I don't know if any of this was brought up at the meeting back then...but I found this of interest...btw, I am from the Clearwater/Tampa area, so this is why I am so involved with this area as well.....
Fines For Pet Crimes May Be Increased
By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 6, 2008
TAMPA - Hillsborough County is considering charging irresponsible pet owners more so it can beef up its animal control enforcement.
The county's Department of Animal Services is trying to combat the problem of increasing numbers of dog bites in recent years, but Director Bill Armstrong said his field staff of 40 is hard-pressed to address problems in a 1,000-square-mile area.
The department lost one animal control investigator last year because of countywide budget cuts made after the Legislature rolled back property taxes. More cuts might be looming if a Jan. 29 referendum passes that would reduce property taxes further.
Despite losing the officer, the department issued 907 citations last year, seven more than the year before. And in a break from the sharp increases of dog bites in recent years, the number of reported bites decreased from 2,279 in 2006 to 2,040 last year.
"If we lose more officers, we're going to clearly backslide," Armstrong said. "Even though we got fewer bites and issued more citations, those citation numbers are not going to keep up."
Where Fine Revenue Goes
The county would like to use some of the money collected from fines against pet owners to fund the Animal Services department, but that's not how the system works now.
Armstrong told county commissioners Thursday that when the county levies fines for animal violations, the money goes to the clerk of the circuit court or to the state to support court operations.
In 2005, the Legislature shifted responsibility for funding the court system from the counties to the state. The clerk of court collects fines and fees and keeps enough money to cover the clerk's budget; any excess goes to the state.
Armstrong suggested two options for getting penalty money to the county: reducing the fines by $50 and adding a $50 administrative fee, or leaving the fines the same and adding the $50 fee.
Commissioners Kevin White and Rose Ferlita support some type of fee to help Animal Services. White became interested in reviewing county animal control operations after one of his teenage campaign workers was mauled by a pit bull in 2006. He said he favors reducing the fine and adding the fee, which would funnel more money to the county but keep fines the same.
"Sometimes people's dogs just get out," White said. "It could be a Chihuahua or cocker spaniel that's the loose dog, and the fine is the same."
Ferlita, who said she has rescued a number of abused and neglected dogs, said the county's Animal Advisory Committee should look at increasing fines across the board. The county needs to send a "strong statement" to irresponsible dog owners that their actions have consequences, she said.
"This is not the poor taxpayer who is going to have another tax tacked on," Ferlita said. "This is about evaluating what fines we want to charge for people who are violating animal cruelty laws or letting their dogs run loose."
Reducing the fine would decrease the amount of money the clerk of court has to run the court system, said Dan Klein, chief deputy clerk to the county commission.
"If the clerk and the courts lose revenue, we will have to cut expenses on our side to compensate for that loss," said Klein, who works under Clerk of Court Pat Frank. "Maybe the fees need to be increased rather than taking some other agency's revenue away."
Animal Services also conducts programs in schools, teaching children how to stay safe around dogs. The same days the personnel visit schools, they sweep surrounding neighborhoods looking for loose dogs.
Treading Dangerous Path
Animal control officers and investigators often tread a dangerous path. The majority of dog problems are in high-crime neighborhoods, said Dennis McCullough, the department's executive manager for field operations. County animal officers have been assaulted. One was shot with a pellet gun. Last year, an animal control officer in Texas was shot and killed. "Usually people who are irresponsible with their animals are also irresponsible in other areas of their lives," McCullough said. "So we generally deal with a lot of the same people that law enforcement deals with."
But McCullough and Armstrong say the increase in reported dog bites and other offenses may be because of a more-educated public and better media coverage. The recent conviction of pro football star Michael Vick for dog fighting increased public awareness about the pervasiveness of animal cruelty, McCullough said. "We've gone into these areas later and seen that we've made a difference," he said. "But I need officers to do that."
Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or
msalinero@tampatrib.com.
Fines For Pet Crimes May Be Increased