On May 4, the Ventura County department that oversees the care of stray and abandoned animals and enforcement of animal laws got approval from the Board of Supervisors to have its name changed from Animal Regulation to Animal Services.

The agency, originally called Animal Control., was changed to Animal Regulation in 1988.

In making the request to the Board of Supervisors, director Monica Nolan said that “services” better describe what the department now does, including sheltering, emergency response and enforcement. In 2009, more than 10,000 animals were housed and fed at the Camarillo facility and officers responded to more than 17,000 calls for service.

Ongoing services provided by the department include running a full-service veterinary facility that treats all the suspected animal cruelty cases in the county and quarantine and rabies testing required by health mandates. The department also provides licensing, patrolling and sheltering services for nine cities in the county.

As the name change implies, Animal Services is working toward making itself more “user friendly.”

To encourage more animal owners to license their dogs, Animal Services has initiated the “Its Their Ticket Home” program.

Should an animal control officer picks up a licensed animal that is stray, they will try to deliver it home before taking it to the shelter.

To improve customer service at the shelter, Animal Services is undergoing a lobby remodel. The front lobby area at the Camarillo shelter will be closed for a month while the interior is enlarged.

For more information, go to www.vcas.us.