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Health & Fitness

Unfortunately, Former Committeeman Krauss is Wrong

Former Committeeman Marc Krauss is wrong about the animal canvass

It was brought to my attention that there may be a serious misunderstanding regarding the requirement to conduct an annual dog and cat census and the role of the health officer in Springfield Township.  On May 10, 2013, former Committeeman Marc Krauss posted the following statement in his blog on the Springfield Patch:   “...the previous Health officer never mentioned to [the] Board of Health or Governing body that a state mandated dog and cat census was required or Springfield was past due by 15 years.” This information is incorrect.

As the Health Officer for the Westfield Regional Health Department, the undersigned served as the Health Officer for Springfield Township from 2008 through 2012.  The Westfield Regional Health Department cares very much about the people it served and serves, so it is very important that the residents of Springfield be reassured and provided with correct information.

First, Section 5-4 of the Code of the Township of Springfield clearly stipulates that it is the Township that shall report to the Health Department, not the reverse. Section 5-4 reads in its entirety as follows:

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5-4    DOG CANVASS.

The Township shall annually cause a canvass to be made of all dogs owned, kept or harbored within the limits of the Township and shall report to the Township Clerk, the Health Department and to the State Department of Health the results thereof, setting forth in separate columns the names and addresses of persons owning, keeping or harboring dogs, the number of licensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person, together with the registration number of each dog; the number of unlicensed dogs owned, kept or harbored by each person, together with a complete description of each unlicensed dog. (1991 Code § 157-5)

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In addition, the State Law known as “Essential Elements of Municipal Animal Control” prescribes the dog and cat canvass mandate and assigns the responsibility for canvassing activities to the animal control provider, not the local health department.  When the Township of Springfield switched animal control providers, I was concerned about the Township not being in compliance with the  “Essential Elements of Municipal Animal Control” and raised this issue on several occasions to both the then Springfield Board of Health as well as in discussions with the Township Administrator.  I followed up my verbal notices with written memos and e-mails.  For example, on May 17, 2011, I sent a memo to the Township Administrator wherein I expressed my concerns about the new animal control vendor and attached to it a copy of the “Essential Components of Municipal Animal Control”. On February 14, 2012, I sent an email to the then Committeeman serving as the Township Committee’s Board of Health Liaison,  stating, “I do want to make sure that you and the Common Council understand that…by not following the essential elements of animal control, Springfield is in fact violating state law….”  This email was copied to the Township Administrator and the Board of Health.

Unfortunately, the result of my many efforts was to be advised in no uncertain terms to stay out of animal control matters.  Further, in the event Mr. Krauss had simply erred in his recollection of the matter that he blogged about on the Springfield Patch, I did place a courtesy call to him to advise him of the facts. Although Mr. Krauss and I had a cordial conversation, he has not taken any action to post correct information and, as of today, his post on the Springfield Patch remains. As a licensed professional health officer, it is my duty is to act in the best interest of the people I serve based on facts and the law.  Although the Township of Springfield chose not to renew its contract with the Westfield Regional Health Department as of November 30, 2012, it is my commitment as a licensed health professional and to the people of Springfield to whom I still feel a kinship, that I must assert the facts in this matter.

 

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