MISSISSIPPI -- During Tuesday’s Brookhaven Board of Aldermen meeting, local rental property owner Gail Onesi called upon the board for help enforcing state statutes concerning animal cruelty.
Onesi said she came across at least one severe case of animal hoarding that would most definitely fall under state felony statutes which city attorney Joe Fernald said the city adopted.
Onesi said she followed up on a tenant who had around 10 dogs that they could not afford to feed.
After those dogs were removed, Onesi went back to ensure the tenant had no dogs in the house and was moving out per her request, when she found a second set of around 10 dogs the tenant was, again, starving to death.
She said during this removal process, someone from the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, the city’s two animal control officers and two police officers were present, yet no tickets were written.
Police Chief Bobby Bell said that after an animal control officer or police officer responds to a case such as this, they speak with the person and if the issue is not resolved, the animals are seized on the second visit. Onesi said her concern is that there are not repercussions that deter these offenders from simply getting animals over and over again.
It was the opinion of several members of the board as well as Fernald that the best action to take in this case would be to sign an affidavit and take it through the judicial system. The board shared in her concern, and Mayor Joe Cox said there should be some investigating into this issue.
(Daily Leader - April 22, 2015)
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