Three Mathews residents, speaking during Tuesday’s board of supervisors’ meeting, took issue with the way in which the county is handling its animal control operations.

Mesa Allsbrook of Hallieford, Richard Browder of Port Haywood, and Lyn Layer of North, all questioned Mathews County Sheriff Mark Barrick’s decision to remove animal control operations from his office while retaining control over dispatching the animal control officer, who is no longer under the sheriff’s supervision.

Browder said he was dismayed and disappointed at Mathews County Administrator Mindy Moran’s statement that the county would only handle issues with dogs, as the state requires. He said that, contrary to previous remarks made by Moran, there is no difference between animal control and animal welfare, since the state statute dealing with animal control is titled "Comprehensive Animal Care."

"Ms. Moran’s depiction that we will have a skimpy, bare-bones, 1950s dog-ca...