The cat shelter near Howard Jeffers Drive will remain vacant as New Martinsville City Council voted Oct. 5 to do away with the position of animal control officer for the city.

BY AMY WITSCHEY, Editor

“As of this evening this city will officially be out of the animal control business,” declared New Martinsville Councilman Joel Potts III during the city’s regular council meeting Oct. 5.

Potts, chairman of the animal control committee, told the council that the man council had agreed to hire on Sept. 14 as the city’s new animal control officer, Charles “Chuck” Frohnapfel, has decided to accept a different job. Therefore his committee recommended the city just get out of the animal control business altogether. The recommendation was passed unanimously.

Potts said the city had not received as many complaints about animals as they had when there was an animal control officer. “It has been almost four months and we haven’t had hardly any calls,” he said.

“The county has been taking care of things in the interim,” noted Potts. They will now continue to be the ones to call when a problem occurs. If someone has a complaint they can call the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at 304-455-2430.

By state ordinance the county must provide animal control services for dogs, but not cats. Those felines were the animals mostly often addressed by the city animal control officer, utilizing a holding building just off Howard Jeffers Drive. After the stated holding period they were euthanized by the county for a fee.