FALL RIVER - Regardless of how lavishly owners may have treated their pets during their lifetimes, if an animal dies on city streets, there's a good chance it will end up in the landfill.
With new dog officers on the job - now employed by the city - the procedure for handling animal carcasses seems to have changed. And, that has already angered at least one pet owner.
"They threw my dog in the landfill," said resident Tammy Magan, after Keto, her 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier, was killed by another dog. "I wanted my dog to be cremated," Magan said.
The incident happened sometime after 6 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant View. Magan said she was attending a cookout there and Keto, who was not leashed, was leaning against the house. Magan said she turned away for a moment and a large dog being walked on a leash attacked Keto and held him in his mouth.
Magan said she fought the larger dog off by kicking and hitting it until it finally dropped Keto.
With two bite marks in Keto's neck, "he died in my arms," said Magan.
Distraught, Magan was inside the house when police and the dog officer arrived. She said her daughter spoke to police and allowed them to take the dog, which had been placed in a shoe box.
Magan said she was under the impression the officer would take Keto to the city's Montaup Street shelter facility, until she decided what to do with the body. She said she was familiar with the system because her sister did the bookkeeping for the former dog officer.
Fall River Police Lt. Jeffrey Cardoza said that according to the police reporter, Magan was given two options for dealing with the dog's remains: The dog could either be dealt with directly by its owner, or the police officer would take the dog to the landfill.
Cardoza said he believed that's how the city has always dealt with pet carcasses.
But, Magan said she and her daughter would never have consented to allow her dog to be taken to the landfill. She said the officer just said he would "take care of it."
According to former dog officer Joy Bannister, under the old policy, the dog would have been taken to the Montaup Street holding area, a facility and shelter for lost animals, and also a morgue of sorts for deceased animals.
"I have a freezer on my premises," Bannister said.
From there, the owner would have the option of retrieving the dog, or paying $125 for the dog to be cremated at Angel View Pet Cemetery in Middleboro.
"I would have paid the $125," said Magan. "He's always been well taken care of. I can't sleep. I can't eat. My dog went everywhere with me."
The job of dog officer was previously contracted out to Bannister, who had successfully won the bid from the city for the past two decades. She had a staff of about five officers, and also handles dog officer duties for Somerset and Dighton.
But as of the start of the new fiscal year, July 1, three new people have been hired as dog officers by the city: Betsy Westell, as supervisor, who has worked formerly as a veterinarian technician in Assonet and in Arizona, where she also worked for the Phoenix Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Rabies Animal Control; Cynthia Berard, who has a degree in animal industries and has worked as a laboratory assistant and shelter manager, and is a member of the MSPCA; and David Cadima, who was most recently employed by the city's Department of Public Works, and has experience trapping animals and is a member of the Fall River Friends of Ferrel Cats.
Westell is being paid $40,000 per year. The other two dog officers were hired at $30,000 each.
According to James Smith, director of municipal services, the move will be cost-saving.
He said contracting the positions out could have cost the city up to $220,000 this year, from $181,000 last year.
Under the new system, $100,000 will be spent in salaries, and some $33,000 will go toward animal boarding costs at the Montaup Street shelter and additional related costs.
"For many years, it was contracted out," said Smith. "Our plan was to bring the services in-house."
Smith said besides saving money, the new in-house dog officers will work "24/7" exclusively for the city.
Bannister is still providing the boarding facilities to the city of Fall River, but the city has not contracted her services for the use of the freezer.
She said during her tenure as dog officer, animals would be held in the freezer for pet owners to claim. Other animals without owners would also be held. All animals were cremated, she said, except for skunks, which the mortuary wouldn't allow.
Smith said he was "not aware" that animals were presently being disposed of in the landfill.
"That's not my expectation," he said. "I think there's a better way to do it."
Smith said a commercial grade freezer has been purchased to store the animal carcasses until there are enough to either bury or cremate, but a site for the freezer is still being sought.
The dog that killed Keto, according to Cardoza, was a rottweiler - though Magan said it was a shar-pei - owned by an 85-year-old woman of Quincy Street. Another woman was walking the dog at the time of the attack.
The dog is being held for 10 days at the Montaup Street facility for observation. Once the dog's demeanor is determined, its fate will be up to Police Chief John M. Souza. Sometimes, a ruling is made that a dog must be on a short leash when being walked, or wear a muzzle.
Residents can still request dog officer dispatches by contacting the Fall River Police Department at 508-676-8511.
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