Porterville may end its longstanding contract for animal control services with Lindsay.

At its Sept. 2 meeting, the Porterville City Council was presented with a report from the Porterville Police Department that outlined alternatives to contracting with Lindsay for animal control services.

ìThe citizens of Porterville deserve local control and effective service from their animal control services provider,î the report stated. ìConsidering all the facts and options, establishing our own Animal Control function appears to be the best course of action.î

The current contract expired on June 30 so Porterville is operating on a month-to-month contract. Under that contract, Porterville budgeted $135,191 for animal control services and that actual costs are estimated to reach $166,000.

The report said that the City of Lindsay had ìexpressed concern that they may be subsidizing the animal control program. In light of this, if we re-new the agreement with Lindsay Animal Control, there is an expectation that costs to our department will be significantly increased to approximately $250,000.î

The alternatives to contracting with Lindsay offered in the report were:

Porterville provide its own animal control and transportation while renting space/pens at the LAC for sheltering. Cost: $277,500, with $60,000 for LAC shelter space/pens.

Porterville provide animal control and transportation while contracting with Valley Oak SPCA for sheltering and care of animals. Cost: $213,000.

Porterville establish its own animal control and construct a shelter facility for the operation, including enforcement, licensing, redemption and adoption. Cost: $215,000.

It was noted that Valley Oak SPCA is building a new facility and provides full animal control services to every city except Porterville and Lindsay.

ìIt was also very clear that they had no interest in formulating a Joint Powers Authority for the provision of animal control services to our jurisdiction or others,î the report stated.

The news comes just a few months after a rescue mission where several dogs died. On June 14, the Can-Do Foundation, in cooperation with Puppy Porch, planned to rescue more than 70 dogs scheduled to be euthanized within a few weeks.

The groups claim that 12 dogs died within days of the rescue from a variety of diseases and illnesses including canine influenza, distemper, pneumonia, parvo, campylobacter, giardia, ehlicha and coccidian because they were not properly quarantined and vaccinated prior to transportation, a legal requirement for animals crossing state lines.

Lindsay said that all of the animals had been properly vaccinated and cared for and had all the proper documentation to prove it. Regardless of blame, it was not the first time Lindsay had been accused of violations.

Lindsay Animal Control has been investigated twice in the last 10 years. A major investigation released in the 1998-99 Tulare County Grand JuryÌs final report revealed major violations of inadequate record keeping of vaccinations, unsanitary conditions, insufficient quarantine, Rabies Control regulations, neglect of the animals, and euthanizing animals prior to the mandated 72-hour holding period.

A follow up report was issued by the 1999-2000 Grand Jury, which reported that all other recommendation had been met and that ìefforts are being made to clean up the shelter and to control the spread of disease. This should be gratifying to the concerned citizens of the county.î

The 2006-2007 Grand Jury investigated LAC regarding its mishandling of an aggressive pit bull mix that attacked three separate people in Porterville because the ìPound Master failed to enforce any of the required regulations.î There is pending litigation involving one of the attack victims.

The City of Porterville contracts with LAC for animal control services. More than 85% of the animals that come into the facility are from Porterville, according to Lindsay. Partly because it is a smaller city with a smaller budget servicing a larger city, the Grand Jury recommended that Porterville stop contracting with Lindsay and staff and maintain its own animal control facility.

It is unknown whether or not the incident or the shelterís history of violations played into the decision to possibly end the contract.

Capt. Silver Rodriguez said the police department had a variety of reasons for exploring alternatives, but it was primarily for financial reasons.

The issue will come back to the City Council next month, when they are expected to make their decision.

Print this story

Email this story

Return to Index