Full email:

Dear fellow animal lover,
I am sure you have read or heard of the recent loss of Jane Gavin’s wonderful 17 year old dog, Rhue who escaped from her fenced and gated property, was picked up by Fannin County Animal control well and uninjured, wearing a collar and micro-chipped, and euthanized the same day, by Jeff Ferguson. According to records, no one contacted Jane and there was kennel space available at the time. Animal Control is required to locate owners and wait 3 days before euthanizing any animal that is identified and well.

By the time Jane found Rhue, it was too late. We believe that Jeff Ferguson broke the law in this matter and that he is unfit to serve as an animal control employee in any capacity. Please help circulate the attached petition and support the request that he be removed from the county payroll by attending the Fannin County commission meeting Tuesday, May 8th at 6:00 pm in the 3rd floor courtroom. Bring friends and signed petition copies.

If you are unable to attend (or open the attachment) please contact me by email (jdwright1@tds.net). I can fax or drop off petition forms, pick up signed petitions, and try to answer any questions you may have about this matter. None of our pets are safe while this man still has his job.

Thanks for your support,
Denise Wright

please let us know what happens in court today. hopefully some justice will be served on the man. of course it won’t bring rhue back. but, it’s nice to see a county stand together and fight for what is right. think of what people could accomplished if more people stood together on other issues.

Sorry for the delay: I threw my back out that day for the first time ever and missed the meeting. I sent an email to Denise but haven’t heard back yet. I’ll ask around when I get caught-up.

I attended the meeting and made a comment. I know why I don’t get involved in political issues. With valid proof of what happened. The commissioners went out for a while, came back in and said “nothing could be resolved at this time”, What is that all about ????? I don’t understand. I think everyone should stay behind miss Jane. If they are not able to handle a small issue, what will they do if there was a major one. Is it incompetency? This is not going away!!!!! We will be back next meeting.
I moved to this county because I thought people in this area were honest. Not… They just pass the buck and it is just who knows who…..
I wonder what the results would be if this had been one of the commissioners pets………..

I agree with Donna. It always comes down to who knows who. Even more so on building and septic permits. So much for protecting the river and not building in flood plains.

Here’s most of Denise’s email regarding the meeting; she was out of town:

The report that Brian Finnicum wrote in the News Observer was accurate, everyone was disappointed but not surprised that the county did not take action to fire Jeff Ferguson. It is my opinion that we need to keep adding to the petition and contact every commissioner individually to ask that he be removed. When I get a few minutes and caught up from my trip I will send out another request with information about taking the next step to keep pressure on the issue. The interesting part was the proposal that Commissioner Steve introduced that acknowledged the need for change at Animal Control. That certainly needs to be accepted. Thanks for helping publicize these issues…

There are links to download the petition at the top of this page.

Why doesn’t Jane sue Jeff Ferguson in court? Surely there is a local attorney that would take this on…

Email from Denise regarding today’s meetings:

Hello,
Apparently when I sent email out last week regarding Jane Gavin’s meeting I neglected to state the time.

The meeting is at 1:00pm at L & L Beanery on West Main Street. We will be discussing the effort to remove Jeff Fergusen from Animal Control and the proposal to reform Animal Control.

There is another meeting scheduled for Second Chance and the United Community Bank room this evening at 7:00.

Please make an effort to attend, these are extremely important issues for all of us. We must present a united front to the Fannin County Commission or we will not be able to accomplish our goals. Thanks for your support.
Denise Wright

Hello, its Monday and tomorrow night there will be yet another meeting of our county comissioners. Jane Gavin is on the agenda to speak, and will be addressing again the tradgedy of Rhue’s death and the need to remove Jeff Fergusen from Animal Control.
Please attend the comissioner’s meeting and bring as many witnesses as you can. We need to pack the courtroom, the commissioners have taken no action on this matter to date, which is unexplainable. It has been over 3 months since Rhue was killed, we know that she was identified with a collar and microchip and destroyed within an hour of her arrival at animal control. Our Fannin County Animal Control ordinanance clearly states that “At the expiration of said three days, if no owner has appeared to claim said (impounded) animal, said animal shall be deemed unowned and may be disposed of as provided…”
It is clear that Jeff Fergusen broke the law, I am asking myself why he is still at Animal Control. Are all Fannin County employees exempt from obeying the law ? This is a frightening situation - we must continue to pressure our elected officials to have this man removed.
The meeting is at 6:00 pm Tuesday in the third floor courtroom of the Fannin County Courthouse. Bring your friends and neighbors and observe your county govenment at work. Call me if you have any questions, need a copy of the petition or animal control ordinance. The next meeting of Friends of Rhue will be August 1, 2007 at 1:00pm at Sweet Treats in Blue Ridge.
Thanks for your support. Denise Wright

Well Friends, here we are again, revisiting the same issues of inaction and avoidance of resposibility by our Fannin County Commissioners.
Those who attended the meeting Tuesday are aware that Jane Gavin was not allowed to speak at the meeting even though she had been placed on the agenda. Many of of believe that the commissioners removed her from the printed and presented agenda and did not want her to be heard by such a large crowd. This is outrageous, inexcusable and intolerable behavior from our elected officials !
Please take the time to write to them to express your concern and displeasure, and send this information to all your friends and neighbors to do likewise. I think our commissioners have forgotten that they work for us, not the other way around. Your taxes pay their salaries and your votes put them in office. We citizens have already been denied the right to public comment at these meetings, if we allow them to deny Jane the right to speak, we allow our commissioners to shut us all up. It is imperative that we retain the right to be heard and high time that the majority ruled in Fannin County.
Thanks for your support, please contact me if you need more information about Friends of Rhue. Denise Wright

Howie Bruce (hey, Howie, why are you protecting Jeff Fergusen ? get him out of Animal Control now !)
108 Mountain Hideaway Trail
Blue Ridge, GA 30513

Steve Morris (thanks for at least acknowleging that there is a problem at Animal Control and recommending some action )
288 South Road
Morganton, GA 30560

Tommy Ledford ( anybody in there ?)
30 Chambers Mountain
Mineral Bluff, GA 30559

PS Do I need to remind you that two of these men were elected because the majority wanted a change in county government ? If calling is more your style, here are their phone numbers:

Howie Bruce 706-632-6862
Steve Morris 706-374-2645
Tommy Ledfor 706-492-4103

Denise Wright…or Kip please call Barb Rowland in Atlanta 404-314-9092 or email at barb@barbrowland.com thanks