Mayors in western Jamaica to discuss setting up animal pound in St James

WESTERN BUREAU:

An animal pound based in St James could provide a welcome relief to Savanna-la-Mar mayor, Danree Delancy, in removing stray animals from the streets of Westmoreland and western Jamaica.

Delancy said, following a brief discussion with Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, a collaborative approach is being examined for a partnership to establish a municipal pound to serve the region.

“I had a dialogue with the mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, and he is thinking of having a partnership with the MCs (Municipal Corporations) in western Jamaica,” Delancy told councillors at Thursday’s general meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC).

Delancy has been faced with mounting pressure from residents of the parish to remove stray animals from the streets, because there has been loss of lives and property stemming from accidents with the animals. The Savanna-la-Mar mayor says a meeting with all concerned mayors is now being planned and will likely be facilitated by the St James Municipal Corporation.

“Most likely, St James will have that facility and the rest of us, as partners in this venture, will work out our role and responsibilities as we go along,” Delancy stated.

He argued that, in seeking to re-establish an animal pound, the WMC examined forging partnerships with other neighbouring municipal corporations, but, when checks were made on the status of facilities in St James, Hanover and as far as St Elizabeth, not one of these corporations have a functioning animal pound, and their challenges are all the same in respect to staffing and maintenance issues.

He informed that, many years ago, the WMC was forced to close down operations at a pound it operated in partnership with the then West Indies Sugar Company, now Pan Caribbean, in Frome.

“For a number of reasons, it had to be closed, one being the reluctance of persons to operate as catchers, and drivers of the truck, to impound these animals,” explained Delancy.

“People were being threatened and, after a while, the municipality had no catchers, and no animals were being impounded, and it was costing the corporation a tidy sum to keep operating an empty pound,” the Savanna-la-Mar mayor continued.

Several persons have lost their lives and properties in motorcycle accidents caused mainly by cows.

In April, 46 year-old Donathan Dillon, of Shrewsbury, Westmoreland, lost his life after colliding with a cow about 9:30 p.m. while driving his Yamaha motorcycle along the road and the cow walked into the path of the bike in April.

Dillon was flung from his motorcycle and received multiple injuries. He was assisted to the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Last year, Police Constable Tajay Ebanks, of the traffic department in the Westmoreland Police Division, died from injuries sustained after his motorcycle reportedly collided with a cow in Little London, Westmoreland.

Ebanks was driving his motorcycle along the New Hope main road in Little London when it is alleged that a cow walked into his path, resulting in the collision.

At the time, he was the first of two people killed within a week in a crash involving a cow.

Delancy expressed condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the Westmoreland MC.

“I just want to pause and sincerely express condolences, on behalf of the WMC, to the families that have lost loved ones in recent times as a result of animals and vehicular collision on the road in our parish,” a sorrowful mayor said.