No plans for Oneida County animal control officer

Despite impassioned pleas from animal advocates, Oneida County has no immediate plans to hire a humane officer."We just get a lot of calls," said Jerry Kraus, public relations officer for the Stevens-Swan Humane Society. "It's not just dogs and cats. It's people concerned about farm animals,Dinosaur Skeleton Exhibition-T-Rex Fossil, animals left behind when people move, animals out in the heat of the sun with no water or shelter, or in the freezing cold of winter."

He and two volunteers from the humane society spoke out at a recent meeting of the Oneida County Board of Legislators.But as the county struggles to stay fiscally secure, officials said it's unlikely the position will be added any time soon."It's one of those tough areas," said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente. "It goes back to if we can do it countywide, and I don't see how one officer would suffice. It's a big county and it's like having one officer doing traffic."

The county's only humane officer position, a full-time job with $37,000 salary, was eliminated in the 2005 budget.Many cities and towns have their own animal control officers, but some handle only dogs and not farm animals. Also, some animal control officers are only part time and are difficult to reach, Kraus said.The humane society is a shelter and its staff generally does not go out on such calls.