Last week, a pit bull bit a county employee in the neck at the Santa Barbara animal shelter. The employee recovered quickly; the dog, which had previously been deemed unadoptable, was euthanized. The employee has returned to work, but the matter briefly arose Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting, which included an update about the county’s Animal Services program, long fraught with contention.
The attack highlighted longtime tension between county staff and volunteers — some associated with BUNS (Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter), ASAP (Animal Shelter Assistance Program), and DAWG (Dog Adoption & Welfare Group), among others — that long have supported the department.
In an effort to improve the department, the county supervisors last year hired an independent firm to audit Animal Services. In February, the study recommended, among many things, “The practice of the County Government allowing volunteers to exert undue influence over euthanasia decisions must stop.”