LAKEPORT — Donations are needed to support animal control functions inside Lakeport city boundaries. The Lakeport Police Department (LPD) took on the animal control duties after the Lakeport City Council canceled its contract with Lake County Animal Care and Control July 1.
Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke set up a separate fund for animal control operations. Burke, who is also filling in for City Manager Jerry Gillham during a year-long tour in Iraq, told the Lakeport City Council that he asked a volunteer to shoulder animal control duties at a Tuesday meeting.
“There are not adequate funds to be able to keep the standard of [animal control] service the city needs. There are no funds for livestock and no funds for cats, which means they most likely will be left to fend for themselves,” volunteer animal control specialist Vicki Chamberlin said.
Most of the city”s animal control money is for dogs, according to Chamberlin. She said in addition, the city is charged individually for each animal brought to the county”s animal shelter, plus the cost for any needed shots and medical care.
“We want no animal to be left behind. Now we”re paying vet bills, and that can get expensive very quickly. Say there is a dog with a broken leg ? we are not going to kill him ? but it”s expensive. We need to be able to get him well to make him placeable,” Chamberlin said.
To help foot the bill for animal control operations in Lakeport, Chamberlin said she is starting a dog-licensing program. She said she hopes to start licensing dogs Nov. 1.
Burke told the Lakeport City Council that his department was “keeping our heads above water” at a Tuesday meeting, describing how his officers continue to handle animal calls. He since his last update in mid-July, the department had responded to one report of a loose dog.
In mid-July, Burke said his officers had responded to calls regarding “two chickens, five sheep and three goats in a matter of three hours.”
Burke told the council that given the city”s need to tighten its financial belt, the department could absorb animal control duties for the fiscal year, despite the fact that his department is neither trained nor equipped to handle animal calls.
Chamberlin said she began picking up animals on Monday, and is planning fundraisers for animal control operations. She said donations can be mailed to the Lakeport Animal Donation Fund at 916 North Forbes Street, Lakeport. Donations should be sent to Burke”s attention. In addition, Chamberlin said she will accept donations at a booth she will set up at this year”s Lake County Fair.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
