Dog Day opportunity to reflect on furry friends
National Dog Dag was celebrated Aug. 26, a day that highlighted man’s best friend and also shed light on the problems facing strays of Van Zandt County.
Over-population of pets and the lack of available funds has led to Canton having the only shelter in the county. County residents are taking strays and unwanted pets to the Canton Shelter, placing a burden and strain on funding that the shelter receives from the City of Canton.
The Van Zandt County Commissioners will now be faced with another hurdle, as the City of Canton has requested that the county and local municipalities enter within an interlocal agreement to help pay for the Canton Animal Shelter.
For now, the Canton Animal Shelter is funded by Canton taxpayers, not county taxpayers- a dilemma which the City of Canton officials want to rectify.
As it stands, the City of Canton operates the only animal shelter in Van Zandt County.
Canton City Manager Lonnie Cluck met with representatives from Wills Point, Van, Edgewood and Grand Saline telling those cities that it cost Canton $210,000 annually to operate the shelter. Canton asked that the cities sign an interlocal agreement for use of the animal shelter and pay a yearly fee of $5,000 in addition to animal surrender and euthanasia fees already charged.
