Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control 311 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident documents multiple 311 calls after loose dog; requests clearer animal-control process
Summary
A resident told the Citrus Heights City Council that 311 and animal-control handling of a loose dog on Jan. 16–17 was confused and inconsistent; she said she ultimately secured the animal herself and documented multiple calls she said were not dispatched.
At the Jan. 22 Citrus Heights City Council meeting, Melissa Hayden described a Jan. 16–17 incident involving a loose dog and said confusion over where 311 routed calls delayed an animal-control response.
Hayden said she and others logged multiple calls to 311 and to animal-control lines and that some calls were forwarded to an unspecified agency. “She said that this part of Citrus Heights is not the Sacramento County area. So this this is just however, she forwarded my information to the agency responsible,” Hayden said, recounting a 311 operator’s reply.
Why it matters: Hayden said the delay and ambiguous routing created safety concerns for neighbors walking children and led her to secure the animal herself. Clear procedures for 311 routing and animal-control response affect public safety and resident confidence.
Hayden said she documented nine calls via screenshots and timelines and that only two calls were ultimately logged as dispatched. She described finding the animal and securing it after neighbors reported it running in the neighborhood. “I was able to secure the dog,” she said. Hayden asked whether licensing is required before receiving a free microchip and requested clearer, accessible information on how the city’s free-chip program works.
Council members did not provide a detailed staffing response during public comment; the mayor reminded speakers that council cannot answer questions on non-agendized items at public comment. Hayden’s remarks ended when the mayor asked her to wrap up as her five minutes expired.
What happens next: Hayden said she compiled call records and would provide them to staff. The council did not take formal action during the meeting; staff follow-up on 311 routing, animal-control dispatching, and the free microchip program would be handled outside the meeting process.
