Limited by lack of resources

Whether it's standing in line to pay one's automobile taxes or waiting for a city crew to repair a water main break, it's hard to be patient. The same goes for calls to Salt Lake County Animal Services.

Some members of the Salt Lake City Council, quoted in a recent Deseret Morning News story, were critical of the agency's response time to calls. Some were particularly concerned about low-priority calls such as off-leash dogs in public places or barking dogs.

Salt Lake County Animal Services stretches its limited resources to serve an expansive area — unincorporated Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, Taylorsville, Cottonwood Heights and Herriman. Still, it should be constantly seeking ways to be more efficient.

But the same patrons who want more efficient service need to be more judicious about when they call the agency. Nearly one-fourth of animal control officers' time is occupied responding to barking-dog complaints. Seemingly, neighbors should attempt to work out such disputes on their own before involving animal control officers. In some cases, the owners of the offending dog may be at work when the barking occurs and unaware that the dog has become a nuisance. Conscientious animal owners will seek to remedy the problem and smooth things over with the neighbors. Beyond that, people who call in complaints need to be prepared to assist officers by recording barking logs and documenting disruptions. Few complainants take the initiative.

Animal Services has just 12 officers to patrol and serve a sizable area. Its request for an additional officer recently was denied. Three officers currently are off work recovering from injuries. Two of those were injured at work.

Like most government agencies, animal services needs more resources. Here again, the general public could be a great help. The agency estimates that only 20 percent of the animals in its service areas are licensed, although county ordinances require dogs to be licensed. Because animal officers already have such a heavy load, they do not actively seek out unlicensed pets, but they will enforce the requirement if they come across unlicensed dogs during calls or patrols.

If pet owners obeyed the license requirement, the agency would have more revenue with which to hire officers and provide other services. Dogs could be more readily returned to owners, which would help reduce time spent in shelters. The county discounts license fees for pets that are spayed or neutered, which would likely encourage more sterilization, which would mean fewer unwanted dogs and pets.