Dear Ace: Something seemed a bit off in your recent column about roadkill.—Bambi Goboome
Bambi: What’s that smell, you say? Dead varmint on the asphalt? No, it’s the stench of Ace’s not-exactly-clear previous column. Ace had a miscommunication with an official at Animal Control. Nevertheless, Ace is a gentleman and does not like to place blame nor draw attention to foul odor.
In his article on November 20, Ace set out to answer a reader’s question about where to call should one find a dead animal in the road. This is what Ace found out: If one has found a dead animal on the road, Animal Control is responsible. However, Ace has since found out that one should not call Animal Control but instead call Public Works (970-3830), which clears away all roadkill in the city. If the dead animal is in the county—and is on public property and is posing a hazard—the Virginia Department of Transportation should be contacted (293-0011).
Ace also told readers that if a sick or injured animal is found, it is taken to the SPCA to be euthanized. Not true (smell that smell?). According to Charlottesville’s director of communications, Ric Barrick, what happens to the sick or injured animal depends on its species and the extent of its injuries. He says that many animals that have been picked up and treated at the SPCA go on to live great lives. Ric also told Ace that, though yours truly said that wildlife cannot be picked up at all, wildlife can actually go to the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro (540-942-9453).
So, to sum up:
• Animal Control picks up sick or injured animals, evaluates their situation and decides what to do from there.
• Public Works picks up dead animals in the city.
• VDOT picks up dead animals in the county on public property that are posing a hazard.
• Waynesboro will deal with stray wildlife.
• Ace makes mistakes.
