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Residents, rescues urge Antioch not to outsource animal services, cite public safety and staffing concerns
Summary
Multiple rescue groups and volunteers urged the council during public comment to retain locally run Antioch Animal Services and to fill vacant animal‑services positions, warning that outsourcing to the county could slow response times and reduce individualized care.
A coalition of Antioch animal-welfare volunteers, nonprofit leaders and residents used public comment at the April 28 council meeting to press elected officials not to transition Antioch Animal Services to county operation.
Several speakers — including Michelle Kousas of Friends of Animal Services, Carolyn Steen of Roadies Rescue and Tiffany Middleman, president of Canine Paw Print Rescue — warned that Contra Costa County animal services are already stretched thin and that moving Antioch operations to the county could worsen response times for dangerous‑dog calls, bite incidents and hoarding or neglect investigations.
"Animal services is not just a shelter. It is a frontline public safety department," said Michelle Kousas, citing animal-control responses to aggressive or injured animals. "When operations shift to a regional or county level, that connection can be lost," she said, urging the council to keep local control and to prioritize filling the animal‑services manager and animal‑control officer vacancies.
Tiffany Middleman, who identified herself as an Antioch resident and veteran rescue operator, framed the issue as public‑safety and fiscal: properly staffed local services generate licensing and enforcement revenue, she said, while understaffing depresses revenue and increases long‑term costs. "Choosing not to fill critical positions while exploring outsourcing is a failure of responsibility," Middleman said.
Speakers recounted specific local experiences: Carolyn Steen said her rescue often responds to animals that go days or weeks without county help; Nicole, an East Bay rescue volunteer, contrasted the county shelter’s limited case knowledge with Antioch staff who know individual animals and histories. Several speakers asked the council to invest in existing local operations rather than move functions to the county.
City staff and council did not vote on outsourcing at the meeting but heard repeated public demand to keep Antioch Animal Services locally staffed and accountable. Multiple commenters requested the council fill vacancies and consider capacity-building investments to maintain response levels and animal-welfare outcomes.
The council did not take immediate action on the outsourcing question during the meeting; the public comments were entered into the record and will inform future staff recommendations and any policy decisions.
