Madison County voters might be asked to weigh in on no-kill policy for animal control

Madison County voters could see a referendum on their November ballots asking them to support a countywide no-kill animal-control policy if County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler succeeds in his most recent endeavor.

Prenzler and animal welfare groups hope to gather more than 10,000 signatures to place an advisory referendum on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

The referendum would ask voters if they support a no-kill policy, which means the county would save at least 90 percent of the dogs and cats that come through its doors, according to Ledy VanKavage, a lawyer with animal welfare group Best Friends Animal Society.

A news release issued Friday by Prenzler, announcing the referendum effort, did not address whether a no-kill policy would add costs for the county, or whether the county's existing animal-control facility has capacity for holding more animals.

In 2017, the percentage of animals saved in Madison County was 63 percent, according to VanKavage. By comparison, St. Clair County achieved a save rate of 72 percent in 2017, according to VanKavage.

The results of the referendum would be symbolic and not legally binding, but Prenzler said it would "show we have overwhelming support from the public" if the referendum passed.

Prenzler is a self-proclaimed animal lover, a fact he demonstrated through an August 2017 press release informing the public he had found a lost dog and helped return it to its owners.

The Madison County Board passed a resolution in 2017 to become a no-kill county by 2021.

Prenzler and the animal welfare group Best Friends Animal Society will hold an event to garner signatures from 5-7 p.m. June 5 at Alfonzo’s Pizzeria in Troy.

This story was originally published June 2, 2018 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Madison County voters might be asked to weigh in on no-kill policy for animal control."