Tag Archive for: #williamcoker

TownTalk: Vance County Animal Services Pet Adoption Event Saturday At Petsense

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The Vance County Animal Shelter has 44 kennels to house the dogs that find their way to the Brodie Road facility, whether it’s from a stray pickup or from an owner surrender.

William Coker, director of Vance County Animal Services, said in August alone, 213 dogs and cats were brought into the shelter.

The good news was that 33 dogs and 23 cats were adopted from the shelter in August, Coker told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s TownTalk. September’s numbers were slightly lower – 190 dogs and cats came into the shelter, he said. But adoptions were down in September – only 7 dogs and 8 cats were adopted.

“When you’re bringing in that amount of animals, and the adoptions are like they are, it makes for a bad day,” Coker said.

There’s an adoption event scheduled for Saturday at Petsense in Henderson, located at 1528 Dabney Dr. and it’s a chance for the public to come out and see some of the dogs that are just waiting to find their “furever” home. The adoption event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. One-year rabies boosters also are available for $5 during the adoption event.

There’s a $155 adoption fee for dogs and a $105 adoption fee for cats, but Coker said you won’t find a better deal. The animals get their vaccinations, they get microchipped and most importantly, they leave the shelter spayed or neutered.

“You’re really getting a sweet deal,” Coker said. “The animal, when it leaves here, is in great shape…you should have a good pet that’s going to be around for a long time.”

Coker said he’s so happy to report that the county has received a $50,000 grant to offer free spay and neuter services to pet owners in the county regardless of their income level. The state has a program for pet owners who receive government assistance, but Coker said he wants to be able to offer the spay/neuter program to all pet owners.

“To me, that’s the solution to lowering the numbers in the shelter,” Coker said. In one day last week, the shelter took in 14 puppies. Two have been adopted already. But that still leaves a dozen. And that’s just a snapshot from one day in one week.

The shelter staff does have to make decisions to euthanize animals when the shelter is full. Coker said it’s easier to decide to put down older animals, or those that are sick.

“It does come the time that it’s good dogs that have to be euthanized because we don’t have space,” Coker said. Spaying and neutering dogs and cats is the key to reducing the unwanted pet population.

“You’re not going to adopt yourself out of this situation,” he said.

If you have room in your home for a pet, consider adopting from the Vance County Animal Shelter.

If you can’t adopt, but still want to help, consider making a donation to the shelter. Coker said the shelter needs dog food

“I’m going to have to start begging – or buying  – dog food,” he said. He’d prefer to have a monetary donation so the staff can continue to buy the same food for the dogs that they’re used to eating.

For those who’d like to volunteer to work at the shelter, Coker said there’s a brief application to fill out and it shouldn’t take long for the application to be processed and approved.
“Hopefully, we can get them in here in a week or two,” he said.

The shelter is located at 1243 Brodie Rd. Check the website for hours of operation, which vary depending on the day of the week.

Visit https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/ to learn more.

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TownTalk: Coker Takes Over As Chief Of Animal Services

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The vast majority of pet owners do the right thing and provide everything their animals need to live healthy, happy lives as furry members of the family.

And while Vance County’s new Animal Services Chief William Coker acknowledges this to be the case, he said that for those pet owners who don’t, there are county ordinances in place to protect animals.

“I think the biggest thing is educating the community on proper animal welfare and the county ordinances” in place to protect animals from maltreatment.

Once a dog is placed in a pen or put on a chain in the yard, it instantly becomes totally dependent on people for food, water and shelter. And it’s up to Coker and his officers to make sure all the animals in the county are afforded the minimum standards.

He said he chooses to de-escalate situations that may involve improper pet treatment, but he’s not afraid to fall back on county ordinances. Dogs must have a dog house, for example, and access to fresh water and they must be fed once a day – those are the minimum standards in place for the county’s canines.

After animal services officers give pet owners a couple of warnings and still fail to comply, the officers can issue citations.

Educating the community can come in many forms, Coker said on Wednesday’s TownTalk: he said he’d like to get into the schools and talk to young people about proper animal care. He also said he wants to emphasize getting dogs and cats spayed and neutered to reduce the unwanted pet population.

When his officers go out on a call, he asks that they promote the spay/neuter program, which often can be at a reduced cost for those that qualify.

Coker said he’s always had a passion for animals, and when he learned of an opening at animal services, he applied and was hired on in 2013. He worked with former chief Frankie Nobles for five years, and he said he learned a lot from his time working alongside Nobles.

He and Nobles stay in close contact and Coker said it’s reassuring to know that Nobles, now the county’s Special Projects Coordinator, is just a phone call away.

“I don’t like seeing animals mistreated,” Coker said. Just the other day, he came to work and found a dog tied outside the office door. As much as he hates for that to happen, he said the alternative – just turning the dog loose – wasn’t a good option either.

“As long as I’m chief of animal services, I’ll never turn away a surrender.”

Learn more about Vance County Animal Services at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal-control/

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