New Animal Shelter Contract Is Sought

Hoping to find lost pets and dispose of dead animals more quickly, Oak Park officials are considering contracting with a Los Angeles County shelter for animal control service.

The Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council will hold a public hearing on the matter tonight.

Although Ventura County already provides the unincorporated area with such services, residents say the county’s Camarillo-based department is too slow to respond to urgent problems in the distant community. And, they say, it’s too far for them to drive for services such as neutering and spaying.

In contrast, a Los Angeles County Agoura Hills shelter is just two miles over the county line from their homes.

For years, Oak Park residents have been lying to that shelter’s officials about where their pets live in order to take advantage of its proximity.

Some have even dropped road kill over the county line so that the carcasses will be more quickly taken away, said Ron Stark, an assistant to Supervisor Frank Schillo.

A contract with the Agoura Hills shelter would make the arrangement official, Stark said.

But it could cost many residents who have neglected to register their dogs with the authorities in Camarillo.

Licensing fees would pay for part of the estimated $30,000 price tag for contracting with the Los Angeles County shelter, Stark said.

Remaining funds would come from property taxes that now support Ventura County animal control, as well asfrom fees that the clinic charges for services.

Officials estimate that of more than 1,500 dogs in Oak Park, only 500 are registered.

“Nobody goes door to door to see who has dogs,” Stark said. “And when you have a kennel that’s in Camarillo and you live in Oak Park, you don’t go looking [to pay the registration fee].”