This is a plea to the Animal owners and supporters of Animal Control in Clark County to please contact the Clark County commissioners immediately, leave messages and e-mails to all Clark County commissioners  (go to www.co.clark.wa.us/bocc/emailform.asp or e-mail to boardcom@clark.wa.gov or phone 360-397-2232 ) and Bill Barron, County Administrator, at same number 360-397-2232. Our animal control department is in danger of losing two excellent officers who have stepped in for the defense of the animals and victims of animal problems in Clark County. We’ve already lost one Officer, Patrick Higbie, now we are in danger of losing Officers, Trish Kraff and Tippy Rutherford.  We have come such a long way with animal protection and control in our county and have succeeded in helping so many animal owners and victims by placing neglected animals in good homes and controlling problem situations  before they get out of  hand. Other county agencies in the state are contacting us for information and in sight on how we run our programs to instill the same level of compliance in their communities. The county is experiencing budget cuts but the decision is up to them where to make the cuts and we have to convince them that cutting the positions of these two crucial officers is counter-productive.

 

As an agency Animal Control receives over 10,000 calls for service a year.  They respond to cruelty/neglect, injured animals, running at large, licensing, vicious animals, dog bites, bite quarantines for rabies control, and monitor the potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs in the county and city.  Animal Control generates income through licensing and citations.  They have educational programs including cruelty prevention, bite prevention, pet first aid, and disaster preparedness.  Animal Control services are provided at a much lower cost than law enforcement and are a value to the taxpayer.  Animal Control keeps the criminal court system from being overloaded with animal related cases.  Animal Control is essential to the functioning of the community and an absolute necessity to keep the public safe.

 

There are currently 5 full time animal control officers for a population of over 400,000 people and their pets.  Animal Control already lost the Lead Animal Control officer, the Pet License Officer and Animal Control Officer Patrick Higbie. This has been a huge loss to the agency. The current staff is stretched to the limit and the loss of Tippy Rutherford and Trisha Kraff would be devastating to the community.  Carrie Martin, Trisha Kraff, Tippy Rutherford, the Clark County Executive Horse Council, and Ripley's Horse Aid Foundation brought a great deal of positive recognition to Clark County by coming together to implement a model program for dealing with the ever increasing problem of horse cruelty and neglect.  Other counties are requesting assistance with developing programs modeled on the Clark County program to deal with the overload of animal neglect.  Why undo all of the positive changes that Animal Control has made by cutting staff?  With the current economic situation, Clark County should be adding Animal Control officers as opposed to laying the officers off.  While the economy has fallen, animal related problems have increased.  The animal owners of Clark County spend an extremely large amount of money on their pets.  The taxpayers and voters of Clark County deserve to have an adequately staffed professional Animal Control Department.

 

Please contact the commissioners and county administrator if you would like to see continued protection to the precious animals in our county. Clark County has one of the best animal control agencies in the state of Washington…let’s not allow them to step backwards!