A puppy stands in his pen at the Cleveland Animal Control Division’s shelter in this file photo.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland leaders have postponed talking about the possible closure of the city’s animal shelter until they can meet with their Bradley County counterparts.
On Tuesday, Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland said he is waiting on county leaders’ response to a May 20 letter he sent requesting a joint discussion of “mutual issues to benefit all our residents.”
Sheltering of animals and a flood study were mentioned as “urgent things” in his letter.
At a May 12 meeting, City Councilman Richard Banks recommended that Cleveland shut down operations at its municipal shelter and instead have city animal control officers deliver animal pickups to the private shelter that has contracted services with Bradley County.
“It would make more sense for those officers to bring the animals … to the new county facility,” Banks said.