Fur flies as the City of Atlanta lashes out at Fulton County for backing out of an agreed-upon deal to provide animal services, following political bickering over a separate issue. The city was blindsided yesterday when county leaders went back on their word, a move that stemmed from Mayor Dickens' remarks about the grim death toll of inmates at the Fulton County Jail – now at twelve.
City officials cried foul over the county's decision, branding it a "political maneuvering" that could put residents, both human and animal, in harm's way, according to a statement from the City of Atlanta's website. The county's withdrawal comes even after the city earmarked a hefty $40 million for a new animal shelter while also turning a deaf ear, to the sheriff human rights groups and clergy that have been demanding action on the jail's ongoing humanitarian woes.
Adding more strain to the fraying relations, Atlanta has called out Fulton County for an outstanding $5.7 million in unpaid water bills; meanwhile, the city assures it won't cut off water services, which could harm citizens – or inmates at the overburdened county jail. A sentiment of professionalism and mutual concern for residents and animals alike was echoed by the city as it stressed in its statement the importance of working together to resolve the current stalemate.
In the face of the county's retreat, Atlanta is scrambling to arrange emergency animal control services, with city dwellers urged to dial 311 for help with animal issues "until this matter is resolved" as per the City of Atlanta's news release. The hinterland of local governance, now is becoming a battleground where animals and citizens alike stand to lose should these agencies fail to reconcile their differences quickly and restore services that bind a community to its pet-owning populace.
