Show From the reports of the Utah Humane Society concerning the Vernal City and Uintah County dog pound it Sounds like Vernal has really gone to the dogs Weve We've known a confrontation was coming but we didn't know exactly when and how hard the Humane Society would strike Now there Is no doubt they mean business and something certainly must be done However after aCter having a couple of conversations with representatives of the Utah Humane Society and after making a tour of the dog pound facilities Monday morning and talking to those directly Involved involved involved in In- with the animal control program we cant can't help but feel feela a certain resentment for the way the Humane Society ty has been telling eIling their side of the story over overa a Salt Lake television station and through a Salt Lake advertising agency in the local paper and radio radi station There is no need to carry the problem to sucH extremes To threaten to file criminal charges against each member of the Uintah County Commission Commission Commission Com Com- mission and Vernal City Council and to go to the Utah Attorney General when the attorney elected to represent the county will not file Cile a complaint against his workers co-workers is extreme One reason public officials ha have ve not acted more generously towards the Humane Society's demands is because of f their emotionalism tactics We admit it would d be nice to have a new new modern dog pound just as it would be nice to have better prisons To carry them to the extreme would make lif life better in the pound or in prison than on the streets or in society The problem is how much do dowe dowe dowe we want to spend on a new dog dogpound dogpound pound and pound and animal control departments of the community community com corn Vernal City recently restructured its animal A control program and appointed appointed- an- an officer to enforce the city dog ordinance Previously Uintah County's animal c control officer was contracted to do the city's work As a result of the new city dog control program more dogs Jogs are being picked up off the streets and taken to the pound This has added to the overcrowded situation at the pound The whole problem is c compounded by the fact that the first of February is the deadline for 1976 dog tags This is when unlicensed dogs are rounded up and it happens to be during some of our coldest weather With a little planning we are sure improvements can be made at the present pound facilities and maybe the dog up round-up could be made during the summer months and there would not be so many many unlicensed and loose dogs around during the cold winter months Anyway the Humane Society has made their point We hope they c can n sit down with the governing agencies agencies' and work this out in a little less dog eat dog fashion L 1 Many local citizens have an uneasy feeling about the mounting problems at the Uintah County Hospital The administrator resigned under pressure and now the computer technician over billing has been trimmed from the staff Expenses Expenses Expenses Ex Ex- Ex- Ex have been mounting and evidence that the present facility cannot be remodeled or improved to meet standards is enough to make county officials of a n way out of the hospital business Realizing this problem several doctors and business leaders have suggested forming a a corporation to be used as a tax investment to build a privately operated medical center in the area Those investing in the facility would not necessarily be from the area Other doctors or persons needing income shelters would be sought to invest in the local facility This proposition has been discussed with the County Com Com- missioners but we understand is no further than the talking stage This method of providing a medical facility for the area would not require any expense to taxpayers for construction or maintenance This looks like a good route to go to get the medical facility we need so badly if It can be put together right |