Especially in these financially challenging times, we hate 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 County residents because of the way
Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Santa Clara County handle animal control
services.
Especially in these financially challenging times, we hate 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 County residents because of the way Gilroy, Morgan Hill 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 County region, the San Martin Animal 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 Gilroy or Morgan Hill – 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 residents of South County will be willing to make that trip with a stray animal. Why the road trip? Because the county doesn’t have an animal control contract in place with either city.
If you’ve lost a pet, you probably ought to check with all three South County agencies as well as the Santa Clara shelter, because animals don’t understand about spidery municipal boundaries and wander where ever their spirits and stomachs take them.
Rather than paying to maintain separate animal control facilities and officers, we urge Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro, Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy and County Supervisor Don Gage to sit down together to find a way to streamline animal control services for all South County 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 County 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.
