Replying to a message of Richard Webb to Bob Ackley:

 BA>> It helps to be living on an acreage (2 acres) out in the
 BA>> country (and surrounded by 158 acres of corn).  Nearest
 BA>> neighbor is 1/4 mile up the road, and a one mile circle
 BA>> centered on my house encompasses a total of eight houses
 BA>> (one of which is mine and two of which are presently
 BA>> vacant - for a measly quarter of a million dollars you can
 BA>> have the one that sits on 10 acres ).  Nearest town
 BA>> (Emerson) is about five miles northeast of me. City
 BA>> governments generally take a dim view of people having
 BA>> more than two dogs. 

 RW> Iirc a few months ago your county was trying to do some kind
 RW> of ordinance regarding that as well.  HOw'd that come out?

The law is on the books, at least until we can get it repealed.  Dog
owners in rural areas must now purchase dog licenses for their dogs
from the "humane society" at $10/year for neutered and $25/year
for intact animals (licenses for dogs in the city of Emerson are $3/year
and $5/year respectively).  Dogs in rural areas must now be confined
and are not allowed to be running loose on the owner's property, any dog
that has been picked up by the "animal control officer" (who is an
employee of the "humane society") is deemed to be a vicious animal
whether or not it's ever bitten anyone.

The representative of the "humane society" in adjacent Montgomery
County has been observed luring unconfined animals from the owner's
property into the public road right of way and then impounding them
as 'running loose.'

 BA>> I've about hit my limit, I don't think I can afford to feed
 BA>> more than I have now. It's costing me just about $30/week
 BA>> for dog food (up from $23 last January) -  and nearly
 BA>> $400/year for vaccinations.  The new arrival is going to
 BA>> have to be spayed (with shots and microchip implant (all
 BA>> of my dogs have the microchip implants) about $200).

 RW> SOme of the vaccinations you can get at Farm King or other
 RW> farm stores, i.e. FArm & Fleet, FArm King, etc.  DOn't know
 RW> if you've anything like that around, but Farm King in
 RW> Burlington used to have the Distemper Parvo and a couple of
 RW> others.  YOu still had to do the chip and the rabies vaccine
 RW> through your vet, but some of the others could be acquired
 RW> that way. MIght save you some dough.

The Red Oak Orscheln Farm & Home store (a midwest chain headquartered
in Moberly, MO) has an annual vaccination clinic in cooperation with one
of the Red Oak veterinarians.  The store manager also offers a $10/bag
discount on 40 lb bags of dog food (limit one bag, darn) during the clinic.

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