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Internal Memorandum

Police Department

SUBJECT: Animal Calls. Police Response

Sir, regarding our recent conversations concerning police officers responding to animalrelated calls; I would like to inform you of the following.

While researching this issue, Officer Paul Lacey contacted the following LawEnforcement Agencies:

Webster Groves Police DepartmentSunset Hills Police DepartmentKirkwood Police Department

Sunset Hills Police Department:Lt. Greg Zveitel of the Sunset Hills Police Department was interviewed on this topic. Lt.Zveitel informed this Department that they do respond to animal related calls, however;they provide no equipment or training to their officers. They will contact animal controlagencies and attempt to follow their instructions. They allow S1.Louis County AnimalControl to handle all animal calls if available. Lt. Zveitel indicated that his officers wouldrespond to dog at large calls if the location of the dog is known. If the dog is docile andwill get into a patrol car, they will transport it to the Police Department and attempt tocontact the owner. If this is not possible, they will contact S1.Louis County AnimalControl for pick up.

In the case of a sick raccoon, Sunset Hills Officers will respond and euthanize theanimal with a department firearm. A memorandum documenting the firearm dischargeis written. There is no written policy concerning this procedure.

TO: James A. Eckrich

FROM: Michael L. Paillou

DATE: May 14, 2009

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Lt. Zveiteil stated that his agency was very happy with the response from St. LouisCounty Animal Control and indicated that they are much better prepared to deal with allanimal related calls. He indicated that they are also better equipped to deal withenforcement as the penalties at the county level are more severe and his officers arenot expending their efforts enforcing .animal regulations.

Webster Groves Police Department:Sgt. Gary Klienkemper and Lt. Mike Lang were contacted concerning this issue. Sgt.Klienkemper indicated that his officers will respond to animal related calls. Gary alsoindicated that his officers take no action but will contact animal related agencies.Webster GroveS' P.o. prohibits the transportation of any type of animal in their patrolvehicles. They do not provide any equipment to handle animal related calls. If an animalappears to be a threat to public safety it will be euthanized with a department firearm. Asupervisor must authorize this action. Lt. Lang indicated that the Webster GrovesPolice Department was satisfied with the response from St. Louis County AnimalControl.

Kirkwood Police Department:

Lt. Kosyan of the Kirkwood Police Department was contacted regarding his officersresponding to animal related calls. Lt. Kosyan informed us that they will respond toanimal related calls. In the case of an injured or sick animal, Kirkwood Officers will notget physically involved unless the animal is a threat to the public. In this case, theanimal will be euthanized with a department firearm. This action will be documented inthe form of a memorandum. Kirkwood Officers will attempt to secure dogs at large andconvey them to the police department. The dog will be kept in a kennel and attempts tolocate the owner are made. If this is unsuccessful, St. Louis County Animal Control iscontacted for pick up. In the case of sick raccoon$, the Kirkwood Police Departmentinforms the complainant that there is nothing they can do.

st. LouisCounty Animal Control:Lt. Kevin Avery contacted St. Louis County Animal Control Officer Davis who informedhim that they would respond to a wildlife call if the animal is in a building or has bittensomebody and the location of the animal is known. They will handle dog at large callswhen they are available between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. They willrespond to a dog bite call at any time. Vicious dog calls are assessed and prioritized todetermine their response. They will not respond to sick raccoon calls but will tell thecaller to contact the Missouri Department of Conservation or Wildlife Rescue. OfficerDavis indicated that these agencies tell the complainant to leave the animal alone.

St. Louis County Animal Control handles all animal related calls for the St. Louis CountyPolice Department with the exception of barking dog calls. In this case, a St. LouisCounty Officer will be dispatched.

Wildlife Rescue was contacted by Lt. Avery. Wildlife Rescue indicated that they wouldrespond for a sick raccoon only if a volunteer was available. Wildlife Rescue furtherindicated that they would not respond very often as volunteer resources are quitelimited.

Missouri Department of Conservation:Lt. Avery contacted Mr. Tom Misner, a Wildlife Biologist for the M.D.C., who indicatedthat sick raccoons are very dangerous and should not be engaged by humans. Hisdirection is to tell people to leave them alone. Misner indicated that there are almost noinstances where these animals are a threat to humans. He did indicate that attemptingto handle these animals is very dangerous and that their saliva, blood, and feces cancause illness. He provided an example of his sUPt?rvisor being scratched by a sickraccoon and was hospitalized for one week. Mr. Misner was very hesitant when asked ifhe could provide proper training to our officers and stated he would have to get specificauthorization to do so. Misner stated that traps are available to citizens who are advisedafter trapping a sick raccoon they should fill a trash can with water and drown theanimal.

In closing, I would like to recommend that we provide information to our citizens throughour newsletter and website that these sick raccoons are not the threat that people thinkthey are. They should be left alone and they will leave the area and pass away as partof their natural process. Citizens should be informed that if a police response isrequested, the animal will be euthanized on site and the body removed by the officer.

We have made arrangements with the emergency animal clinic on Big Bend who willeither euthanize a captured animal for us or dispose of the body. There is no chargeassociated for this service at this time.

As we know, this topic was raised by one of my officers who looked into the safetyconcerns involved to humans engaging with these sick animals. Although we havecaptured several raccoons with the equipment provided by our Animal Control Officer, Ifeel that this is putting our officers at risk. This risk is not worth the effort to only havethe animal destroyed minutes later at the emergency clinic. Considering our currentnumber of commissioned officers and our targeted number, we can not risk an officerspending a week in hospital over a dying raccoon. I therefore would like to recommendthat we modify our response to destroying the animal on site as other agencies do. Weshould engage in a public safety information program as stated as it appears that this istruly the correct answer to the problem and will reduce the number of times we would beplaced in a situation to dispatch these animals.