–During their meeting last week, the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors decided to remove language that would include livestock in the animal ordinance the board is looking to enact. A handful of area residents voiced concerns about some unintended consequences of leaving livestock in the ordinance, and Supervisor Kyle Stecker agreed.
The ordinance was initially designed as a way for law enforcement to handle complaints about dogs running loose in unincorporated areas of Kossuth County. Sheriff Roger Fisher says they receive close to 300 animal complaints every year; the vast majority are for dogs, and right now they have no real way to resolve these situations.
Fisher is hoping to establish a database of livestock producers in the county as a means to track down owners when the Sheriff’s Office receives reports of cattle that have gotten out. Many of the producers who spoke at the meeting said they would voluntarily provide that information so they can be notified if there is a problem. The board will take up the matter once again when the language including livestock is removed from the ordinance.
