Grant will regionalize animal control

The neighboring Worcester County towns of Rutland, Barre and Princeton are in position to see a significant upgrade in their animal control services, thanks to a state innovation grant of $84,000.

Rutland and Barre have committed to the project, while the chair of Princeton’s Board of Selectmen and its town administrator, John Lebeaux, have recommended that the board take advantage of the grant, Lebeaux said.

The grant will be used to pay the salary and benefits of a full-time regional animal control officer, purchase a fuel-efficient van, and build a regional animal shelter, something the area currently lacks, according to Rutland Police Sgt. Robert Marino, who is coordinating the effort.

The new $29,000 vehicle, a 2012 Ford Transit cargo van, is expected to get about 25 miles per gallon, much more than the previous vehicle, which was more than a decade old, Marino said.

Another $24,500 from the grant will cover the cost of constructing the animal shelter in Rutland. The remaining $30,000 will be used for the first year of salary and benefits for the animal control officer. Rutland will handle the liability insurance for the other participating communities.

Each town that joins the regional service will reimburse Rutland based on the same formula used for participation in the area’s regional dispatch system. The regional approach should reduce each town’s animal control costs by about 40 percent, according to Marino.

“We are encouraging communities to look at our model and jump on board,” he said.