Now that you mention it, where do Alcoa and Maryville take their strays?

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and I am being kind here R. We can do better and it can be done with a mix of county money and private funds.

Maryville has its own shelter, which they were allowing Blount Co to use for years at considerably less cost than the demand the county placed on the shelter. When the city finally upped the charge (after many warnings that it would be necessary), the county decided it could do it cheaper on its own, thus leading to the current scramble to get something built while they contract month-to-month with Loudon or Monroe Cos. Maryville subsequently fired one of its animal control officers because they had no money to pay him, and the county hired him, apparently to shuttle strays to Loudon Co.

Not sure about Alcoa.

It was a combination of events that lead to where the county is now. Yes, the city wanted more money. But tell me how many folks in the country go into the city to dump animals?

"let's take Fido and her pups out to the country and some nice farmer will take them in.."

NOT. I am sick of having animals dumped on my road!
Sorry, but out here at the Lazy K we are seeing more and more pups and cats being dumped!

The proposals for joint private - county run shelter started well before the county quit using the city pound. That had less to do with money the county was spending than quality of care and controlling the problem of unwanted litters.

Then the city again demanded more money and we had an election. The new CC's promised to keep costs in line and one way they did that was to say no to the City.

So we went without County animal control for a while. Then the county hired a guy, got a truck from BCSO and worked an agreement with Loundon County to house those strays picked up in the County. Not so much because it was simply cheaper but it was a band-aide fix until a long term solution could be found.

Residents of Friendsville, Alcoa, Maryville and Rockford saw no change in service because those areas have agreements with the Maryville Shelter. Alcoa has it's own AC officers and those animals go to the MAS. MAS picks up in the other towns. Only we in unincorporated areas saw that temporary end to pick up of strays.

Now we as a county are looking at this wonderful joint venture! It needs to happen. And again, I will point out dogs have no idea if they are wandering in the city or the county.

And yes, a no-kill shelter would be wonderful. But not with my tax money.

At this time the only group I know in Blount County that deals with feral cats can be found at arfnets.org and I don't think MAS picks up cats for anyone, ever. I know in the big wish list for the new shelter there is a feral program.

Our big barn cat is a feral who was trapped, fixed and then released back in my field. I can not tell you if this is the only way they do this or not but my guess is that it is.

Don't shoot 'em... you know what can happen...

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If folks would fix their danged pets to begin with then we could reduce how many are put down. It is just that simple.

What is not simple is that of all the states we have lived in TN is the worst for folks thinking their dogs have the right to roam at will. I nearly had to knock a neighbor out because she allows her dogs to run. Run they did, right up on my porch after me and my old cat. Glad that witch moved last week....