Picture this; you are sitting out enjoying the scenery in front of Tiger Village 400 when here comes stray dog, Bertha, out of nowhere! If you are a Grambling student this imagery is not hard to believe. Bizarre twist is, when approached by the hound one resident did not scatter in fear, but rather opened the gate for Bertha to enter the building.like a gentlemen?!
Confused, my next thought was guessing how many ladies on campus had the resident open a door for them during a typical school day, versus a stray.
Natural instinct is to get out of the way of possible diseased mutts like Bertha and her crew, but the strays have become so common to dorms, academic buildings, and the Express that it leaves many to wonder if we should be issuing the pack Fee Sheets and Tiger Bucks!
California psychology major, Jaymee Salone, 21, said, “The dogs cross the crosswalk better than some of our students.”
Sadly, she is not the only one that has a story about all the stray pets roaming the campus.
Rah-Kimm Cherry, 18, a nursing major from Chicago said, “It is very sad to see so many poorly cared for dogs on campus. It is unfortunate that Grambling State University has not executed a way to get them off campus.”
Political science & pre law/psychology major, Autumnn Hamilton, 20, feels, “The Grambling dogs are a problem. We need a dog catcher because our campus is starting to look like a dog pound instead of a college campus.”
With all the complaints from students and staff on campus it was now time to talk to authorities that could answer questions, and more importantly deliver an answer to the question on everyone’s mind, “Who’s gonna remove the dogs?”
Mayor Edward Jones said the city of Grambling operates under the State Ordinance on Animals.
“The reasons for an influx of animals is that strays are originally from our community, people from outside areas bring pets to campus and let them loose, and because of wooded areas being cut down on I-20, animals (wild animals as well) are moving to city areas. Grambling has a hired dog catcher that is paid $25 for each dog, but the issue comes in at housing the animals. We have to find a place to take them after we capture them,” said Mayor Jones.
4Paws Rescue is a non-profit organization in Ruston dedicated to “the well being of stray, abandoned, and neglected dogs in Lincoln Parish,” according to their website 4pawsrescueinc.com.
When contacted, representatives said they are willing to take in abandoned dogs, but are not able to right now because they are full.
Jones said, “I have received multiple complaints about the dogs around campus, and I am working with a person in Shreveport on an agreement to house the strays after they have been captured.” The plans are in beginning stages however, and it is not certain when action will be implemented. “We can’t harm the dogs, and they have to be nursed and fed after they are captured. I would like to have a clean sweep and coordinate with the university to have an agreement to take the dogs away.”
Only time will tell if the strays will be removed from campus or be made permanent residents. Hopefully, the strays can be removed before anymore procreation starts. Until then, Bertha and her crew can be seen chilling on the yard, rummaging through your late night trash, or catching a tan in front of Charles P. Adams.