LAKEPORT — Inmate workers assist each day with nearly every aspect of operation at Lake County Animal Care and Control.
“For the many years Animal Care and Control has existed, the sheriff has had working inmates assigned to work programs,” Bill Davidson, director of Lake County Animal Care and Control, said. “We”ve had them for five to seven years. We used to use male inmates and when we moved to our new facility, we switched to female inmates. We have two or three inmates a day. They clean kennels, feed and walk animals. It”s not only financially feasible but it gets them outside.”
Captain James Bauman, custody branch director and public information officer for the Lake County Sheriff”s Office, explained, “This was a program that was started by Sheriff Mitchell and we see it as a multifaceted benefit; the labor is free and that helps that taxpayers; the inmates have an opportunity to be compassionate toward an animal which has been without it; the inmates” attitudes are improved over the opportunity to connect with animals in need; the inmates grow toward a better future while out of custody, by developing a sense of worth while working with the animals during their custody time.”
A walk through the Animal Care and Control facility with office assistant Sara Schramm revealed numerous areas where the inmate workers can be of service: laundry room, bathing and grooming room as well as the kennels and cages themselves.
One woman was outside, pressure-washing cat cages.
Cats occupy 24 cages that are exchanged on a daily basis. One cage can hold as many as two adult cats or six kittens.
Schramm said cats will be housed together if they arrived together at Animal Care and Control.
The room housing adoptible cats was visible through a window from the visitors” lobby.
Some of the cats made eye contact with a visitor and when she entered the room, mewed to get her attention.
Each day, the cats are moved from their existing cages to the ones washed the previous day and the cages that they occupied are given a pressure cleaning.
The cats also have an outdoor mesh-enclosed play area.
There are 34 kennels in the facility for adoptable dogs and eight more kennels for dogs under quarantine. A variety of dogs were present Friday in the facility for adoptable dogs.
They came in a variety of breeds and sizes and exhibited various levels of enthusiasm and energy.
A divider can separate one end of a kennel from the other, allowing the dog to be confined in one half while the inmate worker washes the other. Inmate workers also take the dogs for walks outside.
Schramm said cleaning the whole animal housing facility takes three or four hours each day.
Throughout the day, every half-hour to 45 minutes, the workers make sure the kennels and cages are still clean.
When larger animals, such as goats or horses, are present in an outside pen, the inmate workers assist with their care.
“New animals arrive every day and inmates help with intake,” Schram said. “Also playing with and brushing the animals.
They get pretty dedicated when they”re up here. They mow lawns, weed-eat, they hold their own. Anything we ask them to do, they do.”
An exception was that the inmate workers do not have contact with the public.
Davidson said that having the inmate workers present helped to socialize the animals. “The more animals get used to people, the more chance they have to get adopted. They”re very helpful to us.
“We”re hired former inmates in the past,” he added. “At least half of them, once they are out, fill out applications to work here.”
Adoption hours for the animals at Lake County Animal Care and Control are from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located 4949 Helbush north of Lakeport. Please contact Tinat@co.lake.ca.us for adoption information.
