Jasper County wants to scale back animal control services

While the Newton City Council scrambles to find a solution to continue providing animal control services after its sheltering agreement with a local veterinary clinic did not get renewed, Jasper County is trying to figure out how it can provide the minimum amount of animal control services required by state law.

During a work session discussion about reorganizing community development, Supervisor Brandon Talsma said he wanted to have a serious conversation with fellow supervisors and Jasper County Community Development Director Kevin Luetters about animal control. To him, it is a “ticking time bomb.”

“There were a lot of other things in play three to four years ago when we started down this,” Talsma said. “Both Kevin and I felt it was going to be a short-term thing. We were optimistic about being able to get Animal Rescue League of Des Moines operating a satellite location here in Jasper County.”

However, since then such ideas seems to have fallen through. Talsma said he is thankful for the agreement already in place with the ARL, but it is also one of the reasons why he wants to reevaluate animal control. He fears at any point ARL could stop taking transfers from Jasper County.

Another reason Talsma and Luetters felt its animal control services would not last as long is because they assumed the community support that upheld the Jasper County Animal Rescue League for years would naturally gravitate towards another group that would essentially take its place.

Although a number of groups have been formed since JCARL closed, Talsma theorized the county — and also the City of Newton — created too strong of a “safety net” by partnering with Parkview Animal Hospital to shelter stray and lost dogs. In the end, a second group never emerged to truly take JCARL’s place.

“I am really concerned we’re about two decisions away from having another full-blown county department that has four to five county employees that cost a half-million dollars to run,” Talsma said. “As a rural county, I feel like we have a hundred other more important things to be dealing with than stray animals.”

Incidents relayed to him from citizens have also caused Talsma to address animal control. He said a working dog was running down a shoulder of a rural county highway when it was picked up by a someone leaving work. A deputy responded and brought the dog to Parkview.

Talsma said the owners of the dog — which shouldn’t have been picked up in the first place — argued with Parkview over having to pay to get their dog returned. Talsma said someone had even picked up one of his dogs out of his driveway because they thought it was a stray. The supervisor had to chase them down.

“I’m not saying it happens all the time, but it does happen, what, six to eight times a year?” Talsma asked Luetters. “This is happening.”

Talsma also worries about staff burnout, arguing that community development staff always need someone on call in case there is an animal control call. He said this can put a strain on employees who feel as though they cannot travel or leave the county for vacation.

As the county enters budget discussions in the coming months, Talsma said a consensus from the board would give enough notice to contracted communities.

“I want to get rid of animal control,” Talsma said. “I want it scaled back to where if there’s a bite and a rabies investigation has to be done or the sheriff’s office pulled someone over and they have a dog in their car. That’s the minimum that we have to have.”