Irmo Town Council Member Erik Sickinger is hoping to reform the way animal control operates in town limits. His idea is to designate at least one Irmo police officer as a full-time animal control deputy. 

At a regularly scheduled town council workshop in September, Sickinger opened the floor for discussion of his idea to add an animal unit to the Irmo police force. His idea mimics the way other Lexington County municipalities handle animal control. 

Both the City of West Columbia and the City of Cayce accommodate at least one officer who is dedicated to serving the furry animals in city limits. These officers are full-time animal control deputies employed by police departments. 

West Columbia’s animal control is partnered with Pawmetto Lifeline in a trap, neuter and release program. Sickinger is hoping to create a program in Irmo very similar to that.

“Our partnership with Pawmetto gives us an organization that we can turn animals over to. They’re dedicated to rehoming and providing the best lives possible to those animals that are picked up but are unable to be reunited with their owners,” said West Columbia Mayor, Tem Miles. 

“Overall, it's a much better outcome for animals and it's much better for us as a city,” he added. “Nobody likes the thought of needlessly ending the lives of animals.” 

West Columbia and Cayce animal control only serves residents and furry friends in city limits. County residents outside these city limits must use county resources. The idea of having an in-house officer is what’s most appealing to both Miles and Sickinger.

“The biggest help has been when you have an issue that somebody needs to respond to, you've got a trained person who can go out and they’re properly tooled and equipped to respond to animals,”  Miles told the Chronicle. 

West Columbia, Cayce and the City of Columbia are the only municipalities that touch Lexington County that have their own animal control service. The 12 other municipalities rely on county services. 

Sickinger doesn’t have negative opinions of county animal control, but he says having in-town services will give them more control over animal-centered ordinances.

“Right now, we rely on the county's animal ordinances and programs,” Sickinger told the Chronicle. “The county is in charge of picking up lost dogs and setting the standard of what humane treatment means for animals. If we have an officer dedicated to our pets then we can set our own standards.”

“And effectively, it costs as much as having another police officer,” Sickinger added. “There are some startup costs around equipment and some additional training plus finding someone reliable to hire for animal control.”

Sickinger emphasized that his idea is not ready to be implemented but rather it’s a discussion and an idea for the council.

“I don’t speak for the entire town council but I know the majority of people who contact me overwhelmingly wish that it could be more strict,” he said. “We don’t intend to tell people what their relationship with their animal should look like but rather we want to set specific expectations of residents and their animals.”

Sickinger added that if this idea goes forward, he expects to partner with experts and other municipalities to learn about what Irmo needs.