Last week, while out on a run, I spotted a dead squirrel on the sidewalk. The poor thing looked like he had been run over by a bike. I went home to get a bag so I could move him, but when I returned 20 minutes later, the squirrel was already gone. It’s possible that a Good Samaritan picked up the squirrel as I was intending to do. However, my guess is that it was the handy work of Santa Barbara City Animal Control.

While Santa Barbara City Animal Control officers were called out for approx 850 dead animal pick-ups last year, they have many more responsibilities. In addition to these types of calls, City Animal Control responds to calls regarding aggressive animals, injured animals, animal cruelty complaints, animal noise disturbances, and stray animals. In 2008, there were more than 4,000 service calls for animal control officers in the city of Santa Barbara.

City Animal Control operates seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and an officer is on-call after hours. According to Pamela Christian, supervisor and humane officer of City Animal Control, officers respond to everything—from cats and skunks to lamas and tarantulas. Officers were once called to pick up a stray lizard walking down N. Ontare Street. Only, this was no ordinary lizard, it was a Savannah monitor lizard weighing 45 pounds. He is now living comfortably in a rescue facility in Montecito.

When City Animal Control picks up a domestic animal, they try to locate the owner right away. If the animal is wearing a license, officers will actually deliver the animal to the owner’s residence. One more reason to get your pet licensed!

City Animal Control also inspects animal events, such as circuses, when they come to town. Just recently, they were called out to investigate a very aggressive camel. Animal Control arranged to have the camel neutered with the hopes that the aggression will be calmed.

Animal Control officers also respond to natural disasters, such as our current Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara. The day the fire broke out, officers were on hand until 9 p.m. helping citizens evacuate their animals.

Despite all these services Santa Barbara City Animal Control provides, they may be forced to operate with one fewer officer. The Santa Barbara City Council is being asked to make a cut to Animal Control staff. Although the current proposal eliminates only one officer position, that would actually be a third reduction in staffing.

City Animal Control has already lost a full-time officer position due to cuts, resulting in the agency only being able to offer the bare minimum of services. According to Christian, the current staff is already overworked, with responsibility to care for the animals in their shelter as well as to respond to the 4,000 yearly service calls they receive.

Please take a minute to email each of the City Council members (listed below) and tell them that Santa Barbara City Animal Control is already operating as low as they can go budget-wise, and cutting an animal control officer position will be detrimental to the efficient, caring service that they now provide.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Mayor Marty Blum: mblum@santabarbaraca.gov

Das Williams: daswilliams@santabarbaraca.gov

Dale Francisco: dfrancisco@santabarbaraca.gov

Grant House: ghouse@santabarbaraca.gov

Helene Schneider: hschneider@santabarbaraca.gov

Iya Falcone: ifalcone@santabarbaraca.gov

Roger Horton: rhorton@santabarbaraca.gov

There will be a City Council hearing on this subject, May 26, 6-9 p.m. at the City Council chambers, second floor, City Hall. This meeting will focus on the Police and Fire Department proposed budgets. If you are able to attend, please do so as it will be critical to register support for Santa Barbara City Animal Control (which is part of the police dept. in Santa Barbara).

For more information, visit. Santa Barbara City Animal Control.

Adoptable Pet of the Week

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