I am writing on behalf of PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in response to the cutbacks facing the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department, more specifically the animal control officers. The article states that three out of the four animal control officers are in danger of being laid off.
As of April 2002, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, the population of Snohomish County is 628,000. King County currently has nine animal control officers who patrol an area of more than 2,200 square miles and serve more than 1 million residents. There will be one animal control officer for more than 600,000 residents in Snohomish County compared with one animal control officer for roughly every 100,000 residents in King County. I do not think Sheriff Rick Bart realizes the enormous impact this will have on Snohomish County animals and residents.
Animal control officers are an integral part of our community. They play a central role in facilitating harmony between animals and humans. Officers make the community a safer place by addressing issues such as dog bites, animal cruelty and dog fighting rings which are often linked with drugs and gambling. They are also responsible for picking up and receiving a surplus of animals that could cause human injury or spread disease. In addition to making our community a safer place, they help keep our community more humane by responding to citizen complaints and issuing citations to owners when they are found to be in violation of the law. Animal control is a preventative method to an entire list of problems.
PAWS supports the programs and services provided by King County Animal Control and we feel strongly that the progress made by animal control officers will be severely hampered by any type of budgetary or staff reductions.
PAWS Animal Advocate
Lynnwood
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
