ACT close to taking over animal control services for Fresno County

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County panel has recommended the Animal Compassion Team take over animal control services. Three other groups - the Central California SPCA, California Animal Control and Valley Life Animal Control also entered bids.

ACT has operated a no-kill sanctuary for six years. It now has the inside track to a Fresno County contract. Tracy Crutchfield of ACT saw it as a philosophical change.

She explained, "Progressive animal services rather than what we've had in the past here which is really just animal control that serves as sort of a disposal site."

Crutchfield said in 2012, 515 animals a week were killed in Fresno. The stat was not acceptable to ACT. She said, "Last year I believe the county only did 130 adoptions and we did 1200."

The county shelter was being run by California Animal Control. A new shelter could be built in two years but Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea believed ACT will need to make some difficult decisions.

Perea said, "We want to save as many animals as we can but also understand the reality of we are in the business of animal control."

Perea said locally about 70% of unwanted pets are put to sleep. "That's a sad statement but that's the reality of what we live in so I think within their philosophy of that they're going to transition the philosophy of animal control and find that middle ground."

The all-volunteer group which operates solely on donations already had some personnel in mind should the bid be officially approved.

Fresno County supervisors are expected the vote on animal control services on August 25th.