PHOENIX, Ore. (AP) — The Jackson County Sheriff’s office says it will now take the lead in responding to horse and livestock welfare calls.
The Medford Mail Tribune reports that staff cuts at the Jackson County animal shelter and a steady increase in incidents of neglect prompted the sheriff’s office to act.
Colleen Macuk, director of Jackson County Animal Care and Control, says that many families struggling economically often abandon pets. She says the double-digit unemployment in Oregon continues to fuel the abandoning of pets.
Sheriff Mike Winters says his deputies already respond to 1,400 animal calls a year, so the new duties wouldn’t change too many things. He adds that a few of the deputies received training in how to handle horses.
