Local Governments Role in Animal Related Problems - Defined

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROLE

Question: How Can City and County Administrators Most Effectively Respond to the Animal-related Problems in Their Communities?

Solution to such problems can range from basic animal control programs to progressive, integrated animal service programs built on comprehensive ordinances and programs that both create incentives for people to care for animals responsibly and penalize those who do not.

The best solutions modify general responses to take account of local needs, concerns, and resources. Each community, regardless of size, should have a program to handle animal-related complaints and problems.

Successful programs are often characterized by:

Local government support – both political and financial

A comprehensive, regularly updated animal control ordinance and the authority and ability to enforce it;

Policies to ensure that all animals adopted are sterilized Laws and programs that create incentives for citizens to have their pets sterilized, and adjunct programs to ensure that all pets owners have access to affordable sterilization services;

Adequate, well-maintained facilities and equipment;

Animal control officers and animal care staff professionally trained to quickly and humanely handle animals at minimum risk to personnel

Good working relationships with, and the general support of, local veterinarians, law enforcement, social services, and animal advocacy organizations; and

A proactive public education program

A good animal care and control program is a community responsibility and should be budgeted as any other program or service available to citizens.

It needs to go beyond the old-fashioned approach to animal control services, which consisted primarily of a dogcatcher and a pound. If the local government focuses only on operating a skeletal shelter program and catching and destroying dogs, animal problem will create constant headaches for local government officials.

Pet owners who resist animal control will oppose other pet owners, citizens without pets, parent-teachers associations, garden clubs, and other groups that want animal control.

Finally, poor animal control can become a local government liability it citizens seek redress for injury and damage caused by free-roaming animals.

The most common obstacle to establishing and effective animal care and control program – as it is to some degree for virtually all government programs – is the problem of funding. As a general rule, adequate funding of an animal care and control programs costs at least $5 to $6 per citizen annually. However, city and county officials are often tempted to strip down animal control programs to the point of ineffectiveness, or they insist that pet registration (licensing) and other fees pay for all or most of the program.

Local officials should recognize that this governmental responsibility is vital to public health and safety, and they should be proactive in their approach.

If the Commissioners says they don’t have the money, tell them that someday someone will sue for negligence as a result of an avoidable dangerous-dog attack or a rabies exposure. This could cost a whole lot more that a good animal control program that wold minimize such risks.

Dog and cat owners should shoulder much of the burden of animal control costs; furthermore, irresponsible dog and cat owners should be assessed the largest part of that burden.

Public officials, police departments, public health officers, and the citizens they serve in both urban and rural areas all benefit from a comprehensive animal care and control program that reduces costs while it eliminates many other problems.

General public funds need to be allotted to finance the program as necessary. The total program can be partially self-funded, however, if revenues from the following sources are set aside for this purpose:

Income from pet registration (license) and permit fees;
Impoundment fees charged to persons whose animals have been picked up;
Boarding and redemption fees charged to owners who recover their pets;
Citation fines;
Fees from the quarantine of animals;
Adoption fees; and
Private donations to the local government earmarked for the animal shelter.

As put forth in:
Animal Control Management
A GUIDE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Published by:
International City/County Management Association
ICMA - 2002