Kennedy: Time to hire full-time dog officer

LYNN – Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy started the city search Thursday for an animal control officer to assist a Nahant dog officer who has juggled town and city animal calls for more than a year.Michael Kairevich, Nahant’s animal control officer, has handled Lynn calls since Kevin Farnsworth, Lynn’s former full-time officer, underwent right shoulder surgery and experienced ongoing problems in his right arm.Kennedy stated by text message Thursday that she authorized city officials to start the hiring process for a new dog officer.”The animal control officer certainly should be full-time. I just approved the posting today, so it will be a while before we actually hire someone,” Kennedy wrote.According to city Retirement Board records, Farnsworth received a state-approved accidental disability pension and retired from his $58,500 a year job on Aug. 31.City Parking Commissioner Jay Fenton oversees tickets issued to dog ordinance violators and said hiring a full-time officer will be a challenge. He said the new officer must work with local police and city officials, and be capable of handling a variety of animal complaints.”It’s a complicated job to fill,” Fenton said.Fenton said two full-time animal control officers patrolled Lynn and responded to local calls a decade ago.Kairevich on Thursday said he does his best to juggle Lynn and Nahant calls, and said calls range from fewer than a dozen a day to more than 25.”No call goes unanswered,” he said.The new officer will not be responsible for providing specific city oversight over local pit bulls. Assistant City Solicitor James Lamanna said changes in state law approved earlier this summer included a prohibition on municipalities creating breed-specific regulations.Lamanna said the law change overturned the city’s 2010 ordinance branding pit bulls as “a significant threat to the health, welfare and safety of the residents and visitors to the City of Lynn.”The ordinance allowed local owners to license and register two pit bulls, and required them to fill out a registration form and submit a picture of their dogs to city officials.”Seven to eight pieces of paper needed to be provided to the dog officer,” Lamanna said.The ordinance also directed pit bull owners to ensure their dogs were “adequately or securely led and leashed ? ” and muzzled or confined to “a secure temporary enclosure” when the dog was off their property. Violations carried a $50 fine.”The ordinance is null and void. Pit bulls will be treated as all other dogs,” Lamanna said on Thursday.Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].