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Massena Town Council agrees to contract with Humane Society through rest of year for dog control job

Posted 5/21/15

By ANDY GARDNER MASSENA -- The Town Council approved a deal with the Massena Humane Society to provide dog control duty through the remainder of the year. Former dog control officer Robert …

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Massena Town Council agrees to contract with Humane Society through rest of year for dog control job

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Town Council approved a deal with the Massena Humane Society to provide dog control duty through the remainder of the year.

Former dog control officer Robert Sommerfield resigned effective May 8.

The humane society offered to do Sommerfield’s job, for which he was paid $10,000 annually, for $13,100.

“I definitely would prefer Bob over the humane society, but we’ve got to have coverage,” Councilman John Macaulay said.

Town Supervisor Joe Gray said he talked with Police Chief Mark LaBrake about the police department handling run-of-the-mill dog cases.

“The chief doesn’t feel barking is law enforcement, I don’t feel it’s a dog control issue. It’s a neighbor issue,” Gray said.

“If there’s an ordnance, the cops have got to do something, whether they like it or not,” said Macaulay, noting the town code contains a provision restricting excessive barking. “I don’t know why they think they don’t have a responsibility.”