PSC102 State and Local Government
Unit 8: State and Local Government Issue Summary
Due this week is your assignment on a current political issue that is being addressed by a state and/or local government. Having submitted your paper, what is the issue that you chose to write about? Give your fellow classmates a brief summary of the issue you wrote about. In your summary include:
What the issue is?
In California, animal control is primarily handled at the local level, with each city and county establishing its own regulations and procedures. Animal control officers, who may be employed by the city, county, or contracted agencies, respond to various animal-related situations. They enforce local ordinances, investigate animal cruelty, handle stray and injured animals, and manage rabies control programs.
Each city and county handles animal control differently. It can cause extreme stress to people who have lost an animal, and they are trying to figure out the system of where their lost animal may have been taken if picked up. Then they have to navigate sometimes long drives on crowded roads during business hours just to get to the shelter.
Why it is important?
Anyone who has lost a pet knows how difficult it is to attempt to navigate all the agencies and potential resources. Since animal shelters are generally businesses run by government agencies, many follow strict open times of 8 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday. Some may be open on weekends depending on staffing. Some may have online lists of animals that are in the shelter, if the staff exists to maintain those lists. The top priority at shelter is feeding and cleaning and intake of animals since these are all required by law. Animal control is highly regulated by local laws and shelters don’t have options besides keeping animals beyond the mandatory holding time regulated by state laws.
What the opposing sides of the debate are?
The only possible opposing side I would think might exist are the budget people for each jurisdiction who might consider animal control to be a service that does not deserve extensive coverage and big budgets.
Your opinion on the issue since you have now done much research on it.
Since 2009 I have had a small business where I help people find their lost pets with a tracking dog. My desire to start the company was predominantly based on the frustration that I saw people experience who had lost a pet while working in shelters as an Animal Control officer and earlier as a volunteer at shelters in Sonoma County, prior to moving to Fremont to become a Field Officer. My services guide them through all the steps necessary to find their pets and make sure they are checking the proper shelters and talking to the correct authorities. The website is www.thesocialpet1.com
The legal holding time for a stray animal in California is only three days so it is super important that people act immediately to look for their pets in the proper areas. If the animal is not claimed, then the shelter can either euthanize or adopt the animal after three days
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