Animal Control Officer Tracy Root pleaded with the Board of Selectmen last night to increase her budget. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – Animal Control Officer Tracy Root pleaded with the Board of Selectmen last night to increase her budget.
Root said she understood that departments were expected to submit level-funded budgets – or even lower budgets – this year but Root said she needs experienced help and asked to increase part-time employee Krisanne Quinn-Keene from 19 hours per week to 22 hours.
“We are growing,” said Root. “We opened in October and by Nov. 14, we had 52 animals.”
Root said Quinn-Keene is her second in command and could easily handle some of the tasks that bog her down.
“I do a lot of paperwork and this could free me up to get out and do what I’m supposed to do,” Root said.
Root said Quinn-Keene could enter data about dog licenses, handle phone calls and continue to care for the animals – including administering medications – and clean, as she does now.
Root said when there is a loose animal or a call she needs to respond to now, she often has to lock up the building. Root and Quinn-Keene both said while volunteers are wonderful and have the best intentions, the bottom line is that they do not get paid and are not required to be there.
“It is very hard to get volunteers to come every weekend in the summer,” said Quinn-Keene.
Selectman Joseph Deedy acknowledged the growth of the department since the Polverari family donated and built the brand new facility last fall. He also said it’s unfortunate that the fees collected by Root are returned to the general fund instead of her department to offset costs.
Root said the town pays salaries, heat, electricity, and water for the animal control facility.
“The medications are donated, the food is donated, supplies are donated,” said Root.
Root said when she took the position seven yeas ago there were 380 dog licenses in town. Today there are more than 1,600.
The license fee for a spayed/neutered animal is $10, and an unspayed/un-neutered animal is $25. Root said there are about 200 of the $25 licenses issued.
Board Chairman Russell Fox said there are some long-term considerations, including researching the creation of a revolving fund and possibly increasing fees. He said he wants to look into both possibilities for next fiscal year.
“In the meantime, I think we have to get the volunteer program up and running,” said Fox.
Fox also said the town maintenance department has been authorized to clean the animal control facility several hours per week.
Following the discussion with the board, Root and Quinn-Keene were both upset.
“Shame on them,” said Root of the board. “I feel like I just got kicked. Shame on them for accepting that building knowing what the Polveraris wanted to do.”
Quinn-Keene said she has been working for free for several hours each week and she and Root switch-off working weekends to care for the animals and set up adoption visits. She said just cleaning the facility takes several hours each day and the fact that the town is now going to pay a maintenance employee to do what she has been doing for months instead of paying her is upsetting.
“The community cares about this facility,” Root said. “We have seniors who stop in to visit and talk to us – I think for some of them we’re the only people they talk to some days.”
Quinn-Keene said residents bring in donations daily to help the facility remain open and able to care for so many animals, but they cannot continue to offer the same care and service without more hours.
“A lot of people want to volunteer and think they are experienced, but they are not,” she told the board.
Root added that she is worried that a volunteer could sue the town if something happens while they are at the facility alone.
“I want to protect the town, too,” she said.
