BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County Animal Services is hosting a public safety meeting Wednesday night to discuss animal control issues, including stray dogs and community safety concerns.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Rusty's Pizza Parlor at the corner of Olive Drive and Victor Street.

Director Nick Cullen said the event is part of a broader effort to connect with residents and address misconceptions about how animal control operates.

"This is mostly going to be about animal control," Cullen said. "We want to have a meeting where we can talk to the community about public safety and how it relates to animal control."

Cullen said animal control officers patrol the unincorporated areas of Kern County, responding to calls for injured animals and vicious dogs. The department handles about 19,000 calls a year.

One of the most common concerns from residents, Cullen said, is the safety risk posed by loose dogs.

"They want to know, 'Can I walk to my mailbox and get my mail and not have to worry about my neighbor's dog coming and attacking me?'" Cullen said.

Cullen said a major challenge officers face is misinformation about how the department responds to calls. He used the example of a resident who reports a stray dog in the morning, leaves for work, and returns home to find the dog still there.

"My officer will respond, but if the dog is not there, they're not going to patrol the neighborhood looking for it," Cullen said. "If the dog's not there, they're going to move on to the next call."

Cullen said the meeting is the fifth in a series and is being organized in partnership with the Kern Safe Coalition, a local group of animal welfare organizations.

"We're trying to solve the crisis that we're in, trying to bring resources to the community and educate them in a real comprehensive way," Cullen said.

Cullen, who has served as director of animal services for 14 years and spent seven years as an officer, said lack of access to affordable veterinary care is a significant contributing factor to the stray animal population problem.

"Lack of access to affordable veterinary care—not just spay and neuter, but basic veterinary care—does contribute largely to the pet population, especially the stray pet, or at least what we think is a stray pet population problem," Cullen said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy

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