VILLAGE CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the General Meeting held March 9, 2006
Meeting was called to order in the P & Z meeting room by President Craig Jacobs at 19:04. Jan Thatcher moved to approve the agenda "as is" and this was seconded by Linda Doyle. Passed unanimously. The secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were skipped due to the absence of the Verinder’s.
The guest speaker, Debbie New, was introduced as the Senior Admin Assistant and Outreach Coordinator for the Plano Animal Control department. She will have been with the department six years in May. During a discussion on rabies, she claimed to know of only one person who has actually survived the disease without vaccination. Most animals will be held for observation, except skunks, which are euthanized immediately, since they are so susceptible to rabies.
A new "state of the art" facility was opened at Plano Parkway and Coit. It has the highest adoptive rate and lowest rate of euthanasia in the DFW area, and will be used to take some of the strain off other facilities. It is also known as a "GAP" shelter for Gifted Animal Program. Many dogs can be trained as working dogs, to be used as drug-sniffers or companion animals. The training takes roughly two years.
Barking complaints are initially handled by a letter of complaint to the owner of the dog, citing "Nuisance by Noise". A second offense will bring an officer to the residence in person to talk to the owner. However, the officer cannot issue a citation. The complaining citizen must go through municipal court. Other citizen complaints are about people not picking up after their animals and animal cruelty, such as beatings and leaving an animal in a hot car. If cruelty is witnessed, call the shelter and an animal control officer will investigate it.
Plano’s "Leash Law" states that dogs (and cats) must be on a leash no more than six feet long whenever they are outside a confined area. The exception to this is when the animals are taken to the "dog park" at Old Orchard and Valley. There, they must "not" be on a leash, as that tends to incite other free-roaming dogs to more aggressive behavior.
Plano has a "Dangerous Animal" ordinance and more information on it can be found at www.PlanoTX.org/animal. Most dogs are not dangerous by nature, unless they have been trained to be. The most bites actually come from Golden Retrievers and Labradors.
If there are strays about, the shelter will provide live animal traps and will keep a captured animal for 5 days awaiting an owner, after which they are assessed for adoption.
Adoption costs $75 for dogs ad $50 for cats and includes rabies vaccination, spay/neuter, first shots, tests, and a micro-chip. The shelter also has a euthanasia service for which they ask a $25 donation.
The shelter will field calls and dispatch the trucks from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and their office hours are 9-5 Tuesday through Friday and 9-4 on Saturday. Their phone number is 972-769-4360 and one can press zero to bypass the options.
There was no old or new business.
Crime Watch: John Wilson spoke of break-ins at the Garden Ridge Center and of suspicious persons.
Comments:
Jan Thatcher will work with James Edwards on coordinating the Great American Cleanup.
The news-letter needs some filler.
(James) Any interest in another Curb Appeal project? Would have to do it in May or wait until fall. Rotary Club will help.
Adjournment moved by James Edwards, seconded by Linda Doyle. Unanimous at 20:20.
Respectfully submitted,
Douglas L. Jacobs