Municipal animal shelters across Connecticut are faced with limited budgets, but several including Stratford, Westport and Stamford, have volunteer nonprofit groups that help animal control officers and fundraise.

Andrea Kerin wants to do that in her town by forming Friends of the Fairfield Animal Shelter. Kerin said initial ideas include dog walking and socialization, helping on social media and raising money so every animal is spayed or neutered before adoption. An online petition has gathered hundreds of signatures

“Here in Fairfield, we've got a group of dedicated animal lovers who want to help our animal shelter do more for the animals, and the animal control officer is refusing to have a conversation with us,” Kerin said.

Kerrin stressed that the proposal is about assisting disadvantaged shelter animals and isn’t a criticism of staff’s work.

Fairfield Animal Control is under the police department, which is the case in many towns. News 12 reached out for a response and was told by police that to their knowledge the group has asked to meet with the police commission, which is the proper channel to go through.

“A year ago, we did reach out to the police commission who indeed did encourage conversation,” Kerin explained, adding that open discussions never happened.

Kerin said she was only told there were insurance and liability issues. But that’s been worked out in neighboring communities, including Trumbull, where volunteer organizations pay for their own insurance.

“Right now, I have a really really good group of people,” stated Trumbull Animal Control Officer Lynn DellaBianca. “The president—she does some fabulous things on social media helping to get the animals adopted.”

DellaBianca also said the volunteer group, Trumbull Animal Group or TAG, is critical to covering vet bills.

“We might have an animal that comes in that needs dental or tumors removed,” DellaBianca explained. “It's stuff that goes beyond our realm of what my town budget can do.”

DellaBianca has been with Trumbull Animal Control for 21 years and said the group was already formed when she arrived.

“You have to set up some rules. Volunteers need to know what's expected of them, what they can and can't do,” DellaBianca told News 12. “Before they can even volunteer here, they have to go through an orientation.”

Part of that is understanding that animal control isn’t a rescue group and staff’s top priority is public safety, DellaBianca added.

Those are all things Kerin said she hasn’t even been able to address.

“We don't understand the lack of willingness to have an open conversation, to present ideas, to discuss what challenges may be,” Kerin stated. “To not be having conversations is just to the detriment of our animals, to the detriment of our community.”