The shooting of six dogs on March 8 in Winona has become a hot button issue for residents and animal lovers.
The Winona Board of Aldermen voted all in favor to hire Vidal Anderson as the city’s new Animal Control Officer during their regular meeting on March 7, following a recommendation by Winona Police Chief Roshaun Daniels.
The following day, Anderson carried out an order to euthanize the dogs, which had been housed at Winona’s Dog Pound longer than Mississippi’s five-day requirement and Winona’s 10-day requirement.
Mayor Aaron Dees said one of the dogs that had been shot in the head had been in the Winona dog pound since Dec. 20, 2022. Some of the dogs had been in the pound since January 2023, and others had been there since February.
“Up until now, the city has used [veterinarian] euthanasia and the form of euthanasia of using a gun. They’ve used both methods,” said Dees. “The law that the Code Enforcer and Animal Control Officer Vidal Anderson and the chief, who he answers to, were using was the Mississippi statute.”
The Mississippi statute to which Dees referred read as follows:
It is the lawful duty for any sheriff, conservation officer, peace officer of a county or municipality to kill any dog above the age of three months found wondering at on whose neck there is no such collar and tag.
Anderson said he “hated” killing the animals, “but I had a job to do.”
He admitted to originally putting some of the dogs carcasses in a dumpster but then retrieving, bagging and burying all of them in an undisclosed place outside of Montgomery County.
Dees said taking the dogs to a veterinarian is what they preferred; however, the method was considerably expensive for the number of dogs that were “put down.”
In an effort to afford the city with a veterinarian euthanasia in the future, Dees met with In Defense of Animals Senior Campaigner Doll Stanley, Winona Animal Advocacy Group member Carol Griffin, Alderman Mickey Austin and Daniels on March 10.
The group agreed to work together to devise fundraising methods to help the city pay for euthanasia by veterinarian.
“We did get an apology from the chief,” Stanley said. “A municipality has to do something more humanely. There are people who want to prosecute.”
She went on the say, “This problem isn’t going to go away. Too many people know about it, and too many people are angry about it.”
She mentioned the Mississippi Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law of 2011, which was amended in 2020.
The Mississippi Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law of 2011, makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally or with criminal negligence wound, deprive of adequate food, water, or shelter, or carry or confine in a cruel manner, any domesticated cat or dog. Aggravated cruelty occurs when a person with malice intentionally tortures, mutilates, maims, burns, starves or disfigures any domesticated dog or cat.
“On behalf of our law enforcement, our legislature needs to look at the laws on the books,” said Stanley. “They are conflicting.”
