Maricopa partners with county for animal control

Maricopa folks who have need for animal control services might get a bit confused when the city of Maricopa Animal Control truck rolls up to one of their homes to pick up a stray or unwanted animal, and the driver emerges from the vehicle wearing a Pinal County Animal Care and Control uniform.

That’s because rather than forming its own animal control department after Maricopa incorporated in October 2003, the city opted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Pinal County.

At the start of the agreement, the city had the full-time use of a county animal control officer and, until a little more than a year ago, when Maricopa purchased its own animal control vehicle, also had use of a county vehicle.

“Pretty early on, we were able to offer the citizens of Maricopa 24/7 animal control services without having to form our own department, which would have been a huge expenditure for a newly formed city,” said Roger Kolman, former assistant city manager. Kaye Dickson, Pinal County Animal Care and Control director, said Kolman had a hand in negotiating the original agreement between Maricopa and the county.

The city started off paying the cost of an officer, mileage on the vehicle, and the cost of housing the animals and whatever ancillary costs there may be concerning care for those animals out at Eleven Mile Corner.

Since, the city has bought and equipped its own vehicle.

County statutes require the shelter to hold a stray animal for 72 hours as a precaution to give owners an opportunity to claim their animals, so the city pays costs for the first three days and nights, and then costs revert to the county.

The county handles after-hours coverage.