City Councilman Says Philly Animal Control Is Still 'Underfunded'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's Animal Control Team is greatly improved but still in need of upgrades, according to testimony before a City Council committee last week, and the committee chair hopes to get the team some help.
Councilman Bobby Henon called the hearing to share with his colleagues what he's learned since joining the Board of ACCT or Animal Care and Control Team -- the non-profit responsible for enforcing city animal codes and providing recovery and adoption services.
"You're underfunded and you need more space," said Henon.
ACCT takes in 23,000 animals a year and houses about 340 animals a day, but occupies just 19,000 square feet, which it shares with vector control.
Witness Inga Fricke testified that doesn't meet minimum standards.
"Animals who are kept in cramped, substandard conditions experience greater stress," she said. "The higher their stress, the higher their susceptibility to disease."
Fricke and all the witnesses praised ACCT director and staff, saying the four-year-old non-profit is a huge improvement over the previous conditions, but urged the city to give it a better home and more money.
