NATCHEZ &8212; Local suggestions on a county animal ordinance are as scattered as the roaming stray dogs at the heart of the matter.

The county, unlike the city, does not have an animal ordinance, allowing enforcement of animal laws. It does however have a state law concerning loose livestock, local veterinarian Byron Garrity said.

&8220;Anywhere state funds are used the state law applies,&8221; Garrity said. &8220;The concerns are being able to enforce an ordinance, making a new ordinance weak if not impossible.&8221;

An ordinance aiming to slow the problem of dog attacks in the county may be a while away, but is being constructed by local attorney Patricia Dunmore.

Garrity said he thought a good way of handling the problem is to permanently identify the animals so that there is no confusion about the animal when it is picked up.

&8220;The problem lies in the fact that more dogs will become strays if the people violating the rules become responsible,&8221; Garrity said. &8220;Then people will say it&8217;s just a stray, it just eats with my dog and not claim it.&8221;

Sheriff Ronny Brown still holds strong to the fact that the position should be taken care of outside the department.

&8220;People I have talked to in other towns have even said they didn&8217;t think catching animals was a job for law enforcement,&8221; Brown said. &8220;I think there does need to be one person we can depend on to do that sort of thing,&8221;

Brown said he didn&8217;t think the creation of the job and funding the new employee was a problem.

&8220;We already have county employees on payroll that participate in rodeos on the side,&8221; Brown said. &8220;If we are already paying them why not let them go get them.&8221;

Brown also mentioned the possibility of using local wranglers.

&8220;We used to have a wrangler and he would pick the animals up and wait for the people to come pay him,&8221; Brown said. &8220;Wranglers do have state laws that will back them.&8221;

The growing population including the flow of people from hurricane ravaged areas, really makes an ordinance important, county resident Bob McNeely said.

&8220;If we can do something with these people just raising dogs for the heck of it, then the situation will get better,&8221; McNeely said. &8220;I don&8217;t think you ought to have to put up with someone else&8217;s stuff.&8221;

Fydeaux&8217;s Pet Company owner Jacqueline Stephens said the problem is definitely noticeable.

&8220;I know I have seen too many dogs attacked and killed by other dogs,&8221; Jacqueline Stephens said. &8220;They might be good dogs and just territorial, but come on -&8212; this is 2006.&8221;

Stephens even felt like the non-existence of an ordinance was creating other problems.

&8220;Male dogs roaming can smell a female a mile away,&8221; Stephens said. &8220;All of these puppies and kittens, I mean who wants them. Thirty five percent of the eight million pets put to sleep each year are pure bred.&8221;

The ordinance, when proposed, will affect people in different ways and a fair workable plan is what Brown said he wants to see.

&8220;I don&8217;t know what the perfect answer is here, that&8217;s why we asked for the board&8217;s help,&8221; Brown said. &8220;The bottom line is the problem is not in the city it&8217;s in the county.&8221;