County Practice Of Burying Dead Animals In Question

In the past, Upshur County has responded to calls to bury dead livestock on private property free of charge. That practice might be illegal, and is certainly in question.

GILMER, TX Jan. 15, 2009 -- At today's Commissioner's Court meeting, Commissioner Lloyd Crabtree (Pct. 3), called into question whether the county should be providing the service, and if the owners of the animals should be paying for it.

Acknowledging that were some instances that diseased animals might pose a health problem and need to be buried, he said that county workers were sometimes called upon on overtime to bury the animals.

County Road Administrator Bubba Pendarvis confirmed that he received calls to bury animals at all hours and on weekends, saying some residents were even setting up appointments to correspond to veterinarian visits to put the animals down.

Commissioner Joe Ferguson, (Pct. 2), stated he had looked into legal statutes regarding the issue in the past, and thought it might be illegal for the county to continue the practice.

County Judge Dean Fowler said he would look into the statutes involved, and instructed Pendarvis to limit the practice to normal working hours in the mean time.

In other court business, the Commissioners accepted high bids on all properties foreclosed on for tax delinquencies, and agreed to bring any issues involving roadwork they couldn't resolve with Pendarvis to the court as an agenda item.

The Commissioners assured Fowler that they had been able, thus far, to work with Pendarvis on roadwork needed in their precincts.