Currently, when a cow gets loose or a county resident has a dog problem, the sheriff&8217;s office is called into action. Brown said two deputies were bitten last week after responding to calls regarding loose dogs. More than a month ago, supervisors first considered a proposed animal ordinance. The proposal tackled a number of problems facing the county, from how to handle free roaming animals to dealing with vicious dogs. Few people thought the ordinance as originally proposed was a perfect document; it was a start. However, as the sheriff pointed out this week, another month has gone by and no action seems to have taken place.

Continuing to do nothing is an option. But if someone gets hurt by a loose animal and sues the county, the lack of action &8212; after the problem has been made public &8212; might come back to bite the supervisors. The supervisors need to stop scratching and start acting.