The animal shelter in the town of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, was so run down a regional humane society worker cut the locks last winter and released all the dogs.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.
Mayor James Valley authorized the city street director to release about 10 dogs into the forest after the animals were fed and watered.
"They are better off free," the mayor said Thursday in a telephone interview.
The mayor said if animal control officers get a call now, "they're going to pick the dog up and probably just take them to the other side of town. And it's going to be someone else's problem. ... or maybe they will take them to the forest."
Source: The Daily World
Mayor Valley's email: mayorjfvalley@gmail.com
