Marblehead animal inspector’s salary doubles

MARBLEHEAD – One department budget is doubling this year, fiscal difficulties or not.Inspector of Animals Isabel Lorenco’s stipend will go from $1,200 to $2,400 in Fiscal 2010.That’s an increase from $100 to $200 a month, which Lorenco requested.Selectmen approved the increase March 25 on a recommendation from Town Administrator Tony Sasso and the Finance Committee voted Tuesday night to recommend it to Town Meeting.Lorenco is not to be confused with Animal Control Officer Betsy Tufts, whose department’s budget is much larger, although both are part of the police department.According to the town Web site, the Inspector of Animals also assures that animals are properly housed and cared for and to make certain that they don’t infringe on the neighborhood. Records are kept on all horses, dogs, goats and poultry in the town.As Police Chief Robert Picariello explained to the FinCom, "Any time an animal or human being is bitten by a pet, the veterinarian is required to notify the animal inspector. The animal inspector visits the house and quarantines the pet and then revisits the house to release the pet from quarantine. Sometimes repeated visits are necessary to catch the people at home."Chief Picariello said the animal inspector is called out "a couple of times a week.""She also has to appear in court on some cases," Picariello said.Picariello and Sasso told the FinCom that Lorenco is employed at a local veterinarian’s office. She does a lot of her town duties after hours and she saves the town the cost of paying overtime to the animal control officer.