In August, the Board of Aldermen met to discuss what should be done about owners not cleaning up after their dogs in local cemeteries. There is still an on-going debate about how to handle the situation, but the city placed a temporary ban on pets in the cemetery earlier this month. Currently, there are three city-owned cemeteries, two on University Drive and one on Martin Luther King Drive West/ Mississippi highway 182.
Numerous recommendations from the Starkville Cemetery Association prompted the ban.
Bill Green, administrator for the city cemeteries, said he simply wants to see  owners pick up after their dogs.
“I don’t want to fuel the fire anymore. At this point, I am neutral about the ban,” Green said. “Yes, dogs need to walk, but at the same time, they need to be picked up after.”
City policy dictates there must be two public hearings before any adaptations can be made to the current animal control policies. The first public hearing assembled Tuesday.
Jessica Lamas, a Cotton District resident, said something needs to be done.
“The Cotton District is a public community, and the community should not have to worry about the mess of someone else’s dog. Gravesites are very meaningful to family and friends of that person. I don’t see how someone could have that much disrespect,” Lamas said.
The board has yet to hold a discussion on enforcement or punishments regarding the ban.
Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker said the cemeteries should be respected, but a ban is an unrealistic solution that will not promote that goal.
“In the Cemetery Association’s eyes, there should be an outright ban of dogs in the cemetery. They want to ban all dogs except service animals. This is not what I would encourage, but it looks like that is the direction we are headed toward,” Walker said. “The cemetery is a place to be respected and celebrated. We can find a way to accommodate all citizens without an outright ban. In an area that is rapidly urbanizing, it will be very difficult to maintain this ban.”
Walker said the main issue is educating residents to be responsible, and a ban will not fix that.
“The ban will not solve our problems. There are only two animal control personnel. Why put such an undue burden on them? We need to express that it is very important to follow the rules if you are in the cemetery. Wastebaskets and proper signage that display clear rules would be better than just a ban. It would educate them, and that is what we really need,” Walker said.