HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/27/2021 05. Animal Control Program and Licensing 1
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STAT EM ENT
Item No. 5.
For Meeting of: July 27, 2021
ITEM TITLE: Animal Control Program and Licensing
SUBMITTED BY: Tony Doan, Supervising Code Inspector
Glenn Denman, Code Administration Manager
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
This is a presentation on the current status of Animal Control.
ITEM BUDGETED: NA
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Public Trust and Accountability
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
Review reports and provide direction as appropriate
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
U memo 7/23/2021 Comer Memo
2
MEMORANDUM
To: Joan Davenport, Director of Community Development
From: Glenn Denman, Code Administration Manager
Tony Doan, Supervising Code Inspector
Date: July 19, 2021
RE: Animal Control Statistics
Animal Control 2021
2021 has brought a new look to the Animal Control Division. This marked the first year that the
City of Yakima has staffed all of the Animal Control Officers(ACO)since 2014. Prior to this, ACO's
were a combination of City employees and contracted employees through the Yakima Humane
Society. ACO staffing was a concern at the beginning of the year. In April we were able to bring
on a second ACO (permanent, part time). This helped out with response times and efficiency.
However, one of the officers started a new career leaving one of the positions vacant, bringing us
back to 1 full time ACO. Our one ACO has continued to average 40+ cases per week. The table
below shows the varying case types and numbers. It's worth noting that our most common case
type is "Animal at Large". This case type is also the most challenging to handle due to many
factors; including response time based on availability, how much time has passed by the time the
complaint comes in, how many animals are at large at one time, traffic, and available assistance
to name a few. The Animal Control Division has worked to refine workflow steps and increase
accuracy and consistency for these cases. Despite working with one full time ACO for the majority
of 2021, we are up to 1,187 cases responded to. The amount of cases is relative to the availability
of personnel employed.
Most Common ACO Case Types 2021
350
300 288
250
200 162
150 127
Zoo 66 62 55
41
11 036 034 1129 1.27 14 12
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Dog Licensing Emphasis
The Animal Control Division has taken steps to increase the number of dog licenses in the City of
Yakima. In March, the Community Relations Division issued a news release asking for the
community's cooperation with common violations of the Yakima Municipal Code (YMC), including
dog licensing. Our partners at the Yakima Humane Society (YHS) have also helped in this effort.
When an unlicensed dog is sheltered, they will now hold the dog until licensing has been
completed. This is consistent with YMC 6.20.320 (2)(A). To make this process easier, they are
able to complete this process at the shelter. The YMC also requires all dogs adopted out to be
licensed prior to release of the animal. In May, ACO's added a check and balance process to all
active cases to check for licensing. This allows us to track how often licensing is being checked.
Since then, 358 total cases have resulted in checking for dog licensing. If a dog is unlicensed and
the owner is known, they receive a warning and a grace period to complete that process. If after
the grace period the dog remains unlicensed, a citation is issued.