000 and pay someone $40,000 to $50,000 a year to run it, because I go into homes regularly where their income is $500 to $700. They don't have animals in their homes so why should they be taxed so someone can have an animal at their house?"
Shiveley told Davis and the others in attendance at the meeting, "I understand where you're at. I really do. I'm just saying there's an operations cost to having something like what you're suggested to have those picked up.
"We're trying to figure out how we can do it."
Davis insisted the people bearing the cost of the incidents with loose dogs in the city limits were those who had been attacked, like her daughter.
Despite Shiveley and Walenksky's explanation of where the city is in the process of getting a leash or containment ordinance, Davis was not satisfied.
She held her thumb and forefinger about half an inch apart and told the council, "I have about that much confidence, because I've been here before and many other people have been here before."
The next Cassville City Council meeting is slated for Monday, October 14, at 5:30 p.m.
Charlea Estes-Jones
Dogs were a hot topic again at the Cassville City Council meeting on Monday, September 16, as Nadean Davis, the woman who's daughter was viciously attacked by dogs a month and a half ago, spoke to the council again, demanding action be taken toward a leash law in the city limits. Davis was joined in support by a handful of other community members during the regular meeting.
Davis appeared as a visitor to the council on the agenda and requested action again from the council regarding stray dogs. Davis' daughter, Kristy Preddy, suffered serious injuries, including two broken arms and at least 25 bite wounds from two dogs attacking her on Main Street in Cassville on August 7.
Davis said, "Forty days ago, my daughter decided it was safer to walk down the streets of Cassville on the sidewalk than to walk at the track. That was a big mistake.
"She was brutally attacked by two dogs and that decision has changed her life drastically for the rest of her life. She's had to have surgeries and see doctors plus the mental agony of seeing those dogs attacking her in her sleep."
Davis, who regularly walks throughout the city picking up trash, said multiple people have approached her during her walks since Preddy was hurt, telling stories of dog attacks they've experienced or witnessed in the town. Many of these people, Davis claimed, have approached the council about a leash ordinance in the past.
She said, "As I walk the streets almost daily, I have people stop and tell me horror stories of what has happened to them."
Davis continued, "There are 17 pages of rules and regulations that tell us what kind of signs we can have, where we can have them, how big we can have them, but there are only five pages pertaining to animals."
She went on to discuss various aspects of the nuisance law that Cassville already has on the books, including what constitutes a nuisance animal, such as them trespassing on other people's properties and defecating. Davis told council at one residence last week, she saw five cats on a single porch, and on another, she saw eight.
Davis placed the blame for the attack on her daughter heavily on the council members. She said, "Many people have appeared because of dog bites and the council has done absolutely nothing to help the citizens of Cassville or the tourists or the people who shop in Cassville. It's time for you all to get your act together and help us. My daughter will never be the same because of y’ all's inaction and the previous council members' inaction. You've got to do something now."
During the meeting, mayor Bill Shiveley assured Davis the city was working toward a solution for the stray animals in town. He said, "We've instructed Steve [Walensky, city administrator] to begin looking at that, and he can say what he's found out so far in terms of what we can do and how we can go about getting this done."
Walensky said, "What I'm doing, so far I've gone to one community and I'm looking at others to try and see what they do for animal control and look at it in totality of the ordinance language as well as the facilities they have, the equipment they have and staff they have, what the start up costs are and what the ongoing costs are. Until I have that all together and present to council, which I'm in the process of doing, we're not there yet. I'm still in the analysis phase."
Davis retorted, "In other words, rehash, rehash and kick it down the road. That's where it's been for ten to twelve years."
Davis proposed council move forward with a strict licensing requirement for animals within the city limits, including proof of a rabies vaccination and reregistration of the license annually. She said, "Any dog found to be running loose should be picked up and the owner fined $200 for a first offense plus $25 for every night it is impounded. On a second offense it goes along with some of the rules and regulations you already have. It should be $500. Any dog found outside should be on a leash or a chain or behind a fence. If behind a fence, the fence should be in good shape so the dog can't go over or under the fence."
She also staunchly opposed the prospect of a sales tax to pay for the animal ordinance, saying non-animal owners should not be responsible for paying for the issue. She said, "I'm opposed to what I've seen in the paper in the past about a vote of the people to build a structure for $200,000 to $250,000 and pay someone $40,000 to $50,000 a year to run it, because I go into homes regularly where their income is $500 to $700. They don't have animals in their homes so why should they be taxed so someone can have an animal at their house?"
Shiveley told Davis and the others in attendance at the meeting, "I understand where you're at. I really do. I'm just saying there's an operations cost to having something like what you're suggested to have those picked up.
"We're trying to figure out how we can do it."
Davis insisted the people bearing the cost of the incidents with loose dogs in the city limits were those who had been attacked, like her daughter.
Despite Shiveley and Walenksky's explanation of where the city is in the process of getting a leash or containment ordinance, Davis was not satisfied.
She held her thumb and forefinger about half an inch apart and told the council, "I have about that much confidence, because I've been here before and many other people have been here before."
The next Cassville City Council meeting is slated for Monday, October 14, at 5:30 p.m.
