Petaluma animal control hired by Healdsburg

It's raining cats and dogs for the Petaluma Animal Services Foundation, which will now take over animal control services for the City of Healdsburg.

In a contract approved by the Healdsburg City Council on Monday, Petaluma's Animal Service Foundation will hire an additional animal control officer and station that officer in Healdsburg, while the Sonoma Humane Society will provide animal shelter services. The contract is worth $235,000 and will cover the animal control officer's salary and shelter services in Healdsburg.

Petaluma Animal Services Foundation Executive Director Jeff Charter said he is pleased with the new arrangement.

"We think it's a real positive thing and we're looking forward to partnering with the Sonoma Humane Society," said Charter. "Our two organizations have a lot of shared goals, like making sure that every animal receives protection and compassion, so we're looking forward to it."

The Petaluma nonprofit first took over animal services from the Petaluma Police Department during the summer of 2012. After the city was faced with either cutting its animal control officer force in half - from two full-time officers to one - it instead agreed to allow the Petaluma Animal Services Foundation to take over animal control in the city. The move saved both animal control officer positions and allowed for the expansion of animal services in Petaluma.

Since then, the transition from a public service to a private nonprofit has been largely successful. According to shelter officials, adoptions are up, euthanizations are down and people seem generally pleased with the services.

The Petaluma nonprofit has used unconventional means, like social media, to get its animals adopted. Foundation employees have set up Twitter and Facebook pages for animals in the shelter, putting the would-be pets into the public eye far more than ever before.

Healdsburg's animal shelter had been struggling financially for quite some time before the city closed its facilities and laid off its nine employees in June. Over the past five months, the Sonoma County Animal Care and Control has handled animal services in Healdsburg.

Under the new contract, the Sonoma Humane Society will set up a trailer and a mobile adoption unit in Healdsburg sometime in the next six weeks. Meanwhile, Charter said he will begin the process of hiring a new animal control officer.

(Contact Janelle Wetzstein at janelle.wetzstein@arguscourier.com)

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