Animal Control
What is animal control?
Animal control is a term which refers to how stray pets (both dogs and cats) are cared for in a community. Animal control issues affect not only pet owners but also people who find stray pets in Lancaster County. We are making every effort to partner with local municipal leaders and legislators at all levels to continue providing animal control services.
Over the past ten years, a dramatic change in the way that animal shelters operate has started to take place. Across the country, many nonprofit animal welfare organizations have chosen to stop providing free animal control services to local municipalities. After all, providing animal control services for the public’s safety is something that is required by law and is a public service, just like having police protection provided to you is a public service. This change comes from a rising sense that using the donations of animal lovers to support the underfunded government duty of protecting people from pets is not in line with the mission of protecting pets from abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Private, nonprofit animal welfare organizations, including the HLLC, have begun asking municipalities to reimburse them for the cost of providing animal control services.
Currently we charge a $.85 per capita (per person) fee to the municipalities, which is well below the national average of $4 per capita. Many municipalities have chosen not to renew their contracts with us for 2012. While we deeply regret having to close our doors to strays from these areas, we have to insure our financial stability and continue to offer other critical services, such as spay/neuter, foster care, humane investigations and Trap-Neuter-Return.
So, what does all of this mean for our community?
The municipalities who have not contracted with us for 2012 are legally required to pick up and care for stray dogs for a minimum of 48 hours. If you find a stray dog and you live in an area that has chosen not to contract with us, you will need to contact the township or borough office to inquire about the specific plans they have made for the control of stray dogs. What happens to the stray dogs who are not reunited with their owners at the end of the legally mandated 48 hour stray holding period is determined by each individual municipality. If you have lost your dog and live in an area that has not contracted with the HLLC, your pet could be transported to a different shelter many miles away and you will need to call your municipality, the State Dog Wardens, and surrounding area shelters in order to try and locate your pet.
Municipalities are not legally required to provide care or housing for stray cats.
While the HLLC will still accept feral cats (by appointment only) for our Trap-Neuter-Return program regardless of where they are found in Lancaster County, we will be unable to accept stray and lost cats from non-contracting municipalities.
We deeply regret having to close our doors to stray animals from areas that have chosen not to contract with us. However, we have to insure our financial stability and continue to offer critical services, such as foster care, TNR, low cost spay/neuter, alliances with other rescue organizations, low cost vaccine clinics, and behavior and enrichment for shelter animals. It is important to note that we will continue to accept animals being surrendered by their owners (by appointment only) and we will also accept injured/sick animals as well as victims of animal cruelty/neglect regardless of where they are from in Lancaster County.
Please let your municipal leaders and legislators know that you are concerned about the fate of stray animals in your area. We all need to work together to keep our pets and communities safe.
Municipalities that do not contract for animal control
Click here for a list of municipalities, townships, and boroughs that do not currently contract with us for animal control services. If you live in one of these areas and you find a stray animal, you will need to contact your local police or township official and inquire about the animal control services which they are legally required to provide for dogs.
Municipalities who have contracted for 2012
Pequea Township East Petersburg Borough
Columbia Borough
Mount Joy Borough
Upper Leacock
Quarryville Borough
Manheim Township
Lancaster City
Lancaster Township
Strasburg Borough
West Lampeter
