PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh residents who spoke with Target 11’s Rick Earle Wednesday said they’re upset with a new city policy that has animal control workers shying away from helping them with wildlife that’s invading their yards.
Gerald Brown said for years, the city animal control has come to his property in the Hill District to help him trap and remove animals, but recently, workers informed him they can’t help anymore.
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“Nothing I can do now. They're just roaming, and I just hope that none of the kids get bit,” he said.
Brown isn’t alone with his concerns. Neighbors across the city told Earle that they’re not happy with the policy change.
Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Sonya Toler said animal control is no longer trapping healthy animals.
Toler explained that any animal captured was euthanized even if they weren’t a public health threat, and that was costing the city money.
“If (the animals) don’t exhibit signs of being sick, we’re not going to trap them,” she said.
Target 11 discovered that there’s already been a big drop. Between 2011 and 2014, the city trapped more than 1,400 raccoons each year. Through the first six months of 2015, only 213 have been captured.
Pittsburgh city councilwoman Darlene Harris sided with residents on the issue, saying it’s an important service the city should be providing. Harris said that because of the change, some residents are now taking matters into their own hands.
“One of the councilmembers told me they are actually shooting the animals in her district, and we don't need that in the city at all,” she said.
City officials plan to release more information about the new changes to animal control policies Thursday.