Subject: Establish a Public Animal Shelter, Fund Animal Control, and Protect Public Safety

TO: President Quanika Muse and Members of the St. Helena Parish Police Jury

We, the undersigned residents, taxpayers, voters, and animal welfare supporters of St. Helena Parish, respectfully submit this petition to demand immediate, long-overdue action: creating and funding a dedicated public animal sheltering facility and a professional animal control department.

St. Helena Parish lacks an animal control department, an operational shelter, and trained humane enforcement officers. For years, this total absence of infrastructure has created a crisis for our community, leaving residents, law enforcement, and vulnerable animals entirely unprotected.

Without a shelter or animal control services, our parish faces multiple issues regularly.
Here are the issues:

There is no safety net for stray and abandoned animals: Unwanted and neglected pets are routinely dumped on rural roads, highways, and gas stations with nowhere to go, leading to starvation, suffering, and rampant pet overpopulation.

The lack of sheltering services hampers law enforcement: When deputies and local police encounter criminally abused animals, dangerous or aggressive dogs, or bite cases requiring mandatory quarantines, they have no facility to legally impound or house them safely.

An Environment Lacking Accountability: The recent, deeply disturbing public incident involving a parish employee shooting a horse highlights the dangerous culture that festers when a local government operates without professional oversight, clear animal handling protocols, or institutional standards.

The Solution is Right in Front of Us — State Support is Ready:

State Representative Robby Carter has explicitly stepped forward, publicly committing to secure state funding during the 2027 legislative session to build a shelter for St. Helena Parish. The only condition is that the Police Jury must step up and commit to funding its ongoing operations. Surrounding parishes have successfully built and expanded shelters with state assistance; St. Helena can and must do the same.

THEREFORE, WE URGE THE ST. HELENA PARISH POLICE JURY TO:

Pass a Resolution: Formally draft and pass a resolution committing parish operational funding for a future animal shelter so State Representative Robby Carter can secure the state capital outlay funds needed to build it.
Establish Professional Animal Control Protocols: Create official, enforceable procedures for handling animal neglect, cruelty complaints, and dangerous animal calls in direct coordination with the St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office.
Form a Joint Study Committee: Partner with community stakeholders and animal advocacy organizations—such as the Humane Society of Louisiana—to expedite site planning, operational budgeting, and resource allocation.
The time to act on this issue is now. State leadership is offering a clear path forward to build the facility, and our residents, our law enforcement officers, and our community deserve a professional, humane system that protects public safety and upholds basic standards of decency.