After towns have struggled to find volunteers to serve as animal control officers, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has created a new position to serve seven municipalities starting July 1.
The towns that have committed pay to receive the shared service are Northfield, Heath, Monroe, Buckland, Shelburne, Colrain and Gill. Fees vary according to town size, with Heath paying $3,000 per year, for example.
The new animal control officer, who has yet to be announced, will share his or her time among municipalities and the sheriff’s office, devoting 75 percent to the towns and 25 percent to the office, according to a frequently asked question statement issued by the sheriff’s office. The officer will be based in the sheriff’s office within the regional shelter, reporting to shelter Director Leslee Collucci, who is a former animal control officer.
The officer’s responsibilities include handling neighborhood disputes, reported bites, animal cruelty and abandonment, dog license non-renewals and transport of stray dogs to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
The new role will assist towns who have found it difficult to provide adequate animal control services to their residents, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Most towns have very part-time animal control officers, all of which hold full-time jobs elsewhere and response time has been a common complaint. A number of towns have been unable to fill the role,” the statement notes. “In addition, the training is expensive and time consuming, and budgeting for it for each town is inefficient.”
Heath is among Franklin County towns unable to find a volunteer animal control officer. Police Chief John McDonough agreed to fill the role, Town Coordinator Kara Leistyna said. The town currently pays McDonough $1,500 to handle animal complaints.
Heath will pay about $3,000 for the service. Leistyna said the shared animal control officer will give the town more comprehensive services than it would otherwise have with a volunteer officer. In particular, she said having a paid animal control officer would allow Heath to address the issue of unlicensed dogs, which is a “big issue in Heath.”
Over in Colrain, the town has had “two very good dog officers” over the past few years, according to Town Coordinator Kevin Fox. However, he added that they also have full-time jobs. Having a full-time, paid employee with professional training will enhance the animal control services in the town, Fox said.
“Some towns are not as fortunate and have had vacancies for years,” he said.
In that case, the selectboards have to take responsibility for their towns’ animal control services, Fox said, which they are often not trained to do.
“We’re trying to establish a sustainable full-time position,” Fox said. “We can attract someone with a livable wage and a full-time position that somebody can take, as opposed to cobbling together part-timers.”
When appointed, the regional animal control officer can be contacted through the Franklin County dispatch center at 413-625-8200.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.