Lady and the Tramp Are Lucky…For Now; Eureka Has No Animal Control Officer

Eureka has been without a Animal Control Officer for under a month and it isn’t easy.

According to Eureka Police Department spokesperson Brittany Powell, “Somebody in the department just said, ‘I never realized how much our animal control officer did until we don’t have one.'”

The department is working on filling the position soon but the process is lengthy. Powell said that the person has to go through a background check, take a polygraph test, and get a psychiatric evaluation. “It’s very extensive,” she explained.

Meanwhile, she said, “We just don’t have the resources to respond to a stray dog.” Picking up an animal and taking it to McKinleyville where the animal shelter is located, she explained, “takes an officer off the field for an hour.”

This doesn’t mean that the animal control position has been completely left undone. “We will respond to aggressive dogs,” she said. An officer is sent to deal but in the case of lost or stray animals, the department is depending upon citizens to help. “We are definitely appreciative of anyone who is able to pick up [a stray] animal and take them to the shelter,” Powell said.

Humboldt County Lost and Found Pets has been helpful, she said, trying to match stray animals with those reported lost and get the owners to pick the strays up. People who are able to take strays that have not been reconnected to the owner to the Shelter are helping the department out, she explained.

“We thank the community for working with us on this and hope to be up and running soon,” Powell said.