Police department builds holding pen for stray dogs

Residents who lose their dogs in Daleville will now have a centralized location to find them.

Stray dogs that are found or reported without an identification tag will now be taken into police custody and placed in a dog holding pen where they can stay up to 72 hours at the Daleville Department of Public Safety.

“I think it’s a lot better service. Me personally, being attached to my dog, if it was lost I’d want to know where it is and how quickly I can get it,” Daleville Department of Public Safety Chief Harvey Mathis said. “We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Before, stray dogs that were picked up by local authorities were typically transferred to the Ozark City Shelter, which has a boarding fee each day. The facility also has a 10-day maximum period for owners to claim their dogs before they are put to rest.

Mathis said SOS Animal Shelter in Enterprise would be another option because it is a no kill shelter, but due to space limitations it is typically full.

“It was my intent, because we were recovering a lot of dogs that were running loose and didn’t have dog tags on them, (that) instead of just taking them over (to the pound), we decided that we were going to purchase a dog pen. We know that (these dogs) belong to people,” Mathis said.

As an avid dog lover, Mathis said he decided to build a 10-by-10 foot dog pen to hold the recovered dogs up to 72 hours before they are placed in the Dale County pound.

The dog pen is located behind the Daleville Department of Public Safety building.

Mathis said the kennel has been a minimal cost to the city because several items were donated by residents including a metal tin roof, Igloo doghouses, dog food bowls, food and toys.

The pen can house up to four to five dogs.

Mathis said he added the kennel because he felt it would be more convenient and less expensive for the dog owners if the department temporarily houses the dogs.

“We want to give every opportunity for an owner to come and pick (their dogs) up,” he said. “We will ask for their address, and the sole purpose of that, is if we find the dog a second or third time then we can immediately get the dog back to the person.”

According to Daleville municipal codes, the city will issue a $20 fee for the first offense to recover the dog, $50 for the second offense and $100 for the third offense.

Due to high costs in fees, Mathis said it is extremely essential for residents to get dog tags, have their dog restrained on a leash or chain and confined within a fence or enclosed area.

Mathis added the department will not be taking unwanted pets, only strays, and any dogs that are found with identification tags will be returned to their owner.

“We want to reunite people with their dogs,” Mathis said.

Residents can find photos of recovered dogs on the Daleville Department of Public Safety Facebook page at Facebook.com/pages/Daleville-Department-of-Public-Safety/385220238243228 .

For more information on found dogs, call 598-4442 or stop by the department at 730 S. Daleville Ave.