Richmond's animal control leaves officers in 'difficult' situations

Apr. 4—Currently, animal control efforts in the City of Richmond are primarily handled by The Richmond Police Department (RPD); however, City Manager Rob Minerich reported upcoming changes that will lead to shared responsibilities between the police and Richmond's Codes Enforcement Department.

According to Sergeant Casey Scott, RPD currently gets daily calls regarding animals, from dogs and cats to livestock.

"We get animals running loose, we get animals that have been struck by cars, also animals that are left in vehicles who are left outside in the elements...with inadequate shelter, and then there are nuisance complaints where dogs are barking or chasing people around," he explained.

The sergeant recalled RPD recently receiving "several" calls about the same dog within a week.

In this particular incident, the dog's owner had been repeatedly told to keep the dog inside. However, he had brought the dog out to be chained up once again, and it got off the chain and subsequently chased a neighbor down the street.

Unfortunately, the dog attacked the responding officer, and he had to shoot it.

"The officer was all tore up," Scott said. "It's not anything that we want to do."

According to the city manager, Richmond did not join the interlocal agreement with the county and the City of Berea due to a "lack of support after business hours" with Madison County Animal Shelter, however Scott alleges that similar issues exist with the current system, where most offices "can't be bothered" after hours.

He noted that dropping an animal off at the Humane Society depends on whether somebody is available and if there is enough room for the nonprofit to take care of the animals.

This leaves police officers in a "difficult" situation, the sergeant remarked.

"They (officers) often end up taking the dog or taking an animal themselves to their house and taking care of it," he said.

This can happen, for example, if an animal is left exposed to the elements in freezing weather.

He explained, "I can't just leave it there, because they end up being just as guilty as the people that owned it. So I'll just go ahead and do what I can by taking it home and then taking whatever necessary steps to try and locate the owner in order for it to be returned, or I'll try to get it surrendered."

Minerich confirmed that the city is responsible for veterinary costs accrued by RPD when handling animal welfare situations.

Sergeant Scott clarified that wounds sustained from handling an animal on the job are eligible for the same benefits as any other work-related injury.

Those officers are also subjected to a variety of tests to ensure they were not exposed to harmful diseases, then they are placed on modified (desk) duty or are allowed time off to heal from the injury.

He said, "Something like that puts a burden on everybody else when somebody (an officer) is taken off the street. We don't have somebody to fill that spot. We try to keep our distance as best as we can when we deal with vicious animals, but sometimes things change in an instant."

According to Scott, there have been no off-duty injuries from officers bringing a mistreated animal to their home. He is also unsure if the same coverage would currently extend to off-duty animal injuries of this type.

As an officer who has handled his fair share of animal-related calls, Scott asks the public to just "use common sense" when getting a pet or owning livestock.

"Animals are often viewed as property, but people need to start viewing them as more important than that," he said, clarifying that they should treat them with the same respect for basic needs as they would treat a child, from food to shelter.

He explained that anyone who is struggling with pet ownership and needs assistance can also call RPD to be connected to resources that will ensure that the animal does not end up on the street.

Scott disclosed that he remembers every animal call that has resulted in a death.

"They don't prepare you for that at the academy," he said. "I still remember all of them."

Restructuring animal control

Minerich reported updates on how animal control will be handled in the future.

The city manager says he has begun talks with the county about how to support the animal shelter, which had not been initiated at the time the Register reported on the county's animal welfare policies on Feb. 7.

Minerich said, "Current leadership has given me direction to look at options in financially contributing to the animal shelter."

Representatives from the county confirmed that they are putting together a proposal that will include two options.

In the first option, the City of Richmond would contribute an annual amount like the City of Berea, which currently pays 10% of the shelter's $302,081 operating budget in exchange for services, such as animal control within city limits.

While Richmond provided 25% of the Madison County Animal Shelter's operating budget in the past, the city approved an ordinance to discontinue this in 2020 instead of opting into the interlocal agreement.

Minerich said of the agreement, "Previous leadership determined Richmond Codes Enforcement and (the) police department wasn't receiving the needed support from the animal shelter."

The second option presented by the county would be a boarding fee model.

However, Minerich asserted that the City of Richmond has "always" provided strong support to the animal shelter and humane society.

However, the Humane Society is a local, non-profit, 501©(3) organization serving the community. It is entirely volunteer-run and overseen by a Board of Directors.

The Madison County Humane Society website reads, "We do not provide formal animal control services and do not employ animal control officers. In Madison County, KY, animal control is handled by the Madison County Animal Shelter, a separate authorized agency."

While the Richmond Codes Enforcement Department currently accepts animal-related calls, enforcement fell on RPD.

Minerich disclosed that the city is in the process of implementing animal control as part of Richmond's Codes Enforcement Department "like other cities (its) size."

At the time of reporting, Minerich reported that the city had established a position, adding animal control responsibilities to the Codes Enforcement Officer job description and purchasing a "compliant" vehicle for the job.

An additional Codes Enforcement Officer position will also be advertised soon.

This is part three in a Register series on animal control in Madison County. Read the first and second articles online.