Animal Control strives to promote the safe treatment of animals, to protect those community members who cannot speak for themselves. The officer attempts to educate people about animal rights and available protection services by: encouraging spaying and neutering; working to address the problems of abandonment; and looking for ways to redistribute strays into caring homes before those pets are destroyed for lack of space and money.
Local Animal Control handles issues involving domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, or other companion animals, including: bite reports; pet abuse complaints (animal cruelty); domestic or neighbor disputes involving animals; barking dogs; dangerous dogs; dogs roaming at large or strays; enforcing ordinances regulating rabies vaccinations and licensing.
A typical day for Animal Control involves listening to citizen complaints, documenting meetings with both residents and businesses, and following up on open cases. If there is an ordinance violation, the Animal Control Officer will take the necessary steps to remedy the situation and protect both the animals and the community.
The Animal Control Division consists of a chief animal control officer. Patrol officers provide animal control response to calls for service when the ACO is off duty. Additionally, three members of the Patrol Division are certified in Animal Control, enhancing the department’s ability to meet the needs of the community.
The department was the recipient of a Department of Homeland Security grant and added an emergency pet response trailer to the fleet, address the demand for pet sheltering during disaster events.
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