The Mission Viejo City Council on Monday approved an agreement with the City of Aliso Viejo to provide animal care services to Aliso Viejo residents. The agreement, which starts at the beginning of the year, includes Aliso Viejo transferring its animal care services from Orange County to Mission Viejo, joining Laguna Niguel as a contract city. The move is part of an effort to improve animal-related services for residents and their pets in these South County cities.
Mission Viejo operates a pro-humane shelter and has a tremendous adoption rate. Stray animals are cared for until they are reunited with their owners or until they can be placed in new permanent homes. The shelter provides an animal adoption program that includes the screening and review of an individual adoption application to ensure responsible and long-term homes for the animals in their care.
Under the agreement, Aliso Viejo will contribute to operating expenses, additional staffing needs, capital costs and the expansion of the cattery. Mission Viejo’s Animal Shelter, located at 28095 Hillcrest, will provide Aliso Viejo residents with pet licensing, patrol, adoption and shelter services.
The cities have been negotiating contract terms since March, and officials say the agreement will greatly benefit the cities and their beloved pets.
“The partnership with Aliso Viejo is a “win-win,” said Mission Viejo Mayor Trish Kelley. “It allows us to enhance our services to our residents and to reduce the subsidy from our City general fund. I am so proud of the success of our Mission Viejo Animal Services, and it is wonderful that we are able to share our program with others. Through providing a resource to a neighbor city, we are able to expand our cattery staffing, volunteer army, and assist with the county-wide effort to control animal reproduction and find loving homes for pets, which might otherwise be destroyed. We achieve all of these benefits, and save Mission Viejo dollars in the process.”
Animal services has long been a concern to Aliso Viejo, as Orange County’s animal shelter located on The City Drive in Orange is the largest of its kind – serving people in more than 20 cities and all unincorporated areas of the county.
Aliso Viejo Mayor Bill Phillips said the agreement with Mission Viejo will have a significant impact in improving animal services for Aliso Viejo.
“I think we are going to get much better service than what we are getting with the county,” Phillips said. “Animal services is an issue residents are truly concerned about and around the community, you hardly ever see county animal control officers. Now, we will have a presence, great service level, knowledge, outreach and understanding of it all.”
Phillips said the new contract will also help the community to deal with a multitude of issues that arise.
“Personally, what I am happy about is that I live by the wildness park and have seen a pack of coyotes near neighborhoods and we need to do something and now we will have somebody here.”
For information about Mission Viejo’s Animal Control services, including license information, contact the shelter at 949-470-3045. Information is also available on the City’s Web site at http://cityofmissionviejo.org/Department.aspx?id=74.
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