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Friday, May 1, 2026

FY 2027 Budget Narrative: Animal Control Department

From the Town Administrator's FY 2027 Budget narrative, each department's story is worth sharing.


General Purpose

The Animal Control Department is responsible for the protection of domesticated animals in Franklin and the care and control of wildlife as needed. Animal Licensing and enforcement of laws pertaining to the care and treatment of animals are under the jurisdiction of this department.

The Animal Control Department is regionalized with the Town of Bellingham and offers 24/7 coverage.

Residents who are interested in contacting the Animal Control Department are encouraged to visit our website or call (508)-520-4922.

Core Functions

● Animal Control Officers work diligently to provide excellent care to all animals in the Town of Franklin, making every effort to reunite domesticated animals with their owner, and always keeping the safety of animals and residents as their top priority.
● Animal Control Officers Tracey Taddeo and Patrick Kelleher also serve as Inspector of Animals. The Inspector of Animals position is required for all domestic and wildlife bites and has the ability to quarantine residents’ pets.
● The Inspectors of Animals performs barn and kennel inspections and has the authority to grant or deny a kennel license.

Staffing

● One (1) Animal Control Officer
● One (1) Assistant Animal Control Officer
● Four (4) Part-Time Animal Control Officers

Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments

● The Animal Control Department received and investigated 3,215 calls in FY25, some of which are detailed below:
○ 47 dogs were picked up; 46 of which were claimed and 1 of which were not claimed
○ 9 cats and 7 other unspecified animals were picked up
○ 22 animals were taken to be seen by a veterinarian
○ 583 deceased animals were removed from public spaces
○ 49 animals were humanely euthanized
○ 37 dogs were found off-leash
○ 67 animal bites were reported; all animals were quarantined for 10 days and none were found to be rabid
○ 13 animals were tested for rabies; 0 were found to be rabid
○ 1 dogs were held as evidence in criminal investigations

FY27 Requested Budget Highlights

● This is a level-funded budget as presented, but will change if a regional agreement is altered. Bellingham and Franklin will be working on a revised shared services agreement this year, with a longer term goal of adding more communities, if possible, for greater economies of scale. However, this is a long term strategy, not an idea that will be implemented in a year or two.


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