Especially in these financially challenging times, we don
’t like to see duplication of effort by local governments – and
when it results in confusion and poor service for taxpayers, it’s
that much more difficult to abide. Unfortunately, that’s the case
for South Valley residents because of the way Morgan Hill, Gilroy
and Santa Clara County handle
animal control services.
Especially in these financially challenging times, we don’t like to see duplication of effort by local governments – and when it results in confusion and poor service for taxpayers, it’s that much more difficult to abide. Unfortunately, that’s the case for South Valley residents because of the way Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Santa Clara County handle animal control services.
On the one hand, we have an example of an excellent animal control program with high adoption rates in the county animal shelter in San Martin. Located right in the middle of the South Valley, the county shelter is the first place most people think of when they find a stray animal or lose a pet.
But if you find that animal anywhere but in unincorporated Santa Clara County – that is, within the city limits of Morgan Hill or Gilroy – the San Martin Animal Shelter can’t accept the critter. You’ll have to take the stray to the Humane Society of Silicon Valley – all the way in Santa Clara – and we doubt most South Valley residents will be willing to make that trip with a stray animal or unwanted pet. Why the road trip? Because the county doesn’t have any animal control contract in place with either city.
If you’ve lost a pet, you probably ought to check with all three South Valley agencies as well as the Santa Clara shelter, because animals don’t understand about spidery municipal boundaries and wander whereever their spirits and stomachs take them.
Rather than paying to maintain separate animal control facilities and officers, we urge Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy, County Supervisor Don Gage and Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro to sit down together to find a way to streamline animal control services for all South Valley residents.
Uniform animal control services would make life easier for pet owners, animal lovers and the critters of south Santa Clara County. Done right, it could save local governments money, better utilize the terrific animal shelter already doing a great job in San Martin, and provide better service for all South Valley residents – whether they’ve got two legs or four.
Like our four-legged friends, let’s forget about municipal borders when it comes to animal control services and provide excellent, uniform, streamlined and cost-effective animal control services for all of south Santa Clara County.
