Clearlake council hears police investigation into North Bay Animal Services; city orders removal of animals from workshop

Lieutenant Ryan Peterson presented a 96-page investigation to the Clearlake City Council on June 1 that concluded the shelter run by North Bay Animal Services had multiple operational failings and was over capacity, prompting the council to direct removal of animals from an interim public-works workshop and to demand stronger on-site supervision.

The report, summarized by Lieutenant Peterson, said investigators contacted 22 people, completed 19 interviews, reviewed 465 pages of documents and photographs and inspected the facility and a regional shelter. Peterson listed 10 specific allegations raised by residents and staff, including that the shelter had been over capacity, lacked sufficient spay/neuter and veterinary coverage, had experienced a Giardia outbreak, accepted donated food with damaged or expired packaging and suffered from unclear supervision and slow response to community complaints. "This is not a problem that happened overnight and cannot be fixed overnight," Peterson told the council.

The report said the shelter briefly housed about 80 dogs after a hoarder case; North Bay removed animals, reducing the population to about 62 and later fluctuating between 62 and 70, with 58 animals reported at the time of the presentation. The investigator found evidence that veterinary care was provided: North Bay had a standing weekly appointment with Clear Lake Veterinary Clinic (two to four animals per week) and from January through April 2023 had spent $20,717.36 at that clinic; the report estimated North Bay could spend over $60,000 on veterinary services this year. The report also noted that, historically, when the city ran the shelter annual veterinary costs ranged between $27,712 and $36,194.

Peterson reported no evidence to support one allegation that medications were not provided, and said infected animals received veterinary-prescribed treatment. He also found the shelter had accepted donated food that sometimes carried expired dates or damaged packaging but that unusable food was disposed of and there was no indication staff intentionally provided spoiled food. The report identified a broken shelter lock that allowed unauthorized access (it has since been replaced), unsupervised volunteer access to kennel areas, and a lack of a consistent on-site supervisor; North Bay acknowledged the supervision gap and said it is training an on-site manager.

Public comment at the hearing was extensive and sharply critical. Residents described repeated encounters with loose, aggressive dogs and questioned why so few citations had been issued since North Bay took the contract. Jean Janich told the council she feared witness testimony had been dismissed in the report; Denise Gilmore described creating a community coalition to document dog attacks and urged expanded low-cost spay/neuter programs. Rita and other speakers recounted repeated failed calls for help and asked the council to require greater transparency and accountability.

Mark Scott, director of North Bay Animal Services, told the council his organization is working to improve communications and staffing. "We wanna work with everybody that's willing to work with us and to help move that ball forward with the city of Clearlake," Scott said, acknowledging operational challenges and turnover early in the contract. Scott said North Bay has transferred animals to partner organizations, is training an on-site supervisor and is refining citation and warning procedures.

Council members pressed staff and the vendor on enforcement and thresholds for euthanasia in an overcrowded shelter. Council member Kramer said the no-kill philosophy has limits in practice and asked how long an aggressive dog could be held; Peterson and Scott described case-by-case triage and said severe bites or unrehabilitable behavior could lead to euthanasia following veterinary and behavior-staff review.

City staff summarized next steps: the council was told direction has been given to remove animals housed in the public-works workshop and not to use that space in the future, and staff said they would continue oversight, push for improved responsiveness, and consider enforcement strategies. The mayor and city manager thanked residents and staff and said the council will continue to monitor the vendor's performance and community safety.

The council did not take a formal vote to terminate the contract during the meeting; the actions recorded were the direction to remove animals from the workshop and an expectation of increased oversight and reporting. Residents urged an independent outside audit; council and staff described continuing internal oversight and additional enforcement emphasis to change community behavior and reduce violations.

The investigation and public comment make clear the city, North Bay and local nonprofits will remain engaged in follow-up work. The council indicated this item will return to future agendas as the city monitors vendor performance, enforcement activity and outcomes of the changes requested of North Bay Animal Services.