Political Dogfight Expected Over City Animal Shelter : Services: Several council candidates say the facility is an example of lavish spending.

Less than a year after building a much-vaunted $2.3-million animal control shelter, politics could force the city out of the cat and dog business.

While the shelter is praised by animal lovers for its progressive, pro-life policy, it is also under fire from several declared City Council candidates in the November election who claim the facility represents lavish overspending by the city.

Nobody is suggesting that the building be torn down, but if the anti-shelter forces gain a council majority, the city could end up selling the shelter or turning it over to somebody else to run.

“If elected, I wouldn’t stand with what we have today,” said candidate Larry Gilbert. “The animal shelter is something a lot of people can point a finger at as an example of excessive expenditure by the council.”

The price tag for the shelter included 39 acres of mostly unbuildable hillside property. It opened last October, sharply dividing the community between dog and cat lovers on one side and those who resent so much public money being spent on animals on the other.

So far, three of the five declared council candidates oppose the shelter. But in what promises to be a real political dogfight, animal lovers promise to be ready for them.

Council member Sharon Cody, who routinely plucks pets off the street and places them in adoptive homes, said anyone who intends to abolish the city’s animal control program is in for a bruising battle.

“I’ve known for a long time there could be people elected who think the best thing to do with a dog is to drown it,” said Cody, who founded the animal shelter. “I challenge all the animal lovers who have talked to me to make sure these individuals do not become council members.”

Standing behind her is a ready-made volunteer organization, the 100-member Friends of Mission Viejo Animals who already volunteer thousands of hours at the city shelter.

City officials are taking the challenge seriously.

With three council seats open in November, it would take two anti-shelter candidates winning office--and joining longtime shelter opponent Councilman William S. Craycraft--to gain a majority capable of changing the shelter’s operation.

Gilbert and like-minded candidates said they would open discussions with county animal control to operate animal services out of the shelter.

They say the city could also privatize animal control, selling or leasing the shelter to an outside company and contracting services with that group.

“My first feeling would be to negotiate with other communities,” said Tom Potocki, who has taken out papers to run for the council. “This shelter is and has been an example of excessive spending, but we need to turn it into something viable, whether that means privatization, dealing with the county or a regional concept.”

“Those in Mission Viejo who have animals and pets are just delighted they have this fantastic government program at little or no money,” said former councilman Norman P. Murray, who is strongly considering running again in November. “But can Mission Viejo afford to subsidize this program?

The shelter has a $355,000 annual budget, which pays for five employees and upkeep on the 32 kennels and its 2,500-square-foot office. The net annual cost is about $80,000 more than the city paid county animal control two years ago, before the local shelter opened.

Pet owners get far more than a pro-life policy that bans euthanizing animals, city officials say.

One animal control officer is on duty at all times, compared to the one or two county employees who patrol all of South County, said Assistant City Attorney Dan Joseph.

“They care more,” Cody said. “Recently, a man had his dog run over by a car. The officer who told him stayed around and consoled him, put his arm around him. You can’t buy that kind of service.”

Cody is racing against time, trying to put together the one proposal that satisfies all the candidates: making the shelter a regional program.

Invitations have been extended to San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano to consider running their animal control programs from the Mission Viejo shelter.

“A regional system certainly makes more sense than one city going on its own,” Laguna Niguel City Manager Tim Casey said. “On the other hand, there’s a question of costs.”

Casey said an initial Mission Viejo estimate shows his city would pay $50,000 to $150,000 more than the cost of county animal control services, but added that the figure could drop if more cities sign on.

Whatever the final figure, Cody said cities will be getting great value for their money.

“Bottom line is we’re providing an extraordinary service in this community,” she said. “We’ve saved over 1,000 animals from being euthanized so far. At the end of every leash we send out the door is a person whose life will be touched by this animal.”

Deluxe Shelter Opened: October, 1993 Area: 2,500 square feet Accommodations: 32 kennels (can be divided to house 64 dogs) and 20 cat cages Cost: $2.3 million, including $1 million for 39 acres of land Annual budget: $355,000 Paid employees: Five Volunteers: About 50, four hours per week, for clerical duties as well as exercising, feeding and cleaning animals. Source: City of Mission Viejo