Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Trapping topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee votes to keep wildlife-trapping service; staff cites falling call volume and public-education gains
Summary
After reviewing 5.5 years of data showing declining trapped-wildlife calls and a roughly 30% share of high-risk rabies-vector species, staff recommended continuing the city's wildlife-trapping service; the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote.
Animal Services staff presented historical data on wildlife-trapping responses and recommended the department continue offering a trapping response for Garland residents.
Staff told the committee they reviewed five-and-a-half years of calls for trapped wildlife and noted a downward trend: average calls per day fell from about 3.25 in 2020 to approximately 2.31 in 2024, with about 30 percent of calls involving high-risk rabies-vector species such as skunks, raccoons and foxes. Staff said the per-officer workload equated to roughly 0.58 trapped-wildlife calls per ACO per day, and that declines coincided with a public-education push emphasizing coexistence and deterrence.
Justin Craft explained the department’s current practice for high-risk species: officers respond to calls, impound the animal in the truck and, when warranted, conduct or arrange rabies-specimen testing according to applicable state and local regulations. For non-injured, non-threatening animals staff said they generally relocate animals within the animal’s home range (for example, near creeks, greenbelts or wooded areas adjacent to where the animal was picked up) rather than transporting them far away.
Staff argued that removing the service would shift costs to residents (for example, forcing a fixed-income resident to hire a private trapper) and could reduce opportunities for public education. The department said it will expand wildlife-focused public education on the city’s social-media channels and adjust staffing patterns (moving toward a dedicated Monday–Friday position) to provide consistent weekday coverage.
Committee member Robert Ka (a resident who spoke earlier during public comment) had urged that trapped animals not be released in Garland parks or preserves; staff responded that relocations are generally done within the animal’s home range and not “12 miles away.”
A committee member moved to approve staff’s recommendation “to keep doing what we’re doing.” The motion passed by voice vote with all in favor.
Staff will continue to track wildlife calls and reassess if call volumes rise or patterns change.
