Polk County Animal Control is getting assistance from the newly formed Animal Control Board, which intends to increase community awareness, facilitate training for officers and assist in grant writing.

Vivienne Bloch is chairperson of the board, which held its first meeting in January. Polk County Commissioners, whom Bloch explained have shown continued support, approved and appointed five individuals to the board. According to Bloch, each of the five members has a love of animals or is active in the animal care field.

As for Bloch, who is originally from Columbus, Ohio but has lived in Cedartown for six years, she stated that she has always been involved in the animal community and has worked in the past to provide funding for animal shelters.

She stated that upon moving to Polk, it took her a while to find out that the county had its own animal control.

“I didn’t know that animal control was here,” she said. “We are trying to change that.”

One idea presented by the board is to possibly have a community open house at the animal control facility, located at 1215 Veal St.

Polk County Animal Control Director Jeff Crawford said that people who lose their cat or dog often don’t think to check with animal control.

“If you are missing an animal please check with us before you get another,” Crawford said.

Maintaining officer training is important to the board as well. Bloch said that more training means a safer environment for the officer, the public and the animals themselves.

With safety in mind, Polk elementary schools will also be seeing more of animal control, as the board is planning on doing seminars to promote animal safety to children since the dog bite rate often increases when school is out for the summer.

“That’s a real fear again this year,” Bloch said.

Bloch said she feels educating students about animal safety is important.

“The warmer it gets the more bite cases we have,” Crawford agreed.

When a bite case does come up, Bloch explained the board will help determine if the animal in question is vicious.

Putting together a strong volunteer program is another priority of the board.

Bloch said that individuals 18 and older are needed to work in the animal control office, clean and play with the animals, exercise them and to clean cages.

A webmaster is also needed to help maintain animal control’s presence on the Internet.

"We want people to be involved," she said.

Polk County Animal Control can be contacted at (770) 749-8908.