El Paso commission sustains 3-day suspension for animal control officer over documentation failures

The El Paso Civil Service Commission on an unspecified date voted unanimously to exclude new evidence submitted after a hearing and to sustain a hearing officer’s recommendation that Animal Services Officer Brian Dominguez be suspended for three days for failing to complete required BMR (vaccination/registration/inventory) documentation following a multi-dog inspection.

Hearing Officer Patricia Palafox, who wrote a 14-page recommendation, told the commission she had already summarized the facts and would address the question of newly submitted evidence after presentations by Dominguez and the city attorney. Dominguez told commissioners he filed additional material "after the hearing" because, as a nonlawyer, he only realized from the hearing officer’s recommendation and a civil service email that he could submit supplemental evidence. "I submitted this information later so it could get a sense of how things have been done prior and after my inspection," Dominguez said.

Assistant City Attorney Matt Marquez…