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Hernando Today

Animal Services To Close On Saturday

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: July 16, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - County residents who want to adopt an animal or secure a pet license through Hernando County Animal Services are now going to have to find time during the work week to do it.
County commissioners voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to close the facility to the public on Saturday, effective immediately. The shelter had been open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that day.

Cutting those hours is the lesser of the evils in the face of a tight budget, Code Enforcement Director Mark Caskie told the commission. A senior kennel officer is retiring this year and because of the countywide hiring freeze, Caskie will no longer have the staff to remain open to the public Saturdays.

"Five days is the best I can do to run a safe operation," Caskie said.

A staffer will still be on hand to feed the animals and clean the kennels.

Chairman Chris Kingsley voted against the measure. He wondered why the facility couldn't be closed on a weekday and remain open the entire day on Saturday for residents and their families who work during the week.

"It seems to me that makes more sense," Kingsley said.

Caskie noted the shelter is open until 6 p.m. each Thursday.

As well, the shelter keeps animals five days before euthanizing them. Closing on weekday would add another day, which would be good for the animals but have a budget impact, he said.

When Caskie admitted the decision is "probably not the most customer service-friendly," Kingsley said, "What's the motto of the county? At your service."

The vote came with the request by the commission for Caskie to see if inmates or other community service workers might be used to stay open on Saturday.

Caskie also acknowledged that closing on Saturday could affect the adoption rate at the shelter.

"Adoptions is a place where we possibly could suffer," he said.

That worries the Hernando County Kennel Club, MaryAnn Haring told the commission.

"The euthanasia rates alarm us," said Haring, the club's treasurer. "We don't want to see them go up."

Visitor counts indicate Saturday might be the shelter's busiest day if it were open for eight hours.

An average of 125 visitors come the shelter each weekday, or 15.6 people per hour. On Saturdays, 80 people visit during the 4.5 hours. That's 17.8 visitors per hour.

In an interview after the vote, Caskie acknowledged that staying open a full day on Saturday likely wouldn't cost or save any money in terms of staff time. But with just 15 employees, "It's very difficult to shift that around," he said.

County Administrator David Hamilton backed up Caskie's recommendation, which Hamilton told commissioners is "a proactive approach." Hamilton also warned that the issue is an indication of things to come as the county grapples with ways to operate with less revenue.

"There are going to be more of these types of decisions ... that will be just as challenging if not more challenging," he said.

New hours for Animal Services

Hernando County Animal Services, 19450 Oliver St., Brooksville, will no longer be open on Saturdays, effectively immediately.

Here are the new hours:

Monday-Wednesday, Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: Closed.

For more information, call 796-5062.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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