COM 0376.000 2000-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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,46iw4t mal:.4 Aaagwm r&at e&euA4 ew4 a tfre aaysnAt u as adsdle Qeee&V to e6mca ate tie eauaea Ery coex�fiaeaia y uei the teals d e&ea&" ca nal e4mzceaueut. The following excerpt appears in the International City Manager Association's (ICMA) Management Information Report on "Local Animal Control Management," Volume 25, Number 9, September 1993: A good Animal 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 dog-catcher and a pound. If the local government focuses only on operating a skeletal shelter and catching and destroying thousands of cats and dogs, animal problems will create constant headaches for local government officials, who must deal with irresponsible animal owners on the one hand, and non -pet -owners, garden clubs, parent -teacher associations, and other groups that want animals controlled on the other. Finally, poor Animal Control can become a local government liability if citizens seek redress for injury and damage caused by free -roaming animals. The most common obstacle to establishing an effective animal care and control program - as it is to some degree for virtually all government programs - is the problem of funding. In this era of perennial budget deficits, city and county officials are often tempted to strip down Animal Control programs to the point of total ineffectiveness. But in this area of government responsibility so vital to public health and safety, local officials should avoid shortsighted decisions." The article also states that, "Cities and counties can manage animal -related problems in a fiscally responsible way. Animal Control can be funded partially through user fees, a deficit-reduction strategy governments apply to everything from parks to motor vehicles. Licenses for dogs and cats are the user fees of Animal Control. 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 will 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. However, the total program can be partially self-funded if revenues from the following sources are set aside for this purpose: ❑ Income from 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. Ia Adoption fees. Q Private donations to the local government earmarked for the animal shelter. Moreover, Animal Control is an investment in reduced costs - monetary and otherwise - for the future. (End of excerpt)