Animal Control Services Department

Kern County Animal Control Services Department is a component department of the Kern County Resource Management Agency. The primary function of Kern County Animal Control (KCAC) is to ensure public protection from dangerous animals and from diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The primary activity of KCAC is the Rabies Control Program. The state law defining the Rabies Control Program includes requirements for the licensing of dogs, rabies vaccination for dogs, animal bite reporting, animal quarantine, stray animal control, and a shelter system. Other services provided to the public by KCAC include low-cost vaccination clinics; investigation of animal cruelty; dead animal removal and disposal; promotion of spaying and neutering; and public education.

Organization

Kern County Animal Control is managed by the Animal Control Services Div ision Chief who reports to the Director of the Resource Management Agency. Senior Animal Control Officers oversee the services that are provided in the unincorporated areas of Bakersfield and the outlying areas; Animal Control Officers and the Dispatcher report to the Senior Animal Control Officers.

The Animal Control Shelters are managed by the Shelter Supervisor who supervises employees at the Bakersfield and Mojave shelters. Staff at the shelters includes two Senior Animal Care Workers, Animal Care Workers, and office staff.

Service Area

Kern County is the third largest county in the state of California and covers 8,172 square miles. The incorporated areas of the county cover 400 square miles; while the remaining 7,772 square miles is unincorporated.

KCAC serves the unincorporated areas of the county, which includes the unincorporated municipalities of Frazier Park, Lamont, Mojave, Oildale, and Rosamond. KCAC provides all or partial animal control services and shelter services to the cities of Arvin, Bakersfield, Delano, Maricopa, and Tehachapi through contractual agreements.

While the population and the number of animals in the service area has continued to grow, the staffing level for the Division has remained constant since 1997.  In order to meet current demands for sheltering, the Bakersfield shelter is being expanded by the addition of a fifth kennel. The City of Bakersfield is constructing a shelter immediately north of the existing facility. Completion is scheduled for mid-summer 2005.

Services and Functions

Licensing and Rabies Vaccination

California State law requires that all dogs in California must be licensed by the local agency providing animal control services. In Kern County a dog cannot be licensed until the owner can show proof of a current rabies vaccination for that dog.

In order to encourage the public to vaccinate their dogs, KCAC provides low-cost vaccination clinics. A clinic is held every other Saturday somewhere in the county. A veterinarian provides the service for a nominal fee; at the same time, Animal Control Services staff is present so participating owners can license their dog(s). The license fee structure provides discount incentives when purchasing a multi-year license and/or the dog has been spayed or neutered.

Animal Bites

KCAC responds to all reports of someone being bitten by an animal. An investigation follows and the animal is either quarantined by the owner or impounded at the shelter for a ten day period. An animal will be tested for rabies by the Department of Public Health if, during the quarantine period, the animal has shown signs of having contracted rabies; or, it is determined at the time of the bite report, it is likely the animal may have rabies.

Stray and Abandoned Animals

The predominant activity of KCAC is responding to the reports of stray and abandoned animals. Officers are in the field Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. responding to these reports. Officers are on-call for emergency situations after during the week and on weekends. When an officer locates stray animals, every attempt is made to return the animals to the owner. When animals do not have any identification, or the owner can't be reached, the animals are impounded and taken to the shelter.

Shelter System

KCAC has two animal shelters. The larger shelter is located at 201 South Mt. Vernon Avenue in Bakersfield and the other one is located at 923 Poole Street, at the Mojave Airport, in Mojave. Both shelters have facilities for dogs and cats. The shelters can accommodate other animals. Occasionally, larger domestic animals enter the shelter such as horses, goats, and pigs as well as more exotic pets such as snakes, lizards, and rabbits.

In order to meet the sheltering needs of the unincorporated area around the City of Ridgecrest and in the Kern River Valley, KCAC has contractual service agreements with the City of Ridgecrest and a private shelter in Lake Isabella.

Spay/Neuter Program

KCAC promotes the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats in order to prevent overpopulation of unwanted animals. Spaying and neutering is promoted by KCAC through education that encourages residents in the unincorporated areas of Kern County to spay or neuter their cats or dogs.

In the United States there is a tremendous overpopulation of unwanted animals, and this is also true in Kern County. Every year thousands of animals are brought to the shelters that are never redeemed by their owners or adopted to new homes. Our program, as most animal control service programs, has far more animals coming into the shelters than we can find homes for, and we don't have the space or funds to keep all these animals.

REMEMBER: BE A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER!

• Vaccinate your pets.
• License your pets.
• Spay/Neuter your pets.

HELP reduce the animal overpopulation.

HELP reduce the number of animals euthanized each year.