In one of the most bizarre, hilarious, and ultimately tragic stories of the week, an Arkansas mayor decides that his city's stray dogs should be freed to roam a nearby federal forest. Wow.
Arkansas city releases shelter dogs into national forest
Little Rock -
Mayor James Valley of Helena-West Helena says he has no problem with dogs or other animals. He just believes that strays in his east Arkansas town are better off in nearby national forest than the local animal shelter.
The city's animal shelter was so run down a regional humane society worker cut the locks last winter and released all the dogs, the mayor said. The city then moved the operation to a temporary fenced-in area outdoors at the city sanitation department.
Still, people complained that the animals were not properly cared for at the temporary quarters, so the mayor decided the dogs would be better off fending for themselves in the St. Francis National Forest.
Valley said the city street director released about 10 dogs into the forest Wednesday after the animals were fed and watered. About three dogs were kept to be put down by a veterinarian, he said.
"They are better off free," the mayor said Thursday in a telephone interview.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service said the agency was not contacted by the city before releasing the dogs, and does not condone releasing animals into the forest.
"In the code, it is illegal to release animals, livestock or abandoned personal property on national forest land," Tracy Farley said, adding that only occasionally does the agency find stray dogs in the forest that someone may have abandoned.
http://www.helena-arkansas.com/news/x1470883524/Arkansas-city-releases-shelter-dogs-into-national-forest
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Mayor Releases Stray Dogs into National Forest
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
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