Post by michele5611 on Dec 4, 2013 16:13:13 GMT -5
www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/1722782-8/humane-society-city-disagree-on-pit-bull-numbers
YAKIMA, Wash. — An animal shelter and the city agency in Yakima responsible for helping enforce the city’s pit bull ban have two very different numbers on how many banned breeds have been picked up by animal control officers this year.
In documents provided to the Yakima City Council in November, City Code Enforcement Manager Joe Caruso said animal control officers have picked up 39 such dogs from the start of the year through Oct. 17. The Humane Society of Central Washington, which keeps a separate log of what dogs are turned in by animal control staff, says 103 have been turned in this year through late November.
“Obviously we’re not comparing apples to apples, and I don’t know why,” Executive Director Wendy St. George said.
Caruso said he “highly doubts” the higher number is accurate, based on his confidence in his department’s reporting system and the sheer size of the discrepancy. He said until late summer the city was working with only two animal control officers before it bumped up to four officers, and he doesn’t think the city could have brought in that many with such a small staff.
“I can’t see making that many mistakes,” Caruso said. “Maybe four or five, but that number is quite large.”
At a Nov. 12 Yakima City Council study session, Caruso presented the 39 figure as evidence that the city’s ban and education on the street was working to lower the number of pit bulls in city limits. He said animal control had picked up 96 dogs in 2009, 81 in 2010, 61 in 2011, and 72 in 2012.
St. George and Caruso said they plan to meet to address the difference.
“If I had known the numbers Joe had didn’t reflect the same as ours, I would have got in touch with him right away,” St. George said.
At the Yakima City Council’s Tuesday night meeting, Caruso stood by his department’s numbers without mentioning the discrepancy. In contentious arguments between council members about upholding the ban, Councilman Dave Ettl cited the department’s numbers as evidence that the ban was working, but Councilwoman Kathy Coffey said that might be jumping to conclusions.
“The fact is that the figures we received don’t coincide with what the Humane Society picked up,” Coffey said. “There’s still some question out there.”
YAKIMA, Wash. — An animal shelter and the city agency in Yakima responsible for helping enforce the city’s pit bull ban have two very different numbers on how many banned breeds have been picked up by animal control officers this year.
In documents provided to the Yakima City Council in November, City Code Enforcement Manager Joe Caruso said animal control officers have picked up 39 such dogs from the start of the year through Oct. 17. The Humane Society of Central Washington, which keeps a separate log of what dogs are turned in by animal control staff, says 103 have been turned in this year through late November.
“Obviously we’re not comparing apples to apples, and I don’t know why,” Executive Director Wendy St. George said.
Caruso said he “highly doubts” the higher number is accurate, based on his confidence in his department’s reporting system and the sheer size of the discrepancy. He said until late summer the city was working with only two animal control officers before it bumped up to four officers, and he doesn’t think the city could have brought in that many with such a small staff.
“I can’t see making that many mistakes,” Caruso said. “Maybe four or five, but that number is quite large.”
At a Nov. 12 Yakima City Council study session, Caruso presented the 39 figure as evidence that the city’s ban and education on the street was working to lower the number of pit bulls in city limits. He said animal control had picked up 96 dogs in 2009, 81 in 2010, 61 in 2011, and 72 in 2012.
St. George and Caruso said they plan to meet to address the difference.
“If I had known the numbers Joe had didn’t reflect the same as ours, I would have got in touch with him right away,” St. George said.
At the Yakima City Council’s Tuesday night meeting, Caruso stood by his department’s numbers without mentioning the discrepancy. In contentious arguments between council members about upholding the ban, Councilman Dave Ettl cited the department’s numbers as evidence that the ban was working, but Councilwoman Kathy Coffey said that might be jumping to conclusions.
“The fact is that the figures we received don’t coincide with what the Humane Society picked up,” Coffey said. “There’s still some question out there.”
I look forward to learning much here