City considers using donations for animal control upgrades

Upgraded equipment for Jefferson City animal control officers could be paid for using donations to the animal shelter.

The Public Safety Committee unanimously approved using $33,031 from the donation fund for mobile data terminals and e-ticketing printers for the vehicles used by animal control officers.

During the summer, the Jefferson City Police Department -- which oversees the Animal Shelter -- requested four mobile data terminals and a system update using general revenue funds. At the time, City Council did not approve the request.

The new request using donation funds will go before the council for final approval.

If approved, the request would fund five terminals and printers. These will go into vehicles the animal control officers use and allow them to work more efficiently, Police Chief Roger Schroeder said.

The system update will also allow the officers to more easily communicate with the shelter.

For instance, if the 911 center receives a call of an escaped dog, the responding animal control officer will get information sent to the terminal.

"That provides them much more information than if we just did transmittal radio because the whole purpose of radio transmissions is to be short and to the point," Schroeder said. "This way, they can read the screen for much more about the activity or service they've been dispatched."

If an officer picks up an escaped pet, with the current system the pet needs to go back to shelter for processing. Schroeder said that means the vet needs to look at the animal as well.

However, if the new system is approved, an officer would be able to pick up an escaped pet and run the animal's description through the system and potentially return the pet home rather than the shelter.

This would also help decrease the potential for spreading diseases among animals.

"One retake animal that we take up to the shelter may have a disease that they would transmit to the animals at the shelter," Schroeder said. "Then conversely, if we take them to the shelter, they may be healthy, but once they get to the shelter, they may contract disease or problem from animals already within the shelter."

Schroeder said the donation fund for the animal shelter has around $133,000 in it.