The Camp Verde Town Council discussed the recent reorganization transitioning the town’s Animal Control services out of the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office to community development in FY26 at council’s regular meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Town Manager Miranda Fisher said Animal Control enforces town codes in a manner similar to code enforcement, and that many of Animal Control’s duties do not always rise to a criminal level. After doing a ridealong with the town’s Animal Control officer, she felt it best to move Animal Control to Community Development to better align operations with the town’s code compliance functions.
Fisher added that under CVMO Animal Control lacked structural support and the supervision necessary for long-term operations. She added that there have always been calls for Animal Control after hours, and this transition will allow the creation of a rotating on-call schedule to ensure Animal Control has consistent coverage after hours. The Community Development Department developed an on call schedule for department employees to answer the phone and provide support. She said staffers don’t need to be sworn police officers to be an Animal Control officers.
Animal Control’s primary duties include patrolling for dogs at large, investigating complaints and enforcing nuisance and welfare provisions such as vaccination compliance, stray livestock and excessive noise. Officers capture, transport and impound animals when needed. Officers also provide community education on rabies prevention, licensing and spay/neuter awareness.
Animal Control’s scope is limited to domestic animals within town limits and
not respond to wildlife issues or rescues outside of Camp Verde. Feral cats are only taken in when injured or ill. When cases involve potential criminal conduct, Animal Control coordinates with CVMO for the appropriate law enforcement response.
The town does not operate a shelter but partners with various humane societies. The town has a holding space that holds five dogs, which is mainly reserved for quarantine, animal bite, sick or injured animals. Fisher said they can’t take every animal at large but monitor those situations when called in.
The town had a contract with the Verde Valley Humane Society in the past where they paid a set amount to the shelter and could take a dog at large to them. This contract was dissolved by CVMO with cost as a primary reason. With no standing agreement for animal intake, each time an animal needs placement, the town must appeal to VVHS or other humane societies to take the animal at no cost.
Animal shelters statewide are often at capacity and lack sufficient funding. Fisher said that it’s now a desperate plea to find someone to take their animals and that the town has transported animals to Sedona, Prescott and as far as Flagstaff and Phoenix. If an animal requires an operation, the town has a very slim budget and must ask a humane society to take it or euthanize the animal.
The town wants to reestablish a formal contract with a regional shelter to have predictable intake and cost structure, allowing a reliable process for surrendering animals that improves both animal welfare outcomes and operational efficiency. Staff are obtaining financial information from potential partners to consider in the FY27 budget cycle.
Councilwoman Patricia Seybold said a lot of people in town don’t understand that Animal Control can’t pick up every loose dog and hold them.
Fisher said they plan to do a better job at educating callers on why they can’t do certain things while providing options for what they can do.
“We are very much committed to animal safety, our community safety and to do the best within the confines of our code, our ability and our financial limitations,” Fisher said.
The Arizona Humane Society recently hosted an animal cruelty investigation training for Animal Control officers and law enforcement officers. AHS will offer a community-focused training on the same topic on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cottonwood Community Center.
