The Independent
June 16, 2005

City Council to Consider Agency for Pet Control
By Mary Frances Gurton

A group of 27 Culver City residents calling themselves "Friends of Culver City Animals" asked the City Council Monday to create a local animal control agency.

Deborah Weinrauch and several other residents complained before the council of the "up to one-hour response time" required for a Los Angeles County Department of Animal Control agent to respond to a call, and of a specific instance where an opossum was left on a street for two days.

"The cost of such a program is greatly outweighed when compared with the benefits a local program would bring to the city," Weinrauch said.

For seven years the city has been contracting with the Los Angeles County Animal Control Dept. for field services, sheltering services in Carson and licensing services. Also, the department conducts an annual rabies clinic in Culver City.

"The yearly revenues from licensing dogs in Culver City would pay for the costs of one full-time officer, a part-time assistant and other costs of running a local service," said Culver City Postmaster Russ Knowland.

This year, the cost for LA County Animal Control services was $58,754 minus revenues for license fees, penalties, and housing of $32,482, which brought the net payment to Los Angeles to $26,272.

The city's recently adopted dog license fees alone could bring in almost $13,000 to offset the cost of the existing program, according to staff reports, but that would still not be enough to cover the costs for a new animal care and control program.