We've long advocated for a regional approach to animal control in our community.

We have lamented the hardships of animals abandoned in areas without animal control -- who could forget Chocolate the dog -- and the burden to property owners in animal dumping zones.

We were dismayed when Benton County finally decided to go it alone and build a fancy shelter of its own with limited capacity for a relative few dogs.

Cities and counties without animal control continue to debate the best solutions for their jurisdictions while the lone facility already serving multiple cities is filled to the rafters with strays.

Franklin County and West Richland, both currently without animal control services, are considering asking for services from the Tri-Cities Animal Control Authority. The authority is comprised of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland and contracts with an animal control director.

If Franklin County and West Richland were to join forces with the existing authority, the result would be as close to a regional approach to animal control as we can get.

Now West Richland is without an animal control officer and the police department is responding to calls.

That's just not right.

Strays are housed at a temporary location, with no longterm solution in sight.

Animal control in Franklin County, where Chocolate was found before he went on to become a dog celebrity as donations poured in to fix his badly broken limbs, is nonexistent except for dogs deemed dangerous.

Judging from the recent story about the animal control quandary, it seems like communication is key in any plan, as the different players say they are waiting to hear back on various questions.

But the biggest hurdle to adding a broader scope to the animal control authority may just be the sheer number of animals involved. The shelter in Pasco is five decades old and has outlived its usefulness. It already sees nearly 5,000 cats and dogs come through its doors each year, and hundreds of those end up being euthanized.

If Franklin County and West Richland were to contract to use the facility as well, the need for a new shelter would be even more critical. The partnership could also be a potential way to fund a new building as well.

But that wouldn't come cheap. The new facility is estimated to cost $4 million. And that cost definitely is a factor -- and a huge financial burden -- for any newcomers looking to contract with the authority for service.

Cooperation is going to be key for the jurisdictions involved. That's most evident in west Pasco where pockets of unincorporated county land have different rules than the surrounding city, and residents have been victims of dog bites.

It really does take a communitywide approach to issues like animal control. Animal control impacts us all, and strays know no boundaries.