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Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Merced's animal control dogged by cuts

One officer on duty for whole city so some calls go unanswered.

A pit bull wandering loose next to G Street in Merced on Tuesday sparked a few calls to the Merced Police Department's dispatch line.

Because there's only one animal control officer working for the department, the pit bull was allowed to run free. Eventually, it made its way down Alexander Avenue, headed toward Burbank Elementary School.

Luckily, the dog caused no problems -- but no officer was available to deal with the stray dog, so it was left to do what it wanted.

"We lost 13 positions from the department in the 2009-2010 fiscal year," said Merced police Sgt. Jay Struble. He is in charge of animal control for the city.

"One of those positions was an animal control officer," he added.

Usually, the police department has three animal control officers, but with the loss of one, and another one on medical leave for months, only one officer remains to cover the city.

The sole animal control officer who works for the city handles all calls from the public, along with licensing dogs and follow-up paperwork.

"Normally, the officer works Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.," Struble said. "That's where the issues come in."

Because of the heavy workload, the animal control officer typically works until noon in the field, leaving the afternoon to deal with paperwork.

The officer must also check all calls that came through dispatch during the off hours and take phone messages from the public.

"She will have anywhere from 20 to 40 calls for service," Struble said. "She has to prioritize those calls."

That means some calls won't get answered. A loose dog that's not acting aggressively may not get picked up for a few days.

Struble said if the dog isn't aggressive, the public can choose to pick up the dog and take it to the county's animal shelter.

"We don't want the public to do anything that puts them in danger," Struble said.

Merced County also has animal control officers, but they don't work in incorporated cities. David Robinson, agriculture commissioner for the county and the head of animal control, said unless it's an emergency, his staffers are busy with their own work.

The county has four full-time animal control officers, and one part-time, Robinson said.

"We don't have the jurisdiction, or the funds, to come into the cities and do their work," Robinson said.

If there's an emergency, such as an aggressive dog attacking people, Struble said radio patrol officers would respond and try to catch the animal. A major problem, such as shutting down a thriving puppy mill, would bring officers from both the county and from other cities.

Because of budget cuts, Struble said there's no money to hire a part-time officer who would work until the officer who is on sick leave came back.

"Our one officer is maxed out on work right now," Struble said. "It's not that we won't go out on calls -- it's just that it may take a couple of days."

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.