Natchez animal control has no teeth.

Sure, the city has an animal control officer working to enforce leash laws and checking on reports of stray dogs, but due to overcrowding at the Natchez-Adams County Humane society shelter, the city has nowhere to take stray dogs after they are picked up.

Except, that is, for a pen on city property that can only accommodate two dogs, and those two dogs have to be of the same gender to avoid propagating the stray dog problem.

Cities have animal control laws for many reasons, not the least of which are for public health concerns.

Stray dogs can roam in packs, carrying fleas and ticks.

Such packs can gang up on people, other animals and pets.

Stray dogs can carry diseases, and they can get in to garbage, among other nuisances.

While it is commendable that Natchez-Adams County Humane Society shelter is a no-kill shelter, which means the shelter does not kill animals for overcrowding reasons, it also is a bit of a hindrance to one of the benefits of the shelter — to keep stray animals off the streets — when it is filled to capacity as it is now.

The city must come up with a solution to the problem of stray animals soon because the problem will only get worse.

In the meantime, here are a few ways citizens can help.

* Have your pets spayed and neutered.

* If you are able, volunteer to be a foster home for shelter animals.

* Keep your own pets indoors, on a leash or in a fenced-in yard at all times.

We hope city officials will find a quick satisfactory resolution to the stray dog problem.

As it is now, however, the city’s animal control service is all bark and no bite.