Officer Jason Costa was appointed the new animal control officer. The job was moved to be part of the Police Department upon the retirement of ACO Michael McClay.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Police always had to respond to animal control calls and Officer Jason Costa never minded.

"I always gravitated toward those calls," Costa said on Wednesday. "We've always responded to them, that's nothing new. And basically we would call the animal control officer if we needed to transport the dog."

 

Earlier this year, Animal Control Officer Michael McClay, with whom the town contracted part time with to serve in the role, retired and town officials decided to make the job part of the Police Department.

 

Costa decided to take his response to the next level.

 

In June, he was appointed the new animal control officer. He is now picking up all of the inspections and documentation work that comes with animal cases and will handle much of the work during regular shifts.

 

There is also some money in the budget for when he is off duty and called to an animal complaint, giving the town more coverage.

 

"It benefits everybody. It benefits the town. It benefits the Police Department," Costa said. "If I'm already on the clock, I can multi-task."

 

Chief Timothy Sorrell said the decision was made to bring the position into the department to eliminate an officer from being the "middleman" in complaints, and noted there are often overlaps in cases. After the town administrator agreed, Costa stepped up to add the part-time role to his job. 

 

"I thought it made sense because we've been handling most of the calls," Sorrell said. "Sometimes the animal complaints can turn into criminal investigations."

 

Or vice versa, Sorrell said. He said there could be animal abuse, dog fighting, or neglected animals stemming from an inspection or complaint. Or a police call could turn into an animal control issue. 

 

"Some of those calls can roll over," Sorrell said. 

 

The job also plays a role in community policing, Costa added. The animal control work connects the officers with the town's residents by increasing their visibility and relationships. 

 

"It is a form of law enforcement so it belongs here," Costa said.

 

But it is more than just bringing it into a town department, it is keeping the officer local and accessible. 

 

Costa is a pet owner, lives in town, know most of the town's animals and their owners already. With some 500 registered dogs in town, that inherent knowledge can go a long way toward making sure pets are safe.

 

"I figured I'd be a good advocate for the pet community," Costa said.

 

That accessibility has already doubled the typical call volume. Since July, Costa has responded to 55 animal calls, mostly for stray dogs. He also launched a Facebook page on which he can post photos of the dogs he doesn't know, accept tips, and try to reconnect the pets with their owners. 

 

"It's taken off pretty well. It's an excellent resource for locating lost pets," Costa said. "We'll be proactive in locating the owner."

 

He tries to find the owners, return the pets, and give registration and licensing information first before going to the Eleanor Sonsini Shelter in Pittsfield, where a fee for release is charged. 

 

Costa's role will be increasing with training. He's also expected to take on such tasks as barn inspections and looking after farm animals. So far, just a few months in, he said the transition has been "seamless" and he's just waiting for the next trainings to be offered locally.

 

To help with his job, Sayers Auto Wrecking donated a new truck. The former Terminex truck was bought at auction and a cap was purchased for it at half cost. The Police Department used some of the money in the animal control budget to fix up the truck and a kennel will be attached to the bed, and protected by the cap, to transport animals. 

 

"The other one was shot. They couldn't get a sticker," Hank Sayers, a selectman and owner of Sayers Auto Wrecking, said. "We're just trying to save the Lanesborough taxpayer some money."

 

Town Administrator Paul Sieloff said the donation is "very helpful to us" because it solved the decision of what to do with the previous truck and how to pay for a new one.

 

"The one we had was really falling apart," Sieloff said.

 

Sayers said he's been looking for about six months for a new truck. The Terminex vehicle was similar to the Chevy S-10 pickup the previous animal control officer drove. That S-10 is was donated back to Sayers for scrap. 

 

Sayers has previously donated vehicles he bought at auction to the Police Department for a K-9 unit vehicle and for the department's Auxiliary Police. 

 

Sorrell said the department is looking into having body work done by inmates at the Berkshire County House of Correction, adding new emergency lights; a radion is already installed. The vehicle will also be lettered to match the cruisers.