Arkansas mayor reverses animal control shift decided by council after pig shot

PINE BLUFF -- Pine Bluff's mayor has overturned the City Council's decision to remove the city's animal control division from the Police Department.

Mayor Debe Hollingsworth said in a statement Thursday that Pine Bluff is best served by allowing the city's Police Department to oversee animal control services. The veto is effective immediately.

"Police officers and animal control officers are trained to detect other possible violations such as domestic abuse from treatment of animals," Hollingsworth said. "I am confident in their ability to meet and exceed the standard."

The city council voted 5-3 Monday to remove the animal control division from the police department.

The vote stemmed from an incident last month when Sgt. Brad Vilches, director of the animal control division, responded to a call of feral hogs being seen in the Jefferson Industrial Park area. Vilches found a pig -- which had no identification tag on its ear -- in a residential area and shot it, Police Chief Jeff Hubanks said.

Voting for the measure were Aldermen Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Thelma Walker, Glen Brown, Steven Mays and George Stepps. Aldermen who voted against the measure were Glen Brown Jr., Bill Brumett and Charles Boyd.

Brumett said Thursday that he agreed with the mayor's decision to veto the measure.

"With the chief and the command staff we have in the Police Department, I'm very comfortable with them continuing to be over animal control," said Brumett, who has served on the council for 17 years and its its senior member. "Every mayor that I've served under used their veto power."

Brumett said it would take a two-thirds vote by the council to overturn the mayor's veto, meaning six members would have to vote to overturn the decision.

Hollingsworth noted during the council meeting Monday night that feral pigs often carry rabies and parasites that make them dangerous to handle. She said state law does not allow for feral pigs to be transported alive, and any pig without an ear tag is supposed to be killed and disposed of according to state law. Hollingsworth cited related facts from the Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission.

Walker said Thursday that she wasn't surprised Hollingsworth overturned the council's decision.

"I expected it. I know where she stands," Walker said. "I feel it was a wise decision when we passed the legislation, and I still stand by that."

Animal control was its own department until June 2013, when a city ordinance placed it under the direction of the police chief. Two police officers work in the animal control division.

State Desk on 06/24/2016

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