Dangerous dogs, loose cows, wandering mountain lions and smelly skunks have not taken over the streets of Morgan Hill in the nearly six months since the city’s animal control officer was laid off, though police cite some areas where the sudden lack of the full-time dedicated officer has been burdensome.
The animal control officer, Daniel Pina, was laid off due to budget cuts and revenue shortfalls in July 2011. Since then, the city has continued to respond to animal control calls, though with staff people who are assigned a number of other responsibilities, Morgan Hill police Capt. Jerry Neumayer said at Wednesday’s council meeting.
Most of the calls now are handled by community service officer Tim Moon, who is also responsible for the city’s vehicle abatement, fleet maintenance and missing persons programs, as well as processing some theft-related cases, Neumayer said. Moon’s training for animal control services began last summer, almost as soon as authorities knew Pina’s position was going to be eliminated.
When Moon is not on duty, some calls are answered by the city’s multi-service officer, who is “primarily a jailer” who books and fingerprints suspects, and transports them between the police station and the county jail.
Emergency calls, or calls reporting dangerous or vicious animals are responded to immediately, even by a sworn patrol officer if the CSO and MSO are not on duty, Neumayer said.
As a result, animal-related incidents in Morgan Hill have dropped by about 25 per month since Pina was laid off, Neumayer said, but those numbers don’t necessarily indicate a drop in the need for animal control services in Morgan Hill. Call statistics from before July 2011 included self-initiated or “proactive” incidents that Pina observed and responded to without prompting from residents, Neumayer said.
As the full-time animal control officer, Pina used to routinely patrol the city dog park to keep an eye out for dangerous dogs, mistreated animals and other possible city code violations. He patrolled local shopping center parking lots looking for pets left unattended in hot cars, and neighborhoods ensuring no pets were running loose in violation of the city’s leash law, for example. Now, the city does not have a staff person dedicated solely to such patrols.
The numbers since Pina was laid off almost entirely consist of calls from residents reporting the same types of incidents, Neumayer said.
Councilman Gordon Siebert, who requested the staff report on the state of local animal control since Pina’s job was eliminated, said the city’s continued response to animal-related calls is encouraging.
“We had an outcry (from the public) when we eliminated the animal control officer,” Siebert said. “It sounds to me like the police department is to be commended for taking over this role with existing resources.”
The biggest burden for the city since Pina was let go is the relocation of found or abandoned dogs reported to police, though Neumayer said there are enough temporary housing options for the city to cope. Since July 2011, the city has only responded to found dogs that are causing traffic hazards or are dangerous. If residents bring the found animal to the police station, the local police hold the dog for four days at the city kennel until a more permanent home is found.
If the dogs are not claimed within four days, they are transferred to be boarded at the San Martin Animal Shelter, the San Jose Animal Shelter or the Humane Society in Milpitas, Neumayer said. The facilities in San Martin and Milpitas are often full, and the city is currently in contact with the city of Hollister police, who have their own animal shelter, to use their facility for local dogs for a fee. The San Martin and San Jose shelters charge $110 and $85, respectively, to shelter each animal referred from Morgan Hill.
A recent dangerous dog case offered a rare example of the void of expertise left by Pina’s layoff, Neumayer told the council. On Dec. 22, 2011, a pit bull jumped over a fence into a neighbor’s yard on the 200 block of East Edmundson Avenue. The dog attacked and killed a Chihuahua that lived next-door.
When the community service officer responded, he allowed the owner of the pit bull to quarantine the pet within his home, against the procedures spelled out in the municipal code, Neumayer said. The officer should have seized the aggressive dog and quarantined it off-site until the ensuing investigation was complete.
Upon realizing the error, officers went back to the pit bull’s owners and tried to seize the dog, but the residents were uncooperative, Neumayer said. The city attorney’s office was able to acquire a warrant to take the dog, which police served. The city subsequently filed charges for violations of the municipal code against the dog’s owners.
“Most dog bites (reported in Morgan Hill) are minor, and we tell the owner to quarantine the dog in the home for 10 days,” Neumayer said. “In this case, because another domestic animal died as a result, it should be deemed a ‘level-three’ dog.” He added that the call was Moon’s first involving a pit bull.
The dog is now housed at a local veterinarian’s office, and the owners are paying for its care, Neumayer said. Esequiel Martinez, 37, and Lori Lewis, 42, were cited for animal bites causing injury. An administrative hearing was held for the owners, and the city is now in the process of determining whether or not the canine should be classified as level one, two or three. Level three is the most dangerous type of dog, and animals thus classified have to be euthanized, according to the city’s municipal code.
The city also works hand-in-hand with Santa Clara County authorities on animal-related calls, offsetting some of the burden created by last summer’s cuts, Neumayer added.
The county has more experience with livestock-related calls, for example, as they service more rural, agricultural areas, Santa Clara County animal care and control program manager Albert Escobar said. Morgan Hill staff often participate in training programs offered by the county, and the two agencies provide “mutual assistance” when necessary.
“We’ve always had a good rapport with each other, and we want to keep that open,” Escobar said.
- 289: Animal cruelty citations issued by Morgan Hill animalcontrol since 2007
- 359: Total animal control calls to MHPD since July 2011, whenthe city eliminated the FT position
- 97: Average monthly animal control calls in MH, since 2007
- 25: Fewer calls per month, on average, since July 2011
