Wasilla strays to get temporary housing at borough shelter

MAT-SU -- Stray pets from Wasilla became an issue this week as part of the process of ironing out details between operations of the new Wasilla animal control and the existing Mat-Su Borough animal shelter.

Stray animals brought in from within the city limits of Wasilla were temporarily given no vacancy at the borough's Animal Care and Regulation shelter, but after a teleconference Wednesday, borough staff are once again accepting Wasilla strays for temporary housing. If strays are brought in to the shelter, Houston's Animal Control Chief Officer, Richard Molburg, will pick them up and transfer them to areas Houston has contracted with to board the animals.

The borough's Animal Care division has previously had an open-door policy toward animal drop-offs, but that policy changed slightly after Wasilla ended its arrangement with the borough and contracted with Houston to perform animal control services.

"It would be expending borough assets for a municipal issue," Dave Allison, the borough's chief ACR officer said Wednesday. "If borough taxpayers were taking care of Wasilla's strays, then we would be supplanting their budget, and that's not right."

Initially, Allison said, the borough shelter was accepting animals from Wasilla residents, then calling Molburg to have those animals picked up that day. Allison said that changed when Houston City Clerk Dale Ann Pond said they'd no longer pick up the animals. Wasilla Mayor Dianne Keller said Houston was being requested to pick up animals that had no paperwork proving they came from the city. Now, she said, people dropping animals off need to fill out a form and be clear as to where, exactly, the animal came from. If it came from within the city limits, it'll be taken to Houston for impound.

What residents shouldn't do, Allison said, is drop animals off on roadsides to avoid taking them to a shelter.

"It's against the law," Allison said. "If they have a stray in their possession and just dump it out on the road, it's abandonment and they can be cited. We don't want to do that."

Allison said he's encouraging people to take stray animals to Houston, as well, since doing so would save time and effort on all involved. And, he said, it will get people used to the process of working through the proper channels. But through the transition, and beyond, as needed, Allison said the borough will continue to help where it can.

"My thought is, we'll help them as best we can, within reason, to do the best they can do," Allison said.

Pond said Houston has facilities to house the animals, and Wasilla and Houston residents can also drop off strays at city hall in Houston.

"We have a place for them," Pond said. The Houston city hall is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Although the city doesn't yet have an after-hours drop-off location, as the borough shelter does, Pond said Molburg can be contacted to pick up the strays at any time.

"We have a number they can call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Pond said. That number is 354-4620. She said ads will be appearing in the Frontiersman newspaper with contact information later this week. Keller said the city will be placing ads on the radio and in newsprint as well as sending notices out to city residents on their sewer and water bill.

People who have lost an animal are welcome to call the 24-hour number, or to call city hall at 892-6869. Pond said although the animals aren't available for viewing, city staff take descriptions of the lost animal and try to match them with descriptions of the found animals they keep on file. To help the process, Pond said, their office will get a scanner that can recognize microchips this week.

Pond said word seems to be getting around quickly as to how to contact them for animal control problems.

"People seem to be having no problem getting in touch with us," Pond said.