Cinnaminson to Switch Animal Control Group
Township set to enter into a shared services agreement with nearby township.
In the new year, Cinnaminson is slated to change its animal control group from a local one to a more regionalized group.
At Monday’s township committee meeting, Public Safety Director Michael King said after talks with Willingboro, his suggestion is to enter into the shared service with the township.
“We reached out to them, they made a proposal,” King said.
Township officials inquired about the service after Palmyra entered into an agreement for their services in September.
“It’s a very professional unit,” King said.
Cinnaminson currently uses M & R Wildlife, animal control officials based out of Palmyra. King said he has fielded some citizens’ complaints about the group and that prompted the switch.
Plus, the shared service with Willingboro will cost the township less. Township Administrator Frank Locantore said last year, the township paid M & R more than $21K for their services. They will now pay around $18K.
The Willingboro animal control officials are on duty from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and on call every other time, King said.
“Most of our calls are during the day time anyway,” King said. “It’s rare we have a night call.”
Calls will be handled right through dispatch.
It was M & R Wildlife that responded to three calls last month of rabid animals. In the span of a few weeks, a fox, a groundhog and a skunk were all tested positive for rabies in Palmyra and Cinnaminson.
The township will officially change over at January’s reorganization.
Michael Makinson
7:30 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Shared services = savings for tax payers. I hope we see more of this going forward. Great decision.
Pundit
9:17 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Does anyone know if Cinnaminson residents be charged for using this service? It seems to me when I had an uninvited woodland critter in my backyard a few years ago there was a hefty fee charged for each critter removed.
Ray Budden
11:17 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I called maybe two months ago about a skunk and I was told that it was $150 to come out and place traps and then $75 for every animal taken away.
Christina Paciolla
1:54 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Pundit—I'll work on a follow up story, however the charge to the township is not all encompassing. If the township officially goes with the Willingboro shared service, we will have a full story on it. This was just a preliminary discussion. Nothing has been voted on yet.
Radiohead
11:40 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Ok . As long as they do a good job .
Bull Pitt
12:16 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Well, at least they are kind of admitting they screwed up! M&R was horrible. Terrible service, charged the township, and then also charged the customers!! Riverfront Animal Control was the service we had for the years before M&R, and they were fantastic. Always there, no charges, ever! They even investigated cruelty complaints, and were able to write summons and go to court. They were ousted because some of their workers (local Cinnaminson residents) stood up against the mighty township committee. The committee then claimed that they switched to save money. B.S. Hopefully this new service will be similar to Riverfront, and not M&R. Hopefully someone can answer "Pundit's" question.
Christina Paciolla
2:41 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I don't know much how truth there is to your claim Bull Pitt, but after talking to officials, the contract with Riverfront was for more than $30K so the township was looking to save. All the entities perform the same services. I don't know the specifics of that however.
Katie Scott
1:47 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
What is the phone number for the "new "animal control???
Christina Paciolla
1:53 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Katie—the township has not officially crossed over yet so if you have any issues, you should continue as you normally would.
clifford
3:12 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Christina,its good to see you a positive approach to these issues..
Chris Ricciuti
5:33 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Don't know much about M&R, but Riverfront was horrible. They never showed up for anything. Cinnaminson was getting robbed using them.
Big Lou
8:52 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Chris, I believe you have the companies mixed up. The township has had M&R for the last 5 years or so. They never showed up for anything. Riverfront was before them and came out for everything. Unless you had a different experience?
Chris Ricciuti
10:13 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Lou, you are probably right, I think I did mix up the companies. Sorry 'bout that.
agent itchy
5:44 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
consolidation is the way to go. i urge all my Cinnaminson neighbors to read up on www.couragetoconnectnj.org
i've held a meeting at our library last year to a full crowd. it's inspiring to see people taking the initiative to change the status-quo.
Dan
6:15 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Do residents have to pay for skunk removal? I have not seen one lately but my basement smells of them at night once a week on average.
noyb
10:19 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
as I understand it domestic animal removal is not a charge but wild animals they can charge you. So Cats under your shed they are supposed to deal with. Skunk in you bushes its your problem they will charge for services. generally if its a wild animal you are better off calling around to pest services to get the best price. Or if you are capable, trap it and reloacte it yourself.
Pundit
9:13 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Or residents can just ignore the wild animals as they travel from yard to yard searching for food or mates. Maybe they can hope that one of the neighbors will call and foot the bill to have it removed before someone is attacked. Hopefully that will not happen in cases with rabid or mothering animals that are protecting their young. I would think it would be better for the township to remove the wild animals and stray dogs and ignore remove stray kitties.
jmtrd
10:24 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I agree with Riverfront being great! I called back in 2005 or so and they came out and removed a skunk that was road kill now...the animals stay there till they disappear from being run over a million times, eeww.
Dan
9:55 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Good job sharing resources!
Christine T
6:10 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012
I have called M&R numerous times to come and remove the feral cats that we trap and I have never had a problem. They come very quickly every time we call. Always polite!
Cindy Pierson
3:47 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
I'm still waiting for M&R to respond from April when I called about a rabid raccoon. 2 cinnaminson police officers were there in minutes, but there wasn't anything they could do. I loved the Riverfront service, and their people. They were fast and courteous and good at their jobs - and I was never charged for any of the times I had to call them.