Helping a pet owner in need
When it comes to the daily work of a County Supervisor’s office, Monday exemplified the full range of our work and our commitment to constituents.
I wanted to share that day with you to help you to see the kinds of things we deal with, big and small, supervising the business of the county.
That evening, we were convening a special meeting of the Board of Supervisors to listen to community input regarding redistricting, a once-in-a-decade exercise that sets the district boundaries and helps to determine how you are represented.
District 4 staff was in the office that evening to monitor the BOS meeting and to provide support even though staff does not generally work past 5 p.m. on weekdays. A call came into the office shortly after 6.
Staff answered the call and a faint voice was heard on the other end.
A very distressed woman was trying to explain that even though she lives in Missouri, her husband, a truck driver, who was in Bakersfield working, had lost their dog that evening, an 8-year-old pit bull named Sky.
The woman had mistakenly called our number thinking it was Animal Control, but rather than tell her she had the wrong number or that Animal Control was closed at that time, staff helped her out in ways that I believe are extraordinary and beyond the call of duty.
As is typically the case with my staff, we take it upon ourselves to go the extra step and took down a description of the missing dog, post that the dog was missing on a Facebook page for lost animals where 31,000 followers might see this post and help find their 8-year-old fur baby named Sky.
The woman, who was in tears as she spoke, relayed all the necessary information to staff, who then turned around and posted it on social media.
Amazingly, sometime after 6:30, a Bakersfield resident responded saying that a similar dog, if not the same dog, had been located near White Lane and Gosford.
Shortly thereafter, Sky and the pet owners from Missouri were reunited, thanks to the outstanding constituent service work of my staff.
Meanwhile, at the BOS meeting, the public voiced their concerns about redistricting and provided input for the county to consider as it gets ready to approve these new boundaries.
Redistricting is a huge matter, as the lines drawn will essentially determine who is your county supervisor and who may be presiding over priorities in the districts where each and every one of us live.
As each supervisor, working in conjunction with county staff and the districts’ constituents, plays a large role in what projects to prioritize, it does matter who your supervisor is.
For my part, for the length of time you choose to have me as your supervisor, I will meet and discuss with all communities in my district and hope to hear from as many of you as possible on matters that concern you.
But I thought the night was emblematic of our daily business and wanted to give you insight.
The constituent issues we deal with daily can be something like a lost dog that only impacts a few, or something as major as deciding districts for the next decade. And everything in between.
As you can see, we run the gamut of issues in our daily work serving District 4 and all of Kern County, and will continue to do so. Thanks to my staff — in this case Jesus Perez — for handling this situation so admirably.
If you have any questions about this or any District 4 matter, don’t hesitate to contact us at district4@ kerncounty.com or at 661868-3680. Have a safe week.