Animal Control Changes Go Into Effect in Wellington

The start of the new month marks a change to the Town of Wellington’s contract for animal control with NOCO Humane. 

Starting April 1, the organization — formerly known as the Larimer Humane Society — is available for animal protection and control services for the Town for eight hours per day from  Thursday through Monday, and emergency services are available Tuesday and Wednesday and after hours seven days per week. 

While this change won’t alter the types of services provided to the Town, it will ensure that  Wellington has sufficient animal control for a town its size. 

“In the 2023 Community Survey, it was revealed that 58% of residents rated the current animal control services in Town as fair/poor,” Wellington Town Administrator Patti Garcia said. “We  understand the importance of effective and accessible animal control, and partnering with NOCO  Humane will give residents more direct access to these services.” 

NOCO Humane will now be the first point of contact for Wellington residents when it comes to most animal control issues. Residents should call the NOCO Humane dispatch at 970-226-3647,  ext. 7, with typical animal control issues during regular service hours.  

Services are also available after hours and Tuesday and Wednesday in situations that are time  sensitive or involve a safety or medical risk. In those instances, residents can contact either  NOCO Humane dispatch, or Larimer County Sheriff’s Department at 970-416-1985. Dispatch  staff members with both agencies are trained to direct calls to the appropriate officers and  resources for each situation. 

For other non-urgent after-hours incidents, residents can submit a form to the Town via its website at  wellingtoncolorado.gov or wait until regular service hours to call NOCO dispatch. 

Residents can also still contact Wellington’s Neighborhood Services Department for code enforcement issues like animal limits, restricted types of animals, and issues regarding the size and location of outdoor animal housing and enclosures. The Neighborhood Services Department can be reached at 970-568-9000, and regular office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. 

As part of the contract change, residents can expect an increased presence of NOCO Humane vehicles and animal control officers in the community. Those officers are tasked with enforcing Wellington’s municipal animal control ordinances. 

The primary goal of the NOCO Humane officers is to provide education when they observe an animal-related violation. While the officers are trained to provide education and information first, residents who refuse to follow town rules can still be issued notices of violation or citations.  

Wellington’s Board of Trustees has requested additional research and review of certain animal control ordinances. Some of those rules could be considered for changes in the future, and those changes would be reflected in NOCO Humane’s enforcement procedures. 

In addition to providing field services, NOCO Humane will continue to provide animal  sheltering services for Wellington, as well. NOCO Humane officers will make every effort to  identify and return animals to their owners to avoid a stay in the shelter facility.  

When an animal cannot be identified, or its owner cannot be contacted to return it, it may be taken to NOCO’s Larimer County campus and cared for until the owner can be reunited with their pet. When shelter services are needed, owners can expect to pay the fees established and published by NOCO Humane for the services provided, including a license for any unlicensed animals. 

In addition to microchipping and adding an ID tag to a pet’s collar, licensing an animal is a great  way to help animal control officers identify it and get it home without it being impounded. And,  in the event of a stay at the shelter facility, the fees charged for licensed pets are less than those  for unlicensed pets. 

Licenses can be purchased online at www.nocohumane.org/licensing/purchase. 

MORE INFORMATION  

• For more information about NOCO Humane, visit their website at www.nocohumane.org.
• Information on common code violations in Wellington regarding animals is available at wellingtoncolorado.gov.  
• To review all Wellington’s ordinances regarding animals, go to wellingtoncolorado.gov.