Politics & Government

County Officials Want Public's Input on Strays

A meeting to discuss possible consolidation of animal control services in Northampton County will be held Tuesday.

By Josh Popichak

A meeting to discuss a study that examines the possible consolidation of animal control services in Northampton County will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township.

According to a letter from the county, one of the purposes of the meeting is so officials can gather public comment.

"We...want to hear from concerned citizens, including volunteer groups [and] public officials about what, if anything, should be done to address animal control on a county level," the letter said.

"Problems [with strays] have been growing in recent years and have been exacerbated by the lack of an animal shelter in the county that will regularly accept stray dogs or cats from police departments, the state dog warden, or members of the public," it stated.

The primary shelter for many county municipalities has historically been the Center for Animal Health and Welfare, which was formerly the Northampton County SPCA.

A no-killer shelter located in Williams Township, the center ended its municipal contract system on Jan. 1, 2013, and currently only accepts strays on a space-available basis.

According to the county letter, an overview of the recently-commissioned study on the handling of stray animals will be presented at Tuesday's meeting.

The study is also posted online atwww.northamptoncounty.org under "Top Clicks."

For those unable to attend the meeting, comments can be submitted to county community development administrator Lori Sywensky by calling 610-559-3200, ext. 2, or e-mailing lsywensky@northamptoncounty.org.

The Charles Chrin Community Center is located at 4100 Green Pond Road, Easton.


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