Solano County Sheriff's Office Thomas A. Ferrara, Sheriff-Coroner*

- Members of Solano Animal Control Authority (SACA) indicated concern with the contract and lack of cooperation from Humane Animal Services (HAS) in providing appropriate fiscal information. <b>Response to Finding 1</b> – This matter is not under my control. <b>Recommendation 1</b> – SACA, the contracting party, review, renegotiate and rethink the existing contract. SACA send out requests for proposals to find an agency that provides appropriate fiscal information. <b>Response to Recommendation 1</b> – This matter is not under my control.

- Licensing is the law, not a choice. All interviewed enforcement agencies admitted that implementing licensing laws is a low priority. Response to Finding 2 – I agree with the finding.

- Animal Care/Animal Control services in Solano County are not consistent or easily accessed. <b>Response to Finding 3</b> – I disagree partially with the finding. While service providers vary by jurisdiction, resulting in some differences in the way services are provided, those under my control are consistent and easily accessed. The Solano County Sheriff's Office has a single line for Vallejo that has been in place for a number of years and is familiar to the residents of Vallejo. The unincorporated area uses a different line without a Vallejo prefix. Both numbers connect citizens to the same phone tree that will give them options to best meet their needs. Citizens are often confused as to whom they should call for Animal Care vs Animal Control, this single phone tree will get them to the most appropriate service provider. In some cases 9-1-1 is utilized by citizens when they feel the exigency of the problem warrants it. 9-1-1 calls in Vallejo go to the Vallejo Police Department Dispatch Center and can then be forwarded to Solano Dispatch. 9-1-1 calls originating from unincorporated areas go directly to Solano Dispatch. Solano Dispatch can then directly radio Sheriff's Animal Control Officers or forward the call to the desk officer. <b>Recommendation 3</b> - The cities in Solano County develop a communication system that connects all responding agencies and allows citizens to access needed assistance with a single call. <b>Response to Recommendation 3</b> – The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not reasonable. It is unlikely that a single phone line could be established county wide for all animal control issues. Solano County has two Animal Control Agencies (Solano County Sheriff's Animal Control and Humane Animal Services) that have different jurisdictions. Additionally, there is the Solano County Shelter (Fairfield), Humane Services of the North Bay (Vallejo), and SPCA (Vacaville). Each of these entities provides different services to different areas of the county. Additionally, each of these entities is funded through different sources. With all the different services each of these entities provides, a single line phone tree would need to have an extraordinarily high number of options to get the user to the proper service provider. It would be similar to a single non-emergency line for all of the police departments, jails and fire departments in the county.

- There is no effective program in Solano County to ensure animal license enforcement and compliance. Response to Finding 4 – I disagree partially with the finding. The Solano County Animal Control Bureau utilizes the information supplied by Pet Data to inform unlicensed dog owners of their obligation to license their dog within our area of jurisdiction. Officers in the field frequently warn or issue citations to unlicensed dog owners when they are contacted during a call for service. The volume of calls we receive does not allow officers the time to visit individual unlicensed dog owners for the sole purpose of issuing a citation.

- Veterinarians are the first line of defense in addressing the health and safety of family pets, yet there is no effort to create a collaborative program to ensure that pets in Solano County are licensed. <b>Response to Finding 5</b> – This matter is not under my control.