Council to convene for site visit at animal shelter today

The Nevada City Council will meet at the Nevada Animal Shelter today at 6:15, to give council members a first-hand view of the facility. On Friday, Jan. 27, the Nevada Police Department closed the shelter on the recommendation of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health inspector. The facility had been inspected on Jan. 23, and some violations were found. At that time, the inspector recommended immediate vaccination of some animals, and noted several equipment-related problems that were to be corrected within 30 days. An apparent outbreak of canine parvovirus was discovered on Thursday, Jan. 26, according to police, and the decision was made to close the shelter immediately and eradicate any contamination that may have occurred.

About 40 animals were euthanized. Seventeen were saved and relocated to other facilities.

Since then, some local citizens have expressed outrage at the sudden closing. The facility will remain closed until the city council has fully evaluated the situation. Meanwhile, the local animal control officer will take animals picked up to other facilities, such as the El Dorado Springs animal shelter.

No items relating specifically to the animal shelter are listed on the tentative agenda for tonight's regular council meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m., in council chambers in the city's public safety building at Ash and Austin, Nevada. Numerous other items are on the agenda; including final approval by second reading of the city's 2006 budget; the 2006 IMPACT Nevada tourism grant applications, including an evaluation of a request for tourism grant funds for an NBC baseball tournament forwarded directly to the city council by the tourism committee; a contract for billboard advertising promoting tourism; selecting a financing bid relating to the purchase of a medium-duty fire rescue vehicle and numerous other items.

To view the entire agenda, visit the city's Web site at www.nevadamo.org.