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Public and board advocates say Cumberland County animal services is understaffed and needs isolation facility
Summary
Multiple speakers at the June 16 meeting urged the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners to retain the animal services director and act on staffing, pay and facility upgrades, including a previously budgeted isolation building said to be unstarted.
Several speakers during the public-comment period told the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on June 16 that the county's Animal Services Department is under-resourced and at risk of collapse without immediate action.
"We are currently facing a backlog of over 800 unresolved calls," said Lee Ward, who identified himself as serving on a county advisory board. Ward spoke at length about the director's resignation and recommended four actions: begin construction on the isolation building approved in the FY2025 budget; increase manpower and enforcement support, including a joint task force with law enforcement; address pay disparities between animal-services officers and code-enforcement officers; and hire full-time customer-service staff to improve responsiveness.
Sandy Reeves, a member of the Animal Services Board, told commissioners the shelter has been understaffed "for 7 years," that officers must cover about 652 square miles with only three officers, and that staff face dangerous and emotionally demanding work. Reeves added, "This isn't just an animal issue. This is a public safety issue." Charlotte Davis, chair of the Animal Services Board, said the isolation building approved in the budget "has not been addressed" and that the board expects the county to follow its ordinance-mandated role in making recommendations and supporting operations.
Speakers said animals are dying from infectious disease spread in the shelter because an isolation building has not been built and urged the board to retain Director Elaine Smith and to correct pay and staffing inequities. The board did not announce an immediate, board-level commitment of funds during the meeting; several commissioners were asked to visit the shelter and to consider ride-alongs with officers to better understand day-to-day operations.
These public comments were recorded during the open comment period and were not the subject of a formal vote at the meeting. Commissioners received written materials and were told they would receive follow-up letters and emails from the Animal Services Board with additional details.
