A thin nursing mama dog meandering the streets of Noel has prompted the attention of local animal rescue and rehoming volunteers.
The dog, which recently had puppies, is skinny, weak and looks malnourished, said Bev Bartley, with I'm Your Huckleberry animal rescue and rehoming.
"It's one of the worse cases we've seen in a while," she said.
Bartley told Noel City Council members last week that she had a previous conversation with Noel Marshal Paul Gardner about the situation. She told Gardner she meant no disrespect and felt they had ended their recent conversation on good terms. She said she wanted to find out more about the city's stance on animal control.
The dog is successfully nursing all the puppies to which she recently gave birth but, after that, she has nothing left, Bartley said. Different cultures may have different perspectives about animal care and letting dogs wander in town, Bartley said, but she is concerned about the dog's lack of food.
A family's budget can be stretched thin, she said. That's why she has been bringing dog food to the couple and trying to encourage them to feed the dog more often.
After speaking with the couple, Bartley said they have agreed to let I'm Your Huckleberry Rescue take the dog after she weans the puppies.
The nonprofit organization works with several communities across McDonald County. An "enormous" amount of calls come from Noel concerning stray and nuisance animals, she said.
I'm Your Huckleberry volunteers work to offer rabies, spay and neutering services through Spay Arkansas, which performs those services for $18 to $20. The program is a great deal more affordable than a vet's services, which could be close to $200, Bartley said.
Though local veterinarians need to have their services paid for, some people lack that amount of money to care for their pets, she said.
Spay Arkansas provides an invaluable service, she said.
Five families in McDonald County have been helped through the program. The animals were trapped and then taken to Spay Arkansas, Bartley said.
Volunteers "transfer a lot out of the area," to Colorado, Kansas City and other places, she added. The organization fosters and adopts out the animals. Recently, I'm Your Huckleberry has been at full capacity, she said.
Alderman William Rose, who was serving as mayor pro tem, said the city does have an ordinance regarding animal control. Council members have recognized there is a problem with dogs running loose and have been trying to address the complex issue for some time.
Rose said he and his wife have several dogs and were very close to opening an animal shelter themselves in recent years.
Last summer, Bartley asked the council to consider charging Noel residents an increased fee for having a cat or dog that is not spayed or neutered. Bartley said she planned to ask various McDonald County towns to do the same. Charging a fee for not having a spayed or neutered pet is "the only way to get people to take responsibility," she said.
She asked city council members to increase the fee, anywhere up to $100.
City council members did not approve the increase, saying that the issue is a difficult one. Some people don't even register their animals with the city. Raising registration fees or charging fees for not spaying or neutering a pet could further deter residents from registering animals with the city, some aldermen said.
General News on 06/20/2019