FAIRFIELD — There is a “lack of trust” and a “lack of transparency” between local government officials and Humane Animal Services, the company contracted to handle some the county’s animal control services, according to a Solano County Grand Jury report issued Tuesday.
The report states that officials with local police departments have “trepidation” about the financial side of the contract that Humane Animal Services has with local agencies and concerns about whether the nonprofit company is using taxpayer dollars appropriately.
The report recommends dumping Humane Animal Services to find an agency that provides “appropriate fiscal information” or alternatively to “review, renegotiate and rethink” the current contract.
The report also faults local government agencies for not complying with state laws requiring the licensing of dogs and certifying their rabies vaccinations.
“(T)he required licensing earned very little attention from enforcement entities and is currently dependent on pet owners’ voluntary compliance with the law.” Police and Sheriff’s officials responsible for enforcing those laws admit that the percentage of licensed dogs in the county is “very low” the report states.
The report claimed local law enforcement agencies have “a lack of interest to the point that pet owners were sometimes turned away when they tried to get their animals licensed.”
Dog licenses can be obtained at Petdata.com. Petdata is a Texas-based company. The county pays Petdata $100,000 annually for dog license processing services as part of a three-year contract. Pet owners submit a rabies vaccination certificate or Solano County renewal notice if the rabies vaccinations are still current.
May 30, 2018
Fairfield Daily Republic
By Jess Sullivan
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