By KEVIN BOWDEN
Staff Reporter
Obion County’s animal shelter group has just picked up a key ally in its campaign to start a new countywide animal shelter.
State Rep. Bill Sanderson attended Tuesday night’s shelter group meeting at the Obion County Public Library.
He pledged his support of the group’s efforts and said he will check into ways he can help through state legislation and through state funding.
Wags & Whiskers: Safe Haven is the name that has been chosen for the animal shelter group, which has been working for the past few months on starting a countywide animal shelter. Most of the work that has gone on during the past few months has been focused on organizing and getting established.
A new logo is being developed, plans are being made for a membership campaign and the group is planning to have a booth at the upcoming Obion County Fair.
At Tuesday night’s 90-minute meeting, Sanderson’s presence represented a significant boost for the local animal shelter effort. He stayed for the entire meeting.
“I appreciate what you guys are doing. I think it’s great,” Sanderson said.
“I feel the state can come on board to help, to what extent I don’t know,” he added.
Sanderson said he has done a little research into the work being done at other animal shelters in the region and encouraged the local organization to develop partnerships to help get a local animal shelter started. He promised to look into possible legislation establishing stricter animal rights laws and said he would work with the group on trying to secure some state funding.
“We want stronger laws,” Wags & Whiskers vice-chairman Beverly Wheeler told Sanderson.
She and others at the meeting complained that Tennessee’s laws don’t treat animals, specifically dogs and cats, fairly.
Sanderson said he will take the group’s concerns back to Nashville to see if changes can be made.
As for funding, Sanderson said the state’s budget is being held up by the U.S. Supreme Court and its upcoming ruling on President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act. The state has placed about $200 million in reserves in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling, according to Sanderson.
Due to the uncertainty of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Sanderson said he was unable to commit any state funds to help the animal shelter group. He explained the state has frozen all funding for local projects pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.
Sanderson did commit to coming to the group’s next scheduled meeting to provide an update on his research into the laws dealing with animals, and specifically spay and neuter laws, pet licensing and rabies vaccinations.
The animal shelter group will meet again at 7 p.m. July 24 at the local library. The meeting is open to the public.
Staff Reporter Kevin Bowden may be contacted by email at kmbowden@ucmessenger.com.

Published in The Messenger 6.27.12