SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Back in late 2021, when an animal pound came into being at Myersville, southern St Elizabeth, hopes were high that the long-standing problem of stray cattle and other animals endangering motorists and damaging farms would finally be brought under control.

Two years later it’s back to square one, with the animal pound closed for “many months” and the contract to round up and impound strays terminated by the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.

Chairman of the corporation and mayor of Black River Derrick Sangster told journalists, following the corporation’s last monthly meeting, that a letter had been sent to the operator of the animal pound, Rupert Mitchell, serving notice of the arrangement’s closure.

“Truth be told, the contractor has not been performing satisfactorily for one reason or another. He has had some severe challenges,” Sangster, who is the councillor for the Mountainside Division (Jamaica Labour Party), told curious journalists.

“The council has written to him [Mitchell] … indicating we have now reached a point where we believe we have to terminate the arrangement with the pound because it’s not working and we have to seek a new contractor to make a new arrangement,” Sangster said.

Recent deaths and injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions with cows in neighbouring Westmoreland, and damage to farms by stray cattle have underlined the perceived necessity for an animal pound in St Elizabeth.

At the September meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, chief of police in the parish, Deputy Superintendent Coleridge Minto voiced serious concerns about the dangers posed by stray animals.

Sangster declined to give journalists specific reasons for the contract termination with Mitchell. When pressed he said, “… I don’t think it would be appropriate to say what the challenges are… He [Mitchell] has some personal problems.”

When contacted by telephone Mitchell made it very clear he had no intention of contesting the contract termination. He also confirmed word from residents of Myersville — located several miles north-east of Santa Cruz — that the animal pound actually ended operations “many months” ago.

Like locals, Mitchell, who operates the St Thomas-based Mitchell’s Security, was unable to recall exactly when he called a halt to impounding strays in St Elizabeth.

However, he tracked the genesis of his decision to a meeting with the municipal corporation which may have been held as far back as late last year.

According to Mitchell, he became very disturbed when councillor for the Myersville Division Layton Smith (People’s National Party) told the meeting of a report he had received from Myersville residents that at about “2:00 am one morning” men were seen guiding cows on foot through their community.

The cattle handlers were said to have told questioning residents that they had bought the cows at the animal pound.

Mitchell told the Jamaica Observer that what had really happened was that one night armed men invaded the animal pound and stole cows from his employees at gun point. He said the matter was reported to the police.

Mitchell said that though he sensed hostility at the local level he had planned to resume operations after a pause, following the robbery. However, he was persuaded to shut down completely when a friendly Myersville resident called to say that for his own safety he should stay away.

Smith assured the Observer by telephone that his report to the council about cows allegedly sold by the animal pound in the “dead of night” was not intended as a personal attack on Mitchell. He was merely doing his duty as a political representative, he said.

Smith also told the Observer of allegations by farmers that their impounded animals had “disappeared” long before the stipulated time for auctioning. He, too, claimed that matter was reported to the police.

The Observer was told in late 2021 that impounded livestock could be recovered by owners on the payment of relevant fees.

After six days, animals still at the pound and presumed abandoned would be auctioned, it was said back then.

Efforts since last week to get a response from the St Elizabeth police about any reports made to them in relation to the animal pound failed.

The facility at Myersville is located on five acres of pasture land leased from dormant bauxite/alumina producers, JISCO/Alpart.

Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North Western JC Hutchinson (JLP) was among those welcoming the animal pound two years ago. He told this newspaper back then that it was largely the result of intense lobbying by a benevolent society representing small farmers occupying much of the 2,400-acre Holland Estate. Farmers, it was reported, were having a challenging time with marauding cattle eating and trampling their crops.

Hutchinson had also repeatedly called for an animal pound to protect farmers.

Located in Hutchinson’s constituency and adjacent to the world-famous Holland Bamboo, Holland Estate was dedicated to sugar cane production for hundreds of years before being vacated by rum company J Wray & Nephew Ltd in 2019.

Destruction of sugar cane by stray cattle was among the reasons given by J Wray & Nephew when it pulled out of sugar cane production at Holland.

Holland apart, stray cattle are a continuing source of danger to motorists on roadways throughout St Elizabeth’s south-western communities extending to the border with Westmoreland.

“The animals are wreaking havoc … a pound is very necessary,” Hutchinson told the Observer last week.

However, Frank Witter, Member of Parliament (JLP) for St Elizabeth South Eastern, which includes Myersville, pointed to the inherent difficulties in running an animal pound, including the skill set required to capture stray animals, and security for personnel who may find reason to fear violence from cattle owners.

“To catch the cow is very difficult, and then there is the fear factor in today’s Jamaica,” said Witter.