In recent weeks I have been plagued with unwanted animals. Two times now I have called animal control, and two times now I have been told they either cannot help me or no one is on duty to help me.

The first time was when a stray dog got into my fenced-in back yard.

A trap was set, then removed a day later empty with the dog still in my fenced in back yard.

The dog then got into my home and I called and was told that they could not enter my home to remove the stray.

Now tonight, I have a opossum hanging around my front porch inside the city limits in a neighborhood with children.

These animals carry disease and when I called the police department, I was told that animal control was off and the police did not handle calls of this nature.

Dispatch did not know what to tell me.

Something has to be done about animal control in this town! Both times when I called for assistance, I was left on my own to handle both situations.

I am a private citizen who does not own the equipment nor the know how to handle stray semi-wild and wild animals.

If animal control or the police cannot assist private citizens, who can or will?

Rose Temple

Natchez resident