HELENA-WEST HELENA, AR - Mayor James Valley says strays in his town are better off fending for themselves then they are at the local animal shelter.  So on Wednesday June 11th, he released nearly a dozen dogs just yards away from a National Forest and from dozens of homes.

A spokesperson for the St. Francis National Forest tells us dumping personal property or pets here is against the law - it's against federal regulations - so the Mayor of Helena-West Helena chose to dump nearly a dozen dogs on a road across the street.

Mayor James Valley says he had no other choice.  "It's gotten hot.  The animals are housed outside and it has gotten rough to deal with all the things animals need."  For the past 5 months the animal shelter has been located inside of the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation lot.  According to Valley, "it's kind of like putting a coke machine in the middle of a desk and expecting me to work - really ain't no way."  So the city decided to dump the dogs just yards away from the St. Francis National Forest.  And just yards away from Shirley Blair and her grandson.  Once the local animal shelter shut down, the city took the dogs in.  Now Mayor Valley says they've got to go.  "We're in a position where we can't maintain or sustain good animal care at our sanitation shop.  I don't see a problem with these dogs released, they're in no greater harm now, than when we picked them up."

Blair and dozens of residents living near the forest disagree.  "I think it's ridiculous.  We're not pleased with the decision to turn them loose out here."  Shirley Blair says just one day after the dogs were released, six of them showed up in her yard growling.  "We headed to the mailbox and he (grandson, Parker) ran towards the house crying.  One of them looked ill on the driveway, bleeding, bacteria, we don't need that here."

But the Mayor says he hasn't done anything wrong.  When asked about who's responsible if one of the dogs bites a child, the mayor responded, "It's going to be the parent's responsibility to immediately get that child treated....The city owns no dogs, so we won't be liable."

A spokesperson for St. Francis National Forest says it is conducting its own investigation to see if any federal laws were broken.  It is illegal to dispose of personal property or pets at a national forest.  Mayor Valley insists he had the dogs released in a rural area not too far away, so he says he broke no laws.

People living in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas are upset - they say their community has gone to the dogs - and the mayor is to blame!

Update 6/13/08: The mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas says the city will suspend dog catching operations - after he allowed 10 stray dogs to be released near the St. Francis National Forest.

A spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service says the Forest Service Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation. It is illegal to dump personal property or pets into a national forest, although Mayor Valley says the dogs were released yards away from the forest. Investigators say they do not condone the unauthorized release of any animals into the forest and that the public welfare and the dogs' safety are their primary concern.

Mayor Valley now says the city is working with a group of concerned citizens to try to get a proper animal facility to house strays.

Anyone interested in helping out can contact the Humane Society of the Delta at (870) 589-3396.

What do you think? It's your turn to Speak Up! Memphis.