Hanson Not Resigning After-all, Board Seeks Answers on Dog Controversy

By: Nathan Bloechl — [email protected]

Dakota City, Iowa — Despite sending texts saying she was going to resign, Humboldt County Animal Control Officer Merri Hanson insists she wants to remain on board.

Hanson told the board she felt pressured into those statements and said something she didn’t mean.

The issue stems from a controversy that Hanson and the county discussed — and hoped to find a resolution for at the meeting on Monday.

According to Hanson, a dog was stolen from a property in Fort Dodge where it was allegedly getting abused and dropped off at the shelter, unknowingly to Hanson.

Hanson described the dog as a biter and even went as far detailing the dog recently biting a volunteer worker at the shelter.

Hanson told the board that she would not release the animal back to the original owner despite it still being their’s because of the aforementioned mistreatment.

The dog now resides at Dakota City city council member Tim Vought’s home.

Hanson went to the council meeting last week to discuss the animal.

The Dakota City city council voted to lift the pit-bull ban allowing the animal to stay at the Vought residence.

Another dilemma on the matter is that supervisor chair Bruce Reimers had previously signed an application allowing the dog to return to it’s original owner.

The same one Hanson had previously been denying.

County attorney Jon Beatty told the council is not Hanson’s job to be taking ownership of animal’s under the county’s name, which he says happened in this situation.

Hanson said over time, the owner had actually surrendered the dog to her.

The board and Hanson collaborated that she would need to contact Almost Home in Fort Dodge, in hopes of facilitating a transfer back to the original owner.

No other action was taken on the matter on Monday.