We respectfully ask Perrysburg City Council, the Mayor and City administration to formally evaluate the feasibility, costs, responsibilities and community benefits of restoring at least one dedicated Animal Control Officer or equivalent dedicated Animal Control service for the City of Perrysburg.

Residents involved in this effort have raised concerns about skunks in residential areas, dogs being sprayed, encounters with raccoons and opossums, and uncertainty about whom to contact. These are resident observations, not evidence of a statistically proven citywide increase in wildlife. They nevertheless raise a practical question: would a dedicated local animal-control resource help residents obtain knowledgeable assistance and understand their options?

This request is larger than a single animal or neighborhood. It concerns how our community handles domestic-animal complaints, recurring wildlife problems, prevention and coordination among the agencies and professionals that already provide help.

Perrysburg has a documented precedent for a dedicated position. City budgets show an Animal Control Officer personnel line within the Police Division, funded through the General Fund, with actual expenditures recorded for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Residents are asking the City to consider whether restoring a dedicated function would be a beneficial use of municipal resources today. We are not assuming the former arrangement should be recreated without reviewing present needs and costs. [1–2]

We also recognize the work police already perform. The City's current Animal Control page says the Police Division responds to complaints involving dogs and other household pets. It excludes wildlife complaints unless an animal's behavior presents an immediate threat to someone's safety, and it offers information about other organizations that can assist. The question is whether a dedicated service could improve assistance for concerns that fall outside that routine response policy. [3]

Any service must be lawful and humane. Ohio's nuisance-wildlife rule requires captured nuisance skunks, raccoons and opossums to be released on site or euthanized; it does not permit simply moving them to another neighborhood or park. A local resource could help residents understand prevention, appropriate professional assistance and the legal choices available in a particular situation. This petition does not promise relocation or removal of every wild animal. [4]

We ask the City to consider a clearly defined service that could:

• Respond to appropriate domestic-animal complaints and assist with loose or dangerous animals, within its lawful authority.
• Advise residents about nuisance wildlife and provide specified field assistance where legally authorized and operationally appropriate.
• Coordinate with the Wood County Dog Warden, ODNR, humane organizations, veterinarians and licensed wildlife-control professionals.
• Educate residents about preventing recurring problems and avoiding improper wildlife handling.
• Maintain useful complaint and referral records and provide a clearly identified local contact for animal-related questions.

The evaluation should compare a dedicated City position with equivalent contracted or shared-service arrangements. It should define coverage hours, emergency responsibilities, training, legal authority, equipment, operating costs and coordination with existing services. One employee cannot provide unlimited or continuous coverage, and any proposal should make its boundaries clear.

We request referral to the appropriate Council committee and a public discussion of the findings. The review should consider actual complaint information, resident experiences and the full cost of reasonable options, then explain whether a dedicated service is warranted and how it could be structured and funded.

Our initial goal is 500 or more signatures, with particular emphasis on people who live in the City of Perrysburg. This is a community-engagement goal, not a claim that 500 signatures legally require Council to act. Property owners and other supporters are welcome, and we intend to distinguish resident support when presenting the results.

If you support a thoughtful, public evaluation of dedicated Animal Control services in Perrysburg, please sign. Together, we can ask our elected officials to give this practical community question serious consideration.

Supporting sources

[1] Perrysburg 2020 budget, Police Division, printed page 9:
https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=61

[2] Perrysburg 2021 budget, Police Division, printed page 9:
https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=60

[3] City of Perrysburg Animal Control policy:
https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/202/Animal-Control

[4] Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-03, especially (E)(3):
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-1501:31-15-03