December 27, 2011 

 

ANIMAL CONTROL OUT OF CONTROL?

  

If you have heard of the Linda Bell case that animal control started in August then you know how there has been no justice for this woman.  Animal control with the help of our county manager and deputies went to Ms. Bell’s home and strong-armed her into giving up ALL her pets and her farm animals.  They did all this without any warrant or any previous warning.

  

It appears Ms. Bell was strong-armed into letting the Animal Control Officer, Kelley Bowen, into her home where her registered pug dogs as well as other dogs and cats, horses, chickens and a pig were taken.  She had no warning to correct whatever it was she was doing wrong.  Ms. Bell still doesn’t know this as she has yet to be charged with anything.

  

No one knows what has happened to her animals and the county attorney and county manager have tried to keep records and information under wraps since August.  Nothing this county did to this woman was by the law, and she does not have resources to get a lawyer to defend herself.

  

If you have read the letter to the editor in this past week’s paper by Gay Morrison it touches on what has happened or you can read the letter Ms. Bell put in the paper here.  Jasper County, represented by Kelley Bowen and Greg Wood, took every animal away from Ms. Bell without ever filing any charges against her. She finally got 4 of her pugs back, but the rest are gone.

  

Gay Morrison has opened an account at Monticello Bank in the name of  "Linda Bell Hoarding Case" to help her get a lawyer.  If you can help, and there is no donation too small, you can take it to the bank and all the money raised is going to help her get a lawyer.  She can not afford to hire one on her own and everyone she has called has not offered to take her case pro-bono.  If you can help it will be greatly appreciated.

  

The Jasper County animal control officer, Kelley Bowen, has been allowed to take the county truck home every day.  She lives 30 or more miles away from Jasper County.  The reason for this is to respond to calls, but we have found out that on December 17^th a dog was hit on Wild Rd. at Hwy 11.  There were at least 2 calls to 911 and only a deputy responded.  The ACO officer refused to respond and a week later the now dead dog was still lying off the side of the road where the deputy left it.  

Kelley Bowen makes $17.00 an hour to ride around in the county truck and talk on the county cell phone.  How much is this costing the taxpayers to provide gas and maintenance on this truck as our ACO drives it back and forth to home and back every day?  Not to mention $17 an hour which is twice as much as our EMT’s are making an hour.

Mission Statement:
** To keep the taxpayers of Jasper County, Georgia informed as to where and how their tax dollars are being spent.
** To keep the taxpayers abreast of local policies and laws being discussed and enacted.
** We advocate more open government, less government spending, and lower property taxes.