Councilman locates property for Humane Society

By Janet DelTufo, Assistant Editor

Councilman John Cook has located an acre of town-owned property he believes would be well suited for the Wickenburg Humane Society.

Cook will ask his fellow council members to approve a long-term lease on the property when the council meets at Town Hall Monday (July 17) at 5:30 p.m.

The property is located beyond Simpson's Ranch, near the wastewater treatment facility. Cook said there is more than 200 acres of town-owned property in that area, and that the town could afford to lease one acre to the Society.

Locating a suitable piece of property for the Humane Society has been in the works since the end of 2005, and Cook said it is time to settle the issue.

“They've been kicked out of their building, and they need a place for their animals,” Cook said.

The property he has selected has vehicle access as well as access to water and electricity. There is an RV park nearby and some scattered homes on the hilly terrain behind the property.

Once the Humane Society finds a place to build its own shelter, it can install sound-proofing to the facility if necessary.

For the past several months, the operations of the Humane Society have been limited because it has not had a facility. Its former (temporary) facility was located at the Rancho del Rio. That property, however, was condemned by the Arizona Department of Transportation to make way for the upcoming Wickenburg Interim Bypass.

The Society is running a series of free spay/neuter clinics, but it has not been able to rescue any stray animals since February.

Cook said there is a lot of community support for the Humane Society and that the organization has done a great deal in helping to alleviate the problem of stray animals.

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