DANA POINT : Regional Animal Service Center Urged

A spokesman for a local nonprofit group urged the City Council last week to join a move toward a regional animal service center for South County.

Gordon Elser, a 15-year resident of Dana Point and a member of the fledgling organization Haven for Every Living Pet in Dana Point, asked the council last Tuesday to discontinue its annual contract with the county for animal services when it runs out this summer.

He suggested that the city would be better served if it could work out an arrangement with the city of San Clemente, which has its own animal services center.

The San Clemente City Council, reacting to recent urgings to expand its facility on Avenida Pico, last week authorized the funds to pay for a study on the feasibility of a regional animal services center. San Clemente’s current center is operated by the city’s Fire Department.

Elser maintained that the county animal services facility in Orange is too far away from South County. He also suggested that the county’s two designated trucks for all of the South County region are not enough to accommodate the area.

“It’s not very convenient for people down here. When they lose a pet, a lot of people don’t know where to go,” Elser said. “The humanity of the county center is also a big thing. As I understand it, after a few days, a big percentage of the animals are put to sleep.”

But Judy Maitlen, the assistant director of the Orange County Animal Control and Shelter, asserted that the center “actually retains the pets longer than is required by law.” In all, 30% of the total number of animals in the shelter are eventually euthanized because they are not adopted or picked up by their owners.

“Somebody eventually has to deal with those animals that are not wanted,” Maitlen said. “We wish it weren’t true, but the sad reality is there aren’t enough homes out there for all of them.”

Maitlen said the county facility offers 24-hour-a-day service, seven days a week and has full contracts with 20 county cities.

The Dana Point City Council is scheduled to discuss animal services at its next meeting on April 28.