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Shelter volunteers and council debate proposed reduction of animal control officers
Summary
Volunteers and shelter leaders urged council to retain a third animal control officer after staff proposed leaving one vacant to shift duties. Police and council members said patrol and a new community service officer could absorb some duties; council asked for further budget review during the upcoming budget process.
Leaders from the nonprofit that supports Palm Springs’ animal shelter urged the City Council on Feb. 27 to reverse a staffing decision that would eliminate one vacant animal control officer position.
Dan Rossi, executive director of Friends of the Palm Springs Bridal Shelter, told the council that one of two animal control officer positions has been unfilled for several months and that the shelter and volunteers are seeing lapses in response when officers are out sick or on vacation. Rossi asked the council to “have further discussion” before eliminating the post. Cheyenne (last name in record: Sheehan), operations director for the shelter, said summer months bring a high volume of calls — for animals in hot cars and other heat‑related emergencies — and that officers need predictable time off and backup to avoid putting animals and residents at risk.
Volunteer shelter workers, including Carol Wyne and Julie Bergstrom, spoke about wildlife responses (Wyne said an officer safely removed a rattlesnake from her yard) and the public image consequences of unclaimed or loose animals in the community. Wyne noted that nearby Desert Hot Springs, a smaller city, has three officers on staff.
Police Chief (unnamed in record) told council that while three officers would be preferable, the department believes two officers plus a new community service officer (CSO) and an added police officer could cover the workload seven days a week. The chief said the department can reorganize duties so that daytime hours do not require two animal-control officers to ride together and that patrol and CSOs can assist for some calls.
Councilmember Bernstein said the administration’s staffing change yields roughly $90,000 in salary and benefits savings and asked staff and the shelter to work together during the budget process to explore alternatives — for example, a shelter-employed humane services officer or other configurations to preserve service levels.
Council did not adopt an ordinance or immediate staffing change at the meeting; members asked for follow-up during the budget process and asked staff to consider whether savings from the reconfiguration could be used to maintain services at the shelter.
