Bob Barker made it easy. Concordia Parish has made it difficult.

The long-time host of “The Price is Right,” always ended his show with this simple line: “Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered.”

It seemed oddly placed at the end of a peppy, morning game show. But Barker was an animal rights activist, and his mission was clear.

He wanted human beings to step up and take responsibility for the population of animals that cannot make decisions on their own.

And, if humans did just that, our local areas would not be swarming with stray dogs and cats.

But people do not, and our area is.

The parish police jury has started taking notice and seeking solutions.

State law says local law enforcement must pick up stray animals they see, and in Vidalia, officers do. The result: Vidalia’s streets are clear of homeless animals.

The town is a perfect model for the parish and Ferriday. When the law is enforced the problem goes away.

Sheriff Randy Maxwell says his office doesn’t have the necessary equipment to handle the animals. He needs funding to get a program in place.

And the jury has agreed to seek grant dollars and state aid to curb the feral problem. That’s a step in the right direction, but even if the outside dollars fall through, the parish must make animal control a priority.

Not only are stray animals unsafe for the humans around them and likely in pain themselves, the animals make our towns look bad. Visitors to Concordia Parish who are greeted by a howling, flea-infested, bone-thin welcoming wagon are not likely to come back.

It’s time local governments — the parish and the municipalities — make Barker’s priority their goal.