1. Overall, what is your sense of support for animal welfare issues? Do you see animal welfare connected to human welfare or in conflict? Please tell us how you arrive at your perspective on animal welfare in DeKalb.

Answer:

Animal welfare can have a direct connection to human welfare. Pets have been shown to improve the mental health of their humans. I have had a total of 4 dogs since I was a child, each one of them were rescues. My current dog, Max, was a stray when I took him in January 2019. I have experienced firsthand the profound impact animals can have on your life and mental well being.

2. DeKalb County has a significant problem with breeding more dogs than can be absorbed into DeKalb’s homes. Many are bred for sale. Thousands of these dogs end up homeless roaming streets and neighborhoods and some of those (about 5,000 annually), end up in our shelter. Forty-two percent of those dogs are puppies under the age of a year. In many cruelty, neglect and abandonment cases, unregulated breeding activity is an underlying and contributing factor. Overbreeding is the biggest issue for Advocates -- not only are we concerned about the suffering the animals endure but it is also a very expensive problem for our county. What are you going to do as Commissioner to address this and lead the county out of this problem? Will you support and enforce regulation of breeding?

Answer:
As Commissioner I will work with Advocates for DeKalb Animals on instituting programs to increase spay and neutering. My dog Max was an intact stray when I found him in 2019, he is the sweetest dog, and it breaks my heart to think of what could have happened to him if I hadn’t taken him in. Having programs to reduce the cost of spay and neutering strays will not only help with overpopulation but also encourage the adoption of the animals. I would support the enforcement of regulations on breeding, along with the regulations I would support an education campaign on the impact of unregulated breeding on the welfare of the animals and the community as a whole.

3. Historically, Animal Services has been the last thought of county government. It’s the department with the smallest budget and, some would say, the least respect. And, it’s the topic many want to ignore or turn away from. In recent years, residents of the county have lifted this issue up for greater attention, but many citizens continue to feel that they have to organize and push for every little step forward. The county has an Animal Services Advisory Board of committed, informed, and effective volunteers , appointed by members of the Commission and the CEO. Our own organization, Advocates for DeKalb Animals, also has a large group of active, engaged volunteers who follow county decision-making and programming, promote adoptions and foster families to provide homes for DeKalb’s homeless animals, and attend court to give voice to the suffering of animals that are the victims of cruelty and neglect. From our perspective, we oppose the idea of a new task force or study group because it would delay needed actions that have already been explored and vetted from years of national standards research. As a Commissioner, what, if any, role do you anticipate for the volunteers on the Animal Services Advisory Board and in Advocates for DeKalb Animals?

Answer:
As Commissioner I would anticipate the volunteers of the Animal Services Advisory Board and Advocates for DeKalb Animals to continue the amazing work they have been doing. These volunteers have demonstrated their passion for the animals of DeKalb and our subject matter experts. I would anticipate working closely with them to ensure the important work of Animal Services is funded and supported.

4. Each year, hundreds of DeKalb residents are charged with cruelty, neglect and
abandonment of their animals. Often, these crimes are connected to other crimes, some of them violent. Additionally, the connection between animal neglect and cruelty and domestic violence, spousal and child abuse, has been well-established by public health researchers. Advocates would like to see leadership address these issues with preventive measures. Additionally, the victims of animal cruelty and neglect are impounded by the county into the crowded shelter and are often held there for months and even years, adding more punishment to the animal victims on top of the bad treatment that led their owners to be charged and the animals to be impounded. DeKalb has recently joined many other counties in Georgia in utilizing state laws (motions to dispose of the animals prior to trial and petitions for costs of care) to release the dogs so that the animals are not “sentenced” to confinement when their owners are charged. As Commissioner, will you continue and increase to support the practice of utilizing state laws to encourage release of the animals? Why or why not?

Answer:
As Commissioner, yes, I would continue to support this practice. Expediting the release of animals in these situations provides for the most humane treatment for the animals that have already faced unimaginable situations.