The Animal Control Division is responsible for picking up stray dogs and cats, investigating animal bites, abandonment, animal cruelty cases and other complaints.Our goal is to keep all owned animals confined to their property and to ensure animals are vaccinated and licensed. Our objectives are:

• To minimize the risk of rabies outbreaks and threats to the public health and safety by vaccinating the majority of dogs and cats against the disease.
• To reduce the number of dogs and cats euthanized at the Humane Societies.
• To provide a pro-active response to dangerous dogs to reduce the number of animal bites
• To provide the public with a timely response to complaints and adequate follow-up to ensure complaint resolution.
• To promote responsible pet ownership.
  

Animal Control Officers must complete a 40-hour certification course before becoming an Animal Control Officer and a minimum of 4 hours of refresher training per year to stay certified.

Animal Control picks up approximately 1,200 animals each year and transports them to the local humane societies. Countywide, approximately 15,000 dogs and cats are destroyed each year due to a lack of homes. If you are interested in adopting a pet or volunteering at one of the humane societies, see the More Information section below.