City Delays Animal Shelter Study : Council: The report would consider alternatives to contracting with the county. Officials say having their own facility might be cheaper.

Citing a desire to reduce costs and increase response to complaints about stray animals, Oxnard officials are asking the City Council to approve a study determining whether the community should build its own animal shelter.

Oxnard’s City Council on Tuesday delayed authorizing a $40,000 study to determine alternatives to contracting with the county for animal-control services. Instead, they told city workers to provide additional information, such as where a shelter could be located.

If Oxnard decides to build its own shelter, it would be the second city in the county to terminate its contract with the county’s Animal Regulation Department. Thousand Oaks ended its contract with the county in 1992, switching to Los Angeles County, which operates a shelter in Agoura Hills.

Oxnard officials say building a shelter might be cheaper than relying on the county to take care of its animal population.

“We’re looking for the most effective way to provide animal regulation service,” said Assistant Police Chief Stan Myers, who called for the study.

The city’s animal-control department, run by Oxnard’s Police Department, operates on a $436,475 budget. Of that total, about $300,000 goes to the county for services at its Camarillo shelter.

Oxnard animals make up about 28% of the county shelter’s population, according to Lisa Jenkins, senior animal safety officer with the Oxnard Police Department.

Kathy Jenks, director of the county’s Animal Regulation Department, said Oxnard’s money pays for quality animal care, including 24-hour kennel attendants and staff veterinarians. Jenks called the Oxnard proposal short-sighted.

“The level of service we provide was determined by all the cities together,” Jenks said. “Oxnard always wants to go for the cheaper, and everyone else is more concerned about the animals.”

Because of budget constraints, Oxnard laid off half its animal-control staff in 1991. The city now has two full-time and four half-time employees. Jenkins said her department receives more than 5,000 calls annually for help with animals but is only able to respond to emergencies.

“We can pick up injured dogs, vicious dogs, sick dogs or do rescues where the loss of animal life is imminent,” Jenkins said. “But we’d like to be able to provide humane education programs. We’d like to be able to pick up an owner’s animals when they have to be given up. We’d like to respond to all concerns that citizens have.”

The study also would explore the possibility of hiring more animal-control staff members. Jenkins estimates that increased enforcement of pet licensing could triple the $80,000 the city collects in licensing fees annually.

Myers said the study would help Oxnard determine whether building its own shelter would enable the city to provide more services and produce long-term savings. Brenda Young, a management analyst with Thousand Oaks, said that city saved nearly $85,000 the first year it left the Ventura County program for Los Angeles County.

But Young said Thousand Oaks changed contracts not to save money, but to get more services.

“[The Los Angeles County shelter] has an on-site spay-neuter clinic,” Young said. “The shelter responded directly to barking dog and nuisance calls.”

According to Jenks, the county’s Camarillo shelter cost $2.5 million to build when it opened in 1985. A veterinarian’s salary can approach $60,000, and kennel attendants’ salaries range between $30,000 and $40,000.

Jenks said she doubts that Oxnard can build its own shelter and offer more services at a lower price.

“They can probably do it cheaper,” Jenks said. “They could open an old gutted warehouse and throw some pens in. That would meet the letter of the law. But it wouldn’t be best for the animals.”

If Oxnard decides to build its own shelter, Jenks said, the decision would most likely result in layoffs of county employees. Jenks said the county dismissed four employees and left three positions vacant when Thousand Oaks established its contract with Los Angeles County.

But Jenkins said a city shelter might be a good decision for Oxnard.

“We’re basically paying rent to the county because we don’t own the facility,” Jenkins said. “But in many years, we could own our own facility and have it paid for.”