Regional animal control plan on hold

Despite repeated claims from Spok- Animal C.A.R.E. that it doesn’t want to perform animal control services, Spokane City Council members have put a regional animal control plan on hold in hopes that the nonprofit group will change its mind.

SpokAnimal officials have told city leaders for more than two years that they want to stop performing Spokane’s animal control duties, which they have done by contract since 1984.

That, along with requests from City Hall, persuaded the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service to spend months developing a proposal that would include the city. But just as the proposal was about to be approved this week, City Council members opted to delay a vote to allow SpokAnimal a chance to keep the city’s contract.

SpokAnimal board chairwoman Christel Carlson sent a letter to the city last week saying the group is willing to present “a comprehensive plan” for animal control for Spokane. City Council President Joe Shogan says they’ll get until April 21.

But just how great SpokAnimal’s desire is to keep the contract remains uncertain.

“We do not want to do animal control,” SpokAnimal operations director Laura Thulean said this week.

Thulean said SpokAnimal is willing to take another look at performing the city’s animal control services out of courtesy to requests from Spokane City Council members.

“We’re just kind of weighing our options to see what they would like and what we would need,” Thulean said. “It didn’t even cross our minds until we got the phone calls from the council.”

What’s driving a look at SpokAnimal are proposed license rate increases. The change to a regional agency is coming at the same time the city is looking to substantially increase license fees in an effort to recover more of the costs of animal control from pet owners.

Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple, who has led the effort to persuade SpokAnimal to change its mind, said the new rates are too high.

The rate for spayed and neutered dogs under the new proposal would be $25 – up from $13 and $5 higher than the fee charged by SCRAPS in Spokane Valley and in the unincorporated county. The fee for spayed and neutered cats would increase from $8 to $15.

It’s unclear, however, whether the license rates would be much different if SpokAnimal keeps the contract. Annual operating costs for contracting with SpokAnimal are almost the same as what the city would pay the county.

Apple points to the $3 million startup cost the city would have to pay to expand the county’s animal shelter and to buy supplies for the agency. A plan to pay for that construction hasn’t been announced.

City Council President Joe Shogan said the regional plan is sound, but before spending $3 million, he has a responsibility to ensure there isn’t a cheaper option.

“I wanted to make sure there were no avenues untouched,” Shogan said.

It’s unfair to delay the county proposal for a group that has repeatedly expressed no interest, said Councilman Al French.

“It’s incredibly disingenuous to the county,” French said. “We need a long-term, reliable solution. That’s what we have on the table with the county.”

Meanwhile, Apple accuses French of partisan politics. He says French is pushing the county plan to help Republicans on the County Commission.

But Republicans aren’t the only ones who support the county plan. County Commissioner Bonnie Mager, a Democrat, said she is “annoyed” by Apple’s attempts to derail the regional animal control proposal, especially after county employees spent dozens of hours to help the city and craft an agreement.

Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, who has contributed to Democratic campaigns, also advocates the county’s proposal.

She said she’s OK waiting a few weeks for SpokAnimal, but not any longer.

“We owe the county the courtesy of a decision,” Verner said.