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Avon officials push back after county shifts animal control to sheriff; town will not respond to non‑aggressive impounds
Summary
After the county placed animal-control duties with the sheriff’s office, Avon staff and police said the sheriff now responds only to aggressive animals; towns would have to transport or contract for non‑aggressive strays. Avon staff warned of training, equipment and budget gaps and sought a united municipal response to the county commissioners.
Town and police officials told the council the county’s recent reorganization of animal control to the sheriff’s office effectively removed routine animal‑control services from municipal calls. Deputy Chief Margeson and Chief Sean Stoops described the new sheriff’s policy: the sheriff will respond to aggressive animals and county locations, but non‑aggressive impounds and stray pickups will no longer be dispatched to municipal areas.
Local consequences and concerns: Avon police said the change leaves towns with limited options: transport non‑aggressive animals to the county shelter themselves, contract for animal‑control services, or create a local program. Staff and police raised concerns about officer safety, lack of equipment and vehicles for safe transport, animal quarantine practices, sanitization, liability, and workers’ compensation impacts. Legal staff advised there is no statutory duty requiring the town to provide animal control, reducing legal liability for choosing not to respond.
Interim posture: Chief Stoops said he will instruct Avon officers not to respond to non‑aggressive animal calls (unless an immediate public‑safety threat exists) and recommended the towns take a united front to press the county commissioners for a county-wide solution or funding model. Town managers from Plainfield, Danville and others indicated they did not support a municipality‑by‑municipality approach and preferred county responsibility; staff said pursuing a joint approach to the commissioners is the appropriate next step.
Potential costs and next steps: Staff estimated a contracted animal‑control service might cost in the tens of thousands annually (one staff estimate suggested $50k–$60k but the town had no reliable usage data to firm that up). Staff will coordinate with neighboring towns to present a unified position to county commissioners and return to council with recommendations; council members emphasized protecting officer safety and not ramping up municipal liability or unfunded new services without clear budget authority.
