Dogs will be on the agenda during a special public meeting set for Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m., in the courtroom at Charleston City Hall.
Charleston Mayor Sedrick Smith this week announced through City Clerk Vanisha Powell that "animal control problems" will be the precise nature of discussions at next week's gathering, but it is well known that stray dogs have been wreaking havoc in the city for quite some time.
Residents have complained, on social media and elsewhere, of these at-large dogs killing their pets, overturning garbage cans and strewing the contents, growling at them in public locations and, generally, being a menace while also posing a threat to the safety and well-being of the community.
There have been reports of dogs biting people. In some cases, the dog bites have been by canines that supposedly had a place to call home but were not properly supervised or restrained by their owners.
The city has animal ordinances on the books, including leash laws and vaccination edicts, but too many owners do not abide by them.
Charleston, not unlike many other small municipalities, does not have a dedicated animal control officer or an animal shelter, although the city has utilized fenced-in pens at a temporary holding facility on city-owned property.
In the past, that holding facility has itself come under attack from community members and animal rights groups over allegations of inhumane treatment of the animals housed there.
In 2015, Charleston officials announced the closing of that facility and the indefinite suspension of animal control efforts within the municipality.
At that time, Tunica Humane Society (THS) stepped in and rescued animals that had been confined at the city-operated site. Over the years, THS has conducted many other animal rescue efforts within the city of Charleston and has been a vocal advocate for addressing the stray dog problem here.
One 2017 Facebook post by THS noted that, "Sadly, the streets of Charleston are paved with stray dogs. They are everywhere you look. Everywhere."
In more recent years, city officials have discussed and even pursued potential partnership arrangements with animal shelters operating in area cities, but none of those has come to fruition. Repeatedly, costs, liability concerns and logistical issues have been cited among the impeding factors.
Tuesday’s meeting will be just the latest in an historically long line of both public and private meetings, get-togethers and discussions about the seemingly endless animal control problem, which is by no means unique to the city of Charleston.
