Sewickley has a new animal control officer.
Council approved a one-year deal will Delmont-based Hoffman Kennels.
The vote was unanimous at this month’s meeting.
Borough officials said Hoffman Kennels was the only company to submit a proposal for the service.
Cost is $200 per month with calls on an as-needed basis.
Council president Cynthia Mullins said this is the first time she can recall the borough ever having an official dog catcher.
“I have lived here 21 years, and I am not aware that the borough has ever had a dedicated animal control officer,” she said. “The police department has been very good about locating the owners of lost dogs. The contract with Hoffman is intended to address incidents that involve aggressive animals.”
Police Chief David Mazza said the Allegheny County dog warden was called on in previous years to help with animal situations.
“If the situation met their criteria, they would respond,” Mazza said. “They were always a good source of information and guidance for us when it came to situations dealing with dogs.”
The chief said having a contracted animal control service provider will help with incidents such as dog attacks and situations involving such victims.
“We rarely have the need (for animal control),” Mazza said. “We don’t utilize them for lost dogs or things of that nature. We have a pretty high success rate of returning people’s dogs … But when you have a victim involved you want someone who does that stuff every day.
“They just simply know animal laws better. Police are rarely trained with animal laws. Having a resource such as Hoffman Kennels benefits the police department. It also benefits the residents.”
Mazza noted there were some negative reviews of the business on social media, but other law enforcement agencies vouched for Hoffman’s services.
The kennel has served Penn Hills, Oakmont, Hampton and several other communities for years. Leechburg officials approved a new two-year deal with the company in October.
