Costa Mesa committee looks to clean up pet-related issues
A new committee of city staff members is gearing up to tackle Costa Mesa’s pet issues.
These aren’t pet issues in the political sense, but in the practical — things such as increasing the number of local animals that are licensed and identifying improvements needed at pet-friendly facilities like the Costa Mesa Bark Park.
“Really what we’re trying to do is raise awareness and build on relationships with pet owners in the community,” said Dan Baker, a committee member and assistant to Costa Mesa Chief Executive Tom Hatch.
Hatch also is part of the 11-member Costa Mesa Pet Committee.
One matter the group will focus on, Baker said, is building up Costa Mesa’s relationship with the Orange County Humane Society shelter in Huntington Beach, which the city has contracted with for animal services since 2009.
“Our animal-control staff is over there every day, so we’re continuing to work with them,” Baker said. “We want to maximize their success, because it’s important for Costa Mesa animals to have a safe place to go.”
The city took a magnifying glass to the Humane Society shelter earlier this year after animal-control officers from Newport Beach said they had found unsanitary and inhumane conditions there, such as staff leaving animals wet for several days and housing them in a building without proper sunlight or ventilation.
Some Costa Mesa residents and City Council members also raised concerns about the state of the shelter during a council discussion in March.
Costa Mesa officials said some of the issues the Newport officers raised didn’t match their own observations, though they acknowledged that some aspects of the operation weren’t up to snuff.
Unlike their counterparts in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa City Council members opted to stick with the Humane Society and agreed to pay up to $50,000 toward structural and operational improvements at the shelter.
“We are actively engaging them and working with them,” Baker said.
A woman who answered the phone at the Humane Society on Thursday referred all questions to upper management. No one had responded to a message from the Daily Pilot as of Thursday afternoon.
Costa Mesa Councilwoman Sandy Genis, who has raised concerns with the Humane Society shelter and suggested the city look at alternatives, said she appreciates that city staff is “being a little more vigilant” about monitoring the facility but that she still sees issues.
Among them are what she considers design flaws with the shelter itself. Some areas, she feels, are “very cramped” for animals.
Genis added Thursday that she thinks the Humane Society needs a more robust online presence to get the word out about pets available for adoption and should provide quicker veterinary checks to animals that go to the shelter.
She said she’s “hopeful” that her concerns will be addressed, “but not confident.”
Other focal points for the Costa Mesa Pet Committee include promoting pet adoptions, increasing and enforcing pet licensing and encouraging residents to spay, neuter and vaccinate their pets.
The city requires that any dog older than 4 months be licensed and have a current rabies vaccination.
Costa Mesa has about 5,000 licensed dogs, according to city statistics.
However, Baker estimates, based on national figures, that there may be 20,000 to 30,000 canines in the city.
“It’s a big disparity, so we really want to try and narrow that gap,” Baker said.
For starters, the city is looking to make it easier for people to register their pooches. Right now, registration paperwork has to be filed in person or mailed in, but the city is considering an online method.
Raising awareness is another component of the committee. For instance, a Pet Prep Rally will be held Sept. 15 at the Bark Park, offering vaccinations, licensing and identification microchipping for pets.
The event is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at the park, 890 Arlington Drive.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
