Concerns over shelter staffing

This letter is in protest of the proposed animal shelter attendant position hours. Half-time hours for this position are unacceptable.

The animal shelter brings in money for Trinity County, so if the shelter is not available to the public on a full-time basis, this means less revenue comes into the coffers, as well as being a disservice to the community as a whole.

When there is not a fulltime attendant, the shelter must be closed in order for the animal control officer to respond to calls. The animal control officer will be limited in performing the routine duties needed in the field. This is not efficient use of the funds that support the shelter.

A full-time attendant is knowledgeable concerning the day-to-day running of the shelter, familiar with many of the clients, the various histories of the animals, and handles several different jobs within the shelter, as well as supervising the inmate worker and the volunteers.

Volunteers cannot function at the same level as the shelter attendant. A volunteer only spends one day a week, sometimes less, and does not have the knowledge or skills of the attendant. The volunteers are at the shelter to assist the attendant, not to take her place.

Please call or write (or both) your supervisor if you believe this is an important issue.