LOS ALAMITOS : Cities May Form Animal Control Pact

A year after the county began charging cities for animal control services, several area cities are considering banding together and doing it themselves, officials said.

“If they pulled out, it obviously would have an effect on the budget,” said Judy Maitlen, assistant director of Orange County Animal Control. “We would start reducing,” Maitlen said.

Until last July, the county absorbed much of the cost of those services. However, facing their own budget crunch, the Board of Supervisors decided to start charging.

The cities considering banding together include Cypress, Buena Park, Stanton, La Palma and Los Alamitos.

“We feel that it might give us a comparable level of service at a more cost-effective rate,” Stanton City Manager Terry Matz said.

One option being examined is used by the city of Westminster.

Westminster animal control officer Susan Jenulis said a team of two full-time officers and three part-time people handle all animal-control needs. A shelter outside Westminster houses the animals.

Jenulis said the program costs about $20,000 a year after licensing fees and other revenues are subtracted. If they would have contracted with the county, the cost would have been nearly $80,000, she said.

Currently, nine cities do not contract with the county. The rest share the $2.7-million cost for animal control, with the county spending about $450,000 for unincorporated areas, officials said.